[iGoldeneye]

Admit it. We’ve all stared at our beautiful machines and wondered what it would be like to ride a fully prepped Yamaha R1 Superbike. We’ve seen the videos of journalists that had the rare opportunity to sling a leg over the exact same bike as Cameron Beaubier, JD Beach, Matthew Scholtz, etc. Rant and rave about how easy the bike is to ride, how powerful the bike is, yada yada yada.

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Yes, I know, I’ve been away from the forum for quite some time… I hope you all are healthy and doing well. It’s been exactly 5 years since I’ve made any major changes to the bike. You can quickly catch up with the existing build thread here:

The iGoldeneye 2015 R1M Racebike Build

Last pic before quarantine deconstruction:

The Quarantine Superbike Build started with the idea of simply fixing things that have broken, worn, and possibly some preventative maintenance since the bike is five years old. Somehow, some way, many opportunities and resources came together to take this bike on a full blown Superbike journey. This build wasn’t done in a silo. Many members from this very forum, forum sponsors, factory, and MotoAmerica race teams have made significant contributions to this build as we are all sitting at home bored af. The build also wasn’t planned as I had a bit of rework through some phases as decisions/opportunities were presented and parts were ordered. As of this edit, this build is still in progress.

I took the last couple years off of track days and racing, but I still used the bike to commute 3-4 days a week. I began experiencing engine performance issues (missing, stuttering, shutoffs) a few months back, so I finally began troubleshooting and replacing basic engine consumables.

Upon initial teardown, I quickly noticed that my Cam Position Sensor wires made contact with the right-side radiator fan, exposing some bare wiring

Cam Position Sensor mounted on valve cover.

Damaged Cam Position Sensor wiring

Replacing this part fixed 80% of the issues I experienced. Bike is now ridable again, but still not 100%. Attack Performance will come into play soon… 😈

New NGK Spark Plugs and Ignition Coils (not pictured)

Serviced Fuel Injectors

I took the fuel injectors to a well known FI shop in Torrance, California RC Injection. They have a 24 hour turn around time and give you before/after diagnostics. They also give you all your old FI components back for you to see how raggedy your injectors are.

After 5 years of pump gas and trackdays/race days with VP fuels, they were in need of servicing.

**Stripped a well nut in the battery holder/seat mount so I paid the stealership for an OEM replacement. Had I known I'd be going the superbike route, I wouldn't have wasted any coin on this part...

Last item that “needed” replacement was my OEM fairing stay. I don’t know what happened over the course of 5 years, but a tip of my fairing stay broke off mid ride one day and I never replaced it since it was still functional. OEM fairing stay is expansive, so I opted for the Motoholders Carbon Fiber Stay

MotoHolders Aluminum Stay with Carbon Fiber Air Tube with dash mounted

Another straight forward, bolt on install. Just need to drill a hole for the air temp sensor with a step drill bit...

Complete with the R1M fairings on

Guess that answers the outstanding question of if the carbon air duct fits with the OEM bodywork...

I realized that the forum now limits image uploads to 10 per post, so, in order to keep this thread content heavy, I'll break these up in sections...

 

[Gearheaded]

I’m in

 

[DarkHorse]

Raised from the dead!

 

[iGoldeneye]

Something that I always wanted for this bike but never got around to was rearsets. Jozef and the good folks over at Attack Performance in Huntington Beach keep them in stock, about 15 minutes away from me. A quick phone call late in the evening and I was able to pick them up the next day.

Install was typical. Though I did run into an issue when trying to mount the Graves Return Spring. I added a couple of 5-6mm spacers between the rear master and the rear master mount. Problem solved.

At this stage, I changed the oil, coolant, and put the street fairings back on, prepared for a return to the streets… Then the Stay-Home Orders were announced, and I quickly realized I wasn’t going anywhere for a while 😷

Before the shutdown, I planned on living at the track this year, basically shooting for every event I can when I have availability. I started thinking about what I would change or upgrade for my “2020 Package” 🥴

I had a pretty good idea of what and why I wanted to change a few things, but first I buzzed my good friend Nick @NickCiling505 for his thoughts, and if he had any goods left over from his R1M racebike. Low and behold, Nick had some trick bits for the kid:

• Evol Technology Superbike Triples
  Evol Technology Linkage
• Cararro Engineering Button Pods
• Braketech AXIS Stainless Steel Rotors

This was a game changer for me. I knew some of the biggest things I wanted to improve on my bike was the handling and braking, so the triples, linkage, and upgraded rotors assist in those efforts. Nick ran the linkage setup for the 200/60 Pirelli, so this should be an immediate improvement for corner exit grip.

Evol Tech vs. OEM (5mm shorter)

Evol Triple installation was straight forward. Like nearly every other aftermarket triple install, one must remove the bearing races in the steering head on the frame, so this time around I decided to try a $20 Harbor Freight Bearing Puller Tool and guess what? It worked! Well, not the first time 😭 First I ended up buy a returned one, and it shattered into pieces as soon as I took it out the box. The second puller worked like a charm, on the bottom race. For some reason the upper race did not want to pull evenly, so it tool a bit longer.

R1M frontend stripped down

Cheap $20 Harbor Freight Bearing Puller

Lower OEM Bearing race

SBK 1.0mm Races installed

OEM vs. Evol Tech

 

[iGoldeneye]

Evol Tech Triples going in smooth...

Going with some known rake and trail numbers that improved the bike on tracks we race, so I’ll keep the development going.

Nick gave me everything I needed for the install (including a brand new upper clamp!) including a custom mount for the steering damper, however the kit didn’t include fork stops. I gave Steve @ Evol Tech a call and he was able to throw some in the mailbox the same day. I was instructed to mount them directly to the frame, instead of the lower triple, in order to save the lower triple and the frame in a crash (He mentioned how lowers take the most damage when the stops are mounted on them). So when they arrived, there were instructions on how to mount them, so I went for it.

Care package from Steve @ Evol Tech

Packaging and instructions for fork stops

Instructions call for drilling and tapping the frame just behind the steering head shaft. Five years ago I would have stopped the entire install and just installed the stops to the lowers as usual, but hey, 5 year old bike now 😎

Drilled & Tapped

Installed. May shave down the plastic as I see fit...

Incase you are wondering if this is good practice, Yamaha Factory has been doin it for quite some time now... Check the fancy fork stop below the fork in this pic:

 

[Gearheaded]

So the 5mm shorter dog bones was to raise the rear of the bike to make up for the front triple? Or to make up the tire change?

 

[iGoldeneye]

So the 5mm shorter dog bones was to raise the rear of the bike to make up for the front triple? Or to make up the tire change?

The shorter dog bones raised the rear a bit, but it is all apart of an ecosystem. Changing one components' configuration changes how the other components respond, so there are a few combinations coming into play here:

-Fork Height
-Fork Travel (Added R1M Race Kit that extends fork travel from 120mm to 130mm)
-Fork Springs/Preload
-Shock Length (Race Kit added adjustability to the shock, which added more height as well
-Shock Travel (Evol Tech provides more of a linear stroke to support the 200/60 and 200/65 Pirelli tire)
-Shock Spring/Preload

Then you have the other factors like wheelbase, rake angle, trail offset, etc. etc. I spent two days at Chuckwalla last weekend getting everything dialed in with a suspension tuner. It's still not perfect as the rear still steps out when getting on the gas on corner exit. It all boils down to either a couple turns of preload or a lighter spring. My tire was shot by the time I was ready to make that final adjustment, so I had to leave it as is until I mount a freshie.

 

[DarkHorse]

I need those fork stops. I’m using wheel weights right now.

 

[iGoldeneye]

When the triples went on, there is no longer space for the steering damper in the OEM location. Evol Tech relocates the damper to above the air intake instead of below. Nick made a custom bracket that turned out sick

I called up Freddy at Superbike Unlimited and began discussing my ideas, and placing orders. Knowing the amount of effort required for removing the ABS system, as well as the ‘Stay Home’ order in full effect, I figured if there was a time to really strip the bike, inspect, repair, clean, and upgrade as a complete package, it was now. Freddy played a HUGE role in giving me the ability to bounce ideas around and make informed decisions about component selections.

Going back to the ‘package’ theme, I moved forward with brake upgrades. CoreMoto brake lines and an FTECU popped up in my mailbox as soon as I hung up the phone, so ABS and OEM lines were removed finally after 5 years of devoted service

Classic R1 Weight Savings

FTECU ABS Delete + ziptied

CoreMoto SS Brakelines 3T in Black

With the brake lines mounted loosely and the FTECU ABS Delete installed, I wanted to begin working on cleaning up and prepping the newly acquired rotors, so I called Braketech and spoke to Jeff about ordering replacement buttons as the original red ones faded a bit. Well, there is a bit of measuring involved, and one must provide the correct measurements to set the correct float on the rotors. In order to do this, a button from the rotor must be removed and measured:

1. Measure the diameter of the original button
2. Measure the thickness of the shim
3. Use a feeler gauge and measure the gap between the stainless steel rotor and AXIS carrier (the flat surface)

Jeff likes these measurements in inches. He’ll also ask about the free-play between the AXIS carrier and stainless. If you can lock the brakes and still move the wheel a little, it’s probably too much free-play. My button diameters on both rotors were 0.625 (625,000th’s of an inch) and the feeler proved a decent gap between the rotor teeth, so Jeff sent oversized buttons for my rotor application.

Black BrakeTech AXIS Buttons, shims, and clips

Out with the old

 

[iGoldeneye]

I need those fork stops. I’m using wheel weights right now.

Just give Steve @ E/T a call or email. He will ship them out for a few bucks. Don’t be afraid to drill into your frame 😂

 

[iGoldeneye]

I was able to take some 1000 grit sandpaper and sand down the rotors until they looked fresh again. Once the buttons arrived, it was just a matter of grabbing a razor blade and removing the old buttons and replacing them with the new black button.

Test fitted buttons before sanding rotors

A set of Oz wheels arrived just in time to mount the refreshed Braketechs

I wasn’t really in the market for wheels, but the added benefits of aftermarket wheels, along with @superbikeunlimited having a crazy deal on them, it made sense. I took them to my local bike shop to have fresh Pirelli SuperCorsas mounted to them to troll the streets and figure out the setup

Back home mounted and ready for rotors and sprocket

When Tim @pacman1520 stopped by to help with the build and deliver some hard parts, he noticed I was planning on reusing my clapped out Braking rear rotor 😞 After making fun of it, I took to the web to see if I can find a steal on a replacement. Low and behold, my good buddy Tony @2muchbluE just posted his Braketech rear on the FS thread. A quick message and he was able to swing by the house and drop it off. Another call to Jeff @ Braketech with button measurements and black buttons for the rear were on the way.

Freshly sanded rear rotor (Button removed to be measured up)

After a strange shipping delay of shipping my parts coast to coast and back, the main components of my braking package arrived:

• Brembo GP4 Billet Nickel Calipers
• Brembo 84mm GP Billet Rear Nickel Caliper

Tim @pacman1520 came by to help with the build on various days. Showed me the trick way to mount the brake lines, brought tires, kydex, safety wired a bunch of stuff, you name it.

I was able to source the perfect Brembo Billet from the forum

 

[iGoldeneye]

I do need to mention the upgrades to the upgrades 🥴

I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about the Braketech Stainless Steel Caliper Pistons and how they can transform calipers. I decided to go that route with the Brembo calipers. At first I was surprised they even made a set for Brembo’s.

Braketech Stainless Steel Caliper Piston

Mounted in the Caliper

Ti Nitride Pin for Billet Rear

This pin was ordered this from... Ugh... eBay 🙄and the seller shipped the wrong pin. This one is for the cast Brembo rear caliper. Luckily, I know a guy with a machine shop on the westside that can handle fine details. A quick drive and chat with him, and he was able to convert this pin into the one I needed on the spot 💪🏿

Machined Ti Nitride Pin

The new rear called for a longer brake line and an under slung caliper bracket. Surprisingly, Fast Frank had one for cheap on his website, already pre-drilled to make it captive in the future 🤔

Fast Frank Racing Caliper Bracket

A quick call to Freddy @superbikeunlimited and a 700mm CoreMoto line was in route.

The following hard parts summarize the complete braking package:

Front Braking Package:

• Braketech AXIS Stainless Steel Rotors
• Brembo GP4 Billet Calipers
• Braketech Stainless Steel Pistons
• Versah Pads ZZ
• Ti Race-Spec Caliper Bolts
• Ti Race-Spec Banjo Bolts
• Ti Caliper Spacers
• Stahlbus Quick Bleeders
• Brembo Billet 19X20 Master w/ Folding Lever
• CoreMoto Brakelines
• Ti Race-Spec Bolts
• Ti Nitride Pivot Pin
• Brembo Brake Reservoir
• Tygon Tubing
• Rizoma Reservoir Mounting Bracket
• Ti mounting bolts
• Stahlbus Quick Bleeder
• Brake Pressure Sensor

Rear Braking Package:

• Braketech Stainless Steel Rotor
• Brembo 84mm Billet Rear Underslung Caliper (Nickel)
• 700mm Core Moto Brake Line
• Fast Frank 84mm Underslung Caliper Bracket
• Ti Race-spec bolts
• Ti Nitride pin
• Ti Banjo Bolt

Before everything started going back together on the bike, a few more packages came in, by way of @superbikeunlimited and @fastfrankracing

Vortex Sprockets since the new wheels call for different rear sprocket

 

[iGoldeneye]

Fast Frank is pure quality and machined perfection

The FF Lightech rear install recommends one file out about 5mm of the swingarm on the brake rotor side to ensure you can move the axel all the way back to fully extend the wheelbase. (Basically a little cutout for the captive bolt) As you all may have figured out by now, you want to extend the wheelbase as far back as possible to improve handling.

Sharpie markup

Filed.

In order to take full advantage of the Fast Frank rear QC Kit, you must install the shelf. The sprocket nuts need to clear the shelf, so Fast Frank provides slim sprocket nuts, however the studs must be trimmed down...

All trimmed. Swapped the sprocket for a Superlite 💪🏿

Completed setup (minus the GP lifters)

 

[iGoldeneye]

Speaking of GP lifters, I finally retired my cheap little Moto-D rear stand and Graves Spools for Woodcraft’s rear stand and FF GP Lifters

GP Lifters and Ti hardware

Fronts all mounted up

*The black caliper spacers were eventually swapped for UK imported Ti spacers

Along the topic of titanium, a big order from Pro-Bolt USA arrived, so the task of swapping steel and cheap bolts was underway

I was able to source a Motoholders Aluminum Subframe from the forum in excellent condition

Added some Ti

Install is straight forward

Ti Details

Ti details on the rearsets

 

[2muchbluE]

I have seen this bike in person. Siiiiick build!!!

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[iGoldeneye]

Ti Caliper Spacers from 🇬🇧

Fresh Domino Grips

Motion Pro sent a replacement silicone boot

Our forum’s very own Shane @SpidermanSS shipped out a fresh sprocket cover yes the 09-14 fits 15+) along with a much needed coffee mug and replacement exhaust decals.

At this point, the original plan was to drop off the bike at Attack Performance and have my shock/forks serviced, along with installing the Ohlins Race Kit for the R1M

The race kit allows the forks to extend an additional 10mm of travel for a total of 130mm. The kit also replaces the shock piston with an adjustable one to change the total shock length.

Dropped off the bike at Attack for suspension and dyno tuning... Or not 😂

Once the bike was back in my possession, it was time to test out the new toys. Track prep called for replacement of the 5 year old OEM hoses

It’s wise to order the stainless steel clamps as the OEM clamps are one-time use

Tony @2muchbluE blessed me with his Carbonin bodywork from his R1M, which allowed me to retire the sharkskinz. The paint job was well done 👍🏾

 

[iGoldeneye]

Back from Attack, the bike was much taller

Ohlins race kit installed on shock

Prepping for Chuckwalla

I booked two days at Chuckwalla to get acclimated with the new bike setup

Testing begins 😎

The first stop was to the suspension tuner to get me dialed in for the weekend. Paradigm Racing was more than knowledgable with the R1 and didn't take long to get me dialed in as we worked throughout the day

Cockpit Views while setting up for the day

The first session was a little spooky as I went out on fresh tires on an unfamiliar bike, and the first time riding on a track in three years. Going clockwise I almost highsided to the moon near T4, T5 getting on the gas and having barely any grip. A few clicks on the YRC settings and I was back out on the track full gas with minimal step out.

Hot track day, the shock was so hot the logo started to melt 🔥

 

[iGoldeneye]

All in all, two days at Chuck was a perfect way to get back in the groove of riding at pace, along with learning the bike and understanding the new capabilities the new hard parts offer.

Back from Chuckwalla, I can go into a little bit more about what happened on the dyno at Attack. The original plan was to have Attack dyno for a baseline, and new tunes for 91 pump, and MR12. The Attack dyno is dubbed as 'The Heartbreaker 💔' due to the low numbers produced, but it is known the 2015+ makes around 180hp flashed on pump. Yeah... I'm no where near that 😩

The mix is rich as you can see, however, there are other issues with this motor, such as my valves being completely out of wack 😂I could get a valve job and retune, but, given the miles and hours of track time on this engine, it's time for a refresh. Given that I've already gone down the rabbit hole of going superbike-spec for nearly every other area of the bike, it's only right that I supply the proper superbike engine, built by the same guys that build the Yamaha race engines in MotoAmerica.

This, is entirely different project that requires a lot of research, planning, and parts acquisition. As with most superbike journeys, mine started with @superbikeunlimited

 

[Gearheaded]

Proper!

 

[Jimmy boy]

Awesome build !