My ZX9R - The evolution (USD forks are on!)
Wed Oct 11, 2006 1:46 am
Wrote this up this afternoon for a local forum here in Perth but figured people here might like to see it as well so here it is... 
Rather then me keep creating new threads every time I get a new part, I thought I would go the way of Gryphen and Hewie etc and create one mega thread that I can just update every time I change something.
Since I have an afternoon off and nothing better to do, I will start at the very beginning around 22 months ago now.
Most of this stuff is old now so a lot of you would have read it all before, so skip to the bottom for the latest mods if you have read my previous updates in the past.
***********************************************
This is the photo of her I received from the seller way back in late 2004, stock as a rock apart from a Ballistic can and an ugly as hell Ventura rack.
Within a few days I had convinced the friendly bank to give me even more money, and I brought her home. Within 2 hours I had that nasty POS rack removed from the back end and stashed away in the wardrobe never to be seen again (if someone wants it its theres for $30). Things were looking better already...
After a few weeks the original excitement of a big bore bike had started to wear off and I needed to kick off the mods, hence a dark tinted screen from Eagle Screens in Maddington was chosen. The price was good, the fit was as good as factory, and Im pleased to say it still looks just as good today as it did back then. Highly recommend them for anyone looking for a new screen.
The crap looking original...
And the new tinted screen....
That kept me happy for another few months before my attention turned to ebay and the massive amount of bling parts available. First on the list was a Clear Alternatives Tail Light with intergrated indicators. Have been very happy with it and have never had any problems with the police etc (have even taken it through the pits without problems). It gives off a cool pinkish red glow as a tail light and under brakes lights up the road like like you wouldnt believe. Very impressive.
Original taillight...
New Clear Alternatives taillight...
Around the same period I also invested in a Scorpio SRi-500 alarm after reading an old review of it here on PSB. I ordered it directly from the Aritronix website and it arrived in no time at all (funny how things from overseas get here quicker then from over east). I also ordered all the fruit for it (factory connector kit, remote disable, perimeter sensor etc). Apart from the perimeter sensor dying (it doesnt like water), the alarm has worked very well indeed and I will buy one again if/when I ever change bikes.
I would also like to mention then Aritronix has the best customer service of any company I have ever dealt with. Just a few months ago I noticed they have a new version of the SRi-500 out. I contacted them to see if the new remote works with existing SRi systems since its smaller/lighter etc and mine was rather scuffed/scratched after 18 months of use. Unfortunately the new remote doesnt work with it, but the guy asked for my address and within a few days I had a new cover for my current remote rock up in my letterbox free of charge. Very impressive service.
For christmas that year strangely enough Santa bough me a Mototeck undertail that I had been looking at for months. Its made of ABS plastic instead of fibreglass so it has lasted quite well apart from the paint starting to chip (dont have a hugger fitted). Wasnt the easiest of things to fit and required much hacking of the battery/factory undertray. The built in indicators look great but perform poorly and have netted me 2 yellow stickers over the years. These days I dont use them. Apart from those few downsides the undertail has been great and cleaned up the back end of the bike very well indeed.
It also changed the look of it enough to set it apart from every other ZX9R out there.
Not much changed for almost half a year after I had the undertail fitted, but around May 2005 the modification bug bit again and I managed to score myself a shop demo (ie. new but out of packaging) Yoshimura RS3 can off ebay for just $250. After a lot of elbow grease almost all the little nicks & scratches were gone and I had Mindarie Custom exhaust weld on a plain old exhaust flange so I could easily fit it up to my stock headers (it was a slip on not designed for my year ZX9R).
Not only did it sound better then the old Ballistic can, but it looked a million dollars in comparision and gave a bit more oomph as well. The only thing I didnt like about it was the stainless finish, which was a total pain in the arse to keep clean/shiny.
Just 1 week after fitting the Yoshi exhaust I came across an ebay auction for a pair of Sargent seats (replacement front seat with matching rear seat cover). While they weren't the cheapest things around at approx $350AU from memory, they were a shitload cheaper then a corbin and looked cool so I ordered them anyway with the carbon fx covering and green piping. Much nicer to sit on then the old worn stock seat and they look shit hot as well. They were easy as to fit with the front bolting up fine, and the rear seat cover fitted perfectly and just required about 20 staples to keep it in place. Quality is also very good, they still look near new 18 months on...
Old vs new...
Next on the modification list came some rimstripes. I got a sign company down south to do them for both mine and the girlfriends bikes. They look great and have lasted well, but if I was going to do it again I would just do it myself and save the money. Also note by this stage I had swapped over to using mini rear indicators rathern the the undertail ones to try and prevent any more attention from the police.
Once again Ebay came to town for my next modification, picking up these Lockwood green dials for not much money at all (less then $40AU from memory). Fitting them involved taking the gauges apart which wasnt the easiest of things to do but thankfully I didnt break anything and they are still working today.
Very easy to read during the day and at nighttime they give off a sweet dark green glow (which I may add it farkin impossible to photograh accurately).
Next on the list was one of the more costly modifications, and that was the Geelong Carbon Craft carbon fibre group buy. I ordered a front guard, belly pan and hugger but unfortunately the hugger didnt work out like I expected and I got my money back after a few emails back and forth. The front guard and bellypan though have been awesome and are incredibly light weight. Once I get a new rear shock with a ride height adjusted to jack up the rear end I will look at getting a hugger again.
Continued next post...
Rather then me keep creating new threads every time I get a new part, I thought I would go the way of Gryphen and Hewie etc and create one mega thread that I can just update every time I change something.
Since I have an afternoon off and nothing better to do, I will start at the very beginning around 22 months ago now.
Most of this stuff is old now so a lot of you would have read it all before, so skip to the bottom for the latest mods if you have read my previous updates in the past.
***********************************************
This is the photo of her I received from the seller way back in late 2004, stock as a rock apart from a Ballistic can and an ugly as hell Ventura rack.
Within a few days I had convinced the friendly bank to give me even more money, and I brought her home. Within 2 hours I had that nasty POS rack removed from the back end and stashed away in the wardrobe never to be seen again (if someone wants it its theres for $30
). Things were looking better already...
After a few weeks the original excitement of a big bore bike had started to wear off and I needed to kick off the mods, hence a dark tinted screen from Eagle Screens in Maddington was chosen. The price was good, the fit was as good as factory, and Im pleased to say it still looks just as good today as it did back then. Highly recommend them for anyone looking for a new screen.
The crap looking original...
And the new tinted screen....
That kept me happy for another few months before my attention turned to ebay and the massive amount of bling parts available. First on the list was a Clear Alternatives Tail Light with intergrated indicators. Have been very happy with it and have never had any problems with the police etc (have even taken it through the pits without problems). It gives off a cool pinkish red glow as a tail light and under brakes lights up the road like like you wouldnt believe. Very impressive.
Original taillight...
New Clear Alternatives taillight...
Around the same period I also invested in a Scorpio SRi-500 alarm after reading an old review of it here on PSB. I ordered it directly from the Aritronix website and it arrived in no time at all (funny how things from overseas get here quicker then from over east). I also ordered all the fruit for it (factory connector kit, remote disable, perimeter sensor etc). Apart from the perimeter sensor dying (it doesnt like water), the alarm has worked very well indeed and I will buy one again if/when I ever change bikes.
I would also like to mention then Aritronix has the best customer service of any company I have ever dealt with. Just a few months ago I noticed they have a new version of the SRi-500 out. I contacted them to see if the new remote works with existing SRi systems since its smaller/lighter etc and mine was rather scuffed/scratched after 18 months of use. Unfortunately the new remote doesnt work with it, but the guy asked for my address and within a few days I had a new cover for my current remote rock up in my letterbox free of charge. Very impressive service.
For christmas that year strangely enough Santa bough me a Mototeck undertail that I had been looking at for months. Its made of ABS plastic instead of fibreglass so it has lasted quite well apart from the paint starting to chip (dont have a hugger fitted). Wasnt the easiest of things to fit and required much hacking of the battery/factory undertray. The built in indicators look great but perform poorly and have netted me 2 yellow stickers over the years. These days I dont use them. Apart from those few downsides the undertail has been great and cleaned up the back end of the bike very well indeed.
It also changed the look of it enough to set it apart from every other ZX9R out there.
Not much changed for almost half a year after I had the undertail fitted, but around May 2005 the modification bug bit again and I managed to score myself a shop demo (ie. new but out of packaging) Yoshimura RS3 can off ebay for just $250. After a lot of elbow grease almost all the little nicks & scratches were gone and I had Mindarie Custom exhaust weld on a plain old exhaust flange so I could easily fit it up to my stock headers (it was a slip on not designed for my year ZX9R).
Not only did it sound better then the old Ballistic can, but it looked a million dollars in comparision and gave a bit more oomph as well. The only thing I didnt like about it was the stainless finish, which was a total pain in the arse to keep clean/shiny.
Just 1 week after fitting the Yoshi exhaust I came across an ebay auction for a pair of Sargent seats (replacement front seat with matching rear seat cover). While they weren't the cheapest things around at approx $350AU from memory, they were a shitload cheaper then a corbin and looked cool so I ordered them anyway with the carbon fx covering and green piping. Much nicer to sit on then the old worn stock seat and they look shit hot as well. They were easy as to fit with the front bolting up fine, and the rear seat cover fitted perfectly and just required about 20 staples to keep it in place. Quality is also very good, they still look near new 18 months on...
Old vs new...
Next on the modification list came some rimstripes. I got a sign company down south to do them for both mine and the girlfriends bikes. They look great and have lasted well, but if I was going to do it again I would just do it myself and save the money. Also note by this stage I had swapped over to using mini rear indicators rathern the the undertail ones to try and prevent any more attention from the police.
Once again Ebay came to town for my next modification, picking up these Lockwood green dials for not much money at all (less then $40AU from memory). Fitting them involved taking the gauges apart which wasnt the easiest of things to do but thankfully I didnt break anything and they are still working today.
Very easy to read during the day and at nighttime they give off a sweet dark green glow (which I may add it farkin impossible to photograh accurately).
Next on the list was one of the more costly modifications, and that was the Geelong Carbon Craft carbon fibre group buy. I ordered a front guard, belly pan and hugger but unfortunately the hugger didnt work out like I expected and I got my money back after a few emails back and forth. The front guard and bellypan though have been awesome and are incredibly light weight. Once I get a new rear shock with a ride height adjusted to jack up the rear end I will look at getting a hugger again.
Continued next post...
Last edited by NinjaMoses on Tue Dec 26, 2006 6:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Wed Oct 11, 2006 1:48 am
After the carbon fibre not a lot changed (mainly due to lack of funds) for quite some time, until I picked up my Devil high mount full system late last year. While the Yoshi can had been good, I was sick of polishing it and I had wanted a full system anyway to release a few more ponies.
While it gave a nice increase in power up high in the rev range, unfortunately it screwed the fuelling down low and now required a handful of throttle and clutch to get it off the line smoothly. Thankfully once on the move it was fine. Very good quality exhaust, very good fitting, and sounds bloody good as well.
While I love the high mount look it proved to be a total pain in the arse on the ZX9R. Not only would my existing mini indicators not fit anymore, but the damn numberplate wouldnt fit either. I rode it around for a long time with it offset to the left, then had a persplex mini plate made and used that for a while, but have since changed back to the offset standard plate again to avoid any hassles with police. Will get a legit custom mini plate one of these days...
At the start of the year I was lucky enough to pick up a Veypor VR2 datalogger second hand (off KSRC!) for way way cheaper then the price of a new unit. Am currently looking at ways of mounting it more permanently, unfortunately at the moment I dont use it as much as I should due to the hassle of taking it on and off all the time. Very good fun though, gives all the 0 - 100km/h, 1/4 mile etc information so good for stuffing around with on an adandoned road.
Next on the mod list came frame sliders and swingarm knobs. Unfortunately on the 98/99 ZX9Rs you need to cut the fairings to mount the proper engine mount oggie knobs, so I opted for the cheaper frame tab mounted ones. They arent going to protect it as well in an accident, but I wasnt prepared to cut the fairings and I dont plan on dropping it either. Once again both came from ebay :wub:
And a pic of it ready for the PSB Trackday early this year which is why I bought the frame sliders in the first place (carbon bits taken off, stock seat back on etc). Thankfully I havent had to test them out yet.
One of the latest mods a few months ago was finally replacing the standard nasty front indicators with something a bit sleeker. I ordered green lens flushline LED flushmounts from Mototeck. While the clean up the look of the bike 100% they are a little bit hard to see in the day time so I will soon be getting a set of mirrors with indicators built in to compliment them. Great looking indicator though and cheaper then the alternative "bling" options (greggs etc).
And my most recent modification today/yesterday was to finally get a factory pro jetkit, +4 ignition advance and BMC race filter fitted and tuned by Russell at Dynotime. After putting up with crappy fueling down low for almost 12 months its *amazing* the difference it has made. Picked the bike up earlier this afternoon and had a very enjoyable ride home indeed.
Will post the dyno sheet later tonight, but peak power is up around 10hp to a total of 132.5rwhp (and thats with absolutely rooted chain/sprockets as well!). Not bad for a 8 year old 900cc with 103,000km on the clock
The best part though is the crappy fuelling down low has pretty much been ironed out altogether.
Highly recommend Dynotime to anyone wanting to get their bike dyno tuned.
And I'm happy to announce probably the biggest modification yet is coming in 2 days time when a USD radial brake front end off a 2005 ZX6R gets transplanted on!
While it gave a nice increase in power up high in the rev range, unfortunately it screwed the fuelling down low and now required a handful of throttle and clutch to get it off the line smoothly. Thankfully once on the move it was fine. Very good quality exhaust, very good fitting, and sounds bloody good as well.
While I love the high mount look it proved to be a total pain in the arse on the ZX9R. Not only would my existing mini indicators not fit anymore, but the damn numberplate wouldnt fit either. I rode it around for a long time with it offset to the left, then had a persplex mini plate made and used that for a while, but have since changed back to the offset standard plate again to avoid any hassles with police. Will get a legit custom mini plate one of these days...
At the start of the year I was lucky enough to pick up a Veypor VR2 datalogger second hand (off KSRC!) for way way cheaper then the price of a new unit. Am currently looking at ways of mounting it more permanently, unfortunately at the moment I dont use it as much as I should due to the hassle of taking it on and off all the time. Very good fun though, gives all the 0 - 100km/h, 1/4 mile etc information so good for stuffing around with on an adandoned road.
Next on the mod list came frame sliders and swingarm knobs. Unfortunately on the 98/99 ZX9Rs you need to cut the fairings to mount the proper engine mount oggie knobs, so I opted for the cheaper frame tab mounted ones. They arent going to protect it as well in an accident, but I wasnt prepared to cut the fairings and I dont plan on dropping it either. Once again both came from ebay :wub:
And a pic of it ready for the PSB Trackday early this year which is why I bought the frame sliders in the first place (carbon bits taken off, stock seat back on etc). Thankfully I havent had to test them out yet.
One of the latest mods a few months ago was finally replacing the standard nasty front indicators with something a bit sleeker. I ordered green lens flushline LED flushmounts from Mototeck. While the clean up the look of the bike 100% they are a little bit hard to see in the day time so I will soon be getting a set of mirrors with indicators built in to compliment them. Great looking indicator though and cheaper then the alternative "bling" options (greggs etc).
And my most recent modification today/yesterday was to finally get a factory pro jetkit, +4 ignition advance and BMC race filter fitted and tuned by Russell at Dynotime. After putting up with crappy fueling down low for almost 12 months its *amazing* the difference it has made. Picked the bike up earlier this afternoon and had a very enjoyable ride home indeed.
Will post the dyno sheet later tonight, but peak power is up around 10hp to a total of 132.5rwhp (and thats with absolutely rooted chain/sprockets as well!). Not bad for a 8 year old 900cc with 103,000km on the clock
The best part though is the crappy fuelling down low has pretty much been ironed out altogether.
Highly recommend Dynotime to anyone wanting to get their bike dyno tuned.
And I'm happy to announce probably the biggest modification yet is coming in 2 days time when a USD radial brake front end off a 2005 ZX6R gets transplanted on!
Last edited by NinjaMoses on Wed Oct 11, 2006 1:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
Wed Oct 11, 2006 1:51 am
As promised here is the dyno graph. As it turns out when I delivered the bike to him the rear tyre only had <25psi in it (whoops - thought it was steering a bit boat like! 
). After pumping it up I got a free 2rwhp gain apparently due to less rolling resistance.
Dyno graph doesnt really show it but the bike had major issues below 3000rpm which have mostly been ironed out now. That was the main thing I wanted done so Im stoked. Bike also feels especially strong now around 7k rpm with the front lifting effortlessly in first if you keep it nailed and without much trouble in 2nd either.
). After pumping it up I got a free 2rwhp gain apparently due to less rolling resistance.
Dyno graph doesnt really show it but the bike had major issues below 3000rpm which have mostly been ironed out now. That was the main thing I wanted done so Im stoked. Bike also feels especially strong now around 7k rpm with the front lifting effortlessly in first if you keep it nailed and without much trouble in 2nd either.
Wed Oct 11, 2006 10:41 am
Yes you are so right. They look much better without the ventura rack but I just cant resist shopping everywhere I go & when the backpack is full it hurts my shoulders, cramps my riding & gets very hot in summer.
But then you're a bloke .... probably allergic to shopping.
You sure have got the mod bug.
But then you're a bloke .... probably allergic to shopping.
You sure have got the mod bug.
Wed Oct 11, 2006 10:54 am
Looks awesome now. What a change over time. 
Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:01 pm
Great post and nice bike,is that 103,000k figure correct? 
I like the dyno reading and see that you get 30hp at 3500 and then for every 1000 revs it goes up by 15hp +/- so I can now figure out how many hp I'm making at any time,it's just one of those things I like to do while riding,that and calculating travel time and fuel range.
Cheers.
00zx9r
I like the dyno reading and see that you get 30hp at 3500 and then for every 1000 revs it goes up by 15hp +/- so I can now figure out how many hp I'm making at any time,it's just one of those things I like to do while riding,that and calculating travel time and fuel range.
Cheers.
00zx9r
Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:24 pm
Cheers for the comments guys
Regarding the Ventura rack, I know they would come in handy but I just cant stand the look of em. Talk about completely ruin the bikes lines. I have an Oxford tankbag that I use a lot for going shopping. Takes about half a second to remove/attach it to the bike, was a damn good price, holds on to the tank like nothing else (have even carried a car battery in it), and fits a decent amount.
And nah sorry I was exagerrating just a little bit with 103,000km. Its only at 102,850km
Regarding the Ventura rack, I know they would come in handy but I just cant stand the look of em. Talk about completely ruin the bikes lines. I have an Oxford tankbag that I use a lot for going shopping. Takes about half a second to remove/attach it to the bike, was a damn good price, holds on to the tank like nothing else (have even carried a car battery in it), and fits a decent amount.
And nah sorry I was exagerrating just a little bit with 103,000km. Its only at 102,850km
Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:26 pm
good stuff, glad to see mine isnt the only well used 9 that still pumps out good hp.
mine was also done on a dyno dynamics dyno at the ksrc dyno day - pumping out 131 hp with the original clutch, worn chain and sprockets and only the akra full system. mine had 106K at that stage, over 110 K now
they are a mighty fine bike.
when does the front end go on
thats what i'm keen to see
mine was also done on a dyno dynamics dyno at the ksrc dyno day - pumping out 131 hp with the original clutch, worn chain and sprockets and only the akra full system. mine had 106K at that stage, over 110 K now
they are a mighty fine bike.
when does the front end go on
thats what i'm keen to see
Wed Oct 11, 2006 10:39 pm
Phil wrote:good stuff, glad to see mine isnt the only well used 9 that still pumps out good hp.
mine was also done on a dyno dynamics dyno at the ksrc dyno day - pumping out 131 hp with the original clutch, worn chain and sprockets and only the akra full system. mine had 106K at that stage, over 110 K now
they are a mighty fine bike.
when does the front end go on
Yep pretty sure mine is the original clutch as well! And the sprockets on it are like 60,000km old (dont ask - bad advice by a mechanic
) and well overdue for replacement! Will be getting a nice 520 chain kit for it soon which should hopefully unleash a few more ponies at the rear wheel.
Front end transformation was meant to be happening today but unfortunately the guy doing the work for me wont be back in town till the 20th now so will have to wait a bit longer. Cant wait!
Damn I thought I might catch you up in the kilometres department but I think you clock up just as many as I do!
Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:59 am
gigksrc wrote:Yes you are so right. They look much better without the ventura rack...
I dunno - some bikes look really bad with a rack. I don't think it adversely affects the 9's at all.
A rack makes the bike practical. I'd have been lost without mine.
I guess if it's only a show-pony for weekend spats then yeah leave it off.
For those that actually USE their bikes though....
Sat Oct 14, 2006 8:03 am
I'm sure i've seen this on another site in the uk 
Thanks for the link to this site by the way
Thanks for the link to this site by the way
Sat Oct 14, 2006 10:59 am
ty wrote:I guess if it's only a show-pony for weekend spats then yeah leave it off.
For those that actually USE their bikes though....
USE my bike? Don't worry she gets used plenty!
I will be the first to agree that racks could come in handy in some situations, but I still think with some soft luggage you have almost the same amount of carrying capacity without having to have one. I guess if you had to carry a lot of gear all the time or like to tour lots then yep I probably would fit one, thankfully I dont so I can get away without needing one.
On that note... I highly recommend the Oxford range of travel gear (and Bikebiz which is where I got them). The tailbag is a bit fiddly to fit but works well, but the tankbag is absolute magic. Wont budge regardless of how full it is.
Pic of the Ninjas loaded up ready to head down south for a weekend away.
Sat Oct 14, 2006 11:58 am
How big is that outlet on that Devil can ??
Sat Oct 14, 2006 12:13 pm
frogzx12r wrote:How big is that outlet on that Devil can ??
Very
When I went to look at it originally, as soon as I saw the outlet size I had to have it because of that alone