and second and third...

I bought a '03 R6 with about 2300 miles on it recently with the intention of using it for a track day bike. I'd like to get in seven or more track days with it this year. So, my goal is to start mod'ing the bike for track use. I'm not focused on performance mods just yet. I'm more interested in ways to protect the bike in the event of a crash and tires.

Three items I'm looking into now are case covers, body work, and tires.
- Case covers. I know some brand names but not much else. Any opnions here?
- I can get a full set of Godfather racing plastic for $450 shipped. Any opinions on this brand and/or others
- Tires. Just some names of the most track oriented DOT approved tires you like. I imagine I could get lots of tire information off the forum but I'm looking for track focused input.

I know this is a lot to ask in one post so thanks.

i dont do trackdays myself (yet) but a set of crash sliders for the frame, bar ends, swingarm and front forks is going to be good for saving the bike from low side slides etc. R&G amongst others make good quality sets. and avoid the NO-Cuts type as they are not as strong. Good Luck!

i dont do trackdays myself (yet) but a set of crash sliders for the frame, bar ends, swingarm and front forks is going to be good for saving the bike from low side slides etc. R&G amongst others make good quality sets. and avoid the NO-Cuts type as they are not as strong. Good Luck!

Good advice. I should have mentioned I have bought Intuitive Racing frame (no-cut), swing arm, and bar end sliders. Thanks.

Get a set of clip-ons.

I run vortex, they're about $125 but then replacement bars are like $10 there after. As opposed to stock bars which are about $100 a piece.

Think about getting some different brake pads and stainless lines. Everybody tries to go faster, but I can make up more time on the brakes then I can on the gas.

And finally, Saftey Wire everything. Do the drain plug, do you caliper bolts, do you fork lock screws, do anything that you don;t want coming apart like going really really fast. Also it makes doing routine maintence a no-brainer. I can look at my bike and in a glance know if everything is tight and ready to go by looking for my wires. I don;t have to go back and check fasteners for tightness.

Get a set of clip-ons.

I run vortex, they're about $125 but then replacement bars are like $10 there after. As opposed to stock bars which are about $100 a piece.

Think about getting some different brake pads and stainless lines. Everybody tries to go faster, but I can make up more time on the brakes then I can on the gas.

And finally, Saftey Wire everything. Do the drain plug, do you caliper bolts, do you fork lock screws, do anything that you don;t want coming apart like going really really fast. Also it makes doing routine maintence a no-brainer. I can look at my bike and in a glance know if everything is tight and ready to go by looking for my wires. I don;t have to go back and check fasteners for tightness.

Safty wire. I have to remember to make that a priority. Having things stay put going fast is desirable. I read a previous post of yours about clip-ons. Never even considered them until I read that. Other than their being less expensive to replace do they offer better control in your opinion?

I'm still getting use to the Yamaha as I've been riding a Ducati the past few years. You have to nearly stand on the Ducati rear brake to get it to lock up but the Yamaha locks up very easy (could be due to a 3 yr old Dunlop 208 though too). I like the reduced braking power of the rear on the Ducati, less likely to lock it up on the track but still does what I need it to do. I was thinking of only chaniging the front brake lines and pads as I don't feel I need anymore brake power on the rear. However, I imagine the upgraded brake pads and lines have a lot to do with feel and not just more power.

I don't use my rear brake. I've come across two schools of thought on rears, those that use it religiously and those who avoid it like the plague. I'm in the second group.

I've got 25k miles on the original pads in the rear. The only time it gets used is during tech inspection when the mechanic verifies that it functions. So from my perspective I wouldn't invest any money in the rear brake system. Plus the dynamics of stopping transferrs all the weight to the front wheel, leaving the rear barely in contact with the tarmac if at all. So why would I want to increase performance on something that is doing at best 20% of the work.

I ride my fronts hard. I'll smoke a set of pads in a day at the track. I'm probably going to need rotors this season. The better pads and lines allow 1 finger stopping from even the most ridiculous speeds and I can dial in the amount of stopping power to infinite adjustments.

As for the clip-ons, well the big thing is the reduced cost of wrecking. Then comes comfort. With clip-ons you can adjust the tuck of the bars to make it more comfortable on your wrists. You can also change how far in or out from center you setup your controls. The further out you put them the more leverage you have to move them, downside is you have to move your arms further to make the same turn of the bike.