TL1000R race bike

[superNAtural01]

i currently have a 2001 TLR and i am planning on getting my AFM license in march. it used to be a trackbike, but i want to be competitive. i will be purchasing a olhins front forks, and apenske rear shock. its converted to single side exhaust, and im running a PCIII. i know its mostly rider (i competed in WERA back east, but that was in a 600 class.) would this bike be worth making my track queen, or would i be better off keeping it as my commuter, and getting another option?

[afm199]

You won't be competitive in Open Twins on that unless your last name is Hayden. Keep it as a commuter. Don't throw money at it trying to make it competitive. It gives away forty pound and forty horsepower.

[Zerox]

A TLR is fine on the street but for the racetrack you will be at a *huge* disadvantage due to its technology which is now over a decade old. Very very frustrating. The wise choice is to get something else.

[tlsmikey]

I asked a similar question about my TL1000S a year or so ago. I forgot who said it, but the quote was

"racing a TL is like bringing a knife to an artillary barage"

[Beauregard]

Sell it and buy a used Aprilia (assuming you're racing Open Twins).

[i8marcus]

I have a TLR, and love it dearly, however if you go ride a newer gsxr, R1, RSV, etc and you can clearly tell the TL is out classed.. Especially now with the Duc 1098 out there and the new 848 putting out more hp than the TL and is 100lbs lighter... The V-twin open class is quite competitive now.

[superNAtural01]

rodger that. thanks guys

[dgrace]

I asked a similar question about my TL1000S a year or so ago. I forgot who said it, but the quote was

"racing a TL is like bringing a knife to an artillary barage"

That may have been me - I raced mine for 2 years in AFM. The TLR, like other fat chicks, is fun to ride, but you really don't want to do it in front of your friends because they may laugh at you.

Makes a blast of a trackday bike though!

dave

[superNAtural01]

dave, how did the motor hold up during race conditions? did you have a R or a S?

[tlsmikey]

I've turned some decent times with nothing but an exhaust and Ohlins rear shock on the TL1000S. At Laguna I turned a 1:50 and at Thill I was down to the 2:11's.

Not too bad for an old fat bastard of a bike.

Could be worse....could be a Buell. :-)

Didn't someone last year campaign a BMW twin? I think that bike did fairly well for its size/weight.

[MrCrash]

i currently have a 2001 TLR and i am planning on getting my AFM license in march. it used to be a trackbike, but i want to be competitive.

Define competitive.

Unless you're on a dialed 999R or a 1098R, your machine is probably outclassed. It's doable on a different machine, as some good riders have some excellent results on 749Rs.

There's no harm in dialing the TLR in, getting some seat time, taking the NRS and doing some Clubman races just to get a feel for things.

[superNAtural01]

what weight reduction can i do?

[dgrace]

what weight reduction can i do?

Switch to salads. :D

I raced an R and had no motor problems at all. (stock motor, just air filter and exhaust on it) But you definitely get walked by 999's, and the extra weight just cripples you everywhere. I finally switched to a GSXR1K and the power/weight difference is astounding. The TLR's gone back to street duty, where it seems happy.

dave

[eeeeek]

what weight reduction can i do?

Buy a lighter bike. ;)

Seriously, it would be an uphill battle for you at every step. Get a bike that is meant to be raced.

I owned a 2000 TLR and put on the basic mods. Shock, fork work, etc. Just by going from the TL to a Mille, I was instantly faster and more comfortable. You could spend years trying to force the TL into a race role. You'll find problems with parts, set-up info, etc., because almost no one races one.

[eeeeek]

Could be worse....could be a Buell. :-)

#03 - FORMULA IV
Pos Pts AFM # Lic Name Mk/Yr Best Lap
1 75 21 E REILLY, SHAWN HD03 1:59:458

;)

[Hooli]

what weight reduction can i do?

Get an SV650. :toothless

[hwy1&17]

The TLR, like other fat chicks, is fun to ride, but you really don't want to do it in front of your friends because they may laugh at you.

:rofl

I raced a built up TLR that had like 135hp but you don't really ride it, it rides you. you just kinda hold on and hope it makes it through the corners. my base model 999 made about the same power and was 50lbs lighter. the 1098 is around 150hp on pump gas which is nice for a change.

look forward to seeing ya out there, open twins is a hoot.

eddy :cool

[GPToyz]

shouldn't that beast qualify for some kind of dinosaurs class?

but hey for the experience, i understand you taking it out there.

just don't do it to the 9s

get some suspension and just have some fun

then after the first year, get something competitive

but don't spend too much, or else you could've gotten an sv or a 650r

[Zerox]

I had a TLS...for a couple months. One trackday on that ill-handling pile and I shitcanned it for a sweet-handling SV650. Die, rotary damper, die!

[superNAtural01]

my R handles quite nicely. but yes, the rotary damper sucks

[hwy1&17]

my R handles quite nicely. but yes, the rotary damper sucks


yes, I thought the same thing. then when your lap times get down to within 5 seconds of the leaders and you can't improve on that we'll talk.
:thumbup

[hwy1&17]

PS. I'm not saying you won't have fun out there on it, didn't mean to discourage you. it's just that it's racing not trackdays and for me that means being as competitive as possible.

if you can find somebody that is selling the LE link and Penske shock for the rear that would help a lot. the motors hold up well unless you pump them up but the tranny will give out, at least that was my experience.

:thumbup

[joe]

Eddy, hopefully this doesn't come off the wrong way, but did you go "that" much faster on the Ducati's? And while the new bike might be better than the 999, have you gone that much faster on the 1098?

Point being, the TLR isn't a great race bike, but you can do it for sure. Bawden wasn't too slow on his, for sure.

[Zerox]

Point being, the TLR isn't a great race bike, but you can do it for sure. Bawden wasn't too slow on his, for sure.

Yes but as soon as he dumped the TLR and got a real racebike (GSXR750), he instantly vaulted into AFM elite status. :nerd

[joe]

really? Was racing against Hawk Mozzatta and Dave Bell in the OT class not good enough? The op wasn't asking about the difference between an OT bike and a 750sb bike anyhow, because if he was the response would have been, "ditch the twin, they're so mid 90's!" The reference to Bawden was in regards to the times he ran on the OT, not the 750, or even the 1000 he raced this season.

[hwy1&17]

Eddy, hopefully this doesn't come off the wrong way, but did you go "that" much faster on the Ducati's? And while the new bike might be better than the 999, have you gone that much faster on the 1098?

Point being, the TLR isn't a great race bike, but you can do it for sure. Bawden wasn't too slow on his, for sure.

ya, actually I did dropped a few seconds when I switch to the ducs. mainly at TH and BW where I seem to do better. both the 999 and the 1098 took some getting used to compared to the TLR that I had three years to get used to before I felt quick enough to race on it.

I would have to compare the bikes on a "ease of riding basis" where after riding the TLR you are just really worn out and sore the next few days and that never happens on the easier to ride Ducs.

Bawden did well with his, and told me I was crazy for racing one. I had fun on mine and suprised a lot of people, but then I switched bikes. everytime I switch bikes I go backwards till I figured it out, don't think I'm alone on this.

:cool

[Zerox]

The reference to Bawden was in regards to the times he ran on the OT, not the 750, or even the 1000 he raced this season.

Why would you even throw out the name of a KFG who did well 5 years ago on a slow bike, and potentially confuse a new(ish) racer seeking advice? A known fast guy is fast on any bike.

Also, you left out Florea when naming Bawden's 2003 competition, so your tire bill will soon reflect that omission. :laughing

[joe]

doh! Sorry Alex!

And in regards to throwing out a KFG, in my opinion KFG club racers are just guys who have raced for a long time (for the most part). The guys like Fong and Siglin don't usually stick around too long. Take a look at the years spent racing in the the top 5 and you'll see what I mean.

Granted, that's not what a new racer is asking about, but I'm trying to let him know that he doesn't have to go buy a new bike to race, he doesn't have to have X bike to race, etc.

[superNAtural01]

thaks alot guys. i think im goin to ry his year on the TLR, and seehow it goes. i am confident enough in my own riding ability to think that no matter what bike im on, ill do decent, and have FUN. but if it doesnt pan out well for me, i wll have the option to move on to better bikes.

[hwy1&17]

Granted, that's not what a new racer is asking about, but I'm trying to let him know that he doesn't have to go buy a new bike to race, he doesn't have to have X bike to race, etc.

very true, he will have fun. the point that us x-TLR riders (and Bawden would agree) were trying to make was that putting money into it might not be the best investment, and that does relate to his question. it's kinda like trying to keep someone from buying synthetic gear for the track and steer them towards full leathers IMO. I guess if you haven't tried to race one, you wouldn't know.

[Zerox]

but if it doesnt pan out well for me, i wll have the option to move on to better bikes.

That's not a bad way of looking at it, I wouldn't choose a TLR as a racebike but sometimes a good racebike is "Your Current Streetbike." Have fun, spend little.

[Zerox]

very true, he will have fun. the point that us x-TLR riders (and Bawden would agree) were trying to make was that putting money into it might not be the best investment, and that does relate to his question.

Bawden was also plenty fast on a 1985 GSXR750 in Super Dino....who's dumb enough to race a first-generation GSXR750 in 750 Superbike against bikes with 40 more horsepower and a vastly superior chassis? Oh wait that would be me in 2004. :laughing

[jrace]

Bawden was also plenty fast on a 1985 GSXR750 in Super Dino....who's dumb enough to race a first-generation GSXR750 in 750 Superbike against bikes with 40 more horsepower and a vastly superior chassis? Oh wait that would be me in 2004. :laughing

You had the 30hp bellypan. :twofinger

-jim

[dgrace]

Just a couple of notes from an ex-TLR racer:

1.) I rode mine with stock forks which is somewhat limiting. The rebound was maxed out and I had some ground clearance issues that were starting to get serious by the end there. (dragging bodywork on both sides, dragging the tip of the shift lever going down the carousel at sears) I think Eddy had his forks rebuilt with an extra inch of travel, which would have been a good call.

2.) I have the Ohlins shock on mine which is not height-adjustable. The Penske with a link is probably a better option.

3.) Ditto what Eddy said about rider effort hustling that thing around. It's a fun training bike, but you definitely feel it after a few sessions. Then again, I'm a pipsqueak so YMMV.

And I don't know what he's talking about with going backwards on a new bike - the GSXR makes it so easy, it's almost like cheating!

http://www.dgrace.com/gallery/albums/070909-AFM-Thunderhill/HT4U0922.sized.jpg

:teeth

dave

[eeeeek]

thaks alot guys. i think im goin to ry his year on the TLR, and seehow it goes. i am confident enough in my own riding ability to think that no matter what bike im on, ill do decent, and have FUN. but if it doesnt pan out well for me, i wll have the option to move on to better bikes.

So, why did you ask the question? You have just about everyone who tied to race a TLR telling you not to waste your money. Listen to the people who've been there.

[MackeyStingray]

gotta work for the lap times on the TLR

not worth the $ to race. like dgrace said, trackdays are fine but it's not a competitive bike/ lb vs lb.

severally lacking in the front, even w/ a redo and the shock is even worse. you *need* a penske + LE linkage (good luck even finding those around). ohlins w/ brackets actually lowers ride-height. i have heard of people rewelding shock mounts for other shocks

i rode dgrace's TL for a bit and to have it even corner properly the front is dropped so far, it feels like it loses the front on entry. not conducive to confidence and/or lap times

not worth the time/money IMO. i was never fast on it but i had to work esp. hard to get my mid 2's @ thill w/ that bike.

[afm199]

thaks alot guys. i think im goin to ry his year on the TLR, and seehow it goes. i am confident enough in my own riding ability to think that no matter what bike im on, ill do decent, and have FUN. but if it doesnt pan out well for me, i wll have the option to move on to better bikes.

You will have fun for sure. As far as doing "decent", if that means having fun, you will do very decent. If that means finishing in the top half of the class, don't hold your breath. There are quite a few good riders in the AFM and a few great ones. The chance of a top five finish on a stock TLR are basically zero, unless there are only five bikes in the race. And as has been pointed out, the rotary (stock) damper is a TOTAL POS and will slow you down considerably. Chances are if you have not figured this out.......Well, one Clubman race will help you decide a lot faster than ten racers on the internet. Everyone I know campaigned one dumped thousands into the suspension trying to sort it out.

[afmotorsports]

Also, you left out Florea when naming Bawden's 2003 competition, so your tire bill will soon reflect that omission. :laughing

My name is probably associated more with KFC than KFG... :laughing:laughing To be fair, I probably had the fastest bike on the grid in 2003 (the RC51 was making 145-148hp at the rear wheel!) and that's why I was able to keep up with the real KFGs (I actually led the championship all the way to the last race until I crashed in grease sweep during Sunday morning practice). In fact, Ken Hill borrowed that bike the following year and finished 4th in Formula Pacific at Buttonwillow! Even though I had the opportunity to buy back my old RC51, there is no way I would attempt to race that in Open Twins against the Ducati 1098 and especially the 1098R (there will be at least one that I know of on the grid this year). Throwing money down the drain getting a TLR race-ready is like putting lipstick on a pig... I would strongly advise against it. Having just purchased a used SV650S for less than three grand (and they have more: www.fremontcycle.com), I know I spent more than that to get it race ready: bodywork, painting, Penske, cartride kit for forks, exhaust, rearsets, steering damper, etc. At least when it's done it will be a very competitive bike in the class (the rider might be the main problem... :laughing ) and it's always more fun to race on competitive equipment. As an example, I entered a Formula 4 race last year on my CRF450R supermoto bike and got a bitchin' start, but then spent the next few laps getting my a$$ handed to me by newbies on SV650s and pulled off before the end of the race - if anybody thinks it's "fun" to get your butt kicked on a not-so-competitive bike, I politely disagree...

My advice: don't put lipstick on a pig! :teeth