Better safe than sorry - adding crash protection

Just like I always wear my protective gear, I wanted the XR1200 to have the best chance of surviving a crash. I added GSG Moto axle sliders front and rear. While I was at it, I also added the GSG Moto swing arm spools so that I could easily use my rear stand. (Helpful for rear wheel removal and for using tire warmers at the track). The oil cooler sticks way out on the left side - a disaster waiting to happen. For the Vance and Hines XR1200 race series, the race kit relocates the oil cooler behind the number plate. Out of the way in case of a crash. I ride mine most days to work and wanted to keep it as a street bike, so this wasn't feasible for me. The Evotech crash bobbins is a bar which goes across the whole front of the bike, providing protection for the upper part of the bike and particularly for that oil cooler.

New front fender for 17" front wheel

After replacing the stock wheels with the Marchesini's, I was a little embarrassed by the front fender. It was like having floods - you know, the pants that were just a little too short when you were growing up? That's what it looked like.. Before....

and after ($292 replacement fender from Vance and Hines XR1200 race kit)

Race seat more comfortable than stock?

I was happy with the stock seat and have done 500 mile days in it without pain (well, OK, without much pain....500 miles is still a long day). I replaced the stock seat with a Saddleman. The Saddleman is more comfortable than the stock seat and even better looking. The stock seat pan is heavy, though, and I wondered if the racing seat would provide a better connection with the motorcycle and still be comfortable. I ordered the race seat from the Vance and Hines XR1200 racing website. It comes with a seat pad that you glue on. Looks thin and hard, but it is amazingly comfortable. I felt better on the bike right away and for track days it's a huge improvement. I've done some long days but nothing like a 500 mile day. It feels just as comfortable as the stock seat. For overall looks, the stock seat pan in orange is still cooler looking; but, I'm liking the rough and ready look of the flat black race seat. I'm keeping the old seat just in case I decide to switch back.

XR1200 finds its voice with the sexyTermignoni 2-1-2 race system exhaust

The stock exhausts are heavy and really strangle the amazing music the XR1200 is capable of making. Adding these Termignoni pipes makes an amazing difference in the sounds and saves a huge amount of weight. Of all the pipes available for the XR1200, I think these are the best looking of all. (If you don't believe me, check out the competition on the XR1200 Forum). Mine have the carbon fiber cans and the removable db killer. I like db killer because I can ride around town and my neighbors don't wince at the sound. At track days, I take them out to let the full power loose. (With my Zippers ThunderMax EFI controller with autotune, the fueling automatically adjusts to the change). I've had lots of people at track days comment that the sound from my XR1200 is amazing; and I'm usually doing track days that have lots of exotic machinery from Ducati, Aprilia and MV Augusta. Hearing is believing. And it's not just the sound. The power increase and throttle response is amazing. I haven't had mine dyno'd but lots of comparison graphs are available on the XR1200. For me, it wasn't really the power increase, but the responsiveness to the throttle. The bike was smoother and responds immediately to input from my right hand. It was another of those modifications, like the rear sets from Sato, that increase the feeling on connectedness (is that a word) to the motorcycle. The price was steep, but well worth it.

Svelte feet with SATO RACING XR1200 Rear Sets

Added Sato Rear Sets which provide adjustable location for the foot pegs and lots more ground clearance over the stock foot pegs. The shifter and brake controls on these rear sets provide amazing feedback and much better control. The serrated pegs provide great grip for my boots and a much more connected feel to the motorcycle.

Lower handlebars

After a large number of track days, I decided to start addressing some areas that I think will improve handling and feel on the track. The first is a lower handlebar. The stock "buck horn" type handlebars are high and wide. These provide easy steering inputs but seem a little touchy on the track, probably compounded by the smaller 17" front wheel (compared to the 18" stock wheel). Also, the higher bars make it tougher to get my body forward and inside of the center of the bike. The outside arm has a long reach to the bar when leaned over and the inside bar is at an odd angle once hanging off. This angle makes the "screw driver" grip more difficult to achieve. I bought the flatter bars provided on the Vance and Hines XR1200 race series site. Most racers are using the fully flat bars, but I wanted to keep some of the advantages of higher bars for comfort on the street. I chose the bars with a 2" rise. The swap was easy, taking about 20 minutes.

From the photo below, the new handlebars (left) are about 2" shorter than the stock bars with a slightly different bend.

The new look is lower and still comfortable on the street.

Marchesini Wheels

Good tires make taking the XR1200 to track days safer and more fun. Most track rubber comes in 17" sizes, so replacing the stock 18" wheel on the XR1200 is almost a must. I could have just ordered a front wheel, like they do in the XR1200 Vance and Hines race series. David Behrend at Fast Bike Industries, who did my front suspension and helped with the Cycle World XR1200 Project Bike, suggested he could get a set of Marchesini wheels for the same price. I had Marchesini wheels on my Ducati 900 SS and loved them so I was hooked. When they arrived, I couldn't believe how light they were...featherweight comes to mind, but not quite as light as the all carbon wheels that I briefly considered.

The first tires I put on were Bridgestone BT001 endurance race tires. I avoided the XR1200 race series rubber (Dunlop GPAs) because I've heard they can give handling problems if not setup perfectly. I was less than confident that my setup skills were equal to the task. The Bridgestones had lots of grip, enough to confidently get my knee on the ground, and they wore great on the track - lasting probably 10 track days and a trip to Indy for the MotoGP before I replaced them (and the front still had plenty of wear left).

Now I'm trying Pirelli's Diablo Rossi Corsa tires ...intended for street and occasional track day use. I put these on at the end of the last track day this fall, so I only have a couple sessions on them, so we'll have to see how the compare. My thought was that as a street tire, they'll warm up better for the cold winter rides. In the spring, I'll see how they do on the track.