my 2004 cbr 600rr is stock. never thought i'd be interested in upgrades because it feels fast enough. however, i heard upgrades can also improve braking, suspension, etc. never really thought about that. aren't the rr's already made to be racing bikes and so have the best matched parts?

anyways, i was wondering what you all thought about upgrades? recommendations? how do they improve the bike?

 

upgrading the brakes are easy
stainless steel lines and HH pads will cause the bike to stop faster and give the lever a more consistent feel regardless of how hard you push it.

you can do a gear change drop a tooth on the front sprocket and go up a tooth on the rear and it will take off faster with the power you already have,

a powercommander on the bike even stock with smoothen up the throttle control

and of course suspsension

ohlins rear shock and front cartridge kits will make the bike handle like a new one

 

unless you weight like 135, the bike is not setup to race, not in the least bit. better braking comes in three forms:

Rider
Suspension
Brake bite

all three need to be tuned in order to work the best, and in that order. work on your braking technique, get your suspension set correctly for your weight, and if you need to go further than that (which i highly doubt you will) upgrade the bite with Vesrah pads and Iron Rotors for harder bite. brake lines improve feel and fade, nothing more. if you need more bite, but can't afford $800 rotors, i suggest a larder Master Cylinder.

 

interesting. when i got my bike in 2004, i asked about suspension and if any changes need to be made to the bike re my height/weight 5'9/165 lbs and the guy said no, that i'm pretty average and the bikes made for my weight and although i sort of have to tip toe to get both feet on the ground the factory suspension settings are already the best and not to mess w/ it since it can mess w/ the dynamics of handling. so far i think it's been allright, but, i've never felt what better would be like.

the powercommander sounds like something i'd look into. i've been riding for only about 2 years now and still am not completely smooth w/ shifting gears which affect how i come out of turns.

one upgrade i never liked was whatever it is that makes it louder, exhaust or air intake? i like a quieter engine.

why would they setup the bike for 135 pounders anyways? what upgrades do you guys have if any?

 

never beleive the salemans at a dealership. NEVER!

 

but he seemed like such a nice guy, lol! sounds like you've had some personal bad experiences.

 

not really but I know salesmens are out to make a sale n rarely have a clue about what they are selling lol

 

because it's a street bike. the majority of riders like a smooth ride at the expense of braking and suspension dynamic.

If i had my way, i'd rase the back even more, and i tip toe both feet. the bike is light enough that i can easily flatfoot one side and stay stabile.

PlayfulGod: That's been my experience as well. personally, i'd rather have talked to a mechanic that a salesman when i bought my bike... not that it would have made a difference anyway.

 

go to www.racetech.com

it has a spring calculator that will tell you the correct spring rate for your weight and the spring you have in stock

 

interesting, i'll have to check outthat website.

yeah, sometimes when i ride i'll notice i'm on tiptoe. i don't have much experience on other bikes, but i think i remember the gxr's pedal was much more aggressive. being higher and more to the back, it was more comfortable when leaning forward.

do you guys notice your lower back aching after a while? i've sometimes on really long rides (and i know this is probably extremely dumb, but i'm talking about a 6-7 hr trip i used to take from monterey to la, CA) have laid my foot on the rear passanger pedals for a while.