What are YOUR most Essential modifications for the Track?

[Hostilemonk]

tapping into the combined wisdom of PSB: - Given we all have limited Budgets - What are the essential modifications/additions that need to be made to a bike for the track. (assume we will use race or sticky tyres) Assume running in Superstock class - that way we stay away from engine mods and expensive suspension mods allowable in other classes. Maybe you could put them in order of priority for budget purposes

My 'uninformed' list is:-

1. Race Bodywork - weight
2. Suspension Tuned - Suspension setup comes second only to suspension setup in the tuning list!
3. Tyre warmers - saves tyres and safety
4. Competition Brake pads
5. Bike Protection bits - to protect in a slide (possibly contentious)
   
   • Bar End Protectors
   • Cotton Reels
   • Fork Protectors
   • Spindle Sliders
   • Tail Slider
   • Engine case covers
6. Replace ALL oils with higher quality stuff (brake, suspension, engine and also oil filter with higher quality one?)
7. Steering Damper(if not standard)
8. Slipon End Can - not necessarily essential?
9. Rearsets - on a modern sport machine? necessary?
10. Laptimer - to provide some feedback as to how slow ya goin

EDIT - taking the suggestions of the contributors the list seems to be:
*Braided lines are required by regs (and standard on 675 Daytona).

note: OUTS = Once Up To Speed

*: Race Bodywork – weight and rules require belly pan to retain oil
*: High Quality oil everywhere – (E.g. For engine Motul, Silkolene or similar)
*: Suspension Tuned – (Possibly internal mods - OUTS)
*: Race or Class legal sticky tyres.
*: Steering Damper
*: Gearing & 520 chain conversion - OUTS
*: Slip On can for superstock – Full race for other classes – But must meet Noise regs.
*: EFI tuning - OUTS
*: Clip ons and rear sets if needed - OUTS
Any others?

[Semi]

what about tyres eh?

[Davey]

axle sliders would be good.

also you're gonna wanna drill and wire your sump plug, and your oil filter etc.. replace coolant with distilled water..

rearsets aren't essential unless you want to change your feet's positions.. also aftermarket rearsets are more expensive to replace in a lowside incident

[Scoundrel]

rearsets aren't essential unless you want to change your feet's positions.. also aftermarket rearsets are more expensive to replace in a lowside incident

Depending on the bike, there are a few people around that make machined alloy rearset raiser/adjustment plates - you just use the stock rearsets bolted to these adjustment plates. A bloke on Kawiforums makes them for ZX6's and ZX10's, no doubt they're around for other makes as well.

[Davey]

Yah my k4 gixxer 600 had those. awesome bit of kit!

[ENVEE 2]

Id think BRAIDED BRAKE LINES would be pretty high up the list

[robwas]

Top of the list must be anything related to safety. Don't cut corners here!! Buy the best gear you can get. tyres, rearsets, etc are no good to you if an off leaves you wishing you had bought better leathers etc.
Then Racecraft courses or track days and licence.
The only other thing I think is essential is to take the approach of doing it for fun
Smiles are free remember.
If your not very good at it make sure you look good doing it

[Sean'o]

As Robwas said, good quality safety gear first and foremost.
As far as the bike goes, there are things that must be done before you can race it, lockwiring things, no coolant must be distilled water, brether and over flow hoses must be re routed into the airbox, catch can may still be acceptable.
Then race glass first, not only for weight but belly pan must hold 5(i think) liters of fluid in case the worst happens to your engine, belly pan should catch oil or water it spews out if you blow it up.
Then race compound tires and suspension set up, for superstock you can change all fork internals and rear shock internals and spring. Take it to a suspension tuner with race glass on and all your riding gear on and have him measure up your sags, stock springs may be ok depending on your weight but unlikely so a spring change may be needed, you may also need to change the valving so you can set your compression and rebound damping properly, after that everything else is a nice to have.
A slip on sounds better and breathes better than stock so usually the first thing that goes on. PC3's not allowed in superstock, dyno tuning a waste of money till your at the front of the pack and want that little bit extra.
Good quality oil like motul 3100 or 5100, OEM oil filters are fine.
Once you start getting a bit quicker, tire warmers save tire wear and give you a bit more confidence, especially on cooler days.
Unless your fast straight up stock brake pads are ok, some of the fast guys out there still prefer stock to after market race pads, i would put braided brake lines on before i put in race pads.
Damper, pretty much essential unless you like tank slappers.
520 conversions arent just for weight saving, as the chain and sprocket are thinner, there is less contact area so less friction so more horse power, also less rotating mass making bike easier to turn, also its usually done when a gearing change is required, when you get a bit faster you will be thinking the revs should be a bit higher ther for better drive or im no where near redline in top coming into turn 7, go the 520 conversion when you get to this stage and change your gearing.
Rearsets you might find you need if you start scraping pegs or feet, or maybe just get adjuster plates for stock rearsets.
So in order for budget and necessity(never could spell that)
1:race glass
2:tires
3:Suspension-correct springs, valving and setup
4:Steering damper
5: Briaded lines, maybe a pad change
6:slip on (coz they sound good)
anywhere in there you can throw in semi or full synthetic oil after engine has been run in on mineral oil.
7:lap timer, good after a couple of track days without one to then start seeing how you are doing and trying to improve it
8 and beyond, the rest you pick up as you need it, you might find stock gearing is crap for you so go the 520 conversion, you might like to put clip ons on it, cheaper than oem if you bend one, maybe you will be scraping pegs so rearsets etc etc, essentials first, goodies later.

[quattro750]

find it interesting that double bubble screen isn't mentioned. great for easterly in the morning and westerly in the afternoon so that you aren't pulled off the bike over the top of the hill in either direction.

also tank grips are handy to decrease sliding forward under braking. my list for track only 675(not racing) running reasonable lap times.

1 tyres
2 raceglass
3 crash knobs
4 tyre warmers
5 steering damper
6 brake pads
7 double bubble screen
8 levers
9 tank grips
10 exhaust/efi tuning
11 suspension tuning
12 lap timer
13 good oil changed regularly
14 lower gearing

for the rider
1 fitness
2 alertness
3 open to learning
4 leathers/knee sliders
5 back protector
6 boots/toe sliders
7 good helmet with air flow control
8 good gloves with contact protection points