Motorcyclist USA — September-October 2017

98 | september | october 2017

GARAGE

JULIA LAPALME

DOIN’ TIME

YAMAHA YZF-R3

Crash protection and lever upgrades

• since my last trackday-turned-race-
  weekend, the R3 has played the part
  of both trackbike and commuter bike.
  From playing testbike at our company’s
  Hack Day Track Day, where it was a
  favorite among beginner and experi-
  enced riders alike, to doing the daily
  grind to and from the office, the R3 has
  proven to be a versatile little motorcycle.
  I’ve yet to take it on any long-distance
  rides, but it’s a happy little in-town and
  weekend twisties warrior.
  Recently, T-Rex Racing sent a crash-
  protection set for the baby Yamaha,
  including engine-case covers, frame
  sliders, exhaust slider, front and rear
  axle sliders, and a set of rearstand spools
  (t-rex-racing.com; $351). Installation
  was relatively simple, except for the

tedious task of pulling body panels

off to install the frame sliders. My one

complaint comes from the oddly shaped

frame sliders, which have a rounded

point that I’ve jabbed my shins into a few

times. In leathers, the knee pucks hit the

sliders, but in jeans I’ve earned a couple

bruises thanks to these protruding

hunks of plastic. All in the name of

saving the bike, right?

After installing the kit, I laid the bike

down on its side to see how well the

exhaust slider would protect the can.

Thankfully I had someone to help lift

the bike up, as it became clear that the

exhaust slider didn’t prevent the exhaust

from touching the ground. What does

that mean in a crash? The exhaust might

be usable, but it’ll still get damaged.

In addition to the bike protection,

I got a set of articulating levers from

Norton Fab Motorsports (yama-

har3racing.com; $120). Jesse Norton,

the company’s owner, is an R3 racer and

a machinist, and he’s combined his two

interests to create a range of parts for

the little Yamaha. These three-quarter-

length levers, in anodized black with

blue lever-adjuster dial, have a tighter

feel to them than the OE levers. That is

to say, they’re machined more precisely,

eliminating play where there shouldn’t

be any. With the levers’ folding action

and shorter length to accommodate

lever guards, these puppies will be less

prone to breaking in a crash or tip-over

(knock on wood). I hope not to test that

anytime soon. —Julia LaPalme

wrist Julia LaPalme

msrp (2017) $4,999

miles 1,573

mpg 53

mods Adjustable folding levers,

crash protection

update 3

MCY1017_TIME.indd 98 7/24/17 3:44 PM