Wanna setup a bike for stunting?

First of all, mods i think you should make this a sticky.

Now alot of people have no idea whats a good stuntbike and how to set it up, so im gonna do a full run down right now, bar what all the haters think of me, ive stunted alot of bikes dispite my young age (crf50, yzf250, ktm 450, heaps of cbr's, few gixxers, zx12, 636 etc) ok so here we go!

Choosing the RIGHT stunt bike

Now nearly all bikes can be wheelied (yes ive done seat stander wheelies on a GN250) but very few make decent full blown stunt bikes.
ANY CBR600 From 1991 to 2005 are really good stunt bikes!

The old CBR600 F2 and CBR600 F3 both had Steel frames and are two of the TOUGHEST stunt bikes around.

Newer F4's are very good too but cannot compare to the model that replaced them.

The CBR600 F4i is probly still the best and most used stuntbike on the market.

Why?Because they have smooth power, very strong frames, LOADS of stunt parts and are a very proven stunt bike!

The CBR600RR came next, i owned a 2005, and they are also a good stuntbike, but are alot more fragile than the F4i and because honda mounted the engine alot further forward, the balence point on the wheelies are REALLY high, this makes 12 o clocks easy as, but everything else alot harder.

In 2005 honda finally gave the CBR600's USD forks and some grunty brakes, so that makes the 2005-2006 cbr600rr's very good for stoppies, consider the standard F4i front end's are rubbish but are often replaced with 929 or 954 front ends.

I struggled with constant problems with my RR's front end tho.

Next is the CBR600's big brothers, the 900RR, 929RR and 954RR
Ive stunted a 900RR and a 954RR. The 900RR, is very simular to the F2 and F3 cbr600's, quite heavy but really really smooth, massive tank on it too which makes tank wheelies alot easier and stoppies are always gangsta to see on the old 900RR's

I dont know much about the 929RR's and there quite rare to see stunted, aparently there much like the 954RR which ill talk about next but ive heard of complaints like the rear plastic cut into peoples legs while doing stand up wheelies and the idle jumps up and down when trying to do slow wheelies.
The 954RR is still the best stuntbike for anybody who dosent want to stunt a 600cc bike.

When i stunted Jase's one it was really nice, quite twichy on the throttle tho, but thats to be expected due to the higher capisity, as Jase had stunted his for a long time, he informs me that he loved the 954RR more than his F4i and 636 for straight line combo wheelies and said it is a much easier bike to like tricks on than the F4i, and awesome for no handed wheelies (a well balenced bike) but the downside was, and has been commenly heard, is that there quite hard for slow stunts such as circle wheelies, but still a proven and very good stunt bike, but the simple fact is, nobody is stunting the big bikes anymore, and not many people want too.
Gixxer's:
Now alot of people hate on them in the stunting world, but they are quite nice too wheelie in general, the problem is, there VERY weak, subframes are easily broken and all kinds of other problems with the bikes, not the best as a begginer stunt bike, but you could probly get away with one when you get past all the major learning curves, but be aware, on the good side, there are alot of stunt parts for them (any gixxer newer than 2001) and there are lots of parts in general for them.
R6's: very simular to gixxers, good to wheelie, just fragile as hell.

Kawasaki 636 (2003 - 2006): These are probly the 2nd best stuntbike you can buy over the F4i.

Not as strong as the f4i, but the power is alot more user frendly and they have a good front end on them, very proven and have a good name in the stunt riding community.

Def a good stunt bike, got a 'newer' feell than the F4i, way more grunty too, these are often the choice as "street stunters" and the F4is are normally the "lot stunters"
I highly recomend this bike, but not over the F4i
Motards:
Motards are my favourite now, they suit my aggressive riding style PERFECTLY, i love my CRF450 but really want something more street legal (hint)

They generally make very good stunt bikes, and are quite tough, problem is, nobody makes stunt parts for them, and there normally out of control on the slower tricks, my 450 cant hold idle to save its life, not compared to the 600RR!

Now if your budget isnt very big, i suggest you buy one of the following:
(Fiddys) CRF50: I started out stunting one of these, there great fun and HEAPS of stunt parts for them, they teach you all the basics, like what Balence point feels like, how to use the rear brake, how to use the hand brake (once you buy one), throttle control and most of the rest.

Bullet proof too and there very cheap to buy and easy to take around, i highly recomend for anybody who is keen to get into stunting but dosent want to buy a van/ute/trailer.
CRF70: quite simular too the 50, not as many stunt parts around, still quite a few, bit bigger so its a bit easier to do some stunts later on (combo wheelies, combo circle wheelies) and the front end is a bit better, but very simular.
(Hundo's) CRF100, TTR125, DRZ125:
These are probly the best learner stunt bikes on the market, you can learn alot of stunts on these and they dont cost much, they give you the big bike feel that the 70 and 50 dont, and they have a clutch so you can learn to clutch it up too.

Very forgiving, trust me! Not many stunt parts tho.

Now thats all i can think of right now, next is setup!
Setting up your stunt bike
Now if your smart you would have bought one of the following bikes, and now ill list the parts and were you can purchase them to setup your bike completly for stunting, now some of these parts arnt nessesary when you first start out, so ill just list the few your REALLY should have first.
Stunt Parts you NEED!
Crash Cage:

One of these will save you alot of $$$ They protect the engine of your stuntbike when you crash, and are a very needed stunt part. Which one to choose tho? Freestyle Ingenuity:
www.freestyleingenuity.com

This is the first cage i ran on the 600RR and the company Jase has always bought from.

They are the original crash cage builders, there cages are very low profile and are very easy to fit and look awesome.

but mine was constantly snapping rods and breaking, but Jase has never had any major problems with his and its held up to some good smacks, i would say a good number 2 choice.

But to what?

Enter Sick Innovations:

www.sickinnovations.com

The replacement on my old 600RR to the FI cage, sick innovations cages are alot bigger than the freestyle ingenuity cages, but are very proven and $60usd cheaper, they hold up amazing and are worth every $$$, both the SI and FI cages have lots of leg room and are hard to scrape around corners, Sick innovations is my Number 1 cage choice, but quite a few people would disagree with me in favor of freestyle ingenuity, so either or, your getting a good cage.

Stunt Aid:
www.stuntaid.com

I swear this cage is made out of cardboard, dont even go onto there site.

MXD:
www.mxdcages.com

MXD make some good strong cages but there just massive, i wouldnt really bother to be honest, unless you just wanna ride in a straight line.

Powers:

www.powersstuntworx.com

They make good quality parts and have been known to be quite strong, but there service is appalling, many people have ordered from them and never heard back, just like stuntaid, i wouldnt even look at there site.

Racing 905:

www.racing905.com

These cages are very good on older bikes, the number 1 if your bike is pre 1998, if not, there not that good on the newer bikes, quite simular to mxd, plus they smash ur shins to bits!

TygerShark:

www.tygersharkcages.com

These guys make some TOUGH cages, again like MXD there massive, and there REALLY REALLY expensive, service is good tho, my Number 3 choice, unless your choosing to stunt a bike newer than 2006, in which case you have the $$$ anyways, these guys have made a big effort to make there cages the best on the newer bikes and its showed, but for anything pre 2006, stick with SI and FI.

so thats my crash cage run down.

Next is more Mods than stunt parts:

Clean air Mod:

This mod is a very good idea, unless you enjoy hydrolocking motors.

It stops oil going in your airbox, here is how you do it on a F4i:

Just to give you an idea of what it involves, im sure most people could figure something out with there bikes.

Tip Over Sensor:
Now this is to stop your bike cutting out when its on its on big angles, why? well its kinda obvious.

You NEED to have the clean air mod done before you do this because if you crash and ur pride and joy is lying on its side idling at 4k while oil goes into your airbox, your pride and joy is gonna hate you very quickly!

Most tip sensors will look simular, all you do is cut out the white wire completly and join the green and red together, done!

Now onto all the other stunt parts here we go!

All the stunt parts for setting up a sick stunt bike

12 bar:
Now these arnt nessesary, its normally better to learn to scrape the stock tail first before you get a bar, why? because its alot more forgiving! ill explain a bit later.

Now there are effectivly 2 types of main 12 o clock bars.

Flat 12 bars and Round Bars.

It dosent matter really what company you go with for your 12 bar, there all much the same, although sick innovations make a combo bar, which you can change from flat 12 bar to round bar and so forth.

A flat round bar - are good for long scrapes and bars tricks, as the bike will normally stay very straight once there on the bar.

But they are unforgiving, if you dont hit the bar DEAD centre, your going off, it will just flick out from under you, also you got a higher chance of snapping your subframe with one of these, it all depends what stunts you wanna be doing, if you wanna do LONG ass scrapes and bar tricks, get a flat bar, if you just wanna do scrapes and not fuck up your tail, get a round bar.

Plus flat bars are like a falling gullotine if you have one and you flip a stoppie, after a couple of scrapes they get really sharp, trust me, i cut my leg on the one i had on my 50 just trying to jump to seat stander from the ground!

Round Bar- I pretty much explained them well above, they are more forgiving than flat bars, just cant do bar tricks or park the bike in a 12 o clock, but you wont get as fucked up if you flip a stoppie with one of these!

Combo bar - The best of both worlds, the best choice by far by anybody
www.sickinnovations.com

SUB CAGES:
What do they do? reinforce the subframe PLUS they reposition the rear pegs to a more confortable area, you can normally choose from solid mounted or folding pegs, solid gives better feel and no chance of peg fold up, but again, pay the price if you flip a stoppie.

Smashing in your gas tank
This is another mod that you will NEED to do tank tricks (high chair wheelies, spreaders, high chair stoppies)

Now there are quite a few ways to go about it:

Jumping on the gas tank - Can work but you normally get a shit az dent

Smashing it with a soft hammer - the best way, get a rubber mallet, and smash it in nice.

Now the key things to do is not to crack it, and to try get a lip at the back of the tank to really hold you in, the rest is just up to you, smash it in, have a sit, smash in some more until your happy.

Its also a good idea to put something on it to hold you in place (skateboard grip tape works good)

Gearing:

Now it all depends on your bike to what gearing you should go, most guys on the F4i's run 55-65 rear sprockets and down 1 in the front.

Most guys on 636's just go up 3 teeth on the rear and down 1 in the front, so a big difference.

its all depends but you dont really need gearing until your getting into the slow wheelies, all it means as you can do slower wheelies and the bike wont stall as easy and will pull a bit harder on idle, but when your at that stage you can just go with what you want, go down 1 tooth in the front and if that isnt enough, go from there.

again www.sickinnovations.com do good gears.

Clip ons or Dirt bike bar conversions:
Now this is hard to do, because its all up to the person, stock bars suck for stunting on everything exept a motard.

You can normally flip the clips ons or just turn them out and they will feel alot better but to get some decent ones on there hit up www.freestyleingenuity.com

again its all up to you, but if you want to get anything in that respect go there.

Handbrakes:
Now this is a big topic to discuss.

A handbrake is just a bar mounted rear brake, designed to control your wheelies while your right foot is away from the peg.

Now you can go 2 ways about a handbrake.

Dual Caliper or Adapter Kit.

Ive never run dual caliper but aparently its the shit!

So if youve got alot of $$$ to put into a handbrake take a look at www.hoheydesigns.com

and they should sort you out,If you wanna get a adapter kit hit up haibikeshop, here is the best kit

What ever choice you make (dual caliper or adapter kit) your also going to need to get a mastercylinder with a banjo bolt. Brembo 16x18 or Magura 13mm. Other include the Brembo 13mm which is a weak but alrite starter handbrake.

The shindy master, which is a good alround handbrake and is cheap.

Brembo 19x18, the grunty's bitch, this is a super grunty handbrake, but thats not always a good thing, can make your wheelies very jumpy and they are hard to control, very good to use on your front brakes tho!

Steering Damper: Good for later on, to keep the bars straight doing no handers or if your going to do a stoppie for over 150ft, or if you have a tendincy to put your wheelies down with the bars crooked haha

GPR make the best ones, i ran hyperpro on the 600RR but it wasent that good, GPR make the best, a safe thing to have at the start, but really not that nessesary, just keep that wheel straight on landing!
www.gprstabilizer.com

Tail Savers: just to save your rear seat from jumping to seat stander too many times, seem like a good idea, but probly just another thing to break your spine when you flip a stoppie.

Non Stunt Parts but very good to have

Oil:

On most sports bikes you can just get away with a 1 litre oil overfill

on gixxers its also a good idea to get a oil pickup www.stuntex.com

Motards and fiddys dont need any changes here.

Brake lines:

GET BRAIDED LINES!!!!

give much better feel and might save you when you combine with:

Brake Fluid: Run dot 4 or dot 5 brake fluid, me and kruzah run RBF600 and it seems pretty good when your not mashing the brakes too much, there is better and it may just save your butt one day, so def invest in some good brake fluid!

Brake pads: EBC Double H pads are the best, cost a bit, but worth every cent.

Cooling Its a good idea to wire your fans so there always going, and run water wetter coolant!

Tire Choice Front - Pilot Power, these are awesome, ive ripped up stoppies on my motard at 120kph and it didnt mind lol

Rear - Pilot Road, there really good for burnouts and wheelies, last for ages too, but most 2nd hand tyres will do.

Tire PSI:
quick rundown- (IN PSI)
fiddy - 10 back - 15 front
hundo - 15 back - 20 front
sports bike - 20 back - 25 to 30 in the front dependin
motard - 15 back - 25 front

thats just rough but gives you an idea, its all up to you to find when you like.

Thats all i can think of right now, but thats a really good rundown!