Chuck Graves has been one of the top privateer / semi-factory riders in American superbike racing over the past 10 years. His credits include having been a part of the winning Team Valvoline Suzuki Endurance Team, and presently he spearheads his own Graves Motorsports Team with factory support from Yamaha, campaigning Yamaha R1s in the AMA Formula Exteme Series and other open class type events. At his home track, Willow Springs Raceway outside Los Angeles, Chuck is pretty much invincible, particularly on the R1. This past September '99 Team Graves won the Willow Springs 24 Hour WERA Endurance race there with the R1.

If you want to make a Yamaha R1 work right, Chuck is the guy to talk to. His shop, Graves Motorsports, offers a full line of performance products for the Yamaha R Series bikes and other popular brandes of sportbikes. They also have their own Dyno Jet Dyno tuning services.

Here's our beautiful SBK World Superbike trophy girl Taylor McKegeny with the 2001 model Yamaha YR1 which Graves Motorsports is racing in the AMA Formula Extreme Championship. This shot is also featured on the cover of the 2002 Fast Dates Racebike Pinup Calendar avaialble HERE

IMPROVING The R1's HANDLING
"Our first recommendation for improving the R1," says Chuck, "is to correct the twitchy front end. A steering dampner is really needed, and the type we recommend and use on our race bikes isthe Scotts Rotary Steering Damper which, of course, we sell. I like the Scotts because its damping is easily changede with the knob right on top, so you can adjust it easily while riding. And because it's mounted over the triple clamp, it won't be damaged in a crash when the bike falls, like a side mounted damper would be.

Unfortunately, the stock R1's triple clamps don't have enough metal to mount the Scotts steering dampner, so new triple clamps are needed as well. But in building and testing our own triple clamps to work with the Scotts dampner we learned that by changing the front forks from 33 mm of offset to 26 mm, the increase in trail really helps straight-line stability and improves front tire grip. I really recommend both the Scotts Steering Dampner and our Graves Motorsports Adjsutable Triple Clamp Kit.

Suspension wise, we don't run the stock shock on our racebikes. I recommend either the Fox TCR Race Shox or an Ohlins, either of which we carry in stock. And for track use we have a more linear Shock Linkage System. Plus, wealso offer a front fork revalving kit to help firm up the stock front end," says Chuck.

For R1 street riders on a tight budget, the editors at England's SUPBERBIKE magazine say the bike's rear shock is fine as is, even for track days and club racing. However, the stock front forks are just too soft with too much travel. Braking hard while turning into corners really unsettles the front end of the bike with a resulting loss in front end control and traction. They recommend reworking the front forks to firm them up. They suggest firner fork springs. Plus heavier weight suspension oil filled 20mm higher than factory specs to increase the air spring rate towards bottoming out, helping to decrease the travel and steering angle which is making the front end of the bike unstable.

GRAVES MOTOR SPORTS CHASSIS PARTS:

• Rear Braided Brakeline Kit $40.00
• Front Braided Brakeline Kit $79.40
• Scott's Rotary Steering dampner $350.00
• Scotts mout for GMS Clamps $125.00
• GMS Triple Clamp Kit $550.00
• GMS Clip-On Handlebar kit $155.00
• GMS Adjustable Rearset Footpeg Kit w/Reverse Shift $400.00
• Europen Tail Section, Blue or White $299.95
• Alloy Fair Bracket / Tachometer Mount $151.00
• GMS Replacement Alloy Footpegs $52.00
• Frame Saver Kit, White or Black $49.95
• Fox TCR Racing Shox $$695.00
• Ohlins Racing Shock $1039.00
• GMS Shock Linkage $375.00

A stock R1 makes around 136-140 HP right out of the box. I've done a lot of dyno testing with pipes for the R1 and I can honestly say our Graves Full Exhaust System is the best available. It is a 4- into-2- into-1 system that eliminates the stock EXUP valve.With a Dyno Jet rejetting kit power is raised to 150 HP. Our complete Stainless Steel System with Carcon Fiber Canister weighs just 9.5 lbs. and reduces weight some 12 lbs. compared to stock. This system is also available in full Titaniumwith a complete system weight of just 6.5 lbs."

For R1 owners on a tight budget, go ahead and keep your stock header system with the EXUP collector. Replace the stock, restrictive muffler with any straight-through aftermarket silencer (cost about $300) and you'll save about 5 lbs. and your R1 will pick up a 5 HP across the powerband from 5,000 to 10,000 RPM.

GRAVES MOTOR SPORTS ENGINE PARTS:

• GMS Exhaust w/Alloy Silencer $$599.00
• GMS Exhaust System w/Carbon Silencer $699.00
  specify High or Low Mount systems
• Ram Airbox with Jet Kit $395.00
• Dyno Jet Kit $116.50
• Adjustable cam Sprockets $49.50
• GMS Piston Kit w/Rings $455.00
• Adjustable Ignition Advancer $75.00
• GMS Valve Spring Kit $225.00
• GMS Titanium Keeper Kit $250.00
  

GRAVES MOTORSPORTS
7645 Dunsmore Avenue, Van Nuys, CA 91406 USA
Phone (010) 818.902.1942 • Fax 818.902.3821
http://www.gravesport.com

Below: The Graves Motorsports R1 racebike.