Forum

Product Reviews

Product/Service: Race Rearsets & 3piece pedal Kit
Manufacturer/Provider: Woodcraft-CFM
Reviewed by: Jeff Kufalk

Requiring a bit more ground clearance, increased strength and something with quickly replaceable parts, I sought out for new rearsets. My rearsets of choice have always been (and likely always will be) Woodcraft-CFM. Why? Well, I don't believe that you will find another rearset on the market that is as strong, as well built and as affordable.

Woodcraft always strives to put out excellent products at a reasonable price, and the rearsets for the new RR are no different.

I had lengthy conversations with Jan and Eric from Woodcraft over the new RR rearsets. I began talking to them before they had the parts back from manufacturing. Eric's brother Jeff is racing an RR this year, so they had a bike which they could continually use for fitment and R&D.

I was lucky enough to be one of the first recipients of a set of rearsets. Of course, I ordered them with both levers included. The brake lever is optional as you can use the OEM pedal, but I enjoy the strength and the ability to replace small parts on the lever itself should they break.

What's in the package:

The package itself contains both left & right rearset, both pegs, the 3 piece shift lever, new linkage rod, new shift arm and a huge black zip-tie.

Assembly requires no instructions, thus none are provided (except the warning to use loc-tite).

I didn't know how Woodcraft would take on the challenge of GP shifting since I'd seen some manufacturers using an elaborate dual-shaft configuration, or mounting the shift rod off the other end of the shift pedal. Talking to Eric, he said that he wanted to keep it simple so that there weren't multiple parts to break in a crash, and to keep costs down. We also spoke about having the shift lever separate from the rearset (such as in the stock configuration). Eric commented that it should be attached to the rearset or the spacing can get very tricky for orientation to the riders foot.

So, how does GP shifting work? Simple!

The shaft and shift arm on the right are the new included pieces with the CFM rearsets. The shaft is longer so it can reach from the rearset mounted lever, and the new shift arm is shorter and also offset to the outside of the bike.

I didn't realize what the purpose was for the offset mounting until I mounted everything up.

The shifting is simple, and perfect. The large black zip-tie included was to hold back the water-pump hose if you want to use a NORMAL shift pattern.

Moving over to the brake lever side, the CFM rearsets don't contain any mounting points for the brake return spring or light switch. This isn't a problem usually on the racebike since no lights are necessary. However, the return spring is sometimes needed to prevent brake drag from the weight of the pedal. The RR however, has enough pressure to return the lever completely without the need of a spring (for now). On the F4, you couldn't consider this. For now, I'll leave it without a return spring (since I don't use the rear brake anyway), and keep an eye on it. If it starts getting weak to where the lever stays down or won't fully return I'll put in a return spring. Installing a return spring is as simple as drilling a small hole in the lever and one in the rearset. Connect the two with a spring and you're done...

If you want to use these on the street, Woodcraft (and several other retailers) sell a pressure activated banjo bolt which will actuate the light if you hit the lever.

So, why is it that you can't go wrong with a set of Woodcraft-CFM rearsets?

True story... Late 2001, I was racing at Blackhawk Farms on my 99F4, and I lowsided in a right hand turn. The bike went down and slid on the right hand side to the edge of the track. The peg caught the lip of the track and literally FOLDED under the bike. I pulled the rearset off and figured I could hammer the lightweight metal back straight.

I figured wrong... I was BOUNCING a 3lb sledge off of this rearset without budging it. Plan B... I found a guy who had a huge vise mounted in his trailer. We clamped the rearset in the vice and then, using an 18" crescent wrench, we proceeded to bend the rearset back into a usable shape. In the process, I thought we were either going to herniate ourselves or rip that vise out of the bench. This stuff was absolutely amazing!

Anyhow, we got it back into a usable shape and I continued to race on it all season!

I have yet to see metal this incredibly strong and lightweight.

What does the manufacturer have to say about them?

TOUGHNESS: CFMotorsports rearset kits are CNC machined from 6061-T6 billet aluminum and offer more than twice the durability of OEM rearset brackets.

PARTS ACCESSIBILITY: Nearly all kits will accept the OEM levers and footpegs for no hassle spares. Woodcraft will sell any individual piece for replacement parts.

CONFIDENCE: Our trick knurled footpegs give supreme feedback and the best traction available today.

RACE PROVEN: Each kit is custom tailored for rise and setback, and CFMotorsports rearsets have proven their worth with over 100 national and regional championships.

ATTENTION STREET/TRACK RIDERS: Now available, brake light switches (Part number 03-0100 coarse thread & 03-0105 fine thread) for most models to adapt CFMotorsports rearset kits for rear brake light use. The cost is $17.99 and can be added to any kit.

Where can you get yours?

RIGHT HERE!!!

You can call Lake Country PowerSports 262-547-3088 and ask for Internet Parts, or fill out the form here!

Application	Rise Up & Back	Rearset Kit	Price	Full Kit w/Pedals	Price	Repl. Peg	Price	Shift Rod	Price
2003 CBR600RR	1", 1/2"	05-0335 w/shifter	$319.99	05-0335B w/shifter & Brake	$379.99	06-0300	$25.99	07-2875	$15.99

Prices listed are RETAIL. In all likelihood we'll treat you better than retail :-)

The prices are a bit more than you're used to in a CFM rearset. This is because of the included shift lever. Most of the kits do NOT come with any 3pc levers, but this kit DOES come with the shift lever, so it's more expensive.

You can also obviously contact Woodcraft as well!

Did you find this review helpful? Think it sucked? Tell us about it in the forum!