Topic: I want to go racing. You can be part of my team.

[sparty]

I just finished watch two awesome hours of AMA Supersport and Superbike racing on Speed TV.  Now, I have a major itch to go racing.

I will need a new bike: Honda CBR600RR
I will need a pit crew: You guys
I will need sponsorship: Anyone willing.
I will need the wife's permission: 

I am betting that it will be easier to get the first three on the list than the last one.

Sparty

[nickjtc]

I am betting that it will be easier to get the first three on the list than the last one.

Chocolate, flowers and dinner out, in that order, spread over a few days. It helps if she is passionate about something that you aren't, so you can use the rationality that she is engrossed in her thing and "wouldn't it be good if you could find something for you".

A friend of mine here in town is racing this summer for the first time. His missis is heavily into triathlon stuff so he used the above logic and it worked....he picked up a track only GSXR600 and is off to the races, if you'll pardon the pun.

[mlinder]

Don't start in the 600 Superbike class.
It's called the meat-grinder class for a reason.

Try middleweight superbike or middleweight supersport, race prepped sv650's are (relatively) cheap.

Or you can get started with vintage or 'senior', senior being anything older than 5 years, at least here in omrra or wmrra.

MReick is about to do the head for my cb350 twin racebike, which is competing in whats called V5 here, or vintage 500.

If you get an SV650, if you want to race in both MWSB and MWSS, you can do very little modifications to the bike, and you'll get your ass handed to you in MWSB. But if you build it for MWSB, you can't race it in MWSS.

Seriously, don't start in the 600 class superbike. Not right away, anyway.

We will have the cb350 for V5, and may run it in ULSB. We also run an 03 Monster 800 in MWSS.


/edited to take out some acronyms

[bwaller]

Offer your wife some part of the responsibility, maybe she'll learn to like it, unless that's not what you're looking for!!  When I was racing my wife never missed a weekend.

Take all the advise you can get. mlinder makes a good point about classes.

Then go for it man, it's the most fun you'll ever have.

[mlinder]

Sparty,

Contact these people:
http://www.teampromotion.com/tpm.php

about clubs, organisations, track days and people in PA that you can talk to.
A cursory glance through 'teh intarwebs' turned up very little for a state-specific road racing association in PA, but there must be one.

Good luck, let me know if I can help.
(You still may want to consider vintage. The CB350 we are buyilding weighs less than 300lbs, will be making close to 50 rwhp at around 12k rpm, and all on DRUM BRAKES, how much more fun could you possibly have?)

[754]

Get her & her buddies interested...

everey racetrack needs more pit tootsies.................

[mlinder]

Lots of things she can do.

Tire warmers, fuel checks, bike stands, PR, all kinds of #$%*.
No one involved stands around in the pits. People always need help, and it's good form and good luck to help people around you, even if you are competing against them.
I sure as hell do.

[sparty]

How about I get a new Ninja 250R and race that?  Is their a 250 class?

[mlinder]

How about I get a new Ninja 250R and race that?  Is their a 250 class?

Yes. It's a damned good class too. It's called small bore super bike here on the west coast.
Really good way to get your feet wet in racing, and you aren't competing against people going 170mph.

[mlinder]

Here's video of one of the 'slower' guys in the 600 SB class out here at PIR.
This is what you'd be up against if you just threw yourself into the 600 class.

[tsflstb]

I was about to suggest the 250's too.  The CMRA down here has a spec class with the little Ninjas.  I see fully prepped bikes with spares and everything selling for under $3K all the time.  The rules don't allow much other than pipes, jetting, and some suspension work so the cost to race is about as cheap as you can get.  Tires should last several weekends.  Seems like a great way to start racing.  The new '08 models look pretty cool.

[kghost]

I been trying to talk my buddies into buying chinese dirtbikes....

Shoehorn some slicks on one of those $800 knockoffs 

Then if you fling it thru the weeds ....buy another 

[mlinder]

Our friend Duane races in small bore superbike, on a ninja 250.

If you have questions, I'm sure he's be willing to answer them.

His website is http://tinyninjaracer.com/

He hasn't updated his site recently, but you can still contact him through it.

[mlinder]

I been trying to talk my buddies into buying chinese dirtbikes....

Shoehorn some slicks on one of those $800 knockoffs 

Then if you fling it thru the weeds ....buy another 

I wouldn't worry about wrecking one of those... but I might worry about it making 12 laps at PIR at full bore without grenading

[tsflstb]

That's another option.  You can get an old XR100 and do the mini motard racing.  We have Texas Mini GP down here for the old YSRs, the little NSR 50's, and the "pit bikes" with slicks.  They race on some kart tracks around here.  Even cheaper than a 250.

Here's a nice deal I'm trying to resist...

http://houston.craigslist.org/mcy/647628686.html

[kghost]

I been trying to talk my buddies into buying chinese dirtbikes....

Shoehorn some slicks on one of those $800 knockoffs 

Then if you fling it thru the weeds ....buy another 

I wouldn't worry about wrecking one of those... but I might worry about it making 12 laps at PIR at full bore without grenading

Kinda the point...if it blows up...so what?

Would be a cool deal on a short motard track 

[mlinder]

If it blows up, you don't finish the race, and can't race more that weekend, and get oil all over the track...

Not fun for anyone.

PIR is almost 2 miles long, with an almost 1 mile straightaway. 12 laps... I dunno....

Maybe on a cart track. That could be fun, but no official bike races are on em, at least out here.

[kghost]

If it blows up, you don't finish the race, and can't race more that weekend, and get oil all over the track...

Not fun for anyone.

PIR is almost 2 miles long, with an almost 1 mile straightaway. 12 laps... I dunno....

Maybe on a cart track. That could be fun, but no official bike races are on em, at least out here.

Well eventually you learn not to blow them up 

I wasn't thinking of long tracks.

More a motard kind of thing on a composite course....

[mlinder]

They race motards at PIR too.... some guy blew up his aprilia 5.5 last race day... It was damned fast, but 70hp from a 550 v twin, with a 60 hour normal use rebuild time, with 3 races at redline, was just too much for it.

He's now race prepping his SV650.

[heffay]

why aren't we talking about racing cbfours again?

anyway... that's what mine will be for. 

reminds me... i keep meaning to look and see what i have to do to get it in an AHRMA class... anyone know about cb400f ?

off to work!

[mlinder]

why aren't we talking about racing cbfours again?

anyway... that's what mine will be for. 

reminds me... i keep meaning to look and see what i have to do to get it in an AHRMA class... anyone know about cb400f ?

off to work!

The cb4's have issues with their classes. Due to front disc brakes, they are generally classed with newer bikes.
I've looked at turning the cb350f into a racebike, but it would be competing against bandit 400's and the like.....
They arent quite vintage, for the most part. I mean, obviously, a 69 cb750 is vintage, and would be racing in the formula 750 class, but in omrra, the cb750 would compete in middleweight classic superbike, which allows 4 cyl 750's up to 1994...
And in vintage superbike, which includes:
C) Vintage Superbike
Thoroughbred Grand Prix motorcycles 240ccs to Open, two-stroke or four-stroke,
having a maximum model year of 1972 including the following machines:
! Dunstall Norton
! Harley-Davidson XR750
! Honda CR350 & CR750
! Kawasaki H1R & H2R
! Rickman road racing chassis powered by Truimph 750, Honda 750
! Suzuki TR250, TR500, & TR750
! Seeley Suzuki 500, Norton 750
! Yamaha TD2, TD2B, TR2, TR2B, TD3, & TR3 (air-cooled only).

You've pretty much GOTTA have a cr750 (replica) to do these. You are talking MANY many many thousands of dollars.

It's cheaper and easier to do other bikes, for sure.

[dusterdude]

i have a pos sl 350 you can have cheap

[mlinder]

Duster isn't too far from you, Art.
The SL is actually the preferred bike to build the 350 racer with.
Different frame, and I believe, a closer ratio 5th gear.

If you decide to go that way, I can help you a little bit with info, etc.

[mlinder]

Heh, heres some Group W, or cb160, racing.
Great stuff.

[sparty]

Duster isn't too far from you, Art.
The SL is actually the preferred bike to build the 350 racer with.
Different frame, and I believe, a closer ratio 5th gear.

If you decide to go that way, I can help you a little bit with info, etc.

Not to be anti-CB or CL or any other old Honda bike, but I am thinking that a modern bike is the way for me to go.
I want liquid cooled and a bike that I can also ride on the streets.  I want the ability to change out a few things to make it race ready.  Ninja 250R.

[mlinder]

250r is a good race bike. You'll be topping out somewhere around 105-110. So will everyone else.
If I didn't love vintage racing, I'd be pushing one on my rider (costs a little less than building a cb350 race bike.)

[sparty]

250r is a good race bike. You'll be topping out somewhere around 105-110. So will everyone else.
If I didn't love vintage racing, I'd be pushing one on my rider (costs a little less than building a cb350 race bike.)

I am looking for 250 racing in my area, but can't seem to find any.  which class would it run in?

[mlinder]

AMA can help you find clubs and events in your area. That other link I posted may help too.
Most likely you'd be racing against pretty much only other ninjas. 125 two strokes may be allowed too, depending on the charter.


/edit: Also, this bike MAY be elligible for the same class, I rather like it. They built the SV650's for suzuki for a long time, too...

http://www.bestbeginnermotorcycles.com/hyosung-gt250r-review
http://www.hyosung.co.uk/detail.php?id=6

Lot nicer looking than the ninja, IMO.

Their 650 (which is basically an SV) also races in the sv650 class...

[gerhed]

Sparty,

If you race at Summit Point W.V., I'll work the pits for you.
I'll bring this along as a "pit vehicle".

gerhed

[heffay]

sooooooo... you're saying i'm gonna have trouble finding people to race me on the 400f racer... sounds like a forfeit to me!   



maybe i just want to build a race bike and i don't want to butcher the race replica from before they were rrrrrrRs!

                                                     





                     ^ not a track bike... gets destroyed on the road enough!   

[Jonesy]

I'd volunteer to be on your team, but I'm already committed to being the lead mechanic for my friend's pro supermoto effort this year...

[heffay]

sparty... i'll be the first to officially bite...

i require funds for this effort.

p.s.  i presently live... not where you do.

[yoomit]

sparty - i race a hawk gt in LRRS in new hampshire.  in fact, a bunch of us hawk racers pit together, there are about 7 in the group.  most of us run built-up 700cc motors, and chew on a lot of the SV650s.
can't recommend the hawk enough, particularly if you're new to racing - and i mean racing, not track-day riding, HUGE difference.  plenty of parts on ebay, a fanatic following (hawkgtforum and turn1aracing), not to mention such a simple engine to wrench.

i trailer the bike up from NYC...about a 5hr hike.
unfortunately, the distance and work schedule limits me to only 4-5 race weekends per season.

not sure how far away you are in PA, but Loudon is a great technical track to learn on.

does this mean you'll be selling your CB?? 
i was contemplating getting another hawk for the street and build a hot engine.
but having seen your prior posts on your build, i'm thinking i need to give MRieck a call to work on my 77 cb750. 

[tramp]

vintage racing is always fun