Wanting to start racing with WERA!

Hello all,
My name is Nik. I've been riding motorcycles since I was 12. I am currently 38. Im a career Fireman/Paramedic and live in northern Arizona. I have an old '03 Honda CBR954RR. I recently attended my first track day and immediately wondered why I had waited so long to get onto a track!

At any rate, I have always wanted to race. I've raced dirt bikes when younger, but new to this. I attended a "first time riders clinic" and rode in C group at my first track day. The day went amazing, with a coach working with me one on one for multiple sessions after the first four sessions riding in a group. The day progressed well, and my confidence grew rapidly. I love data, and am 36 podcasts into Ken Hill's series, and currently reading Kieth Code's "Twist of the Wrist" book, as well as Kent Larson's "Motorcycle Track Day Handbook" and have been enjoying both.

I was beyond stoked getting both knees down on the ground during that first track day! That was about one month ago! I had quickly registered for four more track days immediately upon getting home. Bike is on a brand new set of Pilot Powers, but I ordered a set of Q4's, to step the quality up a bit.

At any rate, tons of ideas re excitedly running through my quarantined brain! I'm fighting off the urge to dump tons of money into my already dated machine, but did order the Q4's, a set of Ktech forks, sprung for my weight (tuned for racer of nearly exactly my weight), upgraded front pads to EBC "HH"pads, and even found a good deal on a full set of fiberglass fairings, including a race tail, as I don't really intend to ride this bike on the road anymore.

So, getting down to business, I am trying to develop an over all game plan for how to proceed. Trying to minimize rookie mistakes by reaching out to you folks early on! My goals are to race, not just participate in track days. I don't expect it to go anywhere other than a new and exciting way to entertain myself and throw money away! I'll be on a budget, but really want to take the best path. I was thinking that I would register for the PJ43 race school at Chuckwalla in October, hoping that the KungFlu allows resuming some version of normalized life!

My bike is bone stock. Planning on primarily focusing on brakes and suspension, along with mental, physical and technique training.

Long story short, I want to race as soon as practicable!

So, if anyone would be so kind, I would love a little assistance with developing a plan!

I'm assuming that I will soon be shopping for a bike!? I don't mind being slow. I don't mind racing my old Honda for now! Thinking that an R6 set up for the track would be the best bang for you buck machine.

Also, beyond attending track days (also have a motard XR100 that I plan on taking to kart tracks), I intend on finding race schools and gaining all of the technical knowledge that I can. What is the next step I should take to prepare to get registered for a race? Is there registration or entry into WERA that should be handled now? Should I be ordering blank number plates? Am I assigned a race number at the event, or assigned a permanent number by WERA? My fiberglass fairing is getting prepped for paint now. Do many folks paint their yellow number plates on, or just use vinyl stickers?

I'm sure that I'm all over the place! Feel free to make fun! Im just hooked and frustrated that I cannot be out on the track or in any schools. Trying to work on other aspect that can be handled during our quarantine time!

Thanks ahead for any and all help!!!

 

Well said. I’m also in the same boat. Interested in see what is recommended.

 

One thing I’d say a rookie racer will do that’s on a budget is try to save money on tires. Never skimp on tires! A fresh set of rubber for a race may be $350 but having that extra grip in a race when you get a little over excited and get a little shwacky on the throttle may be the difference between having the grip to handle it or not. $350 is cheaper than time off work cause of broken body parts. $350 is cheaper than replacing bodywork, foot pegs, forks and so on.


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Totally agree! I'm on a budget, but not cheap! When it is time for me to switch to race slicks and warmers, I'll do it! I figured that Pilot Powers, let alone Q4's were more than enough tire INITIALLY. Plus, with most of my riding being on dirt, I'm fairly comfortable with the bike being a little loose. But, I also thought that I would have been on the track bi-weekly since my first track day!

I sort of thought that it would be a good learning opportunity to ride to the limit of each tire. Obviously I don't want to crash, but it would be nice to find the limit of the Pilot Power tires, then move to the Q4's. I'm assuming that limit will be much harder to find, and the repercussion higher! But, when it is time, I'll switch to slicks, and quality slicks.

Nik

 

track produces much higher temps on the tires than a street tire is gonna give you. You really need to spend the money on some actual race tires. Even more so on a liter bike. When I built an R6 from frame up I figured a set of diablo street tires would work to shake the bike down the first weekend. I was wrong. I spun the rear up on almost every corner and the feel was way off. You cant replace an actual race tire for the track.

I am also a FF/AEMT. Stay safe with all this crap floating around. Don't waste your time with the street tires.