I have a 2001 r6 streetbike and I am interested in eventually getting a track bike. Should I get a 600cc race bike or start with something smaller? One bike that really interests me is a 125cc gp bike like a Honda rs125 or a Yamaha tz125. Would that be a good bike to start on or would I be better off with a 600ss or built up sv650? I don't really want to get a clubman bike like a ex500 or gs500. Those kind of bikes don't really interest me. I know with a 125 I would probably have the slowest bike on the track but I think it would make me a better rider in the long run. Is this true or not really? Would I just get fed up getting destroyed by bigger bikes on the straights? I don't plan on racing right away because that is fairly costly. I would like to start doing regular track days before I get into that. Another reason why I think a 125gp bike would be good to start on is because the tire cost is so much less. You do have to replace the top end fairly often and run race gas but I think it would balance out in the end. Another plus with the 125gp is that an older one is still fairly competitive whereas with an older 600 or something similar the difference from new to old is much greater. So, what do you guys think? Should I look into getting a 125gp bike or just abandon the two stroke thing and get a four stroke of some kind. If you think a four stroke is the way to go, what should I look at?
Racing a 2-stroke takes time and money. I suggest getting a 4-stroke to learn racing, then maybe get 2 stroke later.
I think you hit the nail on the head with an older 600 or an SV... But you don't really need to build one up to have a blast on it! Race "cheap" in LWT Superstock and you won't be dissapointed in the level of comption or excitement!
Does racing a 125 really cost that much? The guys in the 2 stroke forum said that they are really good to learn on because you learn to corner so well. It doesn't sound like once you have the bike they cost much more to run. The only thing you need to do for setup is jetting as far as I know.
Cole. Huey has got it bang on. Racing a 125 will do what the 2 stroke guys are telling you regarding riding, but I have seen a bunch of really keen guys go from the sport because of heart ache. They require more maintanence than 4 strokes, and if you do not really know what you are doing it will cost you in passion and cash. Long story cut short Get a 1/2 timer and have some fun
I'd suggest a 125 GP bike or an Aprilia RS250. The 125 is a true GP bike but the Aprilia offers a GP-like experience without all the maintenance. The RS250 will need a crank after two full seasons and a top end after a full season. You can schedule the maintenance for the offseason! The price for a full rebuild will be about $600 and a topend is about $200. You'll spend that much on a 4-stroke over two seasons keeping it fresh. The 125 GP bikes require more tinkering but if your not tuning to the last percent of performance then they aren't that bad. The 125 bike also has shorter maintenance intervals but they're so easy to work on that its really not a big deal. I'm guessing a full topend job would take a novice about 30 minutes. Riding a 2-stroke will definitely make you a better rider. I got on mine after 3 years of SV's and one year on a R6. The RS250 had limits well above mine so its allowed me to grow. On my other bikes I ran into limitations with the machine that required money to overcome (suspension, weight reduction, power, etc). My Aprilia needed nothing but demanded that I address my limitations to go faster. I got back on a 600 last weekend for the first time in about 1.5 years. The 600 handled like a bus! The power was nice and I easily bested my old 600 times by 3 seconds per lap. It still wasn't as fun as riding my RS250 though.
125 costs: Top end: $100 every 400 miles. Full rebuild: $500 @ about 1500 miles. Most fun you will ever have - Priceless. Cost of good bike 95 + : There are some pretty good deals out there. You can get into a decent bike with spares for around $3000. Tires: You'll probably last almost a whole season on one set unless you become blistering fast immediately. Even then, they last a lot longer than on the big bikes and are $260 a set new or you can find 125 riders who will sell you their still decent take off for cheap. It takes me less than 10 minutes to change a jet. Sometimes I don't have to change it at all. Depends how picky I'm feeling that day. Only you can decide if that is too much $$ but those are the costs. And there really isn't that much maintenance on the 125's. Unless it's time for a top end, the only thing I do to it in between races or track days is wash it. Maybe lube the chain. No biggy. Mary BTW. The Aprilia 250 wouldn't be a bad choice. It is a cool bike. A little less maintenance and more gas and go, although the 125 does have more power.
Mary's got it goin' on Mary's got it right. You don't have to tinker with the 125 all the time, unless you want to, because it's so easy to do. Little girl on a little bike, still learning to go fast: http://forums.13x.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=51853 The Aprilia is a good alternative. You will learn cornering on a two stroke, no question. I've seen four stroke guys spending lots of bucks on suspension and all kinds of crazy engine stuff to try and make up for their slow cornering speed...
I would suggest an older bike such as a f2/f3.They are fairly cheap,parts are plenty and they were raced for years. Great bike to learn your skills on....
GS 500, SV 650, EX 500, F2, F3, RS 125, TZ 125, Aprilia RS 250, FZR 400 . . . There are a ton of fun options out there.
Bought my first 125 in 2000 ... '94 TZ125, $3000. You can pick up that same bike in good shape for about $2k today. - Number of jets changed in that year: one. I put in a #400, left it all year, and learned how to ride it. - Number of sets of tires in 2000: 2 (current price $230/set for slicks) - Number of top ends: 2 (at ~ $100 a piece), takes 40 mins to do. You will be hard pressed to find anything cheaper to race, and you will learn a LOT. You only start seizing motors when you think that extra 1-2 hp is going to make you a hero We went back to 125s this year because of the costs being so much less than bigger bikes (and the fun factor). Plus the competition is really awesome now with that other racing org drawing such large grids (31 at the first round, 40 expected this weekend). - Roach
Do people ever actually take those to the tracks? They're always listed as the Overkill bike for beginners, and handling isn't great (well, so I've heard; never been on one . . .), but there HAS to be somebody out there who's tried to race one. Yes? No? -Cheers
I like the idea of getting an Aprilia rs250. More power than a 125 and a lot less maintence. It also doesn't have crazy power like a 250gp bike. I think it would still teach cornering fairly well too.
125gp: 160lbs bike with 40hp Aprilia 250: 300lbs bike with 60hp You do the math I'm about 1-2 seconds a lap faster on the 125. The maintenance part is right on though ... the Aprilia is a gas-and-go two-stroke, tons of fun ... I raced one for two years before going back to 125s. - Roach
The 125 definitely sounds like a sweet bike. There are a few guys who race them locally where I live and I'm going to talk to them about their bikes before I decide on anything. One more question, will riding a 125 help with riding a 600 down the road or would I just be better off getting an older 600 and staying onboard a 600 for several years? A few guys that I ride with locally said don't waste my time with a 125 however none of them race and they only do 2-3 track days per year. I would really like to learn on a 125 but if it won't make me a better 600cc rider down the road then I won't bother because racing 600 is my eventual goal. There is just no way that I have the money to set up a good 600 and I think a 600 would really be a handful on the track.
Ask Nicky Hayden, or any of the dozens of current factory pro racers who started on 125gp machines if they learned anything useful Jason DiSalvo comes to mind as being the most recent ... 4 years ago he was racing 125s with WERA, he'd riding for Yamaha now in the AMA. Seriously though, 125s (and almost any lightweight bike to some extent) teach you about cornering and carrying speed .. because you can't be lazy and rely on motor to get you out of a corner. This translates directly to anything you want to ride down the road. - Roach
Check out the other threads regarding the Novice 600 class at VIR Cycle Jam this past weekend... I'll bet that there are better ways to start racing than in one of the biggest grids out there. I still vote for the two stroke - Roach makes an inarguable point regarding the current pros. However, if peer pressure makes you get a four-stroke, do start with a 500 or 650. 600s are not as "small" as people think.
One that has a motor . . . and runs . Has two wheels and they turn in a circular motoin with out wobling
