Bike Progression from Ninja 650

I bought a ninja 650 in 2019. I have a season pass and ride track often. I’m in the B group. When we do technical tracks with not much straights I am at the top of my group. When we do tracks with long straights I’m being eaten alive by the more powerful bikes. I care about long term development as a rider. With so many option out there, what would you recommend as my next bike? I am not going to sell my 650 and I haven’t used up all it’s potential. I would like to at some point to have a more powerful bike
Thanks I’m advance

 

I’d say the next step is a 600. Start looking for a zx6r or similar and start smoking the guys in your group.


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'Busa.

 

first order of priority... get out of the B (or middle) group. Second... adjust your mental acuity (ego) to it being a track (practice) day... even if you got passed by every person in the
group 3 times, and they were all wearing tutus over their leathers... it doesnt mean anything if you are working on your riding skills.

Beeb wisdom on "small bikes" in slower TD groups was amusing... bottom line if you can execute exceptional/predictable lines and keep sufficient real estate so faster riders can get past you
then you shouldnt have any issues other than those bikes straffing straights and parking at corner entries.

If you want to blitz straights well all you need is a Ducati or Leader bike!

Once you move to a "faster" bike you are going to go through consumables faster. Tires, brakes, & fluids just for starters then your cost per lap goes up.

 

with at least 2 rear tires!!!!

 

Or, go race. After a race weekend or two you will have picked up enough time that you can run around in the a group.

 

Yeah a 600 is a fun track day bike, and maybe get some instruction, to improve.

 

Fuckers are slackin'...you of course need a "leader" bike built to compete in Superbike...nothing less.

 

A supersport bike 600/636 is the next step, but I have the most fun on my Ninja 650, fully knowing well that it's down on power, but that didn't stop me from passing faster bikes. After the straight, by T2 they were in my "mirrors"

Racing against other middleweights/650 will show you how good you are, or how much you have to learn.

As a reference, a 650 can do IIRC sub 1:28 laps at NJMP, which is not far off 600 lap times considering the power difference


~sent from mobile

 

Shots fired!

 

Keep the 650 and go race. The cost of a new bike will buy quite a few tires and race entries.

Pwning 600s in B group on a Ninja 300 is fun. You don’t need more power to keep faster bikes behind you, just more skill.

 

Kinda what I was saying, was just trying to be nice [emoji16]

~sent from mobile

 

Next step up from that 650 is an ex-junior cup Ninja 400

 

You rang ?

 

Stay on the 650 and learn how to trail brake. My poor Honder made 98hp with a stiff tail wind falling off of a cliff. What I lost in the straights I learned how to make up in the corners.

 

@Avi Hadad

What mods have you done to your Ninja 650 ?

 

Woodcraft clip ons
Andriani cartridge kit and springs
Nitron rear shock
Steel cable brake lines
Driven chain and sprockets two up in the rear one down on the front

 

I think it just comes down to personal preference. If you really want a bigger bike go for it. Your 650 sounds very capable though. With a bit more time and effort you’ll be running A group with it.
A really fast guy once told me “the difference between fast guys and not so fast guys is track time. Just stick with it.”

 

Thank you guys for both the serious comments and the jokers. I know I have more to learn, and when I get to A group I’ll have more to learn as it never ends. I’ll probably buy a bigger bike in the future just because I want more bikes lol. And the ZX6R is soooo pretty well, and the ZX10r and the oh well...you get the idea