Any CMRA racers here?

Agreed re: G2. Sucks that it has those issues. I’m not planning to go back unless it changes.

 

That’s my understanding.

 

The MX bikes have issues pretty regular. That's probably why nobody runs them for long and I can't think of one that's racing right now at CMRA.

The NSF goes about 2000 miles without issue and even much farther if not ridden by a pro. It also handles better but it's small af.

 

Thanks.

 

Get an N400. Lots of them on the grid.

We just wrapped up ECR this past weekend. Come out to the next round at Cresson (Aug 25-27) to hangout, watch some of the races and get a feel.

 

Sport Rider Coaching is the only way to get on Eagles Canyon unless you pay to come as a guest of a member or race CMRA once per year.

I suppose I’m opposite of others on G2, I enjoyed it and really hope they get the place finished up and the pending changes completed to the track. AND, it’s 20 minutes from me, cost less than COTA and is 3.1 miles long.

 

If you go with a sumo a 450 smr or fs450 would be the best choice by far (IMO). They're very reliable too. The engines last a very long time. Even on big tracks. Just change the oil after every weekend and enjoy.

 

Thanks for the invite. I was actually there spectating for the first time on Sunday - buddy of mine was racing. How was your weekend? What do you race?

I think n400 is the logical choice, but a purpose built race bike (nsf or maybe even a Kramer 690) is more appealing to me than a modded production bike.

A friend of mine also said the n400 doesn’t crash as well as a purpose built bike like the nsf, so cost might equal out after a crash or two. Any truth to that?

 

Yeah, I’ve done a few days at ECR with Sport Rider Coaching.

G2 could be really good once complete, but fk that dude’s attitude toward bikes.

 

the KTM 500 seems to do well with big tracks, lower revs so bit longer engine life and the later 500s don't have as much of a weight penalty vs the SMR/FS as they used to. You have to do the conversion yourself but all the FS/SMR bits for the most part bolt up.

 

I’m still tempted, but less so - my mechanic is not that interested in working on one.

 

They're stupid easy to work on. Everything is right there to access, and if it's not, it's one or two bolts to remove the offending blocker (fuel tank, etc). Also hard to find a bike that crashes as well as a sumo.

 

I’d still go for a smr/fs for track use. If you want to putt around town go for the 500. If want to race it go for the 450’s. They’re literally built for that single purpose.

 

Any validity to reports of frequent ecu problems with the smr/fs?

 

Never heard of that. I bought my SMR about a year ago and haven’t had any issues. I know a handful of other people with fs and smr’s and none of them have had issues either.

 

They do pop occasionally, it's a small motor in a high state of tune built for short WOT trips on short tracks. That said it's nothing like the early 2000s where periodic maint was a crank and top end once or twice a season. I only know of one with a major fail this year in my circle, rod decided to reproduce by division and the bigger half wanted to see the world... That bike gets ridden HARD, stock, all the maint, but sometimes things still go wrong.

 

I saw a guy spin a rod bearing on his r6 a few weeks ago. Another somewhat local really fast guy threw a rod in his ninja 400 earlier this year. Failures will happen if you run a bike long enough. Especially in n this game. These smr/fs engines are good reliable power plants. They’ll give you years of track time before you’re tearing into one, if bought low hours or new. They are built well but they’re not strung out in way a nsf250 is. If you don’t want one fair enough but reliability shouldn’t be the reason stopping you.

 

I appreciate the insight regarding the fs/smr motors. I heard reports of ecu issues, not motor issues, but it’s good to know the motors are stout. Also, it’s not that my mechanic isn’t willing to work on whatever I end up getting, it’s just that he’s more excited about some bikes than others, and since he’ll be supporting me throughout the season (and I don’t already have a bike), I’m considering his preference as one of the deciding factors.

I don’t remember seeing an sumo’s racing last Sunday at ECR - were there any?

Are the nsf motors prone to issues? People racing them have told me that since they’re tuned to 45 hp in the nsf250r vs 65 hp in the moto3 bikes, they’re pretty durable.

 

The NSFs are quite reliable provided you follow the maintenance schedule. Here is a link to the manual. It would be quite educational to look through it. The bike is essentially an evolution of the NX4 RS125 that was introduced in 1995. The chassis is very similar, the suspension, wheels, brakes, controls etc. are all interchangeable. Parts are not hard to get. There are fewer options of places to get them, but they are readily available. They are not exactly a gas and go bike. They need regular maintenance, inspection, and overall attention. You will also need a set of starter rollers. What you get in exchange for the extra work and inconvenience is a GP bike. They are made to be worked on, so the maintenance is much easier compared to a street based bike. They also handle like nothing else out there, and will teach you to be a much better rider. If you are serious about racing long term, it is a good option. However, there is something to be said for grid sizes. Most people learn to be faster by following someone else that is slightly faster in races. Large grids of similar bikes are probably the quickest way to get faster in racing. If there aren't many CMRA riders on 125s/NSFs it may be a bit harder to drop your lap times. You can certainly still race with the KTM390s and Ninja 400s, but it won't help you learn as fast.

 

That’s great insight, thank you.

My mechanic is a pro and appropriately obsessive regarding maintenance, so as long as parts are available I think following race service intervals won’t be an issue.

I saw one nsf running with the n400’s last weekend - was hoping to see more but I suspect the expense over a club level n400 is a big factor.

Is there a best source for starter rollers?