I was looking at getting back into racing i used to race a 250, but im about 40lbs heavier now since graduating from school, and before anyone tells me to just drop the weight i played college football I had to gain the weight and im not a fatass. oh yea im 6'0" 215.
You're not too heavy to have fun and do well. I'm six foot, 193 and ride a 125 and have a blast and even do good now and then when I ride hard. I have a stock 95 RS, ain't the most serious racer out there, just out to have fun. I don't spend money on air boxes, A kits, crap like that. Just have a good running stocker with a well set up motor, now. Wasn't so well set up till I broke down and let Billy Wiese go through it. I know heavier guys on 125s that are danged fast. I know smaller guys I beat. I don't know anyone that doesn't have fun in GPs. 125s are a lot cheaper to run than 250s, but I do wish I could afford to run a 250. I could do damage in CORC then and they are just plain fast and fun, but the 125 does well on the fun factor and I can afford it on a working man's hourly trash pay, barely. I used to ride 250s, too, Yamaha TZs back 20 years ago. The cost has done nothing, but go up on them and though I make a lot more money now, I'm less willing to pay the cost of a 250. But, guess what, I think the cost of running a 250 wouldn't be as bad as the cost of a 600ss Yeah, they require maintenance, but you don't have to buy a new bike every other year, a used one can be competitive. Hell, it's expensive running an SV and a 250 is a hell of a lot more fun to race and just to own IMHO. Thing about GP, you don't do a bunch of modding on a new bike out of the crate, not unless you're going AMA racing or something serious. You just gas it up and go play. No suspension to buy, just set up what comes with it. No motor mods, just run it stock. It's already trick to the max. So, yeah, you'll be fine. Go for it.
Why is it so much less expensive to run a 125? I am considering where to begin, and the standard reply is EX500, fzr400, sv650. But, I am not sold on taking a bike that was originally spec'd for the street, and making it race-worthy. At 32 will I be the crusty old fart out there on a 125? what is the significant difference between operating cost of 125 vs 250. thanks flint
Well, a two fifty is twice the parts of a 125 with the same maintenance schedule. There are thing you gotta keep up with on a GP, pistons/rings/wristpin/bearing every 300 racing miles (about three weekends for me). On a 125, that's about $100. The 250 has two of them, not sure cost, but roughly twice the 125. Cranks on a 250, I understand, cost about 8-900 bucks. A 125 crank is about $250. Cranks wear at the same rate, about every 1300 miles on either. Tires wear a little quicker on a 250, unsure the cost, but they're about $285 a set on the 125 and will last me four weekends, though I usually get new ones after three. I run the take offs for a while on my 80 which is easier yet on them. You hit the nail on the head though about a street bike. You have to get it set up, mod it appropriately for racing. That involves a lot of expensive glass, shock, fork revalving and/or other mods. Figure on several thousand to get a street bike ready once you buy it. And, street motors need rebuilds, too, though not quite on the same schedule as a GP. If you're not endurance racing the thing, you might not have to do much to a stock motor, but I've seen all sorts of maladies with different types of bikes and street bikes are a royal pain to work on compaired to a GP which is almost a pleasure! Bigger bikes use more expensive tires faster. And, you'll not find the big bike that is as quick in a corner or IMHO as fun to ride as a GP. If I wasn't on a 125, that is if that weren't an option, I don't think I'd wanna run anything else other than a 250, I just couldn't run it as often for money reasons. I'd have to budget things closer. An EX500? BOOOORING! I could see an SV, ride one on the street, but it's no GP. Street bikes are a bit more turn key, though. Don't have to do the plug cut routine and such and tape radiators and all that good set up stuff on race day, but that's part of the fun!
My name says it all. 210 and 5 9 tall. Not fat just big boned. i won a championship on my 96 bone stock ! Cheap and fun !
I was at the GNF and I know one of those riders, that made the podium had to be no more than 16! I dont want to race with people that just bounce when they hit, I know i dont anymore. seriously though, what are the grids like on 125's vs. 250's? another route I've thought about going is RD.- bad idea? Seems cheap enough to get into, but I'm not sure about running costs/spares etc... thanks
RD's, been there, done that. Boring compared to GP. 125s have big grids here in Texas, but I hear they are smaller elsewhere. I know of 3 guys with 250s in this region, there's probably in excess of 30 125s if they'd all turn out at once, which never happens. But, I've seen grids of 16-20 before. That's a lot of riders in 125 for one region.
In the NC region, we had some races with more 250's then 125's. At one Nelsons race there were at least 6 GP250 bikes - most of them were Hondas. That was NOT the norm! BTW: I am almost 190 and have a RS250, and I fit on the 1995+ RS125 Ok. I wouldn’t' do a Solo 20 on one...
That was probably Ryan Andrews and that kid is DAMNED FAST! See, that's one of the things I love about GP, watching the kids get good and move on to fame, like Ryan has a good shot at doing. Last year, he diced with me when he first got on a 125. He was already kicking my butt on the 80. Within half a season he was up with the leaders and running with Danny Eslick. That kid improved faster than I'd ever seen anyone do! He's a raw talent. Somebody will put him on a factory bike someday and I'll be able to say I watched him grow, just like with John Kocinski 20 years ago. Old bastards like me value memories, LOL. But, this is one of the many appeals to me of GP racing. Jack
So what's the deal with having 125gp's in the same grid as a HWtwin? What is the logic that lets these two distinctly different bikes be competeting with one another?
