I'm sure this question has been asked before so I apologize in advance. I was wondering what bike would be good to start racing on. I've riding a 600 supersport on streets for 4 years now, but I haven't taken it to a track day yet. Having said that I'm a complete newbie to the track. My father is telling me that I should start on 250 or 300 to learn the art of racing before moving up to a 600. He also says the 600cc class is where all the brand new riders go to get hurt or killed. My problem with that is the 250cc class seems pretty small up here in the midwest and I feel like I'm too big for a 250 bike. I am 6 foot and 190lbs. So I guess what I'm saying is that I'm afraid I won't have much fun on a smaller bike. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Where r u at? If Chicago area, you'd be racing with CCS most likely. I dont think there is anyone left with a 250. Theres a few 250 chassis with 300 motors. Im 6' and 240 and race the 300 / 500 classes. Youd be fine at 190. Chicago area track days suck on a small bike. Less popular places (omaha / topeka) are much more fun.
SV650. A great bike to learn on, and more than fast enough when you DO learn how to go fast on a slow bike. Agree that the 600 novice class is a bit nuts...seen several instances of ambition overriding talent. I'd love to ride 600s...but not in that crowd.
Thank you guys for the great advice. I'll definitely will look into getting a SV650. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
somewhat in the same boat, solid '04 600RR has been offered to me for an entry level price but have been told SV is the way to go, i am looking to jump on a bigger bike coming from a gp 125, most if not all my riding experience is on small displacement. seeing the above comment about the 600 novice class being sketchy makes sense but is somewhat deterring. Is the SV novice class less sketchy? i realize speeds are slower so maybe there are less incidents - curious
The only reason the 600 class gets considered sketchy is the number of riders is higher therefore more people to make mistakes. Percentage wise it's no worse or better than any other class. The main reason people suggest an SV - well, the main reason I do - is you'll learn more about going fast if you progress up through different bike sizes/speeds. Learning how to make a slow bike go fast helps a lot when on faster machinery. they're also more forgiving of mistakes and easier to ride giving you more of a chance to concentrate on racecraft.
I'd like to add, that most of us on SV's are of a little different mindset than 600s... Hopefully next year there will be a huge grid of SVs....was a little lacking this year.
Well, I am the dumbest guy on here for picking the wrong bike to start on. Assuming that you get into a group which will have others to race, I recommend that you get the smallest displacement possible. You are going to make a lot of mistakes early on, and those are best made on those bikes. There is a lot of go fast on a 250 and cornering is where you learn. I didn't learn that way, and I crashed so much that it really took the fun out of going to the track.
thanks for the explanation mongo, that makes sense. thanks to others as well. maybe I’ll stick to the RS and invest in that moto3 swingarm instead
Hey folks, since you brought it up... I'm in the Chicago area - did 2 track days on my street sv last summer and now I'm giving up the street ride to try racing (that's the goal anyway). It seems the concensus is get a 250/300/sv track bike and coaching, not just track days. Should I be planning out which classes will have other racers in them and start racing (get a track bike that's safety wired etc already to save time /energy later)? Or should I wait till I'm in the advanced group at track days before I start doing races? I'm sure there's middle ground, but I'd like to get some opinions. Thanks in advance
Up to you. Plenty of people go racing without a single trackday, others want to make sure they're fast enough to win races first. As long as you can hold a line (doesn't have to even be a good one) without panicking when you're being passed then you're ready to go racing. On the 250/300 advice change it up to 300/400 as the 250's are fading away at this point.
I realize the original post is a little old, but maybe this will benefit others. When I was racing a 600 in CCS long ago, they called the main 600 class - middleweight supersport - the "meatgrinder". It always had one of the largest grids, with young, testosterone-fueled males with no sense of consequences and who didn't have to go to work the following Monday. I'm not saying there was anything wrong with these guys, but their balls-to-the-wall abandon and large numbers were not the ticket for me. My buddy and I looked at other classes with smaller grids, and actually ended up in a few of the heavyweight (1000cc) classes. As amateurs, the difference isn't as much as you might think. Sure, the literbikes would trounce us on the straights, but usually they'd drop an anchor at the next turn and we could catch up. We ended up placing pretty well considering, and the odds were more in our favor due to the smaller grids. So in summary, if you are racing a 600 there is no requirement that you race exclusively in that class, but check the rules to make sure. And while I'm on the subject - if you can afford it, get an extra set of wheels with some good rain tires mounted on them. Race in the rain, it is the great equalizer, and rain tires are amazing (no tire warmers). It will also most likely pare down the grid a bit. Although it rained all the time in Florida I only had one race in the rain at Homestead, and after a few laps I was dragging a knee. I hit the paint once on the outside of a turn and got sideways, but it was more fun than scary. Oh, and don't forget to switch out your tinted visor for a clear one with some fog protection, don't ask me how I know.
