I am planning on starting my 1st season in the spring and I am thinking 600cc, SV or a GP. ( I currently ride a zx6r, street, but not long) I am 5 ft. 9 @ 140-145 lbs. no gear so I think I would fit ok on any of the above. But my real concern is, which one will give me the greater learning exp.? And also which one offers more classes to compete in? I tried a search, but couldn't quite find the answer/advice... Thanx, Danny
125 will teach you how to go thru corners really fast and how to tear off the top end of a 2 stroke in 10 minutes the SV has the most classes the 600 you have would not be a good racebike now.... buy a used racebike instead of building one it is easier and less headache
125 would do you well, I am 5'10 and 175 and love it! It will definately teach you more that the 600 will... Give Elias an email at [email protected] and tell him you want to know a little about the 125. He can hook you up with a great package and tell him Chuck D sent you and recieve a discount off all GP Star products! I have bought two 125's from him and I am very pleased! Chuck D Also this whole 2-stroke family is great!
I Agree ! 125's Rock ! I'm 5 ft 8 @ 205, I have raced all types of bikes and this is my favorite. With your weight and size this would be perfect for you. Give Elias an email at [email protected] and tell him you looking at getting a 125. He can hook you up with a great package. He has taken care of all of us in south Florida. Great people.
Also a newbie This year is my first race season and I took a chance and started out on a 95 Honda RS125. This is been the best racing decision I have made, I am learning cornering and building confidence faster then on any other bike I could have bought. I have been street riding for 12 years and have owned 600s and 1000s, etc..., nothing compairs to the 125. It will force to learn how to lean hard through the corners, how to keep a bike in its ideal powerband, and how to be comfortable on the track. GET ONE, and when you do switch your street bike to a GP shift it will speed up your learning curve, at least it has for me. David
IMHO forgo the 125 and its size/maintainence issues andget a Aprilia RS250. My has been bullet proof through 2 seasons with no major mechanical malfunctions and is a great way the enter competitive road racing. Plus the bike is much more competitive i n more classes then the 125 and Aprilia pays contingency money. www.draganeeracing.com
Re: Also a newbie Why switch to GP? I run standard pattern on my racebike, streetbike and have to run it on my dirtbike. The only track that I've been to where GP maybe would have been better is VIR, but even that wasn't that a big a deal. If you decide to switch to GP shift later, go for it, but I think there are plenty of things to learn when you first start racing that it is not necessary to add another element. The 125 shifters can be changed from GP to Standard by flipping the shift lever around. I don't know if that's a good explanation, but it's not that hard to do. If you are looking for a more gas and go bike, the Aprilia 250 is not a bad bike to go with. However, I have ridden both and I find the 125 to be A LOT more fun . My opinion of course. A few of my friends race SV's and love them, so that would not be a bad bike either. But 125's really are a blast and they really have not been that maintenance intense as some make them out to be. Mary WERA 125 Classes: 125GP Formula 2 Heavyweight Twins Lightweight Solo 20
GP shift is better My primary reason for running GP shift is that there are corners where you need to make an upshift while at a good left hand lean and you can't get your toe under the shifter. You should learn to get it downshifted into a corner by hitting shift points just like braking points, getting it in the right gear before leaning for the drive out. BUT, there are corners, especially at TWS on the tracks I run, where an upshift is needed leaning near full left. If you can't make the upshift when you need to, you lose time. 125s take a LOT of shifting. If you were running a Ducati Supermono, this shifting problem would probably not be the issue, but even then I'd run GP. It just feels more natural to me and upshifts are more positive when pressing down, fewer false neutrals on bikes that may not shift as smoothly as a GP. I've swapped my new SV650S street bike over to GP just so I'll stay in tune with it. Now, I don't have a problem getting off my KX which can't easily be switched to GP and on the RS. I think it's because of the greatly different seating position. So on my XL600R and Wing I have standard shift (couldn't easily be converted either) and the SV I run GP. Since I ride all three bikes on the street, I don't get in a rut with one shift pattern and it doesn't seem to screw me up, either. I've heard people say they just couldn't learn to shift backwards. To that I say don't get on an old British bike, it'd kill you! But, it's really a personal thing. I just know there are times I really need GP shift on the RS.
I am with Jack I also run at TWS and you have to shift at a hard lean especially in Turns 6 and 8A. I have also found that after a little while of getting used to the GP shifting pattern it is actually a lot more intuative then the street shift. It make more sense and is more natural to push down as you increase speed. David
I went from a ZX-7 to the RS250, and I immediately fell in love. The first time I rode the 'priller, I swear I rode it faster than I ever did the ZX. Ditto with Jack... I switched to GP/reverse after Roach & Laura's recommendation, and I LOVE it. It only took ~ 1/2 day to get used to it (do it at a track day). Especially at VIR coming out of turn 2... full tilt shift, GP helps. As Jack said, some tracks it helps more than others. Was at Roebling this weekend for the first time, and didn't really have any mid-turn shifts. But at VIR, it's a different story for me. Switching is real simple. If you look at the shift rod and how it connects to the lever, just flip it over... done. Either way, turning right or left... when the foot's on top, I think it's easier. I also think that clutchless shifts are easier pushing down, rather than up.
Race the ZX-6R, you already own it and you know it's behavior. I currently race one and have had more fun on it than I could have imagined. NO machine is competitive without a competitve rider and a somewhat non-competitive machine can be competitive with the correct rider. I got a smoking deal on my Kawasaki otherwise I was looking into getting a TZ250. Try your first season on a 4-stroke since tuning won't be a concern, then switch to a 125 for the next season.
Don't race your kaw- I don't know what year bike you have, but it won't be competitive against an equally skilled rider on a R6 or GSXR. Plus if you take to money you will spend on race prepping the bike ($2-5K) and add it to the value of your streetbike you will lose by turning it into a racebike, you could easily buy a race ready ZX6R, GSXR, F4 or R6. Or buy a used GP125, Aprilia 250 or SV and have money left over for gear or track schools.
Big guy on RS250? Hi. Im thinking of replacing my F3 with a Aprilia RS250 my main concern right now is will i fit on it im 6'3" 210lbs. I have not had a chance to try one yet so Is it even vorth looking into? Thanks /Swede
