A Superbike novice

Most of us did start off on the street. However, we all got here, didn't we? I'm not saying all street riders are squids by any means. I'm saying that making it easier than it already is would allow for people who shouldn't be out there to be out there. IMHO, that's not what I would like to see. But there's a tradeoff between keeping it safer and keeping the grids large enough.

And of course, I probably shouldn't be out there, but there are exceptions

 

Nope.....I am not talking about any particular incident. I think the whole situation is bad for the fast guys and the slow guys.

IMHO.....Take the fastest riders on the fastest bikes racing for money, thus the fastest lap times and most aggressive racing of the weekend, combine that with the most inexperianced riders on the hardest bikes to race and you have a problem just waiting to happen.

Bad for the fast guys because the are going as fast as they can in and around riders that might freakout at getting split by 3 riders going 12 seconds a lap faster than they are.

Bad for the slow guys because instead of having a class in which that learn to race with guys that are roughly the same skill level as they are they have to contend with getting split, ass packed, and rubbed by Ex Factory Pros. That is intimitdating and will not encourage them to continue racing.

 

I was split by 2 fast guys (Larry P. and Robert J.) 2 years ago and it made me popo in my leathers. I was a new racer and they were racing for $ . I was thinking they were going to lap me but the speed difference was crazy. I was on the brakes for at least 2 seconds and they split me at the end of the straight , WOW .

 

Hey Ed I hear you but check this logic.

I am a street rider a 600 for couple years and then I get a literbike, then some friends of mine say hey man were going to a trackday wanna come? I say yes. So after my first trackday I decide "man the track stuff is great the street is boring in comparison to it". So I decide to do a few vendor/nesba trackdays. Then I get the racing itch. I can A, sell my literbike for a loss and spend MORE money buying or making a trackbike or B, I can turn my streetbike into a trackbike for alot less. I think this happens ALOT. I know of at least five people that have gone this route last year alone.

 

I agree.....I just think that Nationals and money races should be kept seperate. This my opinion and I would venture to say the opinion of all the guys, Ex/Nv in those classes.

Back to all those classes you could cut that would make room for running races that actually make WERA money....

 

That is exactly how it goes.....I see it a hell of a lot more because I work in the industry.

And the rest of the story....

They show up at there first race and they have to contend with Mike Smith and Robby Jensen passing them 1.8mm away at 12 seconds a lap faster than they are, and they go "HOLY S$IT!! that was scary! I'm going back to track days where I can ride with people my own skill level!!"

 

Luckily for me personally I decided to stick with track days until my skill level was up to par in the class I would be racing ie F1, A SB, A SS, and novice Seniors. I only did a few races here and there. And riding in the fastest groups of trackday events got me used to holding my line with really faster riders coming by..and I don't get spooked...well not as much

 

So what classes could wera cut?

 

Actually, not neccessarily. The majority of the ones that I see taking the class to get their license realize then how much of a problem starting out on the liter will be. The majority make the decision to get a smaller bike before they ever start racing.

 

Dam morph ... you are typing what I’m thinking.... now that is what is truly scary. ... I started doing track days on my street bike and it happens to be a 1000. Now I’m racing it because it's what I have available to me. Last year I ran CCS and this year I will be running both CCS and WERA trying to get more races into the schedule. I ride advanced with every track day org I ride with and can handle getting passed and occasionally lapped even. But we all know that there is a huge difference between a track day pass and a race pass especially if there is more than a $5.00 trophy on the line. I think that novices on liter bikes is something that we will see more and more of and that safety should be the biggest concern. Not by telling them they aren’t allowed to ride but maybe by combining them with other amateur classes instead of the experts. Could it be done to combine 2 expert classes and 2 amateur classes instead of mixing them up?

 

If you combine the ASS classes with any of the C, B, or F1 classes, then you're taking away a rideable class from us 600 guys But I guess we already have plenty

 

Chip STFU

Maybe the experience of racing around some novices will keep some of the "fast" guys out of the AMA where they present the same problem.


I don't see you all up in arms about the LWT SS experts are dealing with novices and even multiple classes. They have been doing that for years. Yeah the speeds are lower but the the lap time sepration can be even bigger.


Mongo what is the cutoff to stay on track.....125% of the leader? That is only in your class though right. Maybe when you have combined expert and novice make the cutoff based on the fastest rider that will be on the track with you during a race.

 

:up:

If I make a shocker flag, Brad, you're getting all the credit!!

 

this will be popular.....but pretty much all vintage, clubman, motard classes....plus CORC as well..

In my perfect world it would go:

A/b/c/d Superbike
A/b/c/d Superstock
Ex Endurance (Nationals)
Nv Endurance(regionals/GNF)
Spec Class Ex/Nv

No Junk and lots of practice......Same format for Nationals and regionals for simplicitys sake. National gets Qualifying for 3 Premire Classes and friday practice.


Just my opinion.....

Oh, and Superstock would be less mods.....and you can only race up one class size. Sv in 600, 600 in 750, and 750 in 1000. Thats it.

It would also be nice is the Manf's paid contingency in 600 Superbike so that you could make money on a FX bike.

1000cc twins could race 750 superstock/superbike with SBK rules.

 

As I understand this, the arguement is about adding novices to SB .

It seems to me that if you can't afford a race bike and a street bike, you probably shouldn't be dropping the cash to make SB mods to your streetbike.

For what you'd spend on motorwork, wheels etc. to build a superbike 1000, you could afford a Hawk, Ex, GS or FZR400 to learn on and spend a season earning an expert plate if you really want to race SB.

 

Yamaha does......don't they.

 

The only issue I have with newer track riders and or racers having liter bikes is that they use it as a crutch and on average do not progress with their riding skills as much as another rider on a smaller bike seems to.

It becomes all to easy for them to scream and park. There are exceptions but for the most part a beginner is not doing themselves any favors starting out on the track with a liter sized bike. But sometimes you have to do what you have to do.