RWC Racing. Junior Race Team F4

[Shayne]

Is anyone here interested in helping to put together a junior race team for F4 class? I want to use Honda NSRs with XR100 engines, and NSF Bodywork. Looking at getting Two Machines on the track in May next year. I don't need any financial input....just time, advice, experience......and a very 'Entrepreneurial' way of looking at projects!

I've made a start already, but there are a lot of areas that I need assistance with if anyone wants to help.

Shane.

[The Singing Chef]

Is anyone here interested in helping to put together a junior race team for F4 class? I want to use Honda NSRs with XR100 engines, and NSF Bodywork. Looking at getting Two Machines on the track in May next year. I don't need any financial input....just time, advice, experience......and a very 'Entrepreneurial' way of looking at projects!

I've made a start already, but there are a lot of areas that I need assistance with if anyone wants to help.

Shane.

I would have been keen to help but there is a large distance between us, and I don't know a hell of a lot. Like helping though, with whatever it is.

[Henk]

I would have been keen to help but there is a large distance between us, and I don't know a hell of a lot. Like helping though, with whatever it is.

Distance again an issue. Also XR100s will put you in F5 not F4. That may not be a bad thing in you are looking at Juniors as the numbers are way lower. That could also present an issue though. The only place F5 runs at the moment is Auckland as other tracks don't have the numbers to justify running them on their own.

[richban]

Is anyone here interested in helping to put together a junior race team for F4 class? I want to use Honda NSRs with XR100 engines, and NSF Bodywork. Looking at getting Two Machines on the track in May next year. I don't need any financial input....just time, advice, experience......and a very 'Entrepreneurial' way of looking at projects!

I've made a start already, but there are a lot of areas that I need assistance with if anyone wants to help.

Shane.

Nice idea. Good on yah.

I would go straight to a more common setup and not so custom. CBR or FXR or YZF 125. Something like that. Easy to setup for racing. CBR's can be imported plenty of FXRs around. Both have proven them selves good bikes for the class.

[kel]

Nice idea. Good on yah.

I would go straight to a more common setup and not so custom. CBR or FXR or YZF 125. Something like that.

Aprilia or Derbi 50's for F5. Plenty of bikes, spares and performance parts available out of the UK. Im sure other bucket racers would be keen on these if the price could be kept low enough.

[Shayne]

Distance may not have be an issue guys, I'm sure we could work around that if we needed to. Even just a different point of view, or fresh ideas would be a great help, so just Email me if you're interested, and we could talk further. (rwc_racing@hotmail.com)

I'm wanting to run NSR/NSF so the Team can enter the NSF100 Euro Championship in a couple of years, and possibly even the Japanese Moto4 Class eventually. The Team has to start at a semi-pro level to make use of Corporate Sponsorship, so I really need a lot more minds on board to get the first Two bikes out next year.

I'm still working through the F4 F5 thing Henk, I'm hoping that once the Team gets seen at public displays (Sponsor Promotional events)....it will draw more riders into both classes. I'd still prefer to launch in F4 Class, simply because of the greater number of tracks available.

I looked at Aprilia, I was thinking of fitting them with 80cc barrels and pistons. I'm pretty focused on getting our NZ kids to the NSF100 Euro Championship, and Moto4....so the NSR/NSF seemed to be the best choice of machine (Although not the simplest choice maybe).

It's not a small project, but maybe I need to adopt the KISS principle more.

[Yow Ling]

Does it really matter what they ride? How many of them are going to make it overseas?

Ill ramble a bit here, In Canterbury the junior racing program was run using RG150's the program has run for a number of years providing race craft to lots of riders of those several have risen to the top, Jake Lewis, Cam Jones , Dominic Jones,the Hoogie trio, Nick Cain, Scout Fletcher, Tom Boss, Andy Mac, Angela Buunk and heaps of others they move on to other classes and bikes but pretty much all started on RG150 the point Im trying to make is that the bike you choose now is neither here nor there just get something that is common , can stand crashing, they will be well rooted before you have a team to go overseas then get the bikes required for the overseas competition and get your riders to convert onto them , just like rg150 guys go to 125s or 600's. Having f5 bikes trying to run with f4s is not that clever. 80cc 2 strokes are good in F4 but you may want to consider FXRs for the donkey work.

Where you going to race? How much will it cost ? There was a lease a cbr scheme that kinda got nowhere for reasons unknown to me.

Are you setting the pole a bit high or do you have the time , resources and energy to pull it off. I have a RS50 which we loan to 10-13 yr olds for training but personally I wouldnt want to go much further , I have enough trouble getting me to the track for my own selfish needs.

[F5 Dave]

. . Having f5 bike trying to run with f4s is not that clever. . ..
That explains things! It turns out I'm just a bit dim.:confused: Oh well, at least I know now. You'll all have to be nice to me. . . .and maybe let me past on the tight corners.

[Yow Ling]

That explains things! It turns out I'm just a bit dim.:confused: Oh well, at least I know now. You'll all have to be nice to me. . . .and maybe let me past on the tight corners.

no Dave you are a bit special

[Moooools]

Before you start getting all serious into getting racing going for these kids, you may want to look at the minimum age rule (13y/o?), and compare that with the age of the kids in the overseas competitions (My guess is younger).
No point putting time and effort in unless you have clear path to the finish.

I kind of like the idea though.

[Rick 52]

This sounds like a great idea to me ..
Have you been to any bucket meetings yet to see how it all runs ?
I think you would get some great ideas from talking to John connor from Auckland ,he is keen on helping young guys and girls to get into our sport and has a bike to loan at our meetings for newbie's.
You can find his number on the AMCC page .http://www.amcc.org.nz/home
KISS is always the way to go then build up to the place you want to be !

[Shayne]

I contacted John Conner very early in the project....when I was still looking at Metrakits. I'll touch base with him again this coming week, and get a fresh opinion from him. Thanks for posting that Rick, it's great to get a bit more help and support for this.

I'm well aware of the obstacles I face, and I may not have all the answers....but I have drive, persistence, and a purpose. This all came about from wanted to help my son into a MotoGP career, and then I saw a way to help others at the same time. I know kids start racing younger overseas (that can also change here) but remember Kenny Roberts never even rode a motorcycle at all until he was 12! My son says he'll just have to work twice as hard as everyone else to make up for starting so late.

Like I said earlier, just Email me if you want to help in any way you think you can. Even if it's something small, it may help more than you realize guys.

[Shayne]

I just want to say a huge thanks to all that have offered their assistance on this! Your help has put, and is putting a huge amount of momentum back into the project.

[koba]

There was a lease a cbr scheme that kinda got nowhere for reasons unknown to me.


It's really worth looking at this to learn something.

My take, which is my personal opinion from viewpoint that isn't fully informed...
I thought it was far too ambitious considering the likely target market.
It was pitched as a standalone venture rather than tying into an existing race class like buckets or streetstock. I see the reasoning behind working it that was but the economic realities really didn't stack up as it was way out of reach for most likely racers.

It was also too 'startup' without tangible examples to re-assure the would-be 'investors' (soon to be poor parents!) it was going to be worth coughing up the coin for.

This is all from hindsight and a 3rd party view, it wouldn't have been at all easy to pick the outcome on going into it.