next move race bike wise??

[FROSTY]

Guys N gals Im looking for some advise as I always do lol.
heres where Im coming from. Im thinking about the rest of this season and into next season with my racing.
Ive got a little bit od sponsorship and a few dollars of my own.
My options are 1) 600 cc bike and make the jump to F2 -Realisticly I dont think Im good enough but the idea doesn't scare me.
2) stick with mella yella and fit the big bore kit and rejet it -Finmancially this is for sure the best option.
3) Buy a stock sv650 and fit the suspension kit from hawera motorcycles and a pipe. -bonus there would be I could still road ride it but its in 600 class prices.
4) hold fire till the end of the season and see what cool racebike bargains surface.
5) biuy a race prepped sv650 that has already had the kinks worked out of it --but is not the high HP fuel injected model
Feedback here would be apreciated.

[Slim]

6) Get the op for your shoulder & have the rest of this season off!

[Blakamin]

6) Get the op for your shoulder & have the rest of this season off!
and I was gunna say "get the op now and get straight back into it" :innocent:

[Her_C4]

6) Get the op for your shoulder & have the rest of this season off!

Hmmm sage advice from the wise woman....... :cool2: I agree with Slim :eek:

[Two Smoker]

I sort of agree with Slim, but then i would say that so i can gain another place in F3..... Instead of being 36th out of 36, I will be 35th out of 35....

But anyway, personally i would say go for the big bore kit on Mella Yella... its going to give you big Hp that can leave those SV's in your dust... you have already spent alot on Mella Yella, so enjoy her and race her hard!!!

Personally racing in F2 is very hard... One it costs a fortune (New tyres is basically a must every race meet) its physically demanding (only saying this due to your recent bin).... But hey give it a go if you want mate :niceone:

But personally i would like too see you racing on mella yella with the 450cc kit in her....

[gav]

Guess it really depends how much money you want to spend and to what level you want to race? If your looking at Nationals, unfortunately a big bore ZXR isn't going to give you too much. You really need to look at a Terry Fitzgerald SV replica, that is one serious piece of kit, too, whats it worth? at least $15K?
I sold my old ZXR to Chris Huddlestone down here, he races F3 at National level, has fitted 450cc kit to it, hasnt made that big a difference. When Andy Bolwell flags racing a ZXR400 you know its time to move on :( . Whats the 125 scene like up there? How do you fit one size one? This could be a good option, get to race both F3 and 125GP (err, might check that, not too sure if you can race both classes at Nationals now) You would certainly learn how to ride, if 125 mounted for a season or two. Good field of then down this way. Think you'd pick up a pretty competitive 125 for about $6K? 600 proddy class is real big bucks to run as previously posted.

[ajturbo]

na ..
get your starts sorted man!
and you will be up with the mid feild, AND get the big bore..... :ride:
oh, what ever you do ...
have fun!

[tz tony]

Have you considered the post classic class? this more often than not has the biggest class, look at Wanganui, 36 starters in race one!.

[James Deuce]

6) Get the op for your shoulder & have the rest of this season off!

What she said.

[TwoSeven]

Bein as I dont know anything about ya - I cant really comment on what you should do, but if you want to stay lowish budget but get the hang of a 600, then I'd suggest picking up a 600 from spectrum auctions in japan (not sure who you would talk to in your area) - you'd probably get one thats together enough to make a race bike fairly cheaply.

Myself, i'd look at a CBR6 F4 or F4i if you can get one - the F3 had weak cams and wasnt to hot for tuning and the F2 would be a little out of date these days. I'd be surprised if you had to pay more than $6k for the bits you need to make a going race bike.

I wouldnt bother with spending large sums on competitve racing or making a serious go faster bike because the amount of money it would cost to bring it up to spec assuming you could do the engine work would mean you could by an already prepped bike from ten kate.

(substitute other brands of 600 at will for the above).

Probably an idea would be to build a 600 with only the bare parts on it and carry on where you currently are, then as you get a feel for the characteristics of the new machine and want to explore the limits, you have more room to modify the bike with upgraded parts. That way also helps because having a bike you know well, then exploring new bits one at a time is a heck of a lot easier than having a flash bike with heaps of bits that constantly leaves you feeling lost for whats happening.

600s also have the benefit where the road parts are not far off the race parts so their aint much to do - you can run road tires ok - they'll do as semi wets and will probably put up with more heat cycles. Its all swings and roundabouts really.

[Velox]

Frosty - let me know if you do end up selling the 400 (since you were mentioning it the other day too). I can't remember how much you said you'd want for it, but I could be interested cause it'd be cool to get out on the track a bit, and I couldn't risk my road bike out there (since I don't have car licence!). Just an idea at this stage.

[gav]

Well if you were going 600 way, Brian Bernard could be the man to talk to.
GSXR600K2 race bike (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports-tourer/auction-20695022.htm)

[magnum]

option 4 :beer:

[Two Smoker]

Bein as I dont know anything about ya - I cant really comment on what you should do, but if you want to stay lowish budget but get the hang of a 600, then I'd suggest picking up a 600 from spectrum auctions in japan (not sure who you would talk to in your area) - you'd probably get one thats together enough to make a race bike fairly cheaply.

Myself, i'd look at a CBR6 F4 or F4i if you can get one - the F3 had weak cams and wasnt to hot for tuning and the F2 would be a little out of date these days. I'd be surprised if you had to pay more than $6k for the bits you need to make a going race bike.

I wouldnt bother with spending large sums on competitve racing or making a serious go faster bike because the amount of money it would cost to bring it up to spec assuming you could do the engine work would mean you could by an already prepped bike from ten kate.

(substitute other brands of 600 at will for the above).

Probably an idea would be to build a 600 with only the bare parts on it and carry on where you currently are, then as you get a feel for the characteristics of the new machine and want to explore the limits, you have more room to modify the bike with upgraded parts. That way also helps because having a bike you know well, then exploring new bits one at a time is a heck of a lot easier than having a flash bike with heaps of bits that constantly leaves you feeling lost for whats happening.

600s also have the benefit where the road parts are not far off the race parts so their aint much to do - you can run road tires ok - they'll do as semi wets and will probably put up with more heat cycles. Its all swings and roundabouts really.The problem with this is that Racing is all about having little battles within a Race.... With F2 all the guys are very competitive and close... Motoracer is running the same times as the front guys, yet is still towards the back..... So to do the above you would be better off just doing track days.... Problem with road tyres is they heat up too much and lose they gripping ability...also the CBR600F has less HP than all the other 600's and is also heavier....

Tony what your doing in F3 is what everyone should be doing.... having fun and having races within races.... Thats why i went into F3.... Thats why KK still races in F3....

[FROSTY]

Thanks for the feedback folks. Hmm never thought of swapping completely to post classics tony.
TS ---yep despite the small feilds at national level F3 seems to be the best class to learn in for sure.
Hmm 125 racing -now what a cool idea. --fast as f3 but heaps lighter.

[tz tony]

It would appear to me that F3 is a dying class, no new bikes in that size have been released by the factory in a long while, MNZ dont appear to support the class and most of the bikes are old now, 125 bikes are maintanance hungry needing new a piston and ring every couple of meetings so you need a couple of deep pockets!

[Two Smoker]

It would appear to me that F3 is a dying class, no new bikes in that size have been released by the factory in a long while, MNZ dont appear to support the class and most of the bikes are old now, 125 bikes are maintanance hungry needing new a piston and ring every couple of meetings so you need a couple of deep pockets!Yep thats sad :( and ive only just got into F3 aswell :( It was good to see 18 F3 bikes on the grid at the last Pacific Club round... and to have 36 bikes in total on the grid..... made for some hectic racing :crazy:

Hey tz tony, what number is your race bike?

[k14]

It would appear to me that F3 is a dying class, no new bikes in that size have been released by the factory in a long while, MNZ dont appear to support the class and most of the bikes are old now, 125 bikes are maintanance hungry needing new a piston and ring every couple of meetings so you need a couple of deep pockets!

Nah, it isnt as bad as it sounds. If someone is using the rs125 for just f3 every month or so, they could run the piston for about a year. Yes the performance will drop a little bit, but its not as though it matters at club level. Then at the end of every year you just need to put in a new piston, rings etc (about $300 to $400 depending on who you know), then you need to get the crank rebuilt aswell, which is about another $500.

Apart from the aformentioned the other maintenance is very basic. Just gearbox oil and tyres, brake pads etc.

[tz tony]

Yep thats sad :( and ive only just got into F3 aswell :( It was good to see 18 F3 bikes on the grid at the last Pacific Club round... and to have 36 bikes in total on the grid..... made for some hectic racing :crazy:

Hey tz tony, what number is your race bike?


My bike is number 50, its red and white, round two of the pacific club meeting I entered f3 and the classics, finished first overall on the day with one first place and 2 seconds in the classic class, a great day

[svs]

I'd say - go the SV, but I'm biased :) Either that or stick with mella yella. You wouldn't be able to sell it for anything like what its worth to you and the big bore kit would be fun. As for a 600 its the running costs that would be a problem - they eat tyres far faster than an F3 bike. I'm sure mella yella isn't that slow a bike - you weren't too far behind me at pukekohe and the 400 should be nimble round the corners, you just got to carry that speed and work on the starts. Best thing is to keep going as long as you enjoy it (and make sure the shoulder is fixed)

Getting a road SV race ready is really just sorting the suspension - leave the engine stock, apart from a decent exhaust. But that isn't cheap. Keep an eye out for bargins - there may not be much around at the moment, but once in a while a stunner will come up.

As for F3 being a dying class - I don't know. There still needs to be something below the F2 and 600's and I really don't want to see all the sport bikes being replaced by motards. The superbike lite in the states are dominated by the SV's now. And I guess that there'll be more and more in F3 here as time goes on. It's a shame that Tim Gibbes' SV series didn't keep going (due to MNZ making SV's F3 legal) or the Pro Twins B Class isn't more widespread.

[That Guy]

hmmmmm. Thought about an RGV250? Ha ha.

Must admit the more I ride the GSXR600 on the road the more tempted I am to convert it into a race bike....even though I know I'll get smoked in F2. For me I'm gonna stay in F3 on the RGV and get more (relatively cheap) experience. Once I can comfortably get into the top 5 or 6 with it I'll look at getting the 600 out. In the meantime it's very staisfying passing SVs etc on a 13 year old smoker.

I reckon you should get one more year under your belt in F3 Frosty; don't bother with engine upgrades or SVs - just keep the tyres fresh and bike in good order and ring the nuts off it. Then F2.... :ar15:

[TwoSeven]

Can you not run an older 600 in F3 these days or must you compete in F2 with them.

I guess it comes down to if you are looking to develop your technical capability for self improvement as well as have fun - in which case a 600 of some kind (that can be modified and improved over time) would be the way to go, or if you are looking to have fun with your mates on the cheap in which case probably any old dunger would do.

If I ran a 600 i'd probably put aside a few thousand dollars for the year to pay all the costs and remove the hassle factor which at the end of the day is what stops most folks from going down the track. Quite a few of my mates save thru the winter and race during the summer - but they are what one might call enthusiastic - me these days, i'm more than happy to spend the money on beer, sit in a deck chair and watch someone else go round in circles :)

[Motoracer]

You could do what I did. Buy a second hand 6 hundy like mine.

It's hassel free racing at it's best. I just have standard sprokets geared about right for Pukekohe that I use on all tracks with a sturdy big fat o-ring chain so it'll last long and I don't have to stuff about with changing it all the time. I just got the standard rear shock, manifolds with a Two bros pipe from Bruce's TL1000, etc etc. Yet the bike still goes great. It is still capable of race pace. All I do is just change the oil in it and fill up the tank with fuel for each race meeting and it'll be ready to roll.

So far, my expenses have been just fuel, tires and oil. I am sure you could do more than what I do to improve your times like setting up the suspension (which I haven't touched at all since I bought the bike).

I reckon if you wana come into F2, you definetly should. It's fuck loads of fun!!

[Racey Rider]

So why do you want out of F3?
Are you bored with winning all the time?
Have you mastered it and are ready for the next step up?
Or do you just think your bike is slow?

If you want to ride a faster bike, buy a 600+ and ride it as fast as you dare in Clubmans.

You think your bike is to slow for F3?
Surely, unless you spend mega bucks, a 600 you buy is going to be slow in the F2 class anyway.

Are you looking for the fame of being a F2 rider?
Well if you've got the money - go for it! But from what I've read, you may get to ride in F2,, but your not yet ready to be a F2 rider!

Stick with F3 and learn race craft. If only because most KB'ers race in this class, so we can have the fun of racing each other.

[FROSTY]

Id reread what I posted then change your post!!!!
Clearly I'm not satisfied with all aspects of my riding. that was never an issue.
The issue is deciding what to do from here --and certainly F2 is ONE concideration of many
quite simply put Im looking at my NEXT move. As it looks to me F3 at club level is well supported but at national level isn't so good
To compete at national level in f3 seems to me to be a similar price to f2
My next move is going to be my last for a very long time so I need to as much as possible future proof myself.

[Racey Rider]

Re read, (re readed?).
Fair enough.


Feedback here would be apreciated.

No need to change my post.

[Hoon]

To be honest Frosty my advice is to stop throwing money at the bike and address the root of the problem......THE RIDER!!! Sure a faster bike might be worth half a sec but learning to ride faster would give you 2-3 secs!!

I'm not saying that you are a slow rider - we all feel slow and want to be faster but getting a faster bike doesn't fix the problem - all it does is try cover it up. If you are aspiring to compete at a national level then you will need to make sure your riding is at a national level too as you can't rely on bike upgrades to close the gap like you can at club level.

Next year I'd like to compete in the NI Nat rounds. I know my ZXR isn't an SV beater but it has shitloads left to teach me. When I feel that I can't learn anymore from this combo and am happy that I've utilized all its potential then I will move on to F2 and no sooner. I see F3 as a training ground and I wouldn't concentrate on winning the F3 title as I think that money would be better spent on an F2 or F1 effort.

If it's any consolation I put a lot of effort into my riding especially the mental/preparation side. I have heaps of books, notes, data, turn books, track videos and read lots of theory. I also have my own "psyching up" ritual which begins the night before a race to ensure I arrive on the grid ready for business. So don't be disillusioned by the mellow maori dude who just rocks on up and seems to do alright. Theres no such thing as natural talent in racing - only hard work!!

[FROSTY]

point taken hoon but again bro -ya missed the point .
Im talking about my next move.
I agree totally with your comments about rider improvement.Fuck ive got a lonng way to go.
Ohh and ditto re race day prep -I TRY to be relaxed so i clown around a lot -doesn't work for everybody but the serious navel pondering just doesn't seeem to work for me.
Actually to a degree thats bullshit--I love seeing you young guys getting better.
That said mate i know Im qucker than some folk out there and at least Im not bench racing.

[Racey Rider]

... at least Im not bench racing.
:moon:









I'm still thinking of something to say!!!!! <_<





and get that Shoulder looked at again would ya! :yes:

[Ghost Lemur]

Personal opinion (and in no way experienced advice)...

In your position I'd go for option 4. You seem to have a knack for finding deals, and with the season just finishing there should be more of them.

So if, a 600 comes up for the right price then of course you should take it, stepping up a level (following faster riders) may be the motivation you need to get the better performance out of yourself. Only you know how you'll react in different circumstances.

Either way, have fun.

[magnum]

rider skills will transfer to any bike and wont cost a dime,stay in f3 at least till you can consistently finish in the top 5 or 6.

[gav]

Frosty, this is probably something worth looking at. The guy has an absolute stack load of stuff available if you check his link in the trade me advert.
1999 CBR600 race bike (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports-tourer/auction-20874177.htm)
His race stuff is here
CBR600 race bike for sale (http://lyricnz.com/bike/)

[scroter]

whatever...

just ride the tits off it and have some fun.

[Quasievil]

There is a mint looking GSX600 for sale down the road from work for $5k would be a good racer, not as good as a kwaka of course but good enough for you mate :lol:

[Kwaka-Kid]

No need to change my post.


both RR and Hoon have had the best 2 posts here even if they are not addressing your point directly they are giving you the info so that you can make the best decision, as you are the one that has to live with the decision. But to address your question directly? Well that would be to pick one of the options you have stated... and i dont recommend to do any.. i say:

Leave ML the way she is, youve already spent money opening her up, doing rings, closing her up, and or whatever else was done in the mean time, this is all real money and money you can only get back in the way of enjoyment on the track. So go do it! Why must a decision be made? Keep it the way it is, think of the money youve just saved making that decision (shit that turns me on!) and go spend it elsewhere like on a girl or something (Mrs. Tony you owe me for that!).

Seriously dude i understand how frustrating it is, i was held up by the same SV650 you were in that race at taupo and i really was fuming, i was blasting out every EXCUSE i could think of to my pitbitch, best part was he listened, waited till i was calm and simply gave the suggestion to get ahead of him from the start... Its the bottom line, thats racing and there will always be someone quicker (for us midfield gerbals). So deal with it, you dont need to spend money, you just need to learn more! Thats what im telling myself mate and i dont care how fast his SV650 is, Im going to focus more, work harder, and hell im going to get ahead of it sooner and i wont take any prisoners!