Clubmans racing - what's it all about?

[Billy]

Advice: Don't sell your 1000 unless you need to. Buy instead a good, low cost Ninja 250 and head out in the 250 Production class.
Learn the good lessons on a bike that will have to try pretty hard to hurt you, will not cost you an arm and a leg to run (one pair of tyres, chain, brakes for a whole season) and race with riders who are there to race while learning and are all going about the same speed (in a straight line that is, not necessarily around the corners), and be in an NZ Championship class so that you can go racing at higher level straight away if you so desire.
At the end of the day there will be very little difference to you on the track between a 1000 and a 600/675 and the both require good tyres, good suspension set up and significant skill and experience to be fast and SAFE.
Do yourself and everyone else a favour and get into 250 Production to start out. It is great fun.

Good sound advice,In fact,I have a team working on a graded licence system,That runs along similar lines to that,Once they have finished with it I will notify those that need to know of our intentions and get the required feedback to initiate it,NO MORE just fronting up for your first season on a 600 or 1000 until you have met our requirements.

[300weatherby]

Good sound advice,In fact,I have a team working on a graded licence system,That runs along similar lines to that,Once they have finished with it I will notify those that need to know of our intentions and get the required feedback to initiate it,NO MORE just fronting up for your first season on a 600 or 1000 until you have met our requirements.

Worth remembering that most people start out on their roadbike and it gradually morphs into a racebike, you WANT new racers, don't penalise them financially to get started, or they just won't come.

Perhaps MNZ could use the money they vacume out of the members pockets to set up a fleet of 250 rental/lease type bikes available to aspiring Clubbie riders once you have your rules sorted. Spend the money at the bottom trying to grow our sport rather than keeping the administration well travelled and watered.

To have a pyramid of size, one must first have a large base, and I don't mean Tuckermans swollen adversarial head. I know he is your mate and I don't know what you see in him, but keeping him away from the public and muzzle well attatched would be helpfull!- to hear members of the public going "who the fk is that guy!?" kinda helps to create the wrong perception.........

Hope that wasn't too obtuse.........


Whatever rules you do come up with, assuming they become applicable accross the country, you will in effect, create a 250 proddy "B" class, therefore local and national rankings become applicable surely?

Means the ends of Clubbies at the Nats Sth Island rounds, some will think that is great, but misses the point that it should not be about only the 2% at the front of the grid, I reckon it has to be easy, not hard to get started, make it hard and in another 10 yrs there will be f/all on the grid anywhere, a point missed by the Clubbies haters

[quickbuck]

I reckon it has to be easy, not hard to get started,.....

It is easy.....
You keep your road bike in the shed, go buy a Ninja/ Hyosung, CBR250( New One), or Scorpio if you like.
Get a rule book, prepare bike, buy licence and anything else you are missing.... and go racing.
Listen to all the good advice given.....

I did, and still have my 21 year old CBR600 to go for little rides on the road if I want to.
It initially seemed like it was a great idea to turn my road bike into a race bike, but 2 years later, I am so glad I didn't.

I have learnt so much more on the 250 Production bike than i ever would have mucking around on my CBR....

Oh, and it is not a lot of money either... The Annual spares budget is about the same as a good road tyre for my 600.. and that would last a few meetings at the most!!!

[Billy]

Worth remembering that most people start out on their roadbike and it gradually morphs into a racebike, you WANT new racers, don't penalise them financially to get started, or they just won't come.

Perhaps MNZ could use the money they vacume out of the members pockets to set up a fleet of 250 rental/lease type bikes available to aspiring Clubbie riders once you have your rules sorted. Spend the money at the bottom trying to grow our sport rather than keeping the administration well travelled and watered.

To have a pyramid of size, one must first have a large base, and I don't mean Tuckermans swollen adversarial head. I know he is your mate and I don't know what you see in him, but keeping him away from the public and muzzle well attatched would be helpfull!- to hear members of the public going "who the fk is that guy!?" kinda helps to create the wrong perception.........

Hope that wasn't too obtuse.........


Whatever rules you do come up with, assuming they become applicable accross the country, you will in effect, create a 250 proddy "B" class, therefore local and national rankings become applicable surely?

Means the ends of Clubbies at the Nats Sth Island rounds, some will think that is great, but misses the point that it should not be about only the 2% at the front of the grid, I reckon it has to be easy, not hard to get started, make it hard and in another 10 yrs there will be f/all on the grid anywhere, a point missed by the Clubbies haters

I'd offer a reasoned response to that,BUT it's so full of excrement I'd need the rest of the week.

One thing I will say though is,Fortunately there were others out there who recognised the problem for what it is and offered to help improve safety,Good on them I say

[steveyb]

RIGHT YOU BASTARD - Who are you, and how did you hack into Steves login info ........ choking now, caught myself agreeing with whoever you are !!!!!!!!!!!

You know I would otherwise say Get a 125 (or buy an IMD250 GPMono bike), but at the end of the day they are for a certain sub-segment of the rider market.
I am fully committed to beginner racers spending time in a proper learner class like 250 Production.
The bikes are cheap and once a guy gets the hell over himself for being in the kids/poofs/novices/whatevers class and actually applies him/herself to learning about racing I know they will have more fun than they ever thought possible.
They can keep their Superduperhyperbikes for road rides and killing themselves out there, not on the track, please.
I fully believe that for most older riders that go clubman racing on their big bikes they are doing little more than glorified trackdays with a race start.

I was one of them when I started out. I started in a few club meetings on my GPZ600 but quickly realised that that was a dead end for someone inexperienced like me, so I bought a 250 Production racebike and learned from there in a much safer way. And I can fully guarantee, that say for arguements sake, we are able to keep boosting the 250 Production numbers back to a decent level, that buzzing around in a pack of 30 or more racebikes that are all the same (ahem), is a fuck load more fun than worrying about killing yourself or your $30k Superduperbike.

Over and out.

[SWERVE]

Far too much sense being spoken for KB. But people listen there is an ex road race commisioner and life long racer/supprter from a very good pedigree racing family (shit make you sound too good) An experienced rider of many years and many bikes. A scholarship/ development team operatopr (who has no reason to push 250s over his own bikes) The current raos race commisioner / racer / and also life long stalwart of the sport................. all saying the same thing............... for once people just LISTEN to people who KNOW what they are talking about.

[jellywrestler]

we are able to keep boosting the 250 Production numbers back to a decent level, that buzzing around in a pack of 30 or more racebikes that are all the same (ahem), is a fuck load more fun than worrying about killing yourself or your $30k Superduperbike.

Over and out.

too right, in the last two seasons the closest finishes have been in the 250 class and some of the best race long dicing too

[quickbuck]

You know I would otherwise say Get a 125 (or buy an IMD250 GPMono bike), but at the end of the day they are for a certain sub-segment of the rider market.
I am fully committed to beginner racers spending time in a proper learner class like 250 Production.
The bikes are cheap and once a guy gets the hell over himself for being in the kids/poofs/novices/whatevers class and actually applies him/herself to learning about racing I know they will have more fun than they ever thought possible.
They can keep their Superduperhyperbikes for road rides and killing themselves out there, not on the track, please.
I fully believe that for most older riders that go clubman racing on their big bikes they are doing little more than glorified trackdays with a race start.

I was one of them when I started out. I started in a few club meetings on my GPZ600 but quickly realised that that was a dead end for someone inexperienced like me, so I bought a 250 Production racebike and learned from there in a much safer way. And I can fully guarantee, that say for arguements sake, we are able to keep boosting the 250 Production numbers back to a decent level, that buzzing around in a pack of 30 or more racebikes that are all the same (ahem), is a fuck load more fun than worrying about killing yourself or your $30k Superduperbike.

Over and out.

Just to add to that....
When you put your road going 600 or 1000 on the track you need to go faster than you think!

Heck even the 250's are hitting 160k.
Now, I realise you can do that in 1st gear on your GSXR1000, but can you brake at the 50 metre mark at that speed at turn one at Manfeild and make the courner?
If the answer to that is NO, then get a 250 Production bike and learn how....

[Grubber]

I've been running in Clubmans all season with AMCC and just love it.
I do it on a Daytona 675 that i picked up for a song last year. Spent around a grand to get it up to scratch and haven't spent anything since, other than tyres and fuel.
I'm not running near the front, as the 600's have a little more oomph than mine, but i do give some of them a run for their money.
I do find that some of the participants could easily be racing a better class but they are still out there doing it which counts for more than anything.
Beats sitting in front of the tele for sure.
I've learnt that riding it like you stole it gets the times down pretty good. In the past i was a bit of an observer at race pace but then i learnt to basically cane it all the time and it made quite a difference. Think the call it race craft hehe.