Future of 125s in NZ?

[Deano]

Pro-Twin is all well and good, but it must be remembered that the bikes are big, heavy, expensive to repair, not designed to race (but do surprisingly well all things considered), expensive to build if starting from scratch and not suited to small riders.

Don't let the thought of 2-stroke GP bikes or any of that rubbish talk you out of the next logical step. It is only a machine. Done right it will be fine. Done wrong, it won't. But I'll tell you one thing, I would rather have the 125GP/IMD250 repair bills than an SV650 one!

Ok I have to have my 2 cents worth now.....

My SV is a pro twin. Bought at 10,000KM on the road. Cost me 8K plus another $750 for extra rims. It already had all the suspension fruit done. It then did another 5 thou race KM before new rings, then checking the bottom end - put new rods and bearings in just to be sure....even though it could have carried on for more KMs most likely.

At Nats 2012, Quallman spent more time working on his 125 than racing it. I started the key and away we went.

A 125 is a genuine race bike - more finnicky to set up and probably less room for rider error.

An SV is pretty easy to ride, but also heavier - enough torque to be fun, but not so much outright speed.

I'd be very interested to see running costs compared to a 125 Stevey.

I also know of guys who have bought SV's in road trim for $2000, on the track for $4 or 5k.

There has been talk of CBR500RR (EJC type of class) here, but I can't see any benefit of that over the pro twin class ??

[ellipsis]

Ok I have to have my 2 cents worth now.....




A 125 is a genuine race bike - more finnicky to set up and probably less room for rider error.


T

...and learning the whole of the game from the bottom, start of the big learn for so many riders past and in the present...still a relevant and worthy class to have...not taking anything away from those who want easy, but real race bikes are quite important to the sport along with the foibles of the racing of them...makes champions shine...

[steveyb]

Ok I have to have my 2 cents worth now.....

My SV is a pro twin. Bought at 10,000KM on the road. Cost me 8K plus another $750 for extra rims. It already had all the suspension fruit done. It then did another 5 thou race KM before new rings, then checking the bottom end - put new rods and bearings in just to be sure....even though it could have carried on for more KMs most likely.

At Nats 2012, Quallman spent more time working on his 125 than racing it. I started the key and away we went.

A 125 is a genuine race bike - more finnicky to set up and probably less room for rider error.

An SV is pretty easy to ride, but also heavier - enough torque to be fun, but not so much outright speed.

I'd be very interested to see running costs compared to a 125 Stevey.

I also know of guys who have bought SV's in road trim for $2000, on the track for $4 or 5k.

There has been talk of CBR500RR (EJC type of class) here, but I can't see any benefit of that over the pro twin class ??

All of the classes we have currently, have their place. Pro-twins included. As you say, your bike was used and had some stuff already done to it. Of course you can go silly on a 125GP bike and buy all the fruity stuff and spend a house deposit and more.
If a 125 engine fails it is generally not terminal, but when an SV650 con-rod lets go, oh boy!!!
Quallman (and what the F does that name mean anyway????) was working on it so much cos he crashed a lot that season, sadly (or was it 2013 season, I forget, they all roll into one in my misty memory).
Running a 125GP bike at a novices level in NZ is very inexpensive. Working on them is part of the fun, at least I think so.
But the OP is looking for a class for a young rider to step from Streetstock and is small, ish at least.
I think it is asking way too much of young inexperienced riders to get on these big bikes (I mean in size rather than power) and expect them to manage them.
There is no hurry for riders to get onto big bikes, I just can't see why people think there is.

[Kickaha]

There is no hurry for riders to get onto big bikes, I just can't see why people think there is.

Because people are dumb

[jellywrestler]

Because people are dumb

monique thinks you're dumb!

[Racey Rider]

I would be interested in options for leasing a GP125 bike for the Vic winter series if anyone could help me out?
Anyone have a bike available?

Cheers.
Racey.

[budda]

There's nothing you can learn on a 125 that you cannot learn on a pro twin. And the more fun you have as a growing rider, the longer you will hang in there through the hard times.



.

AGREED - just sounds like a long way of saying 250 Production to me Shaun

[Shaun Harris]

AGREED - just sounds like a long way of saying 250 Production to me Shaun

Not quite buddy, the pro twin also allows you to learn a bit about suspension set up and chassis geometery, and that is a very serious part of the learning curve with racing bikes, very serious part!

[budda]

Not quite buddy, the pro twin also allows you to learn a bit about suspension set up and chassis geometery, and that is a very serious part of the learning curve with racing bikes, very serious part!

Again, agreed ....... but until the Rider is running consistent fast laps, fiddling with the boingers and clickers is exactly that, just fiddling. Improvements are measurable, and without a reasonably consistent baseline, theres no telling whether the changes WORK

This is where lap after lap of racing helps ( as you of all people know ) and 250 Proddy is where they can learn, on a budget, the racecraft that will let the rider maximise the benefits that adjustable suspension and chassis dynamics bring - one feeds the other

[Shaun Harris]

Again, agreed ....... but until the Rider is running consistent fast laps, fiddling with the boingers and clickers is exactly that, just fiddling. Improvements are measurable, and without a reasonably consistent baseline, theres no telling whether the changes WORK

This is where lap after lap of racing helps ( as you of all people know ) and 250 Proddy is where they can learn, on a budget, the racecraft that will let the rider maximise the benefits that adjustable suspension and chassis dynamics bring - one feeds the other

Fuk the world is screwed man, You and I Both AGREEING

[budda]

Fuk the world is screwed man, You and I Both AGREEING

Is the Moon FULL ?

[budda]

...and learning the whole of the game from the bottom, start of the big learn for so many riders past and in the present...still a relevant and worthy class to have...not taking anything away from those who want easy, but real race bikes are quite important to the sport along with the foibles of the racing of them...makes champions shine...

Egg Zachary .... and while the demise of REAL racebikes will inevitably come, there's NO HURRY.

In fact, this is why the then Road Race Commission came up with the changes to the rules to allow people to begin developing a diesel substitute - from memory this was 4-5 years ago?

To my knowledge, to date only 2-3 people have followed up and begun the process - No doubt when the day arrives and 125's get canned through lack of entries it will all be MNZ's fault

[Ducati981]

I was one of the riders that helped out to make up the grid for nationals and I run a 125gp bike for steve ward Racing.
It had been over 11 years since I last run a 125gp bike at nationals and I was way off the pace for the meeting. but I will say the race craft and corner speed you learn from racing one of these purpose built races is amazing (look at our champs and up and coming riders in the bigger classes some of whom have come thru the 125gp system and been under the guidance of the amazing Steve Ward)
I agree that the numbers are down these days compared to when I raced them and there were 26 on the grid at Ruapuna many years ago.
But there is a place at nationals for these machines as they are a great stepping stone for younger riders they teach them bike set up, bike maintenance and also some bike sympathy as you cant over rev them ( or you chip the reeds if over revved to much)
And with people like Steve Ward running and maintaining the bikes and helping the young riders out lets hope it keeps going for a few more years.
And lets hope we see more of these IMD 250 bikes coming thru as the people who run the one at nationals should be proud of the amazing piece of engineering that it is and it is a credit to them to how it performed and imagine 10 or so of these machines on the grid as well as 125gp bikes (would be very exciting racing).

[quickbuck]

Again, agreed ....... but until the Rider is running consistent fast laps, fiddling with the boingers and clickers is exactly that, just fiddling.........

Totally agree. 250 Production is a great class to help a rider work on his laps to get the consistency required....

I get the impression that some riders don't realise the importance of this... Much less how to achieve it....



I was so stoked on Sunday when my last 3 laps in race 2 were all within 0.018 seconds of each other. 0.525 for all laps in the 6 lap race....

Yes I was stuck in 3rd place with nobody around from the end of the first lap, so I tried to get a few constant laps going.

Mission accomplished.











Sent from my Nokia using Tapa talk.

[steveyb]

And lets hope we see more of these IMD 250 bikes coming thru as the people who run the one at nationals should be proud of the amazing piece of engineering that it is and it is a credit to them to how it performed and imagine 10 or so of these machines on the grid as well as 125gp bikes (would be very exciting racing).

You're making me cry...

Cheers!!!