Need help with my riding

[Dave]

An F3 bike is basically just a 400cc roadbike with all the expensive damagables and glass removed.And fibreglass fairings.
That way if you drop it its just a fibeglass repair and footpegs/levers-mainly cheap stuff.You can quickly refit roadgear and go for a road ride or refit it to sell.Because of this F3 is a good class to enter into with as much competition as you want to take on.The top F3 guys would challenge the best superbike riders in nz given time to get used to their machines.But every meeting there is learners entering in F3 just like what your looking for.-Go for it!

[bluninja]

BB, my bike is just a straight roadbike with the lights removed. My 2 little spills have just needed a new front brake lever and a footpeg. If F3 is too daunting you can come and join me in Clubmans, and then move on up when you are ready.

There's a race at Taupo on 15th June with the Pacific MCC. Sign-on is on the day, it's just 3 hours down the road and it's a really friendly meet, on a short track. I'll be there...get your bike and we could head down together.

TTFN

[bikerboy]

So F3 is for 400cc bikes only, is clubmans for any type of bike? 2 stroke, 4 stroke, any cc size?


Sounds good Simon, I'll let you know when I sort out the bike.

I'm torn between the Aprilia rs250, Honda rfv400, or a 600 Ducati SS.

[bluninja]

BB, rather than go into F3 controversy, consider it to be 400cc 4 strokes, or 250cc 2 strokes. Clubmans class is any bike, but you aren't allowed in any other class (lots of riders race in 2 classes to get the most races for their money). At Taupo last time there was a GSF1200, a GS1000, a 1963 Bonneville, an RS250, an FZR250, an SV650....you get the picture ? BTW 2 of the 250s buggered off and left me way behind. I console myself with the knowledge that the Rs250 was running slicks

TTFN

[bikerboy]

Thanks for the explanation Blu

This track day thing is a lot more involved than I imagined. It also seems most people go on to race so while I have my doubts I should keep that in mind when deciding which bike to get.

Is it true you go through a set of tires each race/track day as KK suggests?

[babyB]

BB in my case, no i dont go through tyers every race/track. i know there been a few rounds done on my tyers befor i brought it. sorry no i dont know how long they last, ill soon find out though. iv been told sometimes u can get cheap tyers from the top guys who change tyers each meeting or so (with tread still on them). good spares when money is tight

 

just found out  the rear tyer (dunlop)has done 4 race seasons, ill be taking it into the 5th season. hell that aint bad going

[Redstar]

I went to the Paeroa streets this year firstimer and I cant fathum why they allow supermotards to race in this class? how can you pass a joker with his leg stuck out on full counter steer on a sports bike knee down? they had like 38 in each heat.
short of killing a budding ivan mauger.
they really need to separate the two very distictive racing classes to allow each to achieve the best outcome.

[bluninja]

BB, I have had the same tyres on for 4 race meetings (18 races) and 3 trackdays, and cos I am such a pussy there's plenty of tread left on my Pirelli SCs. Perhaps at the end of this season I'll sell them onto KK so he can put some decent rubber on his tyres.

Supermotards in F3 is a bit of a joke. The bikes have different ways of making similar laptimes, and getting through corners when your coming through on a different line is a pain. Just stuff em up the inside on the brakes and hope they don't run round the outside of you and kick you on the way out of the corner

TTFN

[wkid_one]

Round Puke - I was half shagging a rear after 4 sessions - or about 120-40km...and this is a harder compound road tire (M1) - so race trye would be less again.

Bike weight/Riding Style etc all impact on tyre wear.....I find I am chewing out tires in about 3500km at the moment on the road and less obviously on the track.......

Racing I would hate to think - I tend to be hard on the throttle mid corner so naturally wear tires more....

[Dave]

As you get use to racing/riding on a race track all the time is made up by carrying corner speed-thus making it not as hard on tyres when exiting corners,A typical road rider will go hard down the straight,brake early,cruise through the corner and then nail the gas once the biker is stood up-very hard on rear tyres.
I use soft compuond dunlop slicks on my race bike and use new tyres for the national rounds,nut then can use a tyre for the rest of the club stuff/winter series,etc. In the end we chuck them out because they have gone hard-not worn out.

[Hoon]

The bigger the bike, the faster you wear out tyres.  Heavier bikes put more load on the tyres.  However most tyre wear is from spinning up the rear.  250/400cc bikes don't do this very often but your 600cc+ bikes can on every exit.  These guys can go thru a set of tyres a day!!  Sometimes 2 sets, one for practice and the other for race!!

I've done about 10 track days (but no races yet) on my slicks and can't see any noticeable difference in wear since I got them.

For an average novice/clubman F3 rider you should easily get 1 season per set.

Sure good riders will wear out tyres faster but firstly you need a bike to be able to reach these limits and then you need the skills to ride alongside it.

[Racey Rider]

Originally posted by Dave
The best thing to do is to get the manual and set all your suspension to standard.The way to get the bike changing direction faster is to lower the forks through the triple clamps or to raise the rear ride height-either way it will steepen the angle of the front wheel-making it turn in faster.
However-you say that the rear is also causing problems in the faster corners-you should measure the rear sag and see if the spring is not too soft-At 88kg you should be taller!!!!
If so get a heavier rear spring and get the shock serviced.It may be cheaper than tyres/fairing damage and hospital care.

So does anyone have a ballpark mesurement as to what rear sag should be,
(No wise cracks! ) for a RGV or KR 250.

[bluninja]

Have a look at http://www.racetech.com/ thye have a spring rate search and you put your bike and weight in. I think they also give a static sag figure as well as the corect spring rating for your weight.

TTFN

[Racey Rider]

Thanks for that! I got some good info from that site.

[Racey Rider]

When is a good time to invest in a pair of knee sliders?
Should I use them now, when I'm still learning the track? (And walk around with expensive glops of plastic at my knees, without a scratch on them, for months). Or should I wait for the first sign of blood oozing through the still smoking hole in my leathers!?
Any type recomended?