Anyone in Wgtn area interested in joining me?

[sedge]

I've recently bought a GSXR 750 dinosaur which I'm going to use for a few trackdays and riding over the twisty bits in the weekends coz the ZZR is too lardy...

If I'm any good on the track I might have a go at pre 89 which seems relatively cheap racing... (apart from all thoses guys with the Ohlins shocks and Wiseco upgrades etc , I have the wiseco sticker upgrade, just need the pistons now).

I'm thinking I'll find a bunch of people I'm around about as fast as and race them, leaving the real racers to fight amongst themselves till I can catch up.

Can't go wrong I reckon, I get a back up road bike and get some track time.

Lucky Sedge.

[MrMelon]

I want to get into some kinda of racing. What's the deal with the 4 stroke 250 class?
Bucket racing sounds like it'd be heaps of fun though.

[MOTOXXX]

hey u could pm sparkybills. I think he was thinking of selling his gsxr400 race bike/road bike. i dont think he did many meetings on it and its pretty good cond.

[SPORK]

Holy crap, Blakamin! Sheesh, you know, you could EDIT your posts to fit more in! :P

[SPORK]

Rather than doing this

[FROSTY:Me]

actually it could be that mella yella might be for sale soon--I just wanna see wot the f3 rures are gonna be--Im thinking a sv650 might just be the perfect f3/road bike

[StoneChucker]

Is F3 formula 3? Any restrictions on entering? Is there a list somewhere of all the classes, and which class is best for what type of rider?

[LB]

Is F3 formula 3? Any restrictions on entering? Is there a list somewhere of all the classes, and which class is best for what type of rider?

.
The Formula 2 and 3 classes are based on a calculation of cylinders, valves, and cooling systems.

eg a 750 Ducati, two cylinders, two valves per cylinder, and air cooled, is in F3.

It's a bit long-winded, but go to this site http://www.mnz.co.nz/competitionrules.aspx
This is Motorcycling NZ, and they have the rules all listed in Adobe Acrobat. The classes are all listed too, you just have to wade through all the other stuff.

Someone else may have some easier material for you?

There's several racers on this site (SVS, SparkyBills, RaceyRider, Mitch etc etc etc) who may be able to give you some useful suggestions.

My suggestion is that you should go to a couple of Bucket meetings and a couple of race meetings. Have a look, get a feel for things at each event.

There's an "Open Day" at Manfeild at Labour weekend, on Sunday 24th Oct.
.

[Blakamin]

Rather than doing this

that was when i was aiming at whoredom

[That Guy]

Hey Stone shucker - I'm just getting into road racing - great stuff, you'll love it. No cops, no power poles, no cars etc - all been said before but its true.

I chose F3 and would not recommned starting in F2 (250 GP bikes/600s) or F1 (Open) too much speed for a newbie like me anyway. Plus you'll come up aginst very experienced racers so probably better to cut your teeth in F3. In F3 common bikes are either the 400s (ZXR/VFR etc) or 2 stroke 250s (production bikes no GP bikes) and also SV650s and Duke 750SS. Lynda is right you need to check the MNZ rules. Be aware some clubs like Vic Club don't let SV650s into F3 - and unless your Terry Fitzgerald being put into F2 on a SV will be a bit much....check with the club your gonig to race at what they allow before you buy (for you it will be Vic I guess)

I choose an RGV - 60HP at the back wheel and plenty light so handling is wicked. Nice and cheap ($2-3K which most older F3 bikes are) but the reason I got a 2 stroke is I know how to change piston/rings easily enough - whereas with 16 valves and 4 pistons I'd get lost and end up paying someone else to do the work. The RGVs (or NSR etc) are good enough for top ten stuff at club meets (a good rider will get one into the top 10 at the nationals too) so it made sense to me. As it turns out I've got a henious electrical gremlin but that's because it's 10 years old, not because its a 2 stroke.
All race bikes (especially old ones!) require more maintenance than road bikes 'cause you thrash them - but as long as you enjoy working on your bike too you can save loads (and learn loads) doing it yourself.

Buckets sound like fun but I wanted to race on "real" tracks.

[F5 Dave]

I’ll throw my oar in here, it depends what you are after. I’ve been racing buckets for years, I’ve thought about buying a bigger race bike as well but a few things have put me off. Largely the amount of money you have to spend to be truly competitive, my most obvious course was into 125s but I saw how much my friends were spending & wondered how much fun that looked + the comparatively few sessions you get for quite high track fees. Backed out of an RS when the guy couldn’t decide whether the wheels would come with the deal & what price. Bought a KDX instead & never regretted it.

Buckets are really cheap, the speeds are lower so when you fall off you are less likely to hurt yourself requiring downtime from work or worse (not that there haven’t been some bad accidents bucketing). On the smaller tracks though it does seem busy. The carparks aren’t much to rave about, but the go kart tracks are brill. There are plenty of successful ex, current & up & coming big bike racers in the fields.

The downside is it’s not the sort of thing you boast about in the pub if you are racing small cc bikes is it? If you want to feel like you are a big time racer then get yourself a big time race bike, but then just hope no one you boast to sees you trailing the field.

A friend got a rush of blood to the head, left buckets & decided he would become a GP racer. Bought a proper racebike & spent all his money on accessorising the image. Race transporters, team t-shirts, sign writing you name it. Still hasn’t exactly set the race track on fire yet. I mean he’s having fun (so he claims) & that’s the main thing but I seriously think he is hurting his future pouring money into a Walter Mitty dream. & now too big time to race buckets. Mind you he actually does better in the class he is in as it’s undersubscribed.

Go have a look, understand what the costs & risks are & how much the addiction will cost you. 89 post classic class looks good. But then maybe you can find that extra engine & really you need those 17” wheels & you’d do better if you had good tyres often. How addictive is your personality?

[Blakamin]

Go have a look, understand what the costs & risks are & how much the addiction will cost you. 89 post classic class looks good. But then maybe you can find that extra engine & really you need those 17” wheels & you’d do better if you had good tyres often. How addictive is your personality?

I thought about that at manfield with my cbr.... I'll stick to finding a bucket!

[sedge]

Nice vfr400 to start with

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...t%21%21%21.htm

I think the idea with racing is not to go out and be competitive straight off, ride a crappy bike until you outgrow it, then move up, that way you have fun and are learning. Compete against other people doing the same, you will never beat the big buck guys... Until you get good enough to get sponsorship and be a big buck guy...

I may not have the right mindset to be a real racer, I just want to do it coz it looks like fun riding faster and safer than you can on the road, isn't that what sports bikes are for ?...

Sedge.