Why carry on with F3? The big jap 4 aren't making 250cc two strokes or 400cc 4 strokes anymore. Odd aforementioned expensive 450 hand grenade excepted, the class has had only one competitive type of bike for the last few years. AFAIK you're in Pro Twins yourself so that says something doesn't it? If there's a shortage of time/money and it's a choice between having F3 or production 600 (or some other class that can inject more interest and rider development at reasonable cost) then I'd rather see the demise of F3 (even if there's one less class to shove my old 400 in). And yeah, there's large numbers in F3 but compared to other "formula" classes, there's a disproportionate number of riders who're doing F3 for fun and not seriously competing for top positions. Not that I'm against fun (hell, that's why I race) but it's supposed to be an "elite" formula class. Look at the bikes competing in a class and adjust the rules to encourage competitive racing and control costs. Getting other bikes like F800's, GSR600's, FZ6's or XJ6 diversions into F3 might revive interest.
As for ozzies bike, I'm impressed how he's worked around the rules but as I've explained in another thread, it'll end up no cheaper than F2 (brand new R4.5, power commander, full ohlins + more servicing as it's running on 3 cylinders).
400's in post classics..yeah fine. But I can't understand why there's a 600cc limit when 99% of the available pre 89 post classic junior bikes in NZ are the 400's (in other countries 600's were popular in 89 but not here) . Again, needless extra cost to be competitive. With certain limitations, a rolling "10 years and over" class or similar would be far more interesting. Again, not reinventing the wheel as it's done in other clubs abroad.
A sorted 400 may be better at cornering than the pro-twins spec SV perhaps, but not the F3 spec SV's a lot of peeps are running. As for top end....any 400 that's passing you on the straights is likely to be either very tuned, have a 45Kg rider or simply came out of the previous corner faster (no offence like). 55ish ponies versus 70ish.
Not quite sure what you mean Ivan?
So you are against the idea of having F3 as a class for the less serious racer to go racing for fun on whatever they happen to put together on a small budget ?
Bookmarks