Questions about getting started with EMRA

[TSR]

Hello all,

I have been thinking about getting involved in two wheeled racing for a while and I am seriously considering getting my feet wet this year.

Little bit of background about myself, I'm in Saskatoon and I've been involved in local auto racing of some sort or another for the last 15+years, this past season my co-driver and I took home the ACMS track championship in mini. I tinker with and ride older street bikes and do some dirt biking, but I've never turned a lap on a motorcycle so I would prefer to start with something very entry level such as the 250 cup class. Which leads me to a few questions:

How well attended is the 250 class? Is there much interest or is it purely a stepping stone for the larger bikes?

I'm on the wrong side of 200lbs, likely be around 190-210lbs for summer, is that a pretty big strike against racing a lower HP machine like the 250?

Is there a different bike/class I should look into that would be a good alternative entry level class?

Any insight/advice/information is much appreciated

TR

 

[Arctic Donkey]

Not that you shouldn't get one, but there are not a lot of 250cc bikes in the club.....and your size won't help If your dirt bike is already something like a 450 just use it. Otherwise a good entry bike is a Suzuki SV650 or Kawi 650R. That said, lots of riders start on 600s.

 

[Planepower]

I'll second what Arcticdonky replied. I've only seen 2 250s lapping around in the past 5 yrs. An SV 650 would be a great "entry level"; lots of support from a racing standpoint and possibly less money to get into one than a 600 sport bike.

 

[macbayne]

novice races are open. as long as your bike will pass tech, you can run most anything. displacement was not a huge factor in the races, really. a wonky dude on a 1000 is not faster than a wonky dude on a 650 in turns. a couple guys rode 250s in it almost every weekend, and on a couple weekends there were a couple more. being 200 lbs, your 250 is gonna have to work hard though, lol. you could put slicks on your dirtbike and run that if you want.

the emra race school is in may, but i would bang-off a few track days before racing. a LOT goes on in a novice race because of inexperience.

 

[Goatse]

I've never turned a lap on a motorcycle so I would prefer to start with something very entry level such as the 250 cup class.

TR

Don't let it intimidate you. If you've got experience on streetbikes and dirtbikes, you're already on track (no pun intended). 2012 was the first time I did a lap on a sportbike, and I was pretty hesitant to start actually racing. But with friends and supporters in the EMRA they convinced me to 'man up' and just go for it. I did, and couldn't be happier. I rode an 04 R6 the first season, and for this last year stepped up to an 08 (which is an amazing track bike BTW). A 600cc bike can be decently forgiving and it's nice to have a bike that can just keep getting better as your skill increases. If you're not comfortable with the power, just gear it so it isn't in its peak powerband in the slower tighter sections when you're on the throttle. I also think your car racing experience will help you out a ton too.


Honestly though. You've come across an amazing organization and group of people, and the community as a whole, really does help a guy come into his own quite quickly. There is ALWAYS somebody willing to help out, and give advice when needed.

 

[TSR]

Thanks for all the replies! I figured starting out with a larger bike would be getting in over my head, but I guess a 6' fat guy on a little bike isn't optimal either lol. I do have a yz450f, but I would prefer to keep it setup for the woods, I'll keep an eye out for a 600 sportbike or a 650 twin.

My plan is to work off a few more track burgers this winter and attend the race school regardless of whether I will compete or just try some track days. I figure it can't be a bad thing for my street riding skills and would give me a taste of what I would be getting myself into.

TR

 

[yak]

Looks like good advice.

Finding a used (slighlty older) race bike (600 cc or 650cc) is the best value. You can almost consider it renting because at a certain age/price point they don't drop much lower so you can use it for a year or two and then sell it to upgrade with a "minimal" loss.

 

[TSR]

Thanks for the info. I don't have much of a clue when it comes to the used race bike market ,what sort of price/year range should I be looking for for a good used race machine?

 

[Arctic Donkey]

Used race bikes are pretty much like any other used vehicle, you just need to look around to see what prices are like. For any given year prices are likely to be fairly similar between brands with differences based upon the amount of aftermarket pieces or major motor work. Whether the bike is streetable or has a salvage title may also be taken into consideration.

What are your expectations, are you going to win the amateur class in your first year? If not, anything 10 year old or newer is likely fine (even older if you are on a 650 twin) Otherwise newer is always more better, depends to a certain extent on your budget.

They aren't 650 twins but a few 600s just came up on the for sale section, perhaps one of them is for you.

 

[yak]

Hey TR

Artic asks some good questions about your expections and budget.

On the very low end I've seen CBR600 F2s in the $1500 and lower range. For a newer starter bike I was thinking something might be available in the $3k range, and now there are also some more expensive options showing on the message board. (Look through the older ads to see what has previously been offered. Your default view of the forum may need to be adjusted to see the older ads. That is, select "From the beginning" to see all the ads in the For Sale Forum.)

Regards,

Todd

 

[TSR]

As far as my expectations or goals for a first season, although I'm a very competive person, I have realistic expectations for any rookie season. Staying out of trouble and improving would be my goals.

I would be more inclined to spend enough money to get a reliable machine thats reasonably well setup to allow me to concentrate on improving my skills rather than fettling with the bike. 3-5k wouldn't be out of the budget for me.

 

[yak]

Sounds excellent.

The 3 to 5 range will get you a bike that will allow you to focus on your riding and it also should allow you to be as competitive as you like.

Here's what I would look for, roughly in order.

- a bike that is less than 8 years old and still has some life left in it. (Run a leak down test.)

- a bike with a proven ontrack capability (What rider did what lap times consistently?) This is searchable online for local bikes. This is to try and avoid getting a bike that isn't set up decently.

- a bike that is closer to stock with reasonable and standard type upgrades. It should keep the price down and you don't want relability issues or overly complex repairs problems.

- a spare set of wheels included is not necessary initially, but it gives you better tire use options, especially if you want to run rain tires.

- a few spares can be handy and are often thrown in with a deal at value prices (clipons, rearsets, control bits, etc)

Feel free to PM or email me if you have a specific question.

Best regards,

Todd

 

[macbayne]

As far as my expectations or goals for a first season, although I'm a very competive person, I have realistic expectations for any rookie season. Staying out of trouble and improving would be my goals.

I would be more inclined to spend enough money to get a reliable machine thats reasonably well setup to allow me to concentrate on improving my skills rather than fettling with the bike. 3-5k wouldn't be out of the budget for me.

you have lots of options as far as what is available in the forum. i wouldn't mind having a few of those bikes. if you like road trips, maybe a bike out of the states on the wera forum would be a possibility too.

 

[TSR]

Great info. I took the plunge and signed up for the school, so I'll definitely be on the hunt for a machine for this summer.

TR

 

[Racin Jason]

Glad to see our sport has hooked another one.
Good luck on your first year.
I agree with all the good advise above.
Just a note about your size since you seemed worried about it and mentioned it a couple of times. I wouldn't be overly worried about that. You don't need to be a Pesrosa sized midget to be competitive.
I myself have tipped the scales at over 210 lbs and I have been known to turn a fast lap or two.
Get a bike and just go out and do it. You'll never regret it.
Also if you ride the track lots it tends to keep you in shape.

 

[Blaknwite]

Get an SV. Everything else is for posers