Lightweight sportbike is twins up to 650. Something like a ninja 250 or DRZ400sm is not going to be competitive against an SV650, or any of the KTM 525 640 etc. Bikes in the 20-30hp range don't really have a class to race besides novice, I've seen a few 250's out there the last couple years but where do they go after there novice rounds?
Last season I raced my Ninja 250 in Lightweight and Formula GP (even though I suppose it doesn't technically qualify for FGP, I had an exception).
Even Novice isn't a great place since there's quite a few larger displacement bikes. Actually, in my Novice season, I ran Round 1 in Novice, then I joined Norm's kids in Lightweight and FGP for my second set of Novice races, after which I asked to be bumped up to Intermediate.
I've asked in the past about a race for the low HP bikes, but realistically, how many are out there? Two years ago there was myself and Norm's kids, and a couple more in the RS125 specific race (which I couldn't enter). Last year was me, and maybe an RS125 every now and then. This year will be me again, but who else?
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have some competition (instead of truly being a pylon - other people joke, but I'm the real deal
), but as with most "American" type sports, it's often about bigger and more powerful...