csmith12

^^^ interested as well.

Yes sir, love them on my r6 for really pushing the track day pace up. Pricey though compared to what you can do on some cheap q3's. just my 2cents

Rider weight aye? See for yourself, all 3 rider weights are represented in this vid of my last race (ninja 250's). #100 Orange suit rider - Jace, lightweight around 135ish lbs geard (1:13 scored lap time) #511 Filming rider - Me, Average weight rider - 195lbs geared (1:14 scored lap time) #95 Black suit/red boots rider that passes me (really really wants 2nd place) - Don heavywight rider - 260ish lbs geared. Don can ride that little, low powered bike for sure. (1:15 scored lap time) And before you ask, yes... I wait for him on the back straight so we can really "race" on the final lap.

Get ya one when ya can! No warmers required. lol

I feel ya there... I have cleaned frost of my bike in the paddock. imho, it don't matter either way from the tires perspective, it's gunna cool off fast. However... if the warmers give you the extra bit of confidence to ride well, then heck ya!

I consulted the magic 8 ball and this is what it said. lol On warmers? Because it looks like it. Why do I think that? Because of the cupping on the forward sides of the tread are sheared off. Common with q2's and I see it in my own q3's. I feel a rebound adjustment in your future.

That tire of rchase's is when reading tires is like tarot. lol

I have crash tested both of these boots. A prefer the sidi airs for the grippiness on the pegs and fit, I prefer the a* smx for comfort and walking around. I rode the a*'s for 2yrs with zero issues. I got the sidi's on a killer deal $100!!!! So HAD to try them. This is my second year in them, 1 lowside later, they still look nearly new with just a tad of rash. Most importantly, both boots did their job of protecting me.

WTF?!?!?!? hahahahahah Overinflated commuters?

^^^^ hard braking straight up with a tad/decent amount of trail braking on the right side. I love the challenge of reading tires. Sometimes it's soooooo telling and spot on, other times you're soooooo wrong. lol As a 250 racer, seems I pick up more dingleberries than the normal track day riders as my braking markers and such are different.

Putnam aye? I have no comment on your question but would like to come shake your hand sometime and meet a fellow rider. Lemme know next time you're at Putnam and I will do what I can to make it up there.

Here is a start. I NEVER take these for gospil. http://biketrackdayshub.com/motorcycle-tyre-wear-guide

Somebody gets it .

Well done!!!! /bow Beware those riders that don't give up when you go 2 wide in corners, you pressure them, they pressure you right back.

Depends on how much I am on "auto pilot". The pickup on a slow(ish) corner gives me something to do instead of being a lazy rider. So yea, depending on the rider... if one is lazy on a slow corner, the rider behind can utilize the pickup to get on the gas sooner & harder, well then.... you know. And... you know the bike doesn't come up "on it's own". How does it come up again?

Dylan, I have also heard what Crash is talking about. Depending on the tire (Dunlop BT003) and the track surface, an extremely hard quick turn can yield a sort of "tearing" sound from the front and even migrate to the rear with an aggressive throttle roll. I find it to be a good thing, imho it's the sound of good grip and any extra wear is chalked up to the cost of doing business. Without knowing what is actually happening to the tire... does it sound harder on the tire than a lazy turn? Yea, but that may be just my perception. You can hear a very similar sound on a mt. bike on rough pavement when most rider weight is over the front. I have never heard such things on the Pirellis no matter how hard I turn and on the same surfaces but I do run higher pressures in those. Crash, could it be that our tires where just lower in air pressure during that time?

To me on the ninja 250, they are not mutually exclusive, unless I am trying to square off a corner. Normally, the pickup has nothing to do with my line, but instead to get back to pinned ASAP on exit. Can it be used to conserve edge grip? I think so yes, considering the rider spends less time on the edge. I normally don't pick up on the long sweepers (already pinned), unless the front starts to slip.

Ok, I will let you know the ninja secret of passing.... ssssshhhhhhhh don't tell nobody though. Plan you passes before you get there (a corner or two) and set em up ahead of time (sometimes easier said than done). Good luck sir!

Racing the 250 has shown me many ways to pass when I can't get an easy pass on the straight. First off, you have to come to terms with this; "if all racers never leave the race line, no one can pass anybody." Now that you know you have to leave the race line to make a pass, you can start to figure out HOW and more importantly WHEN. This is what works for me a lot of the time; When I have the chance, I try to find a section of the track where I am slightly better than other racers. Maybe it's your favorite linked corners, the hardest braking zone, ect.. ect.. I choose these areas to make a pass first as I am more comfortable with taking greater chances. IE, I am more comfortable taking alternate lines. There are pros and cons to alternate lines; for example a pass that I make a lot is a wide, hot entry, trail with a late apex and a really good pickup at the exit. Although this line leaves me somewhat open to an inside pass on entry, if there is no one on my six and I don't mess it up, I can normally drive out ahead or wheel to wheel with the rider in front of me if I am a faster racer. And speaking of the pickup, are you truly using it to your advantage? Most things considered, if you’re not pinned or nearly pinned before climbing back on the bike, there is more work to be done. Brakes... considering how much time one really spends on the brakes during a race, there are plenty of opportunities to late brake a leading rider on the inside a corner that you’re really comfortable with. This does a few things, but mainly puts you either; side by side, past the rider, in your passing lane (inside or outside) or may cause the lead rider adjust his line at the last minute. Basically, putting pressure on the lead ride may force an error where there wouldn’t be one. Just be a good sport when pressuring other riders and keep it clean. And even though you say you can't really get a good clean pass in the straight, it can still be used to your advantage for a solid draft into the braking zone but you may have to get on the brakes harder and trail into the corner after using the draft to slingshot around them at the last minute. And 100% for sure, don’t let the leading rider’s lines, markers and such leak into your riding. Look through them, ride through them, and definitely don’t visually linger on their every move.

Besides... you never know what you will see in the forest.

Ninja 250

A few of me just for fun.

Yes Hotfoot, the newer models still need those mods to squeeze fast lap times out of them but you can have plenty fun and go plenty fast on a stock 250 with just a tire swap. It's all relative to the rider right? The 300's feel a bit better out of the box. New bike placebo maybe? Seems kawi listened to riders in some areas and went for a .5in wider wheel in the back and a stock 140 rear, which is what a lot of the racers mount up. The valving in the rear shock was also changed, it's still pretty weak and still only preload adjustable but more rideable overall. The power was moved more toward the midrange too, which I like. What hasn't changed with the 300's, is the crappy front end. The front springs are still too soft and brakes still suck but I haven't heard anyone complain of frame flex yet. Although, the 300 is a fuel injected bike and some models have ABS. I can only give you indirect feedback on the cbr 250 thumper as I haven't ridden one. The other racers at the track seem to like their cbrs. Their main complaint is top end speed, the lil ninja pulls on them hard in the straights. 2nd biggest complaint is it costs a lot of $$ to make it competitive in all areas with the ninja. I have seen a cbr 250 rider win against a field of ninjas, but it was heavily modded and the rider was very talented. The winning rider said, the cbr handles better in the corners once setup.

3rd the 250 idea Awesomely cheap learning platform, teaches a rider that carrying speed is more important than roll on power. Once you get the hang of it, a 250 riders lap times can be faster than I/B group liter bike riders lap times. However... imho, it is not the safest of track riding platforms and requires some upgrades to "feel good" or "feel planted". It kinda goes like this; The brakes suck (steel lines needed) The front suspension is way too soft (new springs and emulators needed) The rear shock is only preload adjustable, so bumpy tracks are an issue (gsxr shock swap) The frame is flexy.. ie it will flex under really hard cornering loads The stock bars make it feel like riding a tricycle (clipons needed) Overall, it takes a rider that can deal with the issues of a 250 at pace, but for those who can ride one fast... a gift is waiting when you throw a leg over a stronger cornering machine.