Good First Track Bike?

[yamfz]

Hey guys I am planning on getting a track bike pretty soon, I was told that an sv650 was a good crashable bike, but another guy told me that to BE competitive you need a 2003 and up gsxr or cbr (600 or 1000 depending on which class).

 

I'd like your guys' opinions. I'm looking for something that I can do decent times with (of course I'll be heading down to Cali to take the superbike course, so skill won't be a problem ), something around 2500 - 4000 USD, crashable with lots of aftermarket, and can enter many racing categories (more seat time is better, right?).

[hubbard_28]

Hey guys I am planning on getting a track bike pretty soon, I was told that an sv650 was a good crashable bike, but another guy told me that to BE competitive you need a 2003 and up gsxr or cbr (600 or 1000 depending on which class).

 

I'd like your guys' opinions. I'm looking for something that I can do decent times with (of course I'll be heading down to Cali to take the superbike course, so skill won't be a problem ), something around 2500 - 4000 USD, crashable with lots of aftermarket, and can enter many racing categories (more seat time is better, right?).

 

I'm not sure there is really a "good crashable" bike. I'd plan more on NOT crashing. An SV will limit you in local racing, both in what race you can enter, and if you're planning on running in the front, being competitive. Other than that, the guy sounds like he's biased toward the GSXR and CBR. Our local fast guy rode a Honda last year, and is on a Yamaha this year. The CBR was an '03, and the Yamaha is an '09 600. Same laptimes. And he's winning. He has a ZX10, a CBR 1000, and a couple GSXR 1000's and 600's behind him.

I'm 10 seconds off their race laptimes, and I'm on a completely stock bike ('05 ZX6R). Literally, the only thing I've changed on my bike are my lights (I got the flush mounts for wrecking purposes).

I have friends with old and newer bikes who've wrecked, and minor damage was done. I have friends with old and newer bikes who wreck, and have to look for new bikes.

I can't remember the year of the Yamaha, but there is one that likes to blow up. I'd stay away from that one.

You should probably figure out which category you want to race, and include how many races you want to do in a weekend. With a twin you'll be very limited. A 600 will let you compete in superbike and supersport locally. Don't listen to the saying "you can beat a literbike on a 500 if you're good enough." In racing it's just not going to happen. A twin isn't going to beat a 600 or 1000. What tracks you'll be racing on is also a factor. We have smaller tracks in Phoenix, so the 600's can compete with and win against a 1000. That won't be the case on a bigger track.

[Bullet]

I'd add to what Hubbard has said here. If you just want to trackdays, you'll find something like an SV massively underpowered, they make about 75bhp, even with race kit and gearing changes, you might get to something like 85bhp, which is a massive difference over a 600 at something like 110bhp at the wheel, and a litre bike at something approaching 150bhp at the wheel.

 

If your planning on racing, SV racing is pretty cheap for sure, in the Uk there are many classes for it, minitwins is the category for it over here. Cheap cheerful racing, and everyone is running much the same. As a category it's certainly cheaper than 600's and definitely than 1000's in both running gear, tyres, chains, brakes etc, and also crashes usually as you're just going much slower than them.

 

If you want to learn to race, then I personally think MiniTwins or something like is an excellent way to start. Myself and some friends we're going back to racing steel framed 600's next year as it's just cheaper really, you can get most of the parts you'd ever need of Ebay, and you can buy a complete race bike for 1500 pounds all in.

 

Finally, I wouldn't buy a new bike and convert it, I'd buy a second hand race bike thats already converted and prepped, is a much cheaper way of buying a race bike than starting from scratch and doing it yourself I assure you.

 

Let us know what you do, and how you decide to go my friend.

 

Bullet

[yamfz]

Steel framed 600's? Which late model sportbikes are steel framed, competitive, and easy to get parts that you speak of?

[Bullet]

Steel framed 600's? Which late model sportbikes are steel framed, competitive, and easy to get parts that you speak of?

 

CBR600 FV's and below are the most used over here in the UK, You can also get Thundercats, and Kwak ZX6R's too. They're hardly the worlds most predigious machines, but with a race tune, it's possible to get 110-115bhp at the rear wheel out of them, so they go at least as well as latest 600's do.

 

Bullet

[yamfz]

Steel framed 600's? Which late model sportbikes are steel framed, competitive, and easy to get parts that you speak of?

 

CBR600 FV's and below are the most used over here in the UK, You can also get Thundercats, and Kwak ZX6R's too. They're hardly the worlds most predigious machines, but with a race tune, it's possible to get 110-115bhp at the rear wheel out of them, so they go at least as well as latest 600's do.

 

Bullet

 

I don't think we have any cbr600 fv's here in Canada or those other bikes (except for the zx6r, but I don't know which are steel framed). I already posted a similar thread on another "local forum", but I think more than likely I'll probably end up getting an SV650. I'm just really worried that I won't be able to run in as many categories as I'd like to, to gain more racing experience.

[Bullet]

Steel framed 600's? Which late model sportbikes are steel framed, competitive, and easy to get parts that you speak of?

 

CBR600 FV's and below are the most used over here in the UK, You can also get Thundercats, and Kwak ZX6R's too. They're hardly the worlds most predigious machines, but with a race tune, it's possible to get 110-115bhp at the rear wheel out of them, so they go at least as well as latest 600's do.

 

Bullet

 

I don't think we have any cbr600 fv's here in Canada or those other bikes (except for the zx6r, but I don't know which are steel framed). I already posted a similar thread on another "local forum", but I think more than likely I'll probably end up getting an SV650. I'm just really worried that I won't be able to run in as many categories as I'd like to, to gain more racing experience.

 

If I was you my friend, I'd take the advice of others, see what racing categories you can enter in your local clubs, and buy something thats best suited for your ability and for a little growth.

 

You could take the attitude that you can buy a bike for this next year, and then look to upgrade onto something newer the following year, but thats a decision you'll need to take.

 

Personally, whilst an SV650 is a good bike, you'll soon outgrow it's performance, and the contrast between one of those and even a 600 supersport bike is indeed dramatic.

 

Have a look at the club racing categories, then, maybe go down and speak to people there, see what the general consensus of the series is, how well attended the classes are, etc, etc. You may well find your happy to race a SV for many years, and just learn to ride better?

 

Bullet

[chocadile]

The SV650 is the route I'm planning on taking. Like many have said they can be found for cheap, and already prepped for the track. One thing that I've been told is that because of the lack of power with the SV you learn to carry more cornerspeed to make up for the lack of power. Forces you to work harder to go fast, can't rely on the throttle. For racing the SV is going to be easier on tires, chanis, sprockets, ect. They are very popular bikes so parts are easy to find. I can't wait to get my hands on one. Do some resaerch in what classes you can compete in as well as what mods are allowed to the bikes, this should help focus and narrow down exactly what your looking for in a track/race bike.. Good luck on your search.