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hi,im looking to get into the sport of racing motorcyles and i figered yallcould answer some of my questions

1.when i buy my bike "gsx-r100" how do i get it race ready.im not going to go out and just start raceing but im goin to a school and i have no need for the lights and stuff because im not going to be riding on the road at all. ill be riding on my home track"barber motorsports"

2.whats some good mods for racing.Im already goin to buy after market racing plastic.and a pipe but what else do i need

 

i just basically want to no how to get my bike race ready..like takeing off my electric starter and stuff...so if u could tell me what all i need to do to get it race ready(like in a list) id be very thankful..

thank you for all the help..

 

again thank you for your replies

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I gather from your post that you are:

 

1. New to racing

 

2. New to biking.

 

If NO. 2, be sure to go to Superbike school when it gets to your track.

 

If No. 1, I'd suggest that you spend the extra money and attend Keiths RACE school so that you might get some expert attention.

 

FYI, I'm not associated with the school, but have managed to get thru Level IV more than once. .... and I've watched the on bike instruction at CODE RACE. The instructor to student at this RACE school is almost 1 to 1. Lots of personal attention from the entire staff. Two days of very hard riding. At the end of this class, should you do it, your a** will be whipped.

 

If you can afford the cost of racing, you can't afford not to get some expert training.

 

Jim

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wow.. where to begin... To avoid carpal tunnel, I'll try to be as brief as I can.

 

Racing is not something that is just 'jumped into' and all fun, etc. It's more of a lifestyle than anything. Most people cannot handle racing for more than 2 years. At that point, they're fed up with the unGODLY expense, and tiresome effort required to run a season.

 

I've seen people lose homes, spouses and sometimes lives (on and off the track) due to racing.

 

The best possible advice I could give you would be to start as small as you can. Throwing around the comment of buying a GSXR-1000 and removing all the street parts to go racing, is not a very wise move in my personal experience. 3,4 or 5 years from now, if you're still racing, then, sure, go buy a new bike to race. This is what I do, but I've been racing a LONG time, and I'm well sponsored.

 

Pick up a used RACEBIKE. A used racebike will already have many necessary modifications already done, and you will save and benefit from this. Personally I would not recommend ANYONE "Start" out on a 1000. Start small, learn throttle control, enjoy the fact that a smaller bike uses less tires and is far more forgiving.

 

A used 600, or better yet, a used SV-650 which you can run lightweight classes with would be a very wise choice.

 

Here's what I whipped together in about 90 seconds that it will take to get you TO the track. This is "out of the gate, 1st initial costs". There are MANY other costs which I've left out (dzuz's fasteners $3/ea, safety wire, etc etc etc). This takes into consideration your 'new' bike.

 

Bike $9,000 (I gave you the benefit of a good discount here)

bodywork $600

paint $200

clipons $125

rearsets $300

damper $400

brake lines $100

exhaust $800

rear shock $1,100

fork work $500

power commander $300

dyno work $250

frame sliders $75

tires $350

fluids $200

gearing $100

Chain $100

 

Bike Total: $14,500

 

 

helmet $300

leathers $1,000

boots $200

gloves $100

back protector $150

 

Gear Total: $1,750

 

Tire warmers $300

Stands $250

canopy $200

tools $500

 

Misc Total $1,250

 

Grand Total: $17,500

 

And that's assuming you have a truck/trailer/van to GET to the track with. Again, this is day ONE. You haven't even touched the track yet (yep, that will cost you more).

 

Here's a MODEST race weekend:

 

Transportation $200

fuel for weekend $150

tires $350

entry fees $200

gate fees $50

practice day $100

food $100

 

Total: $1,150

 

 

This doesn't account for ANY repair or crash damage, or basic consumables (oil, brakes, coolant, gearing, etc etc).

 

If you've gotten this far, good, you're paying attention... Now that you're turned off and scared, let me go back to my original statements:

 

START SMALL!!!!

 

A used racebike already prepped should run you around $3-7k depending on how new, what work and how many spares/etc come with it.

 

Run 1-2 races per weekend and LEARN... Learn everthing you can, and make decisions from there. Listen to people who tell you to spend money on suspension, and riding schools. We know what we're talking about and we've made the mistakes.

 

Too many people jump into this, dump a wad of cash which they don't really have, and then give up because they crash a couple of times.

 

The sport can be incredibly rewarding and a great "lifestyle", but again, it truly is a lifestyle change which needs to be looked at carefully before making a serious plunge into it.

 

Hope that helps! :-)

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  • 1 month later...

I'm new to this site and forum. I just wanted to say that I am a long time rider, with now, a new zrx1200r. Yeah, it's not a superbike, but It's what I want for now. I read the BS bike article, and about countersteering. I have been putting it to use, learning, again, how to ride, and how to control the bike better. I suppose riding was more intuitive before, but I am applying those countersteering principles and finding riding better a new challenge. I have been telling all my friends who ride "recreationally", who are a bit taken back by my newfound enthusiasm and they seem eager to see if what I told them actually works. So, in a sense, I am "getting started" again. I look forward to comments on this site and intend to take one of the school's courses soon. Hope I haven't bored anyone. Ride safe.

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