[jaguar]

looking to get into racing. open to most bikes be it classic or modern. have a 98 jeep cherokee and a few jetskis to trade. also work on boats so maybe we can barter something and if all else fails good old cash....
let me know what you got and near long island would be better but i will travel for the right bike

There is the right way, the wrong way and the british way to do anything!

 

[texmawby]

did you work out anything on those two bikes in philly (norristown) with my buddy aaron?

tex

 

[ROSKO]

What size/ class are you looking to run?

BORN TO LURK, FORCED TO WORK.
www.NYCvinMoto.com
www.VinMoto.org

 

[jaguar]

am really open to any class. just trying to start racing. im 6 foot and about 200lb....winter wieght!
oh coarse i want to go mach 3 with my hair on fire but know that i need to start with something smaller....



There is the right way, the wrong way and the british way to do anything!

 

[joe c]

have you been to the track? are you leaning towards one marque? how much money do you have? can you afford 2000 for a bike or 10000 for a bike? modern bikes can go through 2 or 3 sets of tires in a weekend. there are tire warmers, body work, and epxensive parts to buy. not to mention crashing a modern ike can hurt alot. not that crashing a vintage bike doesnt. vintage bikes run tires for multiple seasons most of the time. how much work do you want to do? 4 stroke of 2 stroke? modern or vintage? single, twin, multi? what kind of racing environment do you want? laid back and fun or a little more aggressive.

i would suggest hit the track. see what people are running. stick with something smaller. say sub 500cc initially if youre going to go vintage. look for something with parts that are easy to find. pretty much any of the japanese stuff is going to fit the bill.

i think most people see whats avaialble easily to start. or what they can get thier hands on easily or cheaply. say you work at a ducati dealer, or a bbrit shop. or what most people are running at the track in a marque they like. rds are popular. obviously cb350s are like a plague. ducatis are fast. bultacos too. british stuff is fast but alot of work. but your into another universe as far as parts go with those. not that any racing is cheap as you know.

for your first season, id say buy something thats crashable, and cheap. and something youre not attached to too much. youre going to toss it away if youre going fast. if they still run the ex500 class with lrrs, that would be a good place to start if you wanted to go modern. im sure the 600ss novice class is like any of them. 40- 60 bikes on the grid at a time. a melee.

jc

 

[jaguar]

would really like to go modern. if i can sell off/trade some of the other toys ill have like 5 grand to use. thought about building up a CB350 or something like that. deff love ducatis and triumphs but the money and parts are a bit much for me


There is the right way, the wrong way and the british way to do anything!

 

[ROSKO]

Someone on L.I. was elling a mid 90's rs-125 not long ago. Think it was around $6000- with a ton of parts and spares. I can hunt down the info if you're into it.

Or buy Rob's RD racebike, if he still has it....

BORN TO LURK, FORCED TO WORK.
www.NYCvinMoto.com
www.VinMoto.org

 

[krapfever]

Just my opinion here: Beware an old factory racer like a mid 90s RS. Watched a friend ambitiously try to campaign a used RS125 and it was a real pain in the ass for him. He's no fool with a wrench either.
Its like those motors were built to be ridden hard and thrown away. Once they're worn out, they're junk.


Find something cheap and durable with readily available upgrades. If you're hell bent on going modern, the EX500 is a cheap, tough bike. Maybe an SV650? From what I've seen at the track, the SV class in ahrma (Battle of Twins?) is big, competitive and pretty serious.


I put a lot of thought into what bike I wanted to first try my hand at racing with. Pure economics and simple logic always left me with the same conclusion: Go old, Japanese and small displacement.

Honda go sideways!

 

[texmawby]

did you work out anything on those two bikes in philly (norristown) with my buddy aaron?

tex "deja vu" mawby

i hate being ignored

 

[joe c]

the sv is a good bike. the rs125 too. any of the 600's will get you out there and ready to go. the 125's, they get thrashed yes, but they are everywhere. and the parts are pretty cheap, but dont forget you cant just get hrc parts from any honda dealer. the cool thing is the rs shares a few motor parts with the cr. check the fatbaq.com listings. 5 k wont get you too far if youre looking for a push button modern. i mean, it should get you a bike, but there is alot of shit youre going to need extra to look for. a set of rains. warmers. jetting and associated meters. bodywork. pistons if youre going 2stroke. stands. and on and on. you shouldnt have a problem finding something modern for that kind of cash, i just doubt you'll find it here. aaron, zach, and blownr6 seem to be the modern contingent here so they'll know.

jc

 

[joe c]

oh yeah, the nice thing is you wont need alot of tools!

jc

 

[jaguar]

ok so i might just go vintage then. like i said im open to ideas. guess what i really need to figure out is a class and then a bike that fits that. would a T500 be a good racer? i came across a 77 RD400....what about that?
like the idea of a 2 stroke.
thanks for the help


There is the right way, the wrong way and the british way to do anything!

 

[texmawby]

i discovered invisibility!

tex

 

[krapfever]

quote:
i discovered invisibility!

tex

You guys hear something?

Honda go sideways!

 

[rdrce698]

Hey Jag your in West Hampton right? I'm in East Quogue and my wife and I have been Road Racing for a few years . If we haven't had it or tried it we know someone who has. I just got rid of a couple of EX500's cheap!!! If you want to stop by I have 2 SV's a Hawk gt and a Muz 660 All of them raced by us or a friend at one time or another. You can get a better idea of what fits you. We are about the same size. Oh and I know where there is a early 90's RS125 for around $2,000 with some spares although you wont really fit to good on one they are beautifully made. Anyway I have the new rule book for LRRS and any information you may need for LRRS or Pro motion track days and will be glad to help you get started. I'm not trying to sell anything and I can help save you a few bucks and tons of aggraviation. Give me a call

Pete
631-312-0112

 

[jaguar]

thanks pete. ill try to stop by during the week.

like i said i found a cheap '77 RD400 with clip ons, rear sets and a few other things. needs some TLC but might make a nice bike.....what do you guys think?
true be told i am more into honda's though. what about a CB350?

There is the right way, the wrong way and the british way to do anything!

 

[jaguar]

also found a ducati 500 and 350 desmo....uuummmmm i love ducatis.....

There is the right way, the wrong way and the british way to do anything!

 

[kenessex]

Tex are you out there??? I guess not!!

Jaguar,
It sounds like you want a CB350. So go ahead and get one. Get a runner, but don't worry about cosmetics.
To get started, here is what you should do.
1. Remove everything you don't need.
2. Tune the engine up. Adj valves,change oil points and plugs
3. Rebuild the front forks New seals and fresh oil, complete dissassembly.
4. Replace the rear shocks
5. Replace the tires with Avons
6. Safety wire
7. Go racing
8. Get several spare bikes to steal parts off of.
9. Start changing things after you know what you want.
Initially, spend your money on track time, leathers and a helmet.
A stocker set up to be safe and reiable will get you around the track a lot faster than working on a trick bike in the pits.
Plus you may find a set up racebike at the track and your stocker can become a spare.

Ken

AHRMA 412
Vintage racing - old guys on old bikes

 

[jaguar]

sounds like thats the easyest way to get started.
where do i find a list of trake days/events?
do i need a track iscence?
join a club?
thanks again for all of the help


There is the right way, the wrong way and the british way to do anything!

 

[joe c]

the cb350 has a ton of support. you can race it with the uscra, wera, and ahrma. its a very very generic bike probably similar to the sv, or ex500 now. but you can make them go very fast. and there are plenty of big guys riding them.

as for getting on the track, you dont need a race license to do a track day. but youll most likely be held in slow class with minimal passing etc. unless its just a free for all. go to the hawk school get your racing license. its as cheap, and more worthwhile. then you can do track days as a racer and not a squid, plus you can race.

get the 350 desmo, and hang onto it. youll want to race that after you get bored learning with the honda.

go to the racing school, then you can join any club and hold a license with that club. you just need to prove youve done the school. the uscra is by far the easiest and most laid back for getting your papers. and we're nice guys to boot. plus being in ny, there are alot more people local to you then say wera guys but there is alot of cross over from club to club. most clubs to get you onto the track cost about 100 a year. (and yes im including the uscra since you have to be an ama member also.) you get a news letter (except for wera) and a sticker pack, rulebook, etc...) youll need a new decent helmet, some good boots, quality leathers, and gloves. for the school, your bike doesnt have to be the full on race prep. but the closer it is, the better off youll be. you'll hav to contact each track day club and see what they require. it maybe that for the hawk school, you dont need to do alot. definitely get some good tires. most people run avon race tires. worth it. and brakes. suspension is a great upgrade too. then youll need to source pipes, but branson is an awesome source for race bits. if you go over to www.race-uscra.com there is a rule book and more info. you can also try wera.com, but its not as easy to figure out i dont think. also, go to the track. make sure its something you want to do. theres a bit of an investment to realize you get out there and its not for you. everyone should try it once though.


and take kens advice.

jc