Spec racing, anyone? (cheap)

[redkow97]

Would anyone be up for some cheap "IROC" style racing?

I am contemplating a first gen 250. I figure I can find a crashed runner for $600. WERA and MotoSeries allow too many mods to keep things truly "cheap," but if 5 or 10 of us play by our own rules, we can ride in the same class but have our own informal championship.

Sound fun?

I would be thinking that the following mods would be allowed, to keep things safe and fair:

- stainless brake lines (stock rotors and wheels)

- belly pans to catch oil.

- re-spring forks and shocks. No re-valving, no emulators, no $1200 shocks, just springs to get us all at the right sag.

- stock bodywork, or XR1200 style number plates.

That's it. Stock rear sets (ex500 levers allowed for GP shift), stock bars, etc.

Engine case covers would be allowed so long as they don't replace the stock cover.

What am I forgetting? I would also consider a $800 claiming rule, with the caveat that the seller be allowed to keep their shock and fork springs.

Thoughts?

[Disclaimer]

Does sound fun and cheap, but you lost me at the point where the bikes were carbureted

[redkow97]

Oh, I forgot about a control tire!!

We would all have to have a gentlemans agreement to not run warmers, and use some kind of sport-touring tire that would last (most) all season.

I'd consider a short LIST of approved tires, but being that this is meant to be a cheap class, I would think longevity is a good trait.

I'm open for (some) debate on this point, but running DOT race tires and warmers would inflate costs by a lot... And who knows, maybe Ryan can get us a group buy on a spec tire or something.

I just want to go have some fun for cheap, and the 600 is too fast for that. It burns more gas, tires, and generator fuel with warmers.

[Disclaimer]

Sv-spec series or CBR250rr... little more expensive upfront, but low running costs.

[redkow97]

SV's are faster enough (that sounds weird) that they are still not "cheap" to race by my standards.

If you want to run a CBR250, they pay $750 for a win with MotoSeries, but good luck beating all the first-gen $800 kawasaki's on the grid... I mean, the a great rider on a Honda 250 beats a good rider on a kawasaki 250, but unless it's a really tight track, the kawasaki has a 10-15 mph top speed advantage.

You'd be outside our "special" class, but still legal to run MotoSeries.

Another thing I forgot:

I think we could work out some kind of "vigilante justice" way of enforcing the informal rules. What I mean is: aftermarket exhaust costs the rule-breaker a case of beer. Per weekend. Those abiding by the rules decide on the brand of beer. And by case, I mean 24, not 12 ;-)

consumables would be fair game, so engine oil, fork oil, and gasoline (god love you if you want to put race gas in a 250!) are all things you can change, but i promise I will make fun of you relentlessly if you run race gas in a first-gen 250...

Oh, and there would be some kind of weekly (or per round?) "prize" for whoever shows up with the most-stock bike, as voted by those of us participating.

This would probably be "your dinner and bar tab are covered by the rest of us on Saturday night."

Full lights and stock bodywork would pretty much be an automatic win, so track-day riders who are racing for the first time would have extra incentive to participate.

[redkow97]

Does sound fun and cheap, but you lost me at the point where the bikes were carbureted

All i know about carbs is that I CAN work on them if I need to. Fuel injection complicates things to the point where we can't work on the bikes half-drunk saturday night before race day.

Where's the fun in that?

[max power]

Interesting. What tracks?

[RHill]

whats the cost of racing?

(by that I mean ignoring everything but fees)

[Disclaimer]

I'd want some kind of weight break too.

Fattest guy in the series = max weight. All others need to add ballast to the bike or wear lead riding vests to equalize power-to-weight.

[J_Copeland]

Sure,you come up with this after I get rid of my Kawi 250 .

Does sound like fun.

[redkow97]

It's $90 for the first race and $70 for the second.

The trackday at Nelson is also 50% off once you register for a race, so you save a ton if you do that. (i believe it's a $50 discount at tracks other than Nelson)

if you're a dynamo, the third race entry is $40, and 4th is $20. All races thereafter are $0.

so if you want to race every single class (which is actually almost possible with a 250), the max you can possible spend on Sunday is $220. The max you would spend for the weekend is $295 with the trackday saturday, and every race you want on Sunday.

The exception might be endurance entry fees, but if memory serves, the endurance race counts as your first sprint race, so any sprint races thereafter are $70, $40, $20, $0, etc.

[redkow97]

P.S. - while cruising eBay to price ninja 250 engines and see what I could potentially sell fairings for, I stumbled on a $1,190 Brembo caliper for an EX250, and a $1,200 Ohlins shock for a ninja 250.

Those are perfect examples for why I want to limit the mods to springs and brake lines... $2,000 worth of brakes and suspension on a bike that retails for $5k new??? unreal...

[jbot]

No breaks for heavier riders. I dont get a break for having tiny balls or eyes that don't open all the way unless you fags are gonna wear blind folds.

[J_Copeland]

Go to bed jbot,you have a long day ahead of you !

[ReconRat]

I'd want some kind of weight break too.

Fattest guy in the series = max weight. All others need to add ballast to the bike or wear lead riding vests to equalize power-to-weight.

nope, simply win the lead butt class...

[20thGix]

What about just buying a XR or CRF 100 and getting into the stock class in OMRL.

http://www.ohiominiroadracingleague.com/home/race-classes/stock-xr100

[redkow97]

I would entertain the notion of ballast so long as the heaviest rider pre-registered for all the rounds ;-)

And we'd have to find a way to distribute that weight on the bike and rider safely.

If the XR or CRF 100 route is cheaper, I'm all for it, provided they race in Ohio (or at BeaveRun and Putnam) on a regular basis.

I have to admit, I do like the idea of being able to hit 100mph, and somehow that is my unqualified prerequisite for "real" racing, but if the kart tracks are indeed less expensive, let's make it happen.

[20thGix]

If the XR or CRF 100 route is cheaper, I'm all for it, provided they race in Ohio (or at BeaveRun and Putnam) on a regular basis.

I have to admit, I do like the idea of being able to hit 100mph, and somehow that is my unqualified prerequisite for "real" racing, but if the kart tracks are indeed less expensive, let's make it happen.

Ohio= Circleville Raceway Park

Penn= PIRC

Check out the website or get ahold of Fireman343 on here. I have been having thoughts of trying it. Seems as if your trying to set up what they already have going. I think its $45 buck to race if you bring your own bike.

Edited August 4, 2012 by 20thGix

[20thGix]

Here is a cost break down from their forum:

[redkow97]

but how much does the bike cost?

realistically.

Did I see one here for $1300?

What kind of tires do they run? Warmers? I'm not at all familiar with what upgrades those bikes "need" to be competitive.

What's the top-speed on the circleville and BeaveRun kart tracks?

it would be strangely nice to race at 50 mph on a 100cc bike and ride the street on a 650, and have that feel like a beast

[20thGix]

Check out the link i posted earlier or better yet talk to fireman_343. He can tell you all that you want to know.

[Disclaimer]

Or everyone could just buy Hayabusas and go drag racing with me?

$7 every Wednesday. And my bike is 100% stock save for the aftermarket Delkevic exhaust that adds maybe 1hp.

You can run shinkos, no warmers, and the whole system is setup to handicap the slower vs. faster riders.

#ProblemsSolved

[Anden]

Hell start a Chinese knock off sumo league. They are dirt cheap on craigslist. the only thing invested is the tires. And you could set the claim at 300 bucks. Keep the tires. Hell make it so spectators could buy them provided they race the next race.

[redkow97]

holy hell! dry weight 165 lbs!

I can load it on my damn luggage rack!

well assuming i can get my knee-dragging kicks on a 100cc dirt bike, now I need to find a fire-breathing small-dick-compensating monster for the street... :-P

(but for real, who wants to trade me a first-gen SV650 for my track bike?)

[redkow97]

i guess my question for the OMRL guys is, "is a stock ninja 250 faster or slower than a 'formula 1' bike?"

because a forumula 1 bike with their race org sounds a lot more expensive than a stock 250.

Yeah, the stock CRF 100 class sounds cheap, but there is still a laundry list of mods you ARE allowed to make. That's why I like springs and brake lines-ONLY.

the mods are what kill us. Mods and tires. Yes, the aftermarket vendors are what make racing possible, but I just don't see the need for a $900 shock on a 250...