Wanting to get started racing

R

randyj4ever

New member
Reposting in this section

First off, I just wanted to say I did use the search feature and have not found anything really on this topic if I missed it just let me know and ill read up on there.

So I am interested in racing my 848 this coming spring and have a few questions for some of you experienced racers. The first is what class would I be racing in? I know I am not to the pro level by any means but the only class I have seen for my bike is formula xtreme. Since I am new to this I am am not sure how amateur racing works. Second if I am in that class how competitive would the 848 be?

My next question is what do I need to do for my bike (performance wise, I already know the tapping headlights replacing coolant...ect) to make my bike a competitive track bike? Is it necessary that I put Ohlin
 
Buy a race-prepped SV650 and race that. You'll go faster and have more fun than you would on the 848. If after a year or 2 you still want to race the Duc then go for it.
 
All of your questions will be answered by the club you decide to race with. Each club has a rulebook to explain how to prep your bike and what classes it/you are eligible for. You'll be able to get info on your area clubs and how to contact them at the Penguin school.

And +1 for starting on a cheaper bike. Have fun.
 
Agree with Rich, 2`nd gen SV`s make great racebikes.Lots of parts,easier on tires and you can run a crapload of classes ,depending on race organization.

In my humble opinion,racing your 848 would be a big mistake.

Good Luck!
 
If you're interested, here's a few more thoughts on racing from a guy who's been around it for 10 years. (Which BTW, is an eternity in club racing. Most guys last 1-2 years, 3 tops. Very small percentage go past 5.)

First, the 2 big truths:

You will crash, and you will likely get hurt. Perhaps very badly. Perhaps dead. I've been at the track 3 times when someone got killed. Also have seen guys get paralyzed, permanent brain injuries and host of other very serious consequences. It's a dangerous sport. Lots of people tend to minimize the risk, but it's very real.

You'll spend a lot of money. More than you plan on, maybe a lot more. If you get really eaten up with it, way more. A friend has a standard response to people who ask how much it costs to go racing. "All of it!!" As in, whatever you have, you'll spend. He speaks the truth.

Other facts:

You'll suck at first. Ok, that's not written in stone, but the odds are definitely stacked that way. I've probably seen about 1000 guys enter the club, maybe a half dozen impressed right off the bat. For the rest it's a long slog from getting your ass handed to you as a begining Novice to ending up as mid-pack Expert...which leads to...

The fact that you'll probably never be really good. By "really good" I mean competing for wins in the main (contingency paying) expert classes. Maybe 1-2% of the guys who start get to that point. The rest of us get to some level short of that and then plateau.

The bike you ride doesn't matter much. Unless they're really good, most people turn about the same lap time on an SV650 that they'd run on a 1098R. That's something that's hard to explain to those who haven't been around racing, but it's true. In fact, it's not uncommon for people to turn faster laps on slower bikes, at least on tighter tracks.

And finally...It's the most fun you'll ever have in your life. All the money, time, energy, body parts, everything I've payed out...it's been well spent. It's the most enthralling, intense, exhilarating thing I've ever been part of, and I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything.

Have fun.
 
Thanks for all the advice. I am checking on an SV650 at the moment i do not know much about those bikes so i will research them for a while.
I may just start on my 848 with track days and then go from there depending on how i like it and how well i do. I was intrested because i was thinking of putting on exhaust and getting body work and my bike prepped over winter for the start of the season but did not want to put money into it if it was not a good choice as far as a racebike.


and DRJC you said racing my bike would be a big mistake. Is that because the high cost and my inexperience?
 
Track days would be cool but class racing a 848 would be big dollars.You would need race bodywork to be legal and the stock suspension is not adequate for class racing.So new shock and race prep front for starters,then rearsets,520 conversion,etc....you get the idea.

And not if........... but when you crash......... more dollars.Plus racing formula extreme as a novice,not a good idea,I don`t think you would have that much fun.

As you mentioned,try some trackdays,then if good,get a SV650.I went faster on a SV than my GSXR my first two years.Pass 998/999`s on trackdays on my SV and I`m not that fast.

Have fun!!!!
Jack Chin
OMRRA
 
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