Gauging interest in a new class

[Woodcraft]

I've been approached by a couple people about this idea, and it looks like CCS has tested it this year. I'd like to hear feedback from everyone about the adoption of a 250 class. There are a million Ninja 250's out there (1986-2012), Honda has a 250, and Kawasaki has a new 300. This class has been very successful out west with low costs, very close racing and good size grids. The thoughts are to run it with production rules on the 300 and Supersport rules on the 250's. Obviously there would have to be enough bikes to make it work - so I'm putting it out there....anyone interested?

[a13x]

FWIW the 250 class is pretty big out here in Socal.

[RoyalewitCheese]

that would be pretty sweet for newcomers to the track to work on their skills .. amirite?

[Pittenger5]

Whats the point when we already run the EX500s? Unless you can convince the mafia to switch over

[Kurlon]

Will the normal single cylinder CCS blindspot be in place as it is in UL Thunderbike right now? (Aka SB motors on CBR250Rs, SuperStock on Ninjas and Suzukis.)

[Mustang]

Expanding on previous questions, how would this compare to / integrate with Hawks and EX500's? I def like the idea of a cheap, rider-focused (SS-type) class...

[jcbell1007]

I'd be game to potentially run a second bike.

What are the rubber choices like for the 250's?

[GingahNinjah]

Id be interested perhaps not for 2013 as it would be my first season but its not out of the realm of possibility. I love this idea!

edit:
Just cant afford to go out and blow my start up fund on a 250 and getting it set up if the class isnt gonna happen. If it happens im in.

[csmutty]

Wouldn't be able to afford a capable race bike this coming year, but maybe the next.

[Woodcraft]

All good feedback. I would say that if something like this were to happen that the race series should make a commitment to try it for 3 years.....kind of an insurance policy for riders who go out and buy a bike. That's how I would do it if I were making the calls. Right now I'm just probing to see what the real interest is. The guys in the Northwest really like this class, and at it's peak there were about 50 of these bikes at some races in California.

[union]

Seems like a good idea and a good idea to get into racing a little cheaper (hopefully). Something a little different for sure. Its something Id like to try but I dont know if I would want to build a race program around it.

Is three seasons enough?

Id just hate to see it be huge at first with current races trying something different and then slowly die out as its novelty wears off.

Id also hate to see the opposite. Few entries at first and then growing to be a good race because people see it can be fun racing.

We would have to be pretty careful with how the rules are written especially if there were to be multiple displacements allowed. Even in a production 300 build vs a superport 250 build I would probably lean to the new Ninja 300. As the saying goes there is no replacement for displacement.

[DankDirtyBird]

I would definitely be interested in this. The question is if I could pony up the cash needed to make it happen.

[Pittenger5]

I still dont see the difference between the 250s which have no support, and the 500s that have a moderate amount of support?
At this point you can probably get 500 race bikes cheaper than the 250s since no one else races them.

[Kurlon]

I still dont see the difference between the 250s which have no support, and the 500s that have a moderate amount of support?
At this point you can probably get 500 race bikes cheaper than the 250s since no one else races them.

They're raced elsewhere pretty hard, just not up here as we've got PTwins as the cheapie cost of entry class.

[tsorfas]

I'd be in. Again like most not for next year but soon enough.

[Mr. Kurtz]

Could this class really compete, cost wise, against Production Twins? Are there other factors that people think would make it more(or as) successful as Ptwins?

I just think that if a friend asked me about getting into racing, and their initial concern was cost, I'd steer them towards a $1000 "race prepped" EX500 that can go a full season on one set of tires. IF they wanted to spend $3000-$3500 on a bike, then set it up for racing, I'd steer them towards an SV. Am I wrong in expecting a CBR250 or this new EX300 to cost around $3000, just for the bike? I do understand people could go snag a 1989 EX250, but by the time they get it "set up," I can't help but think they would be well into EX500 race bike money.

- - - Updated - - -

Could someone who has raced an EX500 in Ptwins give us an idea of their actual costs to get racing?

[jasnmar]

This isn't the class that requires factory stereos that I was hoping for.

[tsorfas]

You are right but there are more people riding 250s than EX on the street in that sense it ll be easier to bring those people at the track and Into racing since they already have the bike. But your point is valid in NE there are more prepped EXs obviously but havig a 250 class will probably change that.

[Degsy]

Wirelessly posted

This is great news. The Loudon only production twins ex500 class doesn't allow a racer to run competitively elsewhere. The 250 class is wildly popular everywhere else. There are tons of available race parts (new) and racers can race them at other tracks in the CCS and WERA series' .

The time has come to look into alternatives for the ex500 class and the 250 ninja and CBR250 are the way to go.

[Kurlon]

Could this class really compete, cost wise, against Production Twins? Are there other factors that people think would make it more(or as) successful as Ptwins?

I just think that if a friend asked me about getting into racing, and their initial concern was cost, I'd steer them towards a $1000 "race prepped" EX500 that can go a full season on one set of tires. IF they wanted to spend $3000-$3500 on a bike, then set it up for racing, I'd steer them towards an SV. Am I wrong in expecting a CBR250 or this new EX300 to cost around $3000, just for the bike? I do understand people could go snag a 1989 EX250, but by the time they get it "set up," I can't help but think they would be well into EX500 race bike money.

- - - Updated - - -

Could someone who has raced an EX500 in Ptwins give us an idea of their actual costs to get racing?

My GS500E build was the 'worst case scenario' of getting into PTwins as I built it from scratch rather than buying an already setup machine. I sunk $2000 into prepping it, new shock, springs and emulators in the forks, clipons, rearsets, new rotors and pads, stainless lines and a later generation front brake caliper. Within the rules that was all I could do to it.

Add in the normal personal safety gear costs, a set of tires that ran me two years happily, and there's your worst case scenario. (Ignoring the cost of the bike itself, which in this case was negligible as I bought it as a dead machine.) Start with an already prepped machine for $1000 (or less) and you're in cheap, which is how a couple people I know got into the series.

[csmutty]

Could this class really compete, cost wise, against Production Twins? Are there other factors that people think would make it more(or as) successful as Ptwins?

I just think that if a friend asked me about getting into racing, and their initial concern was cost, I'd steer them towards a $1000 "race prepped" EX500 that can go a full season on one set of tires. IF they wanted to spend $3000-$3500 on a bike, then set it up for racing, I'd steer them towards an SV. Am I wrong in expecting a CBR250 or this new EX300 to cost around $3000, just for the bike? I do understand people could go snag a 1989 EX250, but by the time they get it "set up," I can't help but think they would be well into EX500 race bike money.

- - - Updated - - -

Could someone who has raced an EX500 in Ptwins give us an idea of their actual costs to get racing?

250s dont drag hard parts and the frame doesnt flex as much.
And they look 3 million times better.

[Chippertheripper]

You are right but there are more people riding 250s than EX on the street in that sense it ll be easier to bring those people at the track and Into racing since they already have the bike. But your point is valid in NE there are more prepped EXs obviously but havig a 250 class will probably change that.

i disagree. they're at least equal, with the balance probably tipping in the 500's favor.
that said, if the chassis for any of the 3 250/300 is any more capable than a ex500, maybe i'd be interested. i refuse to ride a bucking bronco (ex500) but i do miss racing up there tons.

[Pittenger5]

Could someone who has raced an EX500 in Ptwins give us an idea of their actual costs to get racing?

900 bucks for a race prepped ex500. Couple hundred for an upgraded shock (like 200). Set of tires lasts a season if not more. Of course, tire warmers and all the typical shit as well. That was my cost to get into it.

All in all, Id be excited for 250s, BUT Loudon already has a low cost entry level racing class that gets more and more sparse every season. Id love to hear all these people who are saying "Id be in for the 250s" reason for not running an ex500 instead?

[csmutty]

900 bucks for a race prepped ex500. Couple hundred for an upgraded shock (like 200). Set of tires lasts a season if not more. Of course, tire warmers and all the typical shit as well. That was my cost to get into it.

All in all, Id be excited for 250s, BUT Loudon already has a low cost entry level racing class that gets more and more sparse every season. Id love to hear all these people who are saying "Id be in for the 250s" reason for not running an ex500 instead?

They are ugly, beat up, outdated, drag hard parts, and did I say ugly?

[Pittenger5]

They are ugly, beat up, outdated, drag hard parts, and did I say ugly?

Ugly: Yes
Beat up: perhaps, but they're racebikes, and you cant kill them.
Outdated: So are the 250s, except for the brandy new ones.
Drag hard parts: Once I switched to rear sets and improved body position I never dragged again (granted, I only did 26s on that bike)
Ugly: Yes