How to start racing?

Hi,

Whats the best way and maybe cheapest for me to start short circuit racing?

Just want information on the best bike to start on and best series to enter.

Just for the info im 22 and live in london

Any info is much appreciated

Cheers

Mason

[Paul the 6th]

Everyone told me to try a few days in the fast group on track days before going any further. If you're holding your own in fast then have a look at the mini twins - also not sure if 750mc have bike racing series but worth a look..

[jambo]

Definitely do some track days in the fast group to get used to it.

You'll then need an ACU licence, and to become a member of one of the racing clubs to get a race licence. There are a number of clubs such as Bemsee, North Gloucester, and EMRA. Each club will have race classes that it runs, I'd suggest finding one that suits either your current track bike or the type of bike you want to race. Costs can escalate very, very fast. Consider the sort of machinery you'll be up against. If you race Super-sports, the guys at the front will have all spent a lot of money on engine tuning, if you race in the pre-injection 600s, or minitwins they will have spent less. Make no mistake, the people taking it seriously will be getting through multiple brand new sets of tyres in a weekend. Their suspension will have been completely rebuilt by someone that knows what they're doing. Do not expect to rock up on a stock bike and be at the cutting edge unless you pick a category that allows nearly no modifications (MZ racing looks like a hoot!).

Pick a club that races the sort of bike you want to enter, at the circuits that you want to do and start preparing yourself and the bike by doing track days at those circuits, then it'll feel like a more natural progression.

Jambo

So you all reckon if you can handle your own in the fast group then your on your way to racing? I got a way to go before that i reckon but maybe next year!

to answer the question :
A- find someone slower than you

B- wager some money with them about this is your first street race

C- spend the winnings in the next town

D- repeat

[Paul the 6th]

To be honest Mase yeah, I picked up a fairly decent pace in a couple of inters days, but the lads in the fast group on trackdays with their tyre warmers and fully race prepped bikes and lots more skills/experience were just lightning fast..

You'd be storming along cranked over as much as you could thinking you were setting a new personal best, and some guy would steam round the outside of you with a LOT more speed, but looking so composed he might as well have been listening to a bit of otis redding inside his helmet.

Then with racing there's getting a decent team of mates together who are happy to donate their time as mechanics or pit crew, fuel getting to and from events, fuel and tyres for the bikes, servicing the bikes between races, costs of repairs if you crash etc.. and this is all after the expense of ACU licence and club membership etc. It's a rich mans game. Although there is MZ racing which would be cheap and a right laugh. And then in terms of racing, if you rock up and it's piiiisssssing it down you can either go home as a loser or get stuck in and race in the rain. I know I'd not be best pleased with really bad weather but would commit to it and see if I make it to the end of the race in one piece lol.

Berlin on here raced for a season or two in mini-twins = there's a build thread for the bike and he'll probably be able to offer some tips/advice for how much it cost him, how well he performed (he was quick in the fast group on an RAF leeming track day - only reason quicker was because I was on a 135bhp gsx-r where he was on his race prepped mini-twin; in the corners he really was showing me how it was done and on the straights I was passing him again. Top lad )

[Paul the 6th]

p.s. or you can go on trackdays to suit you when the weather is good, get into some battles with other lads who are of similar ability, and really enjoy building up your pace, getting kneedown, experiencing what a squirmy bike feels like etc. without the pressure of trying to get a podium or knowing that if you crash it's the end of your race season because your budget won't cover the repairs and the rest of the season costs.

Well im at snetterton on sunday for the second time in a month hopefully the weather holds out again!

I race Bemsee in Minitwins and this is my second season.. Although doing track days is a good gauge racing with a club such as Bemsee will actually improve your riding far quicker than trackdays. I came from a road riding\dirt riding back ground and had done very few tarmac track days but with Bemsee they actually pair up riders with instructors on teh Friday test day so you get one on one tuition.

Minitwins is a great series, still not cheap but no tuning as such and if you buy yourself a decent race ready bike you'll find it easy to live with i.e oil changes, tyres and pads... thats it!

Were at Brands this weekend if you fancy a ticket for Sunday give me a shout.

Id love to come this weekend mate but got a track day myself at Snetterton 300! But wish you luck mate! And yes mini twins would probably be the entry i would start at considering i ride a SV on a daily basis