Zx6R VS 250/300

[nickjpass]

Hypothetical situation. What do I have to gain or lose if sold my zx6r and got a ninjette for the track instead? Obvious things like low cost of maintenance don't have to be mentioned.

[Sirref]

three things pop out to me
1. you lose any chance of having an ego as the fast guys on a ninjette are slower than people of similar skill on a supersport
2. no straightaway speed
3. you'll be laughing through every corner at how much fun you're having

[cbinker]

everything is pretty much lower cost.
downside is straights, the fewer the better.
depending on the level of track riders and how courtesy they are, carry more corner speed and potential wider lines could lead to guys to stuffing you on the inside. eventually will have to get stiffer suspension parts.

[csmith12]

^^^ naw... he weighs like 79lbs. lol

Really though, this is a pretty simple question to answer. You can find your solution in your riding goals. Will keeping what you have help you meet them or swapping for a ninjette? What are you trying to do on the track that you feel you might do better on the lil ninja?

[sharky nrk]

IMNSHO lol

The reality is that they are both motorcycles and depend on the skill of the rider to extract their performance. They are both capable of lapping a track quickly and putting huge smiles on the face of the rider.

Everything is less expensive with a 250/300 than the 6R. Fuel, tires, brakes, replacement parts, performance parts. Pretty much everything is less expensive. If your on a budget, that can be a big help. I know you said it doesn't need to be mentioned ......but it does. Less expenses mean more track time. More track time means more opportunity to get faster.

The difference is capability of the machine. A 250/300 is (especially when well setup) far more capable than many riders will ever be able to fully exploit. It hurts a lot of peoples feelings because of their ego but its true. There is a real joy to riding a small bike fast, faster in many cases than much larger/more powerful motorcycles - but it does has its downsides. The biggest one is capability vs a SS / SBK.

A more powerful bike and a very capable bike can mask your riding inability. Lets say we are on decently long track with a substantial straight (TWS for instance since I rode it this weekend). And then lets say we are both running 2:15 laps and I am on a 250 and your on a 600. The reality is I am likely faster then you EVERYWHERE on the track except the straight. A 600 will literally put 100 yards or more on a 250 just down the front straight. To make up that gap, in the infield I am having to ride harder and much closer to the machine's limit. This provides me some experiences that would put me straight on my head to learn at the machine limit on a 600.

I ride a 250 in Intermediate and pass a lot of people. A good deal of the time I can ride circles around people who's exhaust cost more than my track bike. I also get passed ALOT. Most of the time, its getting passed on straight when its just a matter of horsepower. Sometimes its not. I don't worry about it. In a lot of ways the 250 allows me to just drop any ego at the door and focus on my riding. When I am on the 600 at the track, and I have some power to fight back with, the ego is a little harder to keep in check. *Knock on wood here* but I have not crashed my 250 track bike since I got it (and have only gone off the track a few times) but during that same time frame I have put the 600 down twice and run off the track maybe x2.

There are things you just don't get on the 250/300 that a more powerful bike brings to the table. The need to learn to control the power delivery to the rear tire is one. The extra braking forces required due to the increased straight line speed is another. A 250 and a 600 are both bikes that can teach you things and improve you as a rider. The bar on a 600 is much higher in terms of capability vs a 250. The thing is your not any taller and if you can't reach the bar ....... you can't reach the bar. In general, if you can't ride a 250/300 fast.........you probably can't ride fast.

[liberpolly]

There are also Ninja 500 - why is nobody ever mentioning them? They're lick chopped liver or something...

[nickjpass]

I'd rather have a 250/300 if I went to a smaller displacement.

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by nickjpass

I'd rather have a 250/300 if I went to a smaller displacement.

don't count the sv650 out

[GregS]

Originally Posted by liberpolly

There are also Ninja 500 - why is nobody ever mentioning them? They're lick chopped liver or something...

I've never ridden one but have heard they are much heavier, with not a lot more power. Wet weight is about 435 with rear wheel HP around 50. So basically its the same weight as a ZX6R with half the power.

If the Op is riding a shorter track or one that doesn't have a lot of long straights then I'd go for the 300. I have a GSXR-750 and a Ninja 300 and I ride the 300 more than the 750.

[GregS]

Originally Posted by Sirref

three things pop out to me
1. you lose any chance of having an ego as the fast guys on a ninjette are slower than people of similar skill on a supersport
2. no straightaway speed
3. you'll be laughing through every corner at how much fun you're having

You need to modify #3 as follows

3. you'll be laughing through every corner at how much fun you're having, as you overtake the guy that just blasted you on the straight

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by GregS

You need to modify #3 as follows

3. you'll be laughing through every corner at how much fun you're having, as you overtake the guy that just blasted you on the straight

unfortunately for me this happened a lot more when I was in the novice group, but you're still right about how satisfying that is

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by Sirref

unfortunately for me this happened a lot more when I was in the novice group, but you're still right about how satisfying that is

This will repeat itself in the I group as skill increases, patience young padawan. It can almost happen again in the A group, but it's kinda rare. You have to ride at the ragged edge, which is too sketchy for me at a track day ya know.

[sharky nrk]

Originally Posted by csmith12

This will repeat itself in the I group as skill increases, patience young padawan. It can almost happen again in the A group, but it's kinda rare. You have to ride at the ragged edge, which is too sketchy for me at a track day ya know.

^^^ This is a fair point ..... there are plenty of times that I could pass LOTS of bikes in I (and I still get quite a few every session; A would be a bit of a stretch lol) but some of the passes require riding that really there is no point doing at a track day ..... and no one wants to be that guy lol .

[geeker]

Originally Posted by sharky nrk

IMNSHO lol

The reality is that they are both motorcycles and depend on the skill of the rider to extract their performance. They are both capable of lapping a track quickly and putting huge smiles on the face of the rider.

Everything is less expensive with a 250/300 than the 6R. Fuel, tires, brakes, replacement parts, performance parts. Pretty much everything is less expensive. If your on a budget, that can be a big help. I know you said it doesn't need to be mentioned ......but it does. Less expenses mean more track time. More track time means more opportunity to get faster.

The difference is capability of the machine. A 250/300 is (especially when well setup) far more capable than many riders will ever be able to fully exploit. It hurts a lot of peoples feelings because of their ego but its true. There is a real joy to riding a small bike fast, faster in many cases than much larger/more powerful motorcycles - but it does has its downsides. The biggest one is capability vs a SS / SBK.

A more powerful bike and a very capable bike can mask your riding inability. Lets say we are on decently long track with a substantial straight (TWS for instance since I rode it this weekend). And then lets say we are both running 2:15 laps and I am on a 250 and your on a 600. The reality is I am likely faster then you EVERYWHERE on the track except the straight. A 600 will literally put 100 yards or more on a 250 just down the front straight. To make up that gap, in the infield I am having to ride harder and much closer to the machine's limit. This provides me some experiences that would put me straight on my head to learn at the machine limit on a 600.

I ride a 250 in Intermediate and pass a lot of people. A good deal of the time I can ride circles around people who's exhaust cost more than my track bike. I also get passed ALOT. Most of the time, its getting passed on straight when its just a matter of horsepower. Sometimes its not. I don't worry about it. In a lot of ways the 250 allows me to just drop any ego at the door and focus on my riding. When I am on the 600 at the track, and I have some power to fight back with, the ego is a little harder to keep in check. *Knock on wood here* but I have not crashed my 250 track bike since I got it (and have only gone off the track a few times) but during that same time frame I have put the 600 down twice and run off the track maybe x2.

There are things you just don't get on the 250/300 that a more powerful bike brings to the table. The need to learn to control the power delivery to the rear tire is one. The extra braking forces required due to the increased straight line speed is another. A 250 and a 600 are both bikes that can teach you things and improve you as a rider. The bar on a 600 is much higher in terms of capability vs a 250. The thing is your not any taller and if you can't reach the bar ....... you can't reach the bar. In general, if you can't ride a 250/300 fast.........you probably can't ride fast.

Well spoken.