Minimoto?

[Sirref]

So I have an outdoor minimoto track ~15mi from where I live. Figured I'd start looking into using it as a more inexpensive way to get some training in. Well inexpensive when compared to normal track days.

Has anyone on here gotten into this yet? I'm thinking it'll be around $1,000 for the bike and I can run the bike in flat track races as well so it's a double whammy for practice/training time

[RacinNinja]

Gonna be more than a grand. A decent XR100 here goes for no less than that, then you should do the CR80 front end upgrade for a disc brake.

YZ80/CR80/KX80 will cost you about the same, then you'll need street tires and springers.

[shift957]

Ben, I'd stick with a 4 stroke 150. Too many limitations on the 2 strokes. Plus, indoor tracks like All sports GP in Sterling VA do not allow them. I instruct with NCminiGP.com and it's mainly kids but we get some adults too. I know VIR is a bit of a haul for you but there are mini races there regularly on the kart track. In fact, there was a mini race day the day after we did Patriot a few weeks ago. I agree with RacinNinja, you may get lucky and find something around 1000, but realistically they are normally around 1500.

I considered changing my RM85 from dirt to SM but it only qualified for 1 class. So I sold it.

[Triple Jim]

You're right about good training. On practice days at the at the VIR supermoto/kart track, you can run anything you want, all day for $40 when I've gone. I've had my Yamaha DT100 there three times and it was a blast, and I've been tempted to take my Ninja 250 there. But I agree that if you're buying a bike for the purpose, a 4-stroke 150 is what to get.

Here's me on the DT100, with some talented guys on 150s letting me lead for a while:




And proof you can run whatever you want on practice days. He did it just for fun, and it handled hilariously bad.

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by shift957

Ben, I'd stick with a 4 stroke 150. Too many limitations on the 2 strokes. Plus, indoor tracks like All sports GP in Sterling VA do not allow them. I instruct with NCminiGP.com and it's mainly kids but we get some adults too. I know VIR is a bit of a haul for you but there are mini races there regularly on the kart track. In fact, there was a mini race day the day after we did Patriot a few weeks ago. I agree with RacinNinja, you may get lucky and find something around 1000, but realistically they are normally around 1500.

Yeah, a 4 stroke is definitely what I'm looking for and the honda 150 seems to be the way to go. I don't mind paying a bit more than what I initially expected to pay for a good bike. $1,500 is perfectly fine for a pit/flat track/minimoto bike. I think with it I'll end up at the NJMinimoto and Sandy Hook Speedway tracks a lot on it

Originally Posted by Triple Jim

You're right about good training. On practice days at the at the VIR supermoto/kart track, you can run anything you want, all day for $40 when I've gone. I've had my Yamaha DT100 there three times and it was a blast, and I've been tempted to take my Ninja 250 there. But I agree that if you're buying a bike for the purpose, a 4-stroke 150 is what to get.

Yeah that's exactly what I'm going for, good training that I can do at least once a week on a reasonable budget (ideally daily training) I don't want to use my 300 for it since I want to be able to ride in "IDGAF mode" where I can test the limitations of grip and play with different techniques like backing it in on the rear brake and improve my side to side transitions


Thanks for the info so far guys, it's been pretty useful. I'm definitely going to be in on this for next season

[sharky nrk]

Minimoto dirt or Minimoto sumo? Based on the comments I would assume we were talking out kart track sumo work. I have a pair of XR100s (well one 100 and one 120) setup for training use at the the kart track. They are a lot of fun and definitely a inexpensive way to train. The thing I find about them that is such a benefit is that my bike weigh less than I do geared up so it magnifies every bit of my lack of smoothness and shifting of weight.

That being said the XR100 class is going to be the most popular grid size if you decide you want to do some races with it and by far the cheapest class. But the bikes really do kinda suck in terms of "race-bikeness". In some way that is part of the "charm". That said a 150R is a MUCH MUCH MUCH better bike. Bought double the money all said and done, with lighter grids, but much faster.

[VaFish]

Originally Posted by shift957

...Plus, indoor tracks like All sports GP in Sterling VA do not allow them. ....

Quickly Googled All Sports GP to find out about this track only to read that it closed down August 2015. Their website says the are trying to find a location to reopen.

[csmith12]

No matter what you buy, keep or get a dirt setup as well. I aint sure where you live Ben, but if there are any trails around where you can build up any sort of speed then go!!! The woods wreak havoc on your visual senses and to be any good means you have to learn what to ignore and what to pay attention to and the faster you make these choices, the faster you can ride the trial. Don't get me wrong, I love the lil kart track, but do yourself a favor and buy for both applications if possible.

/ps wear goggles... ask my optometrist if you don't believe me, and bark busters are a must unless your trails are perfectly clean and in that case you need to find another place to ride. lol

[jBazz]

I maybe throwing my hat into this miniGP ring too. Next season. TTR 125 or something similar to stay in the 100cc class.

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by csmith12

No matter what you buy, keep to get a dirt setup as well. I aint sure where you live Ben, but if there are any trails around where you can build up any sort of speed then go!!! The woods wreak havoc on your visual senses and to be any good means you have to learn what to ignore and what to pay attention to and the faster you make these choices, the faster you can ride the trial. Don't get me wrong, I love the lil kart track, but do yourself a favor and buy for both applications if possible.

/ps wear goggles... ask my optometrist if you don't believe me, and bark busters are a must unless your trails are perfectly clean and in that case you need to find another place to ride. lol

Another setup to have on hand for sure! I hadn't thought of that but the logic checks out.

This little 150 I'm getting is gonna be a transformer hahaha. I'm gonna get real good at swapping rims. 3 sets of rims, one for dirt, one for flat track, one for minimoto. I could probably run it at the local dirt tracks too. There's a full on MX track about an hour and a half drive away too in southern MD that I could ride


I'm gonna need to start looking in to buying/renting a garage for all my bike stuff if I get much more than what I currently have hahaha. Two race bikes (one non-functional currently, will likely repair and sell) A track bike I'm turning into a street bike, and plans to add a minimoto/dirt bike or two as well as plans to add in a miata and a street bike (will likely sell the track/street bike to make room for this one but still)

Originally Posted by jBazz

I maybe throwing my hat into this miniGP ring too. Next season. TTR 125 or something similar to stay in the 100cc class.

I've heard good things about the TTR 125 from a lot of people, I don't think I'll be going that route but it's definitely a good way to go

[shift957]

Originally Posted by VaFish

Quickly Googled All Sports GP to find out about this track only to read that it closed down August 2015. Their website says the are trying to find a location to reopen.

Bummer. I lived in several places in NOVA but have been out of the area for the past few years. All Sports was great for winter training.