New member/Racer near Baltimore MD/York PA

[Suprafreak13]

Hey everyone. I just joined the kawasakininja300 forum also, but apparently this is the better forum?

Here's a little of my motorcycle/roadracing background;

2010 I started riding trackdays on a 1998 Honda Superhawk. Third trackday I laid it down so decided to get a track only bike. Ended up trading an old Supra for 2 ex CCS Yamaha FZR600 race bikes.

I built an FZR400 framed 600cc superbike and won three regional championships with WERA in V7MW and V7HW during 2012-2014.

Last summer I sold my FZR400/600 racebike, and got a fully prepped 2009 Ninja 250 racebike. It has the works, clipons, rearsets, penske shock, traxxion dynamics ak20 cartridge inserts, steering dampener, full race fiberglass, modded airbox, AreaP full race exhaust, ect ect


This year Kawasaki has the new race contingency program for the 2015-2016 Ninja 300, so this week or next week I'm going to buy a 2016 to race for the next 2 years. I'll swap what I can from the 250 onto the 300 and build it from there to get ready for the Daytona races in March.

I also have a motorcycle(and more) shop in Shrewsbury PA, which is smack dab in the middle of York PA and Baltimore MD.

If anyone local ever needs any work done on bikes/cars/tractors/ basically anything with a motor and wheels.. or not....I do metal fabrication and welding of all kinds.

[csmith12]

Welcome Shane!

[DEFY]

Welcome!!!

[adouglas]

Welcome! You happen to have one of the most dedicated racers on the forum right in your neck of the woods.

Paging @Sirref....

[taz]

welcome.

[Suprafreak13]

Thanks! here's a pic of me on the 250 I got last year.. Going into turn one at Summit Point Raceway




I also was the monkey on a F1 Sidecar team last year, and we won the championship in the Sidecar Racing Association. This pic was from NJMP

[allanoue]

Shane

next tire change I will hit you up

[CaliGrrl]

Welcome!

[VaFish]

Welcome!

Just a bit south of you. Don't do any track work, but might ride out for some races this summer.

[HoneyBadgerRy]

You found the right place. Make sure to make a build log so others can bounce ideas off of you.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by Suprafreak13

I also was the monkey on a F1 Sidecar team

Your a brave soul, but super cool if you could tell us more about that. lol Me and my friend Kevin have thought about doing sidecar stuff, but he is a tall guy and don't think he would be a good monkey and I know nothing about it.

[tgold]

Welcome Supa!
I love sidecar racing more than motorcycle racing. (I've had one ride as a monkey and I absolutely loved it.)
I can truthfully say that I would have been sidecar racing for the last 30 years instead of motorcycle racing if it was even close to being as feasible as racing a bike.

[greenaero]

Welcome Shane! Good luck at Daytona!

[cbinker]

hello.

[allanoue]

have you seen a white 300 with a rider in yellow leathers cruising 83?

[Sirref]

Hey welcome to the forums, I'm pretty close to you, over in Towson. I've seen your FZR a few times at the timonium bike show if it's the one I'm thinking of. That bike looked like a whole lot of fun.

This season I'll be running the CCS Atlantic ultralight as an amatuer (no daytona in march for me) and Team ProMotion's gp moto ninja cup. Lucky you to get in on the payout scheme with the newer bike, I wish they had extended it to all the 300s From the sound of it you're going to enjoy the class. The way I've seen it TPM has bigger grids for ultralight so I'd strongly suggest to try a few of their races, the schedule is mostly NJMP/Summit/NCBike with some VIR, Dominion, and NYST thrown in.

Also I'll be at the timonium bike show on the 13th during the day or the 14th in the afternoon

Originally Posted by adouglas

Welcome! You happen to have one of the most dedicated racers on the forum right in your neck of the woods.

Paging @Sirref....

I've heard of shane, mostly because of his fzr. He's far more dedicated than I am. I just like to ride at the track every chance I get

Originally Posted by csmith12

Your a brave soul, but super cool if you could tell us more about that. lol Me and my friend Kevin have thought about doing sidecar stuff, but he is a tall guy and don't think he would be a good monkey and I know nothing about it.

Have you considered that you would be more fit to be the monkey? gotta learn sometime, I'd trust kevin to ride a safe spirited race pace

[csmith12]

Of course I have, but Kevin is very adamant that he is not ready to race but has considered being copilot.

[SLOWn60]

One of the fascinating minutia of side car racing is the number of father/daughter entries with mom as part of the pit crew.
...how the heck did that plan get approved?!?

[adouglas]

Because being right beside Daddy at 130 mph is safer than letting boys get at her.

Makes perfect sense to me.

[SLOWn60]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Because being right beside Daddy at 130 mph is safer than letting boys get at her.

Makes perfect sense to me.

Racing the Isle of Mann TT is safer than boys?!? Lol!

[Racer x]

Welcome.

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Of course I have, but Kevin is very adamant that he is not ready to race but has considered being copilot.

Fair point, if he isn't ready for it then it's for the best to not force it. It would be a sight to see though

Originally Posted by SLOWn60

Racing the Isle of Mann TT is safer than boys?!? Lol!

I don't think that's really the point, it does make for a nice family activity though

I'd stick to a track with runoff for safety reasons, no reason to risk two family members lives at once

[SLOWn60]

Ben; I totally see it as a great racing pursuit but as you say: on a proper track with good runoffs.

If I were younger; I'd love to try the monkey position! But on several of my IMTT DVD's; there are several family racing sidecar teams of father daughter. I expect it would not be your typical mom that would be enthusiastic to have an IMTT racer in the family let alone both your husband and children careening around that course!

Tough enough on two wheels on that 20' wide strip of pavement! Imagine 2 or 3 sidecars and monkeys jockeying in the corners lined with road furniture & rock walls!

I can tell you my mum would not hear of it! Lol!

[Suprafreak13]

Thanks for all the welcomes, makes me feel at home

Originally Posted by csmith12

Your a brave soul, but super cool if you could tell us more about that. lol Me and my friend Kevin have thought about doing sidecar stuff, but he is a tall guy and don't think he would be a good monkey and I know nothing about it.

He'd be fine. I'm 6'1" and it was good. Being taller it's easier to get your weight further out on lefts (on a left chaired car)

Originally Posted by allanoue

have you seen a white 300 with a rider in yellow leathers cruising 83?

No I haven't


Here's a video of one of the more exciting sidecar races. New Jersey Motorsports Park

https://youtu.be/ZB7-czASF9o

[Suprafreak13]

Here's the best motorcycle race I've ever had.....and I lost...But I was on a 2009 Ninja 250 duking it out with two 300's.

https://youtu.be/YR7-fgMddms

[CaliGrrl]

LOL at the father/daughter team comment! I'm sure dad likes to have her where he can see her , for sure! Also, she will be completely unimpressed at boys and their showing off.

[Suprafreak13]

AND to top all of that off!! Here's the new 300 I just picked up today!

[Suprafreak13]

Originally Posted by Sirref

I've seen your FZR a few times at the timonium bike show if it's the one I'm thinking of. That bike looked like a whole lot of fun.

This season I'll be running the CCS Atlantic ultralight as an amatuer (no daytona in march for me) and Team ProMotion's gp moto ninja cup. Lucky you to get in on the payout scheme with the newer bike, I wish they had extended it to all the 300s From the sound of it you're going to enjoy the class. The way I've seen it TPM has bigger grids for ultralight so I'd strongly suggest to try a few of their races, the schedule is mostly NJMP/Summit/NCBike with some VIR, Dominion, and NYST thrown in.

Also I'll be at the timonium bike show on the 13th during the day or the 14th in the afternoon

You're doing Ultralight Thunderbike? What about 500SS? I'll be doing both as they both payout for the 2015-2016 300.

I was just looking into the TPM races today.. It seems like it would be fun with bigger fields. I might come try it. To me it just didn't seem very cost effective. However much the trackday is ($200?), plus 25 license and $30 for race entry, with only a $100 payout. I'm assuming you must be registered for the trackday to enter the race?

Not sure if I'll make it to the Timonium show this year..

Here's the FZR I had setup last year.

[CaliGrrl]

Very pretty!

[VaFish]

I'm thinking of going up to Timonium on Sunday.

As to fathers and daughters, I have a daughter that rides, we don't race motorcycles due to a promise I made to the wife back in 1997. But I like keeping my girls active and involved in activities that I enjoy as well. I also think if you raise your little girl to ride motorcycles, shoot guns and train in martial arts they will have the self confidence and good decision making such that you don't need to worry about the boys. (the boys will need to worry)

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by SLOWn60

Racing the Isle of Mann TT is safer than boys?!? Lol!

Setting yourself on fire and jumping off a ten story building into a kiddie pool to extinguish the flames is safer than boys.

Ask any parent of a teenaged girl.

[CaliGrrl]

Originally Posted by VaFish

As to fathers and daughters, I have a daughter that rides, we don't race motorcycles due to a promise I made to the wife back in 1997. But I like keeping my girls active and involved in activities that I enjoy as well. I also think if you raise your little girl to ride motorcycles, shoot guns and train in martial arts they will have the self confidence and good decision making such that you don't need to worry about the boys. (the boys will need to worry)

Oh, isn't that the truth! I was raised not with motorcycles so much, but definitely to be active, to have interests, my grandpa taught me and my brothers to shoot, that kind of thing. I may have dated a few mistakes, but it never got very far, and I always had the confidence to quit when it was less than great. And then I married a good 'un.

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by Suprafreak13

You're doing Ultralight Thunderbike? What about 500SS? I'll be doing both as they both payout for the 2015-2016 300.

I was just looking into the TPM races today.. It seems like it would be fun with bigger fields. I might come try it. To me it just didn't seem very cost effective. However much the trackday is ($200?), plus 25 license and $30 for race entry, with only a $100 payout. I'm assuming you must be registered for the trackday to enter the race?

Not sure if I'll make it to the Timonium show this year..

I may do 500ss as well, unfortunately my bike is a '13 not a '15-'16 so that payout doesn't mean much to me

Yeah the TPM races are more expensive but the bigger fields make it worth it, plus riding all day is nice. Also it tends to be $150/trackday (after membership) $25/license $60 race entry and $100 payout so you're right about financially feasible but that's par for the course. I don't really see any way that you would make money as an amateur in racing, particularly when the motoamerica folk have trouble paying the bills

I'm not 100% sure what ccs runs, just that it will be a lot cheaper to run

[toEleven]

Welcome aboard.

[Suprafreak13]

Originally Posted by Sirref

I may do 500ss as well, unfortunately my bike is a '13 not a '15-'16 so that payout doesn't mean much to me

Yeah the TPM races are more expensive but the bigger fields make it worth it, plus riding all day is nice. Also it tends to be $150/trackday (after membership) $25/license $60 race entry and $100 payout so you're right about financially feasible but that's par for the course. I don't really see any way that you would make money as an amateur in racing, particularly when the motoamerica folk have trouble paying the bills

I'm not 100% sure what ccs runs, just that it will be a lot cheaper to run

Yea, it's not like I imagine making any money with CCS.. If I spend $400-500 for a weekend and can make back $500 with two wins(not likely in 500ss but you never know) that would be nice. Or even $100-$200 back would be nice.

CCS Entries are $95 for the first and $60 for each after that..or close to those amounts. The license costs more though maybe $150ish for the year I forget. Gotta renew mine soon

If I decide to do a track day I'll try to make it with TPM to join in on the fun.

[subxero]

welcome, nice bikes and good luck.

[crazymadbastard]

Welcome!

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by Suprafreak13

Yea, it's not like I imagine making any money with CCS.. If I spend $400-500 for a weekend and can make back $500 with two wins(not likely in 500ss but you never know) that would be nice. Or even $100-$200 back would be nice.

CCS Entries are $95 for the first and $60 for each after that..or close to those amounts. The license costs more though maybe $150ish for the year I forget. Gotta renew mine soon

If I decide to do a track day I'll try to make it with TPM to join in on the fun.

I didn't realize you could win back money in CCS or is that from contingencies?
so CCS entries of $95 + $60 = $155 (not bad) gets you 4 practices and 2 races right? How does that work for the twin sprint weekends? do you pay double for double races or do you just get double races for the same pay (I'd expect double entrance fee for double race)

[Suprafreak13]

Originally Posted by Sirref

I didn't realize you could win back money in CCS or is that from contingencies?
so CCS entries of $95 + $60 = $155 (not bad) gets you 4 practices and 2 races right? How does that work for the twin sprint weekends? do you pay double for double races or do you just get double races for the same pay (I'd expect double entrance fee for double race)

The CCS Money is contingency from Kawasaki. If you are racing the same bike in both races you will only get 2 practices. The practice is divided into major classes and each gets two sessions.. So we would practice with Lightweight.

On twin sprint/double header weekends you pay for each race entry, so $90+$60+$60+$60 for 4 races, two practice sessions Saturday and one or two sunday. License is separate

[Sirref]

man, now I really wish I had a '15-'16 rather than a '13 it's the same bike :'(