Coming in December, a whole new site to represent the new F-450 class of road racing and also all things related to 450cc single cylincer racing. Keep posted!!
This is great. I am happy to see more coverage of this class, as I am very interested in starting racing. There is also a 450 Super Single in the background of the Jason Britton Aprilia Tuono write-up in 2 Wheel Tuner magazine for December. I still need someone to buy my custom Streetfighter so I can start my build. Anyone!?!?!?
hey there, I posted in a coment in the last articcle section, but i am basically looking for clarification on some things...1'm 23 and want to get into roadracing, I read about this newly proposed 450 class and was wondering is anyone can tell me if this would be an appropriate class to start of in, or if I would be the old goat on the circuit...they keep talking about young riders using this class as a starting point...now I know i'm not an old rider, but am I too old for this class?
I'm reminded of those folks that race yamaha tt500 in Colorada (USA) in the late 70s. They weren't very fast but they should could lean, making them a potent weapon on a tight track.
I have two suggestions - 1) no fairing - fairing look great but add a lot of cost, especially when crashed 3) allow up to 300cc 2-strokes - just about as fast and a LOT cheaper to run
Regarding the question of age, this is designed for all, not teenage Spaniards that are 5' tall, but also regualr sized guys who are not age specific.. A Goat is only a Goat if he has a weak right wrist and no talent. By the same token, a 45 year old can build one just for track days. The skill lies in the ability to maximize braking, high corner speed and exit speed. The basics, that are not easily learned on a 400lb 600. It is as close to fun for all men/girls as there is!! Go for it!
Please, please, please combine this with the dirttrack singles program. THIS will save dirttrack! Imagine brand identity, young up & comers, Peoria one weekend Laguana the next!
4-Strokes in race trim fail miserably any type of emmissions standard. As far as Nox and some other ket pollutants thay are much worse than the 2-Strokes. If you really get down to the heart of the issue the Big 4 Japanese manufacturers love ramming expensive 4-strokes up your arse. They cost more up front, the service life has dropped greatly. With these motors being used for roadracing, an application they are not good at, you will be spending a bunch of time getting ram rodded at you local dealers for rebuild parts. In contrast the 2-Stroke is a FAR superior full throttle road race applicable power plant and when it comes time to overhaul the motor is about 1/4 the cost. In every measurable way the 2-stroke out-shines the misrable "thumper". Hey Gavin, why only '06 and newer and why not any of the other makes allowed. Also why won't you even consider letting the 250 2-Strokes run against the 450 4-strokes. Come on, do the right thing. Don't say you are trying get a grass roots deal going that is supposed to be affordable and then stack the deck with Honda B.S..
Open up a forum and it usually attracts a bunch of jerkoffs that have no life and just want to bitch about everything. This class that Gavin Trippe is trying to make work will be for the better for all of us in motorcycling. The emission issue is real. whether or not its factual that the race 450 runs cleaner or not, doesn't actually matter. The public thinks it does, so the perception is favorable in the public eye. You may not give a damn about public perception. But if you lose that battle over and over again, you can kiss all racing goodbye. I raced in the singles class years ago and it was a blast. And it was very affordable. Some of my friends were racing two-strokes and they were constantly seizing, rebuilding, rejetting, etc. I had alot more fun and I had faster laptimes than most of them. I'm not happy with all of the proposed rules either but its a starting place. If you want something to be different, propose it to those that are creating it, instead of tearing it down.
Thanks for somebody understanding this non-agenda proposal. As we speak, the rules are being finalized, fairing protype done and all will be on this stite in the next two weeks. Right now there is little to stop anyone starting the 'winter project', the last item to get slapped on is the fairing/tank/seat combo. Currenty Racetech are workig on exhange forks/shocks and if you check any Supermoto site, just about everything else is available.. www.supermotoracer.com for one. A pack of 450s 'on song' will really get the fans going, banging bars to boot! Don't forget, those on the other side of the fence count too!!
To all of the 2 stroke disciples....think it through. 2 strokes are great, but racing will not work without contingency money. Contingency money will not come without factory buy-in. Factory buy-in will not come unless you are on late model year bikes that they are keen on promoting on the showroom floor. I am a 2 stroke fan, but do not have my head buried so far in the sand that I cannot see the wisdom here. Cheers to Trippe for the leadership in an arena that is filled with so much disparity that even great privateer riders do not stand a chance.
I feel this is brilliant, big single racing is great to watch in Japan (there are some Youtube clips) It is a durable tough set of base parts and great less expensive way to race. If these race like the thruxtons this will be great fun (thruxtons weighing in about 200 or so pounds more though!) it would be good to race in a lighter more forgiving class, when supersport is to expensive to be competitive sometimes.
guy's the world is trying to rid it's self of 2 strokes and with fuel injection any 4 stroke runs cleaner and more manageable for rider learning throttle control. it won't be long until big brands offer these machines in street trim for 9k and we'll buy them.
Gavin, Is WERA only running the 450's in their National Challenge Series, and not in their Sportsman Series for 2008? From a marketing standpoint, if this is true, thats going to cut out a great deal of business, I would think. The National Challenge Series is a nation-wide approx. 10 race series. The Sportsman Series is all the regional race series, which is 6 regions, i think, and what, 8 to 12 races in each of those series.... Thats alot of business that will not be had, if its only running in the National Series... Not many of us can travel the country and races in the entire National Series... Just a thought...
The idea is for this to be a class for ALL WERA events, the Nationals being a specific championship. I am hoping that ever alphabet body builds a class on the same spec, then it makes sense for folks to have a spec to build to, from track bikes to race bikes. Tha way, if they ever do get brilliant, they can move up. The first spec bike with fairing will be at the CW show in Long Beach next weekend as will the new RaceTech exhange forks, so you don't need to even change triple clamps. Thanks, Gavin
I am just starting riding motorcycles and everyone I have talked to who rides and rides really well have all learned on 250 two strokes. I may not even race, but I want to build just to go to the track and use it to learn on.
Personally I am very excited about this, because it seems like the perfect way for someone to get into roadracing, without either going broke or getting divorced. I do admit that a street-legal conversion kit would be nice, as I know I would want to make it a daily rider, and track bike occasionally.
So how about a forum dedicated to this class where we could share info on building the bikes. Right now I am having a bit of trouble finding a 4.5" x 17" rear rim that will support the stock rotor and caliper. Shared information would go a long way in helping build the class.
I cant find the exchange forks at the Racetech site, where do we go? Also, are these ZX forks and others that may be used a direct bolt up or are there going to be bearing sets available.
24 comments:
This is great. I am happy to see more coverage of this class, as I am very interested in starting racing. There is also a 450 Super Single in the background of the Jason Britton Aprilia Tuono write-up in 2 Wheel Tuner magazine for December.
I still need someone to buy my custom Streetfighter so I can start my build. Anyone!?!?!?
hey there, I posted in a coment in the last articcle section, but i am basically looking for clarification on some things...1'm 23 and want to get into roadracing, I read about this newly proposed 450 class and was wondering is anyone can tell me if this would be an appropriate class to start of in, or if I would be the old goat on the circuit...they keep talking about young riders using this class as a starting point...now I know i'm not an old rider, but am I too old for this class?
I'm reminded of those folks that race yamaha tt500 in Colorada (USA) in the late 70s. They weren't very fast but they should could lean, making them a potent weapon on a tight track.
I have two suggestions -
1) no fairing - fairing look great but add a lot of cost, especially when crashed
3) allow up to 300cc 2-strokes - just about as fast and a LOT cheaper to run
A 10k roadracer is still too expensive, IMO
Regarding the question of age, this is designed for all, not teenage Spaniards that are 5' tall, but also regualr sized guys who are not age specific.. A Goat is only a Goat if he has a weak right wrist and no talent. By the same token, a 45 year old can build one just for track days. The skill lies in the ability to maximize braking, high corner speed and exit speed. The basics, that are not easily learned on a 400lb 600. It is as close to fun for all men/girls as there is!! Go for it!
Why can'y you include the 250cc
2-Strokes in this class as well.
4-strokes are crap boxes! Do the
right thing and include the 2-Strokes.
Environmentally speaking, four-strokes are better aren't they?
Please, please, please combine this with the dirttrack singles program. THIS will save dirttrack! Imagine brand identity, young up & comers, Peoria one weekend Laguana the next!
4-Strokes in race trim fail miserably any type of emmissions
standard. As far as Nox and some other ket pollutants thay are
much worse than the 2-Strokes.
If you really get down to the heart
of the issue the Big 4 Japanese
manufacturers love ramming expensive 4-strokes up your arse.
They cost more up front, the service life has dropped greatly.
With these motors being used for
roadracing, an application they
are not good at, you will be spending a bunch of time getting
ram rodded at you local dealers
for rebuild parts. In contrast the
2-Stroke is a FAR superior full throttle road race applicable
power plant and when it comes time to overhaul the motor is about
1/4 the cost.
In every measurable way the 2-stroke out-shines the misrable
"thumper".
Hey Gavin, why only '06 and newer and why not any of the
other makes allowed. Also why won't
you even consider letting the 250
2-Strokes run against the 450 4-strokes. Come on, do the right thing. Don't say you are trying get
a grass roots deal going that is
supposed to be affordable and then
stack the deck with Honda B.S..
Who is this "Gavin" guy and why is
he afraid to dispute these charges?
Open up a forum and it usually attracts a bunch of jerkoffs that have no life and just want to bitch about everything. This class that Gavin Trippe is trying to make work will be for the better for all of us in motorcycling. The emission issue is real. whether or not its factual that the race 450 runs cleaner or not, doesn't actually matter. The public thinks it does, so the perception is favorable in the public eye. You may not give a damn about public perception. But if you lose that battle over and over again, you can kiss all racing goodbye. I raced in the singles class years ago and it was a blast. And it was very affordable. Some of my friends were racing two-strokes and they were constantly seizing, rebuilding, rejetting, etc. I had alot more fun and I had faster laptimes than most of them. I'm not happy with all of the proposed rules either but its a starting place. If you want something to be different, propose it to those that are creating it, instead of tearing it down.
I am ready to buy some parts, where can I get them...
I raced a sv 650 that weighed more and produced about the same hp numbers. These look like a huge blast to ride.
Thanks for somebody understanding this non-agenda proposal. As we speak, the rules are being finalized, fairing protype done and all will be on this stite in the next two weeks. Right now there is little to stop anyone starting the 'winter project', the last item to get slapped on is the fairing/tank/seat combo. Currenty Racetech are workig on exhange forks/shocks and if you check any Supermoto site, just about everything else is available.. www.supermotoracer.com for one. A pack of 450s 'on song' will really get the fans going, banging bars to boot! Don't forget, those on the other side of the fence count too!!
There are raced on 450cc in JAPAN.
Pease see leatest race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZXER4ImTu4
#3 is using YZ450 engine and TZ125 frame.
To all of the 2 stroke disciples....think it through. 2 strokes are great, but racing will not work without contingency money. Contingency money will not come without factory buy-in. Factory buy-in will not come unless you are on late model year bikes that they are keen on promoting on the showroom floor. I am a 2 stroke fan, but do not have my head buried so far in the sand that I cannot see the wisdom here. Cheers to Trippe for the leadership in an arena that is filled with so much disparity that even great privateer riders do not stand a chance.
I feel this is brilliant, big single racing is great to watch in Japan (there are some Youtube clips) It is a durable tough set of base parts and great less expensive way to race. If these race like the thruxtons this will be great fun (thruxtons weighing in about 200 or so pounds more though!) it would be good to race in a lighter more forgiving class, when supersport is to expensive to be competitive sometimes.
guy's the world is trying to rid it's self of 2 strokes and with fuel injection any 4 stroke runs cleaner and more manageable for rider learning throttle control. it won't be long until big brands offer these machines in street trim for 9k and we'll buy them.
Gavin,
Is WERA only running the 450's in their National Challenge Series, and not in their Sportsman Series for 2008? From a marketing standpoint, if this is true, thats going to cut out a great deal of business, I would think. The National Challenge Series is a nation-wide approx. 10 race series. The Sportsman Series is all the regional race series, which is 6 regions, i think, and what, 8 to 12 races in each of those series.... Thats alot of business that will not be had, if its only running in the National Series... Not many of us can travel the country and races in the entire National Series... Just a thought...
The idea is for this to be a class for ALL WERA events, the Nationals being a specific championship. I am hoping that ever alphabet body builds a class on the same spec, then it makes sense for folks to have a spec to build to, from track bikes to race bikes. Tha way, if they ever do get brilliant, they can move up. The first spec bike with fairing will be at the CW show in Long Beach next weekend as will the new RaceTech exhange forks, so you don't need to even change triple clamps. Thanks,
Gavin
I am just starting riding motorcycles and everyone I have talked to who rides and rides really well have all learned on 250 two strokes. I may not even race, but I want to build just to go to the track and use it to learn on.
Will these bikes be shown at all the Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows?
Personally I am very excited about this, because it seems like the perfect way for someone to get into roadracing, without either going broke or getting divorced. I do admit that a street-legal conversion kit would be nice, as I know I would want to make it a daily rider, and track bike occasionally.
Keep up the good work!
So how about a forum dedicated to this class where we could share info on building the bikes. Right now I am having a bit of trouble finding a 4.5" x 17" rear rim that will support the stock rotor and caliper. Shared information would go a long way in helping build the class.
any word on a ktm vesion?! i bleed orange and want to do this to my 505.
I cant find the exchange forks at the Racetech site, where do we go? Also, are these ZX forks and others that may be used a direct bolt up or are there going to be bearing sets available.
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