Aspiring Racer?

http://wera.com/

Do some track days first to get comfortable on whatever bike you get and to get used to being out there on a track.

 

I would really recommend starting on a 300/400 or an SV650. You'll learn a lot more and it'll be much less expensive (NOTE: less, not inexpensive). If you do go the 600 route, you'll have an easier time finding spare parts in the pits and set up knowledge on a more common bike. The ZX-6R would trump the CBR there and R6 or GSXR600 would trump them both.

 

This.

Also second the idea of getting a SV650 or a 300 class bike.

Besides Wera, theres CCS (Championship Cup Series) http://www.ccsracing.us . Those are the 2 big club racing orgs.

With CCS you have to be an AMA member if its a joint ASRA/CCS weekend.

Almost forgot. No matter what bike you get or which org you decide to race with. DONT GO OVERBOARD on things. Seen way too many new racers show up with huge as rigs/rvs, custom printed canopies, thousand dollar paint jobs on their bikes and just about every high end thing trying to emulate pro teams. These guys usually end up racing one year, maybe 2 and that's is. They over extended their finances. Half million dollar rv wont make you faster. Having team shirts made wont make you faster. Fancy paint job wont make you faster.

 

Do a few trackdays and then you will know more about where to go from there. I wouldn't even worry about planning for racing at your current stage until you get a few trackdays under your belt and hone your skills. Also, while at said trackdays, there are PLENTY knowledgable people and coaches there to set you on the right path.

Good luck, and always remember Rule #1, don't get ahead of yourself. If you've never ridden on a track before, your first day will likely be a humbling experience....it was for me. Lol

 

some pretty good information here, this shouldn't be too long but will have my personal opinion. that doesn't mean its right and of course doesn't represent STT as their opinion just mine. I am not going to get into what class or what bike you should ride or what org you should race / ride with.

first you could honestly if you felt so inclined show up at a WERA pro day which is generally ran with STT and do 1 trackday/ race school and then go racing as a novice(everyone starts as a novice) the VERY next day. that is assuming you pass the pro school and survive the mock race. <--- all of this I highly disagree with, way back in the day before track days were prevalent they only way to get on track was race so thats what happened. no that track days are prolific. It isn't hard to get on track.

Now to the way I prefer to see, this is purely based on my experiences in viewing / coaching / and riding for close to 13 years. in seeing how so many progress and when some people decide to go racing and at what level.

TRACK DAYS... A lot of them, I will say it again but slower.. PLEASE, PLEASE DO TRACK DAYS. As many as you can to get proficient. you as everyone does will start in novice at a track day this is were we teach the basics of track riding and it is here we cement these things that you will build your entire riding career off of. from body position, flags, the track direction, throttle control , braking applications, eye focus , line choices and the basics of passing. then when ready we will move you to intermediate. we then take the skills learned in novice and expound on them. lines, refining body position . really start hammering throttle and brake controls and passing is opened up to 6 foot rules . after that you get to advanced. this group you are on your own passing is anywhere but here you ride by yourself unless wanted we can and will hep really refine everything from the prior groups.

^ with the above. some people will go from novice group to advanced group in just a few weekends (these people are the anomalies) most people take a few years to go from novice to advanced. some people have never made it advanced yet. thats fine. some haven't made it into intermediate after years. thats again perfectly fine! DO NOT expect to be a Rockstar day 1 if you are sweet, but be an open book and take it in.

I know this jumped a bit but everything needs to be said to understand what happens and kinda how. I said all of this because. Racing is a whole different animal. in racing there are basically no rules, obviously dont ram, hit or purposely cause some one to wreck. but other than that its open. go as fast as you can pass where you can (or purely anywhere based on some people) and end up across the finish line before other people if you can. TO ME , WAY TO MANY PEOPLE just right into racing without the NEEDED skills to ride properly and safely to race. I prefer that people ride in advanced for a year before racing this will give you the skills and the knowhow to pass people or be passed super close without being spooked. to be comfortable with all the amazing craziness that is entering turn 1 off the start 4-6 bikes wide and 9 rows deep. TO ME the majority of people simply DO NOT possess the skills that are bare minimum to be confident enough for these things when they are in novice or just in intermediate.

to sum up. go to a track day, see what it is all about. enjoy it and take it all in. TALK to people coaches other riders and so on. to me racing is a whole bigger world apart yet joined with trackdays.. faster way more aggressive than anything you should see at a track day. get the ideas and make a goal to get there.

 

This is all very well said, an excellent argument for trackdays. Racing organizations, which have seen their grids shrink due to the growth of trackdays do not typically hold this wider view, and their more enthusiastic proponents will espouse the novice licensing process as adequate for developing into a successful racer. But in practice, it is not nearly as effective as the path TheRabbit has laid out. Most active racing careers last about 2.5 years, more or less, before you take a hiatus (health, financial, other). If you think you only have the next 2 years before you think your life will change and you can't ride, race now. If you plan to have a longer career riding and racing, develop your skills at trackdays, then add racing.

If trackdays are heroin, racing is fentanyl - it's the same kind of high, but racing is a more powerful and more dangerous version of the same speed/rubber/titanium drug delivery system.

Also, SV650.

 

+1 on the SV650
And if you don't wad it up, you will be able to sell it for what you paid.
Then it's time for the R6.

 

Welcome to the best hobby in the world lol

 

I made a list of 100 things a racer can do to guarantee success. It needs to tweak some so I'm still working on it. My favorites so far feel the front slide and visualize off track.

 

This would be something awesome! And probably lead to 100 questions!

 

https://design-engine.com/100-things-sportbike-racers-do-to-win/

 

As someone working through the process myself right now, I would agree wholeheartedly with the rabbit. Making it into the Advanced group with STT and getting comfortable there is step 1, before even worrying about a racing license. As you progress you can check your lap times against WERA novice times to let you know when you’re closing in on race pace. You’ll also be becoming familiar with all of the tracks you will race on which makes a huge difference. Maybe this takes you a year, maybe five years, maybe you decide that trading the fun of track days, isn’t a good trade for the stress of racing. Either way, the experience of working through the track day ranks is where you want to start.

 

Good luck, what track are you going to try first?

 

I guess I'll have to disagree with Oyster. I dropped about 4 seconds on my first real race weekend with the MRA at HPR big track. I dont have any reasons as to why, it just sort of happened. Maybe just being surrounded by faster riders. Now mind you I had already done around 20 trackdays but my lap times leveled off. Racing made me realize how stable and planted my bike really was. If you're comfortable in the intermediate group, at least passing as many people that pass you, then just do it and let the person evaluating you during the licensing clinic decide whether or not you are fit to go racing. And it's a blast!!! Lining up on the grid for the first time is an experience.

 

The RST stuff is decent if you want good gear on a budget. Cortech is also a good choice. STG also sells their own branded race suit that is a good value. Shop the closeouts and read reviews. I like Scorpion helmets for value - EXO-R2000's can be found for $200.