hi, is there anybody that is willing to get me borrow or rent their 250 cc bike for one track day,, im just trying to get a feel for it, i cant decided if i should stay with my 1000 or get a 250cc, if anybody has one avaliable please let me know, im out of chicago,, thanks
i have literbike at the track for a while and now a aprilia mille, ton of torque, but just want to try a 250cc atleast one at the track, i like the 1000cc bike set up,, being 6"4 i fell more comfortable, sitting on one, has nothing to do with the power, honda cbr 600 just feels soo crammed to me,
It depends on what 250 you ride. A TZ250 is as close to a GP bike you'll get in the handling department, just much less hp.
a ninja 250 would work too,, done really mind the hp,, i run in the I group any ways, a TZ250 would be awasome,,
that i have yet to see in my 5 years of track riding. it's usually the dude that just moved out of Novice into Intermediate and everyone told him the 250 is a great starter bike. he's putting down all straights while half of Intermediate that doesn't belong there can't figure out how to pass him because of his irregular lines.
That's probably more what you would see at a track day, and probably a 4stroke Ninja 250. A full race 2 stroke GP250 is capable of some pretty serious lap times. That's the type of 250 I meant to the op if he ever had a chance to ride one. Ever see the Moto3 bikes racing?
Looks fun to me... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz03sQeX02c&noredirect=1 If I understand your intentions with wanting to get a small bike, I would just look at an SV650.
If I understand your intentions with wanting to get a small bike, I would just look at an SV650. ^^^ This!
250's are great beginner bikes. I am not sure what the official rule is, but from what i have seen they are restricted to the Intermediate group...for good reason. One of the fastest guys in the Southeast (on any bike) holds the 250cc lap record at Talladega at a 1:08. Before riding the 250, he was winning 1000cc Expert races running 0:58's at the same track. So even in the hands of somebody very capable, the bike is going to be a minimum of 10 seconds off the pace of 600/1000cc bike. With less capable riders, it would be even more. The drastic difference in lap times and top speed is why they aren't a good idea in Advanced. But in Novice and Intermediate, they can "hold their own". They might get in the way on the longer straights, but nobody should really be "held up" by one for more than one corner. They are very different from a Liter bike, and do take a different skillset to go fast on. The only thing you can do is try one and see if you like it. BTW - your size shouldnt matter when comparing a 600 to a 1000...because the bikes are dimensionally identical. If you felt cramped on a 600, then you should feel cramped on a 600. The dimensions are almost identical (1-3mm difference here and there). I am 6'2", about 200lbs and i don't have any issues on smaller bikes (like the 675 and RSV4). It is just a matter of finding one shaped how you like and then getting aftermarket levers and rearsets to setup the geometry better.
only bikes i have felt comfortable in are 02 honda 954, ducatis, and aprilia. i have bought motorcycles in the past thinking i can make it fit, but even with rear sets moved back, my knees dont fit, and my helmet is always over the front windsheild.
If you're talking about a two-stroke 250 then I can't help you, but you could borrow my track Ninja 250, I'm also based in Chicago. I only had to ride a 250 once to be hooked, they are crazy grin-machines on the track and you can wring the crap out of them and throw them around like they're nothing. Plus passing bigger bikes is extremely satisfying, haha. Every track 250 rider I know is someone who have done track days for quite some time and "downgraded" to the 250 because they are so fricken fun, myself included (Came from a Daytona 675). The only track day I've done thus far with STT on the 250 was at Autobahn, and it was my very first weekend on the 250, but I still managed a number of passes in the corners, and of course people fly by me in the straights. We clearly have just had different experiences though. Due to the MCRA there is a group of track 250 riders in the area growing due to their 250 racing series, and we're expecting at least a 20-bike grid next season.