how to race?

[TUG]

hello there, first post on here, need advice on racing, i dont know much about how to get into it and sponsorship, i want to enter the 400cc class next year as i have a FZR400 3en1 and i know the bike quite well, problem i have is lack of knowlegde on how to get into the racing scene, any advice is greatly appreicited.

[G]

Done many trackdays?
Presume you have, but if not, that's the best first step.

Starting race with bemsee, the club I race with (and, though I would say this, considered to be the best in the UK):
https://www.bemsee.net/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=4&Itemid=40

[TUG]

so i must join a club and do track days first? seems simple enought, me and a PIEMON want to do a few, get a track bike too for the track days? better than binning my project fzr.

[G]

Do some trackdays if you haven't.

Get an idea of how fast you are.

Even mee recently, I'm spending a hell of a lot of money and the last two race weekends I might as well have been at a trackday really.

Personally I'd only consider going to racing when you feel the competitive element is worth the large amounts of money it costs.
Per minute of tracktime I wouldn't be suprised if racing costs up to 5x as much, or maybe even more compared to trackdays!

So I'd only start shelling out for it when you start to feel trackdays aren't offering you so much.

If you don't want to bin ya' bike, don't crash it. As I found last year, crashing definitely isn't good as you don't get points for it (unless you do it after the race ).

As with all bike stuff, start gently and getting quicker a little at a time and you should be fine.
Go out trying to break lap records or keep up with people beyond your skill on your first track ride and you'll probably crash.

[Kickstart]

[TUG]

just read on the net that diabeties which i suffer from ever so, will stop me getting a racing license, anyone on here suffer from diabetes and still races and/or have a racing license? or do you know anyone who has a race license with diabetes?

[G]

It won't stop you doing trackdays and you don't need to join a club etc to do trackdays.

[TUG]

thats all good but i want to race pro, am sick of people saying "oh its only diabetes, it cant stop you doing what you really want to do" when it really does.

[Bendy]

Read. https://www.acu.org.uk/info/medical_faqs.aspx

If that doesn't answer your question, asking the ACU might be a good idea.

[Marci]

[G]

[MarJay]

It does sound like you think you'll start and get paid to do it by your sponsors. This isn't the case, you need to pay for everything when you start at club level.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[TUG]

[TUG]

[G]

If someone 'scouts you out', you'd still be expected to pay tens of thousands of pounds to move up to the next level generally.

It's the same licence for club racing as national racing bascially, so if you can do club racing, you can do the next level.

If you've never ridden on a track, I suspect your hopes are rather high.
[edited, seems you were listening]
Even when club racing, you'll find the top racers will still do plenty of trackdays to make sure they stay the top of their game.

If you do national level racing, expect to lose every other weekend or so through summer, and some of autumn/spring travelling to tracks from dover to scotland.

[TUG]

[G]

High hopes often lead to high disapointment.

Have you contacted the ACU to clarify the situation?

Even better than dreaming, I'd say, is to get out and enjoy life. There's plenty of other things that can provide enjoyment, though I have to say it sounds to me like you want to enjoy winning glamourously rather than riding a bike so far.

[TUG]

[-Savage-]

[Bendy]

[G]

For the moment, however uncompetitive they are supposed to be, trackdays should offer as much competition as you would get at the back of the grid of a club race.

Definitely for me, the way I've been riding this year so far I probably might as well have been at a trackday .

[TUG]

[-Savage-]

you were seriously asking why you would be getting hastle for racing when you were diabetic. the answers kinda obvious, bikes dont steer so well when the racer is unconcious

what i was trying to say was can you not see hwere the ACU are going to have problems? if they give you a licence, and you die as a result of diabetic complications, they will be in the poo for allowing you to race. same as the US army dont let anyone with diabetes enlist, a soldier isnt going to be much use if he cant maintain his glucose levels on the fly.

hopefully you can get raceing and that, but just try and see where they are coming from.
____________________
My Bikes - - - Royal Enfield 500 with sidecar, VFR800, CBR600FX,
Peugeot Speedfight 100, Kymco Hipster 125, GSXR750K5, Jawa TS 350

[TUG]

[-Savage-]

dude im not here to steal your thunder, but you have an illness which carries certain disadvantages. Now you dont know if you can get a race licence or not, so try at least. i mean rocky was declined for a licence because he was deemed too old lol

if you have got through so far without finding anything diabetes has stopped you from doing your lucky. but just realise sometime people just have to make the most with the cards they are delt.

best of luck anyway, and have a good birthday.
____________________
My Bikes - - - Royal Enfield 500 with sidecar, VFR800, CBR600FX,
Peugeot Speedfight 100, Kymco Hipster 125, GSXR750K5, Jawa TS 350