So I wanna get into supermoto racing...

Doug · L Plate Warrior Joined: 18 Dec 2004 Karma :

Ok guys and gals

I've been hanging to get into some form of racing since I was about 6 and followed motocross but my parents could not afford it (plus my mother HATES bikes so would allow it). I've recently finished school and have defered my uni courese (mech eng/comp sci) for a year to earn money to ahh 'save up for uni' I beleive I told my mother Cool

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So now that I am free of parental reins I have decided to pursue my dream. Lately however I've been alot more into road racing than motocross but buying a road bike and upgrading it enough to be compedative seems too expensive for my budget. Supermoto sounds like it's the best of both worlds as i'd be riding a motocross bike with road tyres and adjusted suspension so I could swap the tyres/suspension settings and head off the beaten track should it take my fancy plus it looks alot cheaper than doing up a blade to race spec.

Track racing doesn't seem to be as popular in Australia as in Europe and especially supermoto but every man and his dog seems to do motocross. Maybe being from a rural area has skewed the balance the of racing that I see but I doubt it. Our domestic superbike/supersport series doesn't get a lot of media coverage and I've been looking for a second hand supermoto for a while now without much luck.

Anyway my questions here are am I being naive here? Does it take a similar amount of money to get into as road racing? Is there more to adjusting a bike for supermoto/motocross than just adjusting the suspension settings and swapping wheels? I was thinking of a YZ450F btw.

Cheers

Sparks! · Sir Tart-a-lot Joined: 30 Aug 2003 Karma :

Supermoto racing isn't /that/ much cheaper if you want to be really competitive, BUT it's cheaper to get into if you just want some fun. I'm looking to race in the UK, Southern Supermoto in 2006 , at the mo trying to get a car and sort my KTM out.

It is a case of getting a supermoto spec bike yep, talon/excel wheels, beringer caliper etc, decent set up.. then you need leathers, transport to track, race fees, damage fees when you bin it, tuning fees when you want to go FASTER. etc...

But supermoto racing IMO is a lot easier to get into, financially, than road racing, track days are cheaper, race fees are cheaper etc. etc..!
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G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

Just a note; not sure about in Aus, but in the UK you can do road racing pretty cheaply.

If you go for a class such as cb500 cup, MZ250s or even supersport 400s you can be competitive at least without spending much money. While you may not be at the front of the pack, this isn't too likely anyway if it's your first season.
Doing up a blade to race spec may cost, but then you've got to get stuff sorted for a bike that will be 150-180hp. A lower class where there's more regulations and less power will not only teach better race craft but will be much cheaper.

From what I've seen a cheap supermoto is way more than a cheap small capactiy road-race bike, that has similar power to the Supermoto.

However, not trying to put supermoto down, would love to try out a supermoto trackday, might even get a chance if my dr gets put back together today Smile

... however it's no where near competition spec.

Doug · L Plate Warrior Joined: 18 Dec 2004 Karma :

G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

If you're used to the style of bikes, then it makes sense to race them Smile

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No need to go for new models, never mind new bikes, be it on or off road.

In the BMCRClub in the UK they have 'Yamaha past masters'; TZR250s and RD350s, these sometime race along with the supersport 400s (tuned 250s and 400s). I know someone on another forum who had a 44hp TZR and managed to stay in the midpack of the much higher powered 400s.

Have a look around any websites for local racing clubs, be it road or half road Smile

. Around here you can get a bike that could be raced from about £750, it will be a bit of a nail, but it will be prepped for racing already and will be a lot less expense to crash

loply · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Karma :

There are lots of pretty cheap road racing classifications, SuperMono for instance, amongst the already mentioned ones.
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Doug · L Plate Warrior Joined: 18 Dec 2004 Karma :

Thanks guys, I'll check out some of these classes and see what I come up with. I'm heading out to work today for 2 - 4 weeks (not sure) so I won't be able to check the forum till I get back. It's kinda a drag but it pays well so I'm focusing on the bike at the end Razz

Cheers