sworobec
02-15-2009, 11:08 PM
Some people might balk at the idea of a tiny little 250 doing laps around Willow Springs International Raceway. Heck, they might even laugh if you said you were going to do Streets of Willow, a much shorter and tighter track.
Balk not, squid! For what I lack in straight-a-way speed I make up for in cornering prowess.
While there are many 250s in existence, I think it is important to focus on the quite popular Kawasaki Ninja 250, of all generations. Having perused the forums here as of late, I notice that quite a few people are selecting the Ninja 250 as their first bike. Excellent choice!
I am, by all definitions, quite a slow rider. I have been passed by many a competent rider, and many who may be incompetent. But this does not get me down, for throughout each of the three track days I've been to, I've never once felt uncomfortable because of the lesser performance of my 250 to other riders' 600s or 1000s. Indeed, within the next few paragraphs, I'd like to convince the fine folk who've purchased 250s to go to a wonderful track day at WSIR/Streets, or anywhere else for that matter.
My first time out, I was a bit skeptical, considering that my friend had a 600cc, as did everyone else within our circle of friends (barring one 500cc dude) on that particular track day. Surely I would get in the way of everyone's large displacement machines during the corners, let alone the straight sections.
Worry not, my friend assured. I took his advice but was still quite nervous when I lined up in the pits for the first time. This was indeed my first track day, so I made sure to pay extra attention to the rules. I didn't want to look like a moron and wind up in B group or get black flagged. I was very cautious for the first few sessions.
Ah yes, the groups. You will certainly be in C group should you board a 250cc with minimal experience. I'm sure that one of those Red Bull Rookie kids on his 250cc screamer would decimate all who oppose, but I certainly wasn't of such caliber. Nevermind that, of course. And I don't know if a really fast dude on a regular 250cc would want to ride in B group, anyway. I think that the 250cc would certainly show its weakness in this higher performing group of riders, skilled pilot or not.
But we're talking about C group, home to many once-in-a-while trackday attendees. I would like to think that there are usually a few beginners on 600s within this group whenever a track day happens. They are probably as nervous as you are. I'd also like to think that because of this, you have an advantage. The 250 is quite the forgiving bike. Overly generous mid-corner throttle application, while usually frowned upon, does not typically lead to stepping out the rear. Trust me, I've tried.
Poor body position, mid-corner braking, all bad as well. But I've never felt my bike get too agitated over such things. It's nice to know that as long as you aren't doing something too stupid, your bike will be fine. And I don't need Ohlins suspension, dual rotors, and so forth to turn laps with ease.
So your bike is certainly up to the task. Now you need to prove your mettle and make it go around the track properly. One thing to remember, and something that helped me cope with my initial slow riding around the track, was this: if you're staying on the racing line and not swerving all over the track, someone who is faster than you should be able to pass without causing too much of a fuss. Even on the straights, if you hold your line appropriately, people will whiz on by without blinking. I can only think of one incident at a different track where this caused a problem, and I believe it was because the guy waited too long to pass me. He did so very close to the end of the straight, went in too hot, and lowsided.
That's not to say that you'll spend the entire time getting passed. Oh no, there will be plenty of chances for passing other people. All you have to do is hit the corners appropriately, while other people take bizarre lines. They'll be too far inside, and you pass on the outside. Or perhaps they can't drive out of the corner very well due to a bad line. Now's your chance to hammer it (without fear of spinning the rear wheel) and blaze up to the Ninja's ferocious 12k redline. Make sure your pass is clean and not too aggressive, because hard braking isn't really the Ninja's forte. But feel free to follow the pass up with a quick change of direction as you make your way back to the racing line, should you have deviated. Your lightweight Ninja won't mind at all.
Ah yes, the joys of a lightweight bike. I really felt that I was getting a feel for proper lines and small shifts in body position. I wouldn't say the bike is unstable at proper speeds, but if you're wobbling around in the seat, the bike will react. From the short time I've ridden my friend's 600, I can say that while the 600 felt super-planted, the 250 is certainly always open to corrections. Of course, you aren't supposed to make mid-course corrections, really. You need to pick a line and go. But I think that the ability to easily tell the bike what to do, especially if you make a mistake, can help you determine good and bad riding behaviors.
As you might have noticed, all of this forgiving behavior, lack of power, and so forth are very useful for determining good riding technique. Having to work the right line for a good passing opportunity, because you can't just power around people, is immensely helpful in getting your technique together. The Ninja can't explode out of corners, so you have to develop the ability to carry speed and be smooth. These things can be overshadowed (from what I've heard) by riding more powerful bikes where a rider can attempt to make up for bad corner entrances with more twist on the exit. A seemingly surefire way to dump your bike, I would think.
By the time I had passed a few super-sports, I felt pretty good. I could usually make my way around the track, get passed on a straight by someone, but perhaps get them back in the tighter section. Nothing to worry about.
There was, well, one thing that was on my mind during this first track day. While the Ninja can handle itself pretty well for a few sessions, some of the stock components don't appreciate constant cycling and extreme heat. If you are going to do multiple track days (don't worry about this stuff for your first track day), it might be worthwhile to consider a few accessories.
First, tires. The stock Ninja tires did a good job on the first track day I attended, given how hard I pushed (not very) and that they already had 3000 miles or so on them. But they are honestly not so great for continued track day duty. For my next session, I wound up replacing them with some Pirelli Sport Demons, the sportiest and most popular tire amongst pre-2008 Ninjas according to ninja250.org. They certainly felt nice during my next track session at the smaller Streets of Willow. And they work well for commuting, too.
The other thing that I noticed was the wee-little front brake. Enough for regular stop and go, but the pads seemed lacking. I wound up installing some EBC sintered pads for the front. Interestingly, they actually work better after some heat has been built up. And they seemed to stop a lot better over slightly worn stock pads, as well. In addition to these pads, I installed some Galfer stainless steel brake lines in the front and rear. They helped alleviate some of the squishiness associated with Ninja front brakes, and prevented a bit of fade, I think.
Lastly, had I bought an 08 Ninja, I certainly would have installed some cool frame sliders. But my bike lacks the proper mounts for such things. Oh well.
There is a lot more that you'll wind up dealing with when doing a track day, of course. Proper gear, maintenance, hydration, transportation, lodging, etc. But that all comes with a track day regardless of what you ride. I figured that the hurdle of convincing oneself a Ninja 250 could handle this sort of thing was worth addressing. I'm certainly glad I made the leap.
Now I just need some money for my next track day :embarrass
Balk not, squid! For what I lack in straight-a-way speed I make up for in cornering prowess.
While there are many 250s in existence, I think it is important to focus on the quite popular Kawasaki Ninja 250, of all generations. Having perused the forums here as of late, I notice that quite a few people are selecting the Ninja 250 as their first bike. Excellent choice!
I am, by all definitions, quite a slow rider. I have been passed by many a competent rider, and many who may be incompetent. But this does not get me down, for throughout each of the three track days I've been to, I've never once felt uncomfortable because of the lesser performance of my 250 to other riders' 600s or 1000s. Indeed, within the next few paragraphs, I'd like to convince the fine folk who've purchased 250s to go to a wonderful track day at WSIR/Streets, or anywhere else for that matter.
My first time out, I was a bit skeptical, considering that my friend had a 600cc, as did everyone else within our circle of friends (barring one 500cc dude) on that particular track day. Surely I would get in the way of everyone's large displacement machines during the corners, let alone the straight sections.
Worry not, my friend assured. I took his advice but was still quite nervous when I lined up in the pits for the first time. This was indeed my first track day, so I made sure to pay extra attention to the rules. I didn't want to look like a moron and wind up in B group or get black flagged. I was very cautious for the first few sessions.
Ah yes, the groups. You will certainly be in C group should you board a 250cc with minimal experience. I'm sure that one of those Red Bull Rookie kids on his 250cc screamer would decimate all who oppose, but I certainly wasn't of such caliber. Nevermind that, of course. And I don't know if a really fast dude on a regular 250cc would want to ride in B group, anyway. I think that the 250cc would certainly show its weakness in this higher performing group of riders, skilled pilot or not.
But we're talking about C group, home to many once-in-a-while trackday attendees. I would like to think that there are usually a few beginners on 600s within this group whenever a track day happens. They are probably as nervous as you are. I'd also like to think that because of this, you have an advantage. The 250 is quite the forgiving bike. Overly generous mid-corner throttle application, while usually frowned upon, does not typically lead to stepping out the rear. Trust me, I've tried.
Poor body position, mid-corner braking, all bad as well. But I've never felt my bike get too agitated over such things. It's nice to know that as long as you aren't doing something too stupid, your bike will be fine. And I don't need Ohlins suspension, dual rotors, and so forth to turn laps with ease.
So your bike is certainly up to the task. Now you need to prove your mettle and make it go around the track properly. One thing to remember, and something that helped me cope with my initial slow riding around the track, was this: if you're staying on the racing line and not swerving all over the track, someone who is faster than you should be able to pass without causing too much of a fuss. Even on the straights, if you hold your line appropriately, people will whiz on by without blinking. I can only think of one incident at a different track where this caused a problem, and I believe it was because the guy waited too long to pass me. He did so very close to the end of the straight, went in too hot, and lowsided.
That's not to say that you'll spend the entire time getting passed. Oh no, there will be plenty of chances for passing other people. All you have to do is hit the corners appropriately, while other people take bizarre lines. They'll be too far inside, and you pass on the outside. Or perhaps they can't drive out of the corner very well due to a bad line. Now's your chance to hammer it (without fear of spinning the rear wheel) and blaze up to the Ninja's ferocious 12k redline. Make sure your pass is clean and not too aggressive, because hard braking isn't really the Ninja's forte. But feel free to follow the pass up with a quick change of direction as you make your way back to the racing line, should you have deviated. Your lightweight Ninja won't mind at all.
Ah yes, the joys of a lightweight bike. I really felt that I was getting a feel for proper lines and small shifts in body position. I wouldn't say the bike is unstable at proper speeds, but if you're wobbling around in the seat, the bike will react. From the short time I've ridden my friend's 600, I can say that while the 600 felt super-planted, the 250 is certainly always open to corrections. Of course, you aren't supposed to make mid-course corrections, really. You need to pick a line and go. But I think that the ability to easily tell the bike what to do, especially if you make a mistake, can help you determine good and bad riding behaviors.
As you might have noticed, all of this forgiving behavior, lack of power, and so forth are very useful for determining good riding technique. Having to work the right line for a good passing opportunity, because you can't just power around people, is immensely helpful in getting your technique together. The Ninja can't explode out of corners, so you have to develop the ability to carry speed and be smooth. These things can be overshadowed (from what I've heard) by riding more powerful bikes where a rider can attempt to make up for bad corner entrances with more twist on the exit. A seemingly surefire way to dump your bike, I would think.
By the time I had passed a few super-sports, I felt pretty good. I could usually make my way around the track, get passed on a straight by someone, but perhaps get them back in the tighter section. Nothing to worry about.
There was, well, one thing that was on my mind during this first track day. While the Ninja can handle itself pretty well for a few sessions, some of the stock components don't appreciate constant cycling and extreme heat. If you are going to do multiple track days (don't worry about this stuff for your first track day), it might be worthwhile to consider a few accessories.
First, tires. The stock Ninja tires did a good job on the first track day I attended, given how hard I pushed (not very) and that they already had 3000 miles or so on them. But they are honestly not so great for continued track day duty. For my next session, I wound up replacing them with some Pirelli Sport Demons, the sportiest and most popular tire amongst pre-2008 Ninjas according to ninja250.org. They certainly felt nice during my next track session at the smaller Streets of Willow. And they work well for commuting, too.
The other thing that I noticed was the wee-little front brake. Enough for regular stop and go, but the pads seemed lacking. I wound up installing some EBC sintered pads for the front. Interestingly, they actually work better after some heat has been built up. And they seemed to stop a lot better over slightly worn stock pads, as well. In addition to these pads, I installed some Galfer stainless steel brake lines in the front and rear. They helped alleviate some of the squishiness associated with Ninja front brakes, and prevented a bit of fade, I think.
Lastly, had I bought an 08 Ninja, I certainly would have installed some cool frame sliders. But my bike lacks the proper mounts for such things. Oh well.
There is a lot more that you'll wind up dealing with when doing a track day, of course. Proper gear, maintenance, hydration, transportation, lodging, etc. But that all comes with a track day regardless of what you ride. I figured that the hurdle of convincing oneself a Ninja 250 could handle this sort of thing was worth addressing. I'm certainly glad I made the leap.
Now I just need some money for my next track day :embarrass