Three Bikes That You Could Go Racing/Riding on the Cheap With

Motocross, Flat-Track, or Roadracing: it doesn’t have to break the bank

They say racing is expensive, and it can be. It can be much akin to lighting “C-notes” on fire by the bundle, if you are talking about going racing in a national championship or world championship. But if it is fun, and perhaps some friendly competition you seek, racing can be done on a budget that you may not even have to hide from your significant other. Here are three motorcycles that can make getting out there and racing less of a burden and just pure fun.

KTM RC390.Courtesy of KTM

1) BUDGET TRACKDAY BIKE: KTM RC390

When the MotoAmerica series added the KTM RC Cup for its inaugural year, we were testing a stock KTM RC390 ($5,499), which got us thinking: If someone didn't want to drop the $10K on an approved RC Cup bike, how much would they have to spend to do most of the major mods and create a fun trackday/club-race machine?

For the record, only an official RC Cup bike can be used in that series; our bike wouldn’t be eligible despite running many of the same parts but can be raced in most clubs including WERA. The primary modifications include a WP Racing fork ($1,750), shock ($1,450), kit racing brake pads ($119.98), RC Cup ECU ($400), and Akrapovic slip-on silencer ($849.99). We also upgraded the springs in the fork and opted for a firmer spring on the shock ($300).

Like any trackbike, getting the suspension dialed in makes a big difference. Not only is it a lot firmer, but the damping is far more controlled with no wallowing. The new brake pads give the single front caliper far better bite and feel. Getting the bike into true competitive race shape would still require some work, such as proper tires and fine-tuning, but as a trackday machine this KTM RC390 is already a huge improvement over stock and right on point for inexpensive fun.

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2016 Graves Yamaha R3.Courtesy of Graves Yamaha

2) LIGHTWEIGHT RACER: Graves Yamaha R3

Graves Racing Services, the same team that current MotoAmerica Superbike champ Cameron Beaubier and multi-time AMA champ Josh Hayes ride for, has developed a racing package for Yamaha's YZF-R3, which should put you on the starting grid with little else to worry about. The $10,900, pre-assembled machine includes among a long list of mods a Graves stainless race exhaust with c-f canister, flashed ECU, chassis control/protection kit, race bodywork, Öhlins shock, Andreani fork kit, racing brake lines, and pads. Graves (gravesracingservices.com) claims a 15-percent increase in power and 12-percent reduction in weight.

Yamaha YZ250X.Courtesy of Yamaha

3) DO-IT-ALL DIRT BIKE: Yamaha YZ250X

Want an ultra-versatile off-road racebike? One that can split double duty as an off-road racer and occasional motocrosser? Yamaha’s $7,390 YZ250X is based on the YZ250 two-stroke MXer but has been optimized for GNCC and Enduro competition. Features like an 18-inch rear wheel, wide-ratio five-speed transmission, and off-road-specific suspension mean that you can race it or roost it on just about any off-road terrain. And because it’s a carbureted two-stroke, maintenance and rebuilds are inexpensive and simple to execute compared to a complicated four-stroke.

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