[Fitz]

Fantastic looking schedule. When I lived in Oregon ,Thunderhill, Portland International Raceway and The Ridge were my stomping ground. You are living my dream with Sonoma and Laguna!

 

[Fitz]

We are also planning a trip North around Moto America at the Ridge. Will most likely do Oregon Raceway out by Grass Valley Oregon on the way back home. Like to ride with 2Fast and Aprilia Race Day, always fun to try out the Aprilia's.

Oregon Raceway in Grass Valley Oregon was good when it first opened. When I lived there it lacked in amenities. Also it's a long way away from any services. 2019 was last time I ran there and the track surface was in very poor condition. I did not go back again. It went up for sale in 2020 for something like 10 million. Hopefully it has a new owner and a refresh by now. Check before you go.

 

[Fitz]

We are also planning a trip North around Moto America at the Ridge. Will most likely do Oregon Raceway out by Grass Valley Oregon on the way back home. Like to ride with 2Fast and Aprilia Race Day, always fun to try out the Aprilia's.

I found The Ridge to be the best of the best for my style of machine and riding. I'v been running a Ninja 400 race bike for the last 5 years and Thunderhill was not nearly as enjoyable as The Ridge. Portland International is just OK in my opinion.

 

[Fitz]

I signed up for several days at VIR out my way (Black Friday special, saved like $400). Will be doing the North course twice and the Full course once. The organization only has the full course one time the whole year! While I miss the West coast, I live 3 hours from 3 tracks and then 4.5 from another. It's not too bad!

I miss the West Coast also (Eugene Oregon). However here in Ireland the Mondello International track is only 2 hours away and runs 13 to 15 track days a year. Bishopscourt is a bit farther, but easily accessible. I'm signed up for 10 weekends and will do a couple in Portimao with these fellas this summer EVENT BOOKING — MOTOCRAFT Life is good.

 

[Fitz]

I agree, the Oregon Raceway is in shall we say challenging condition but still a fun Camp-out. The guy that owns it certainly doesn't put much into it anymore.
The Ridge is fun and if I had a favorite it would be one of the top choices.
Now that Laguna Seca and Sanoma have been repaved they are very good to go to, we had taken a year or two off from Sanoma it had gotten so bad.
We have a group of buddies (mostly small Girls) riding 400 and they are pretty quick on the Thunderhill tracks. I can almost keep up with them on the Supersport making up down the straights, but it's a lot of work trying.

I have enjoyed my time with the Ninja 400. For me, Thunderhill and its big sweepers did not suit this bike. I took the (street legal) Supersport to the track at Portland in 2021 and it was just OK. I find the lighter bikes are non intimidating and their flickability in the tight stuff is intoxicating. Also, I'm 62 this year and just out there for the sheer joy of it. Right now I'm in the process of building a (track specific) 2025 Kawasaki ZX400RR. It should be track ready by mid summer. It is an inline 4 cylinder screamer.

 

[Fitz]

This was May 2025 at NCBike in North Carolina. My first track day with the Ninja ZX-4RR I picked up for a small CC bike to have fun with on track. It's still on the OE GPR-300 tires but with an ECU tune and I put on braided lines. Also, the first time I've been able to get a knee down because this thing is MUCH lower to the pavement than my S3, lol. Makes me feel like I'm going fast!

Finally felt like my riding has gotten good enough to be worth buying the photos from the track photographer.

Also, really liking these RST gloves, especially for the price! I see you've got them too @Swamper

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Great photos of you styling on the ZX! I am also a small bore track day rider. I have a 2020 race build Ninja 400 completely modded out for the track at $$$$. I'm also the happy owner of a 2024 ZX400RR. I've done a few track days on the ZX, but I'm still in the process of building it. Both are soo much fun on tracks with short straights and tight technical turns. I run at Mondello of Bishopscourt two weekends every month. Life is good to me.

 

[Fitz]

@Fitz Nice! I finally replaced the OEM tires. I'm sure they could go faster than I am able but I just didn't feel confident in their grip level. I was still running them all the way to the edge of the tire.

I put on a Metzler Racetec RR K3 on the rear and a M9RR on the front because I couldn't find a Racetec front anywhere in stock in the USA. Couldn't tell a difference and I had much more confidence. The taller profiles are nice as I'm not getting all the way to the edge of the tire yet.

Lopez0101
I've experimented for about 6 years with track day tires (for the Ninja 400). I search for tires that suit my style and ability. I'm an older track day rider and just in it for the fun and the craic as we say here. Slicks or full race tires and tire warmers would be a deficit in my case. The tires I've ran in the past that I'd run again are:

• Dunlop Q3
• Metzler M9RR
• Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V4

Currently I'm running the Supercorsa SP V4. In the dry, all tires on the list above perform above and beyond my capabilities. I do not ride in the rain or on wet tracks. I ride mostly in the Advance and sometimes thd Novice groups depending on attendees. At my home track (Mondello Park) the rider skill level cab be very high at times.

 

[Fitz]

Pirelli's are the best on your list, stick with them.

Swamper,
Agreed. They are also a different profile that makes it a challenge to use all the tire. The slick area on the outer edge is very confidence inspiring but harder to roughen up all the way.

 

[Fitz]

It's the same compound as the slicks on the edge. You don't have to rough them up, that's just in your mind and you'll need to get over it. I've used them on the Supersport a year or so ago, you'll need to get them to at least 54 degree lean and beyond to be on their edge. I've always worn out the edge before anywhere else.
Q3's are NLA and their new Q5's are junk.
Metzler you listed would be best on the bigger bikes in my experience.
I'm running Metzler slicks on the Supersport and have finally gotten so I can keep up with the 400 in the corners and ride it like a small bike. I'm about 2 seconds quicker lap time than the really good guys on 400's.

Swamper, Thanks for the explanation. It's useful to know that the profile affects the wear lines on the edge. Last time out, I was nearing the limits of ground clearence and still had 1/4 of an inch (untouched) on the edge of the tire.
Dunlop and Metzler tires wore all the way to the edge at this lean angle. I guess it's time for rear suspension work or body position coaching or a hundred other things that make this track rat lifestyle all the more worth the effort.
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