[Lopez0101]

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

 

[Ed K]

@Lopez0101 Nice shots!

 

[Swamper]

Nice to see your pictures posted, looking pretty quick. And yes those gloves are the same as mine, there great.

 

[Boe]

I had my first full-on wet track day last month. Not fun... just had Powercup IIs on my 848 and felt so slippy and I started worrying about losing the front. My lap times were slower than my first ever track day (which was on the SS) and it stopped feeling fun after I realised I had no idea what to do 🤣.

All's well that ends well. I enjoyed a few moments of the rear spinning up and wiggling out of a corner from too much throttle too soon for the wet, but stayed upright at least. And got a rainbow at the end of the day as 848 Eva and I loaded up to leave🌈. Tomorrow's track day should be dry, mostly.

The boring video, but another memory captured:

 

[Swamper]

06-23-2025, Laguna Seca, Carters @ the Track
Been a few months since our last time at Laguna Seca. Weather turned out to be very nice this time with temp of 65-67, the day was mostly sunny after morning low clouds burned off. Took a couple morning session to get use to the Track and the speed and power of the BMW which I rode all day, didn't take the Supersport as it wouldn't be able to pass the sound requirement, 92db's. After dialing in the tire pressures we put down some of our best laps, by the end of the day I was consistently running in the 1:46's and 140mph down the front straight. My son was about 10 seconds quick than me in the 1:36's.

 

[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.

 

[Lopez0101]

@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.

 

[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.

 

[Swamper]

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

 

[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.

 

[Swamper]

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.

 

[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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[Swamper]

07-19/20-2025, ThunderHill east, Carters @the Track:
Saturday rode the BMW, Sunday rode the SS 950S. Track conditions were very good both days although a lot of yellow and red flags cutting down the sessions. The last couple sessions late in the day were much less attended so got in some pretty nice lap times, quickest I've ever been on the Ducati, in the 2:11's. The Termignoni muffler scraped a few times at lean, not much else I can do about it. Came close to getting the BMW under the 2:00 lap, think in two weeks when we return I'll be able to do it, I also got around turn eight a little over 100mph, big achievement for me as I've been stuck at 99 for over a year. Working on my body position is starting to payoff. Dito took some pictures from new places on the track.

Muffler dragging:

 

[LazyEye]

Swamper, Are you able to drag knee on the SS? I ask because every time I've taken an SS to the track I drag foot pegs before I come anywhere near knee dragging angle. Since yours is dedicated to the track, what tires are you using?

 

[Swamper]

Yes, I have the Sato rear sets and have done a ton of mods to get the hard parts not to drag.

We use Metzeler TD slicks on all our track bikes including the SS.

 

[Swamper]

08-2/3-2025 ThunderHill East, Caters @ the Track:
Rode the BMW mostly but did get the SS out for a few sessions. I'm finding on the longer track (3Mile) the 14T tops out down the straights. Set a couple new quicker lap times however with the 14t as it sure gets out of the corners better. It maybe my riding improvement as I set better lap times on the BMW too, quickest at the 2:07 lap time. End of the month will be on the West Track so will be using the Ducati both days, working on body positioning with a couple of coaches, I hope to get better weight distribution and less lean angle.
With one of the Coaches, Robson on his new S1000RR Turn 2

Fast laps on the BMW:

 

[Swamper]

08-30/31-2025 ThunderHill West W/Carters @ the Track
Rode the 950S both days every session. Bike set up is finally at it's best. I was very quick all weekend, Saturday was CCW and Sunday was CW. It's like two different tracks when going the opposite direction, CCW is the normal direction. There was another SS there in B- group, so I didn't ride with him. Talking with him in the paddock he had never seen a SS with all the modifications done to it for the track. His was completely stock and he wanted to know what comes first.
Saturday CCW:

Sunday CW:

 

[Swamper]

08-27-2025 Sonoma, W/Z2-Yamaha Race Day
Forgot to post this earlier but I got a free day from a member on the S1000RR site. Condition was he couldn't attend and didn't want the ticket to go to waste. Rode the BMW all sessions in B+ group, was asked twice to move to A group but I declined. I wasn't feeling the speed on the BMW needed for A group. I was one of the quicker bikes in the B+ group however.
I didn't like there format with 4 groups as it gives you a hour between sessions and the tire cool off to much. So the first few laps every session I needed to warm the tires again. Sonoma is a fun track, took about two sessions to get reacquainted with brake markers and turn-in points.

 

[Swamper]

09-08-2025 Sonoma, Carters @the Track:
Back at Sonoma for the last time this year. Rode the BMW again all 7 sessions. Really had a good day and felt very comfortable in all the turns. Worked on my braking zones trying to go deeper and brake harder. It paid off with some very quick lap times which where improving throughout the day. I was the quickest in my group every session.

 

[Ed K]

Look’n great @Swamper!