You know, I was thinking, and for just getting out there and trying out this racing thing, you dont really have to get a bike that is within the most recent two years' manufacture. You can realistically get any bike on the market. Case in point, when we go started in racing, my brother rode an 89 FZR 600, in 1995. His bike was HUGELY outclassed, but this made him learn to ride better and without jacking around with the bike all day long. He would go out there and ride the wheels off that thing, and often crash while fighting for 10th or something like that, but when we moved to current year machinery, he knew how to get on and ride.

I think it made a big difference to his learning ability to be able to run that old, outclassed bike for a couple of seasons. First, he was able to get on the track for a minimal outlay of cash, and he was able to really determine if he wanted to do it before make a large chunk investment.

So, when you are looking to get a bike for racing, get any bike that is race-ready and still in pretty good condition. I'm not saying to go buy whatever clap-trap is out there, but something that you dont care about breaking, and isnt going to cost you a fortune. There are great classifieds in the back of Roadracing World, or on their website. Most of the racing organizations now have a site and some have classifieds, check out the nearest one to you and see if you can find a bike. You may also make friends with someone who knows the local scene and can help you along.