I would replace the tires first, then heavier fork oil and/or stiffer front springs for your weight. Here is part of an article that I posted earlier:
from a longer article by Steve Atlas
I’ve raced a lot of motorcycles in my time. From Motocross to Supermoto, from 1000cc Superstock to 750cc Supersport, from SV650 lightweights to the Daytona 200; all very different, but all great experiences. I thought I pretty much had the road racing thing covered. Not quite. Recently I opened a new chapter in my career: Kawasaki Ninja 250 Cup racing. And what a chapter it turned out to be!
Little did I know it would go down as one of the most fun, not to mention the closest race of my life. Who knew?
Talk about taking some time to get used to. Due to the lazy riding position it was hard to get an idea of the levels of grip provided by the thin rubber, which due to the un-typical-sized rims is relegated to street-based Bridgestone BT016s and BT003s. Even so, the levels of grip are utterly outstanding. With the motorcycle's light weight and lack of stress from the low-horsepower engine, the road-type rubber sticks like glue. Wiggly and strange glue. But glue nonetheless.
I was quickly dragging the bodywork on the ground due to the mind-bending lean angles achievable with the mini-racer. My pace was within a couple seconds of the top guys by the end of my first session on the bike, so I instantly knew a win was in sight. In fact, coming from an AMA Pro Racing and motojournalism background, anything less would be considered a failure in my mind.
I could see the line and Wes wasn’t in my peripheral at all. The win was in sight! But with about 100 feet to go I felt a heavy tap on my left arm. That was quickly followed by Totsubo’s knee pushing up against mine and then our bars touching just as we crossed the line. The clever little racer had rolled the dice and stayed wide! With literally inches of pavement he almost took out the flagger but was able to pull up beside me at the line, the two of us crossing in a dead photo finish, bouncing off each other and trading paint like Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick in the Daytona 500. I think Wes even put a wheel or two in the gravel for a short time. I must say, that took some serious balls risking life and limb to try and win a club race. The man is dedicated.
Never in my life have I been part of such a close finish. As we sat up and looked at each other after crossing the line we both shrugged, no one knowing who won. We both gave each other a thumbs up for an awesome race and coasted back into the pits, still not aware who the victor was. In fact, it wasn’t until the results were posted that evening either of us knew. The Kawasaki guys said I had it, Wes’ crew said he did. Way too close to call. Unfortunately for us, WSMC gave the win to Totsubo. But considering the closeness and fun we had, I can live with that.
Who knew racing a 25-horsepower entry-level Ninja 250 in nearly stock form would prove to be one of the most thrilling and fun races of my life? What a day! Though I must say, I do want revenge. I think a rematch is surely in the cards…
