Track bike questions?

[bmrider]

Couple of quick questions for people here:

How many of you have wanted to do a track day, but either didn't want to go through the process of "prepping" their road bike or didn't have a dedicated track bike?

Second question:

What (and I know the opinions are going to vary widely depending on numerous variables) would you say is an ideal track bike?

I'm thinking EX 500.

Thoughts?

[s a x m a n]

With Tony's Track Days there is minimal prep work!! You don't even have to tape up lights!

Just throw a hoseclamp on your oil filer, and take off your mirrors and unplug your taillight and you are all set! Its a 10 minute prep time!

[Hoss]

Yeah, I took my street (and only) bike to my first track day this year. I unplugged the lights, removed the license plate and bracket, directionals, and wired the oil filter. An hour prep time tops....

Ideal track bike? As corny as it sounds whatever you are confortable with. The first day should be spent trying to learn the line and really focusing on the basics rather then pushing to go super fast and bumping groups. Or at least that what everyone pounded into my head before I got there. Seemed to work ok

After that if you want a dedicated bike: something cheap, with lots of spare parts available I would say.

[smf]

sv650. period.

like this one: 2002 SV650 S Race Bike

[akira700]

Take the Bimmer. You'll do fine with it.

[TTD]

Agreed... the BMW will be quite happy out there.

And you can just tape the mirrors and taillight and you're done. The oil filter on your bike is enclosed, if I'm not mistaken?

[Cheese]

I ride my street bike up there Brad. Ride your BMW at 80% of your abilities and it's safer than any street/group ride you've ever been on. Hopefully I'll see you there.

[OreoGaborio]

+1, ride the beamer

[Doc]

Hmmm.. I might have to start renting trackday bikes...

Business oppourtunity.

[union]

Hmmm.. I might have to start renting trackday bikes...

Business oppourtunity.

Do they come with gas?

[JeffL]

Brad, ride the BMW, get up there!

Plus we all saw what a tank that thing is. It went through what, a mild lowside and slid into a log, and we dusted it off, and you had a cracked headlight cover and some scratches that probably came out with wax on the side panels?

[KillBill]

Brad - lets see the K1200 do it's thing

[davemon]

My BMW even has a sequence of controls to push after turning on the key but before hitting the start button... that disables the headlight. It worked very nicely for the FishTail school where I had to tape over my lights. At Tony's I turned it off most sessions but I am sure I forgot on one of them.

Dave

[nilez]

Wicked bump, but I didn't want to start a new thread since my question is fairly similar.

I'm working as best I can to get up to a trackday this summer before I ship out to MCB Quantico in late October. I'm barely scraping the cash together for the gear I need plus paying for the trackday, and will have to use my street bike, which is the only bike I have. It's an '08 R1.

Questions:

How difficult is it to control a liter bike at Loudon, I know NHMS is a pretty technical track and have heard it's more a 600 oriented track. As you can imagine, I'm fairly concerned about throwing my bike down the track with me sliding on the ground in trail. Am I over thinking this? Should I just show up and ride and not worry about it? Any advice from you track gurus would be awesome. Thanks.

[butcher bergs]

Questions:

How difficult is it to control a liter bike at Loudon, I know NHMS is a pretty technical track and have heard it's more a 600 oriented track. As you can imagine, I'm fairly concerned about throwing my bike down the track with me sliding on the ground in trail. Am I over thinking this? Should I just show up and ride and not worry about it? Any advice from you track gurus would be awesome. Thanks.

Stay within your comfort zone and you'll be fine.

FWIW, I rode my FZ1 on that track and it's a really, REALLY fun track, IMO.....it was a hoot!

Contrary to what many might say, a liter bike is fine up there. Just pay attention to what you're doing and you won't get bitten.

[nilez]

Stay within your comfort zone and you'll be fine.

FWIW, I rode my FZ1 on that track and it's a really, REALLY fun track, IMO.....it was a hoot!

Contrary to what many might say, a liter bike is fine up there. Just pay attention to what you're doing and you won't get bitten.

Good stuff. Thanks Bergs.

[OreoGaborio]

If you can ride your bike on the street there's absolutely no reason why you can't ride it at Loudon.

I know this isn't the TTD section, but the main goal for TTD is to make better street riders. We encourage people to bring the bikes they ride on the street to familiarize themselves w/ the capabilities of their street bikes in a safe & controlled environment.

[RyanNicholson]

when you hear people say that a liter bike is a bit much for Loudon...its a big bike to race there, which is a whole different ball game from track days.

Take the R1 and have a blast man!

[nilez]

cool, thanks for the info guys

[GixerJockey]

when you hear people say that a liter bike is a bit much for Loudon...its a big bike to race there, which is a whole different ball game from track days.

Take the R1 and have a blast man!

But keep in mind...

You will not make ANY friends by parking it in the corners and then flying down the straights. No one really wants to stare at the back of your R1 around the whole track...

[Evil_Weasel]

you know what they say

behind every fast guy on an R1... is three annoyed guys SV650s

[nilez]

you know what they say

behind every fast guy on an R1... is three annoyed guys SV650s

mmmmmnope... never heard that one before. haha


I'll either just have to motor through corners or putt along the straights, will that make people happy?

[Doc]

you know what they say

behind every fast guy on an R1... is three annoyed guys SV650s

Dude that is right up there with an Unclefucker post!!

Well done!!

But you shoulda said EX500's

[TTD]

mmmmmnope... never heard that one before. haha


I'll either just have to motor through corners or putt along the straights, will that make people happy?

Yeah...basically we just ask that you take a peek behind you on the front straight... if bikes are piled up behind you, let them by.

If no one is there, twist away!

[garath]

Everyone's already said it, but I just went to my first trackday with my new zx-9r and had a blast. I was also a little concerned about bringing a big bike but it was fine. I just made sure to let the better riders on the little bikes go by on the straights