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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
I forgot about a transponder. Pretty sure they let you use one for free for your first weekend still. Also, first 3 races are half off. They used to hook you up with a garage space as a new rider for the first couple weekends, too. Eric would know if they still do or not.
If you know your going to do all the practices, your better off buying the racer practice package for $750 in the off season. Save a couple bucks and one less expense to deal with during the season.
Take offs or a set of q3s should get you into the 1:26 range pretty easily too, fwiw.
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
I don't believe you can pre-reg for the entire season in one shot with LRRS, they don't open reg for each round till close to the round.
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Paul_E_D
Deferring costs for a season is plausible. If you want to race longer than that, it will cost more. I was doing 4-5k seasons 12 years ago... costs have nearly doubled for most things.
I did not feel I deferred anything. If anything '15 was a year I built up a lot of spares and upgraded a lot of my personal safety crap (ie Leatt brace). I also bought and built out my trailer. The spares thing was no joke either. I was left with so many spares and extras at the end of the season that I bought a $700 gen-1 and had it 90% ready to race by the following spring just from my spares bin. (Tuning was another issue!)
I'd say my spend for "racing" that year was $10k and included building a B-bike and buying and building out an all aluminum 6x12 race trailer.
Cut out the B-bike and trailer and $5k is right on. Do remember we are talking "bare bones" AM level here. Not sharp end of things.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sdog30
Take offs or a set of q3s should get you into the 1:26 range pretty easily too, fwiw.
Funny you mention Q3's. I raced my first weekend on a maybe 50% worn set of Q2's. They'd served me really well at track days and I thought they were a pretty good tire... when turning 35's. As soon as my times dropped to the 30-ish range I found them really lacking confidence. Stepping up to a real race tire helped a lot here.
I would not want to do 26's pace on anything but race rubber. I don't nearly have the talent for that.
I'll say it again; fresh race rubber was the #1 thing to help me get faster. Bar none.
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
Pretty sure Nick Peterson was doing 23's on q3's beginning of the year. Apparently they are a much better tire than there predecessor.
That being said...the kawi motard had a set on it that were brand new when I bought it and I pulled them off immediately and replaced with slicks.
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
Quote:
Originally Posted by
nhbubba
I'll say it again; fresh race rubber was the #1 thing to help me get faster. Bar none.
^ this... every day of the week and twice on Sunday
(leave the stickers on for their maiden voyage out to pre-grid. Unless you have no desire to strike fear into your enemies. in which case, take them off)
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
Quote:
Originally Posted by
GixerJockey
^ this... every day of the week and twice on Sunday
(leave the stickers on for their maiden voyage out to pre-grid. Unless you have no desire to strike fear into your enemies. in which case, take them off)
I put fresh stickers on my tires for every race...
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
when I started I paid $50 for 1 race and 4 practice sessions. I was just looking to have fun with a little competition. People ridiculed me and said i'd never get fast.
I'd recommend tire warmers. I started without and found out real fast it is tough to hold back when the green flag drops!
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
Ok so we've come full circle now....about 5 grand.
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
It certainly isn't anywhere under $3k for a reasonably serious approach to a race program for a season.
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
I do have a nice set of chicken hawk warmers but they are for my 600. I read you can run them on the 160's and be fine. It looks like 3-5k is the average cost as long as I don't turn my sv into a box of scrap metal early in the season.
If anyone has a spare set of 1st gen sv rims for sale I'd be interested as well.
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
Quote:
Originally Posted by
butcher bergs
It certainly isn't anywhere under $3k for a reasonably serious approach to a race program for a season.
I'm going to keep track of everything this season to prove all y'all wrong.:twofinger
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
Quote:
Originally Posted by
csmutty
I'm going to keep track of everything this season to prove all y'all wrong.:twofinger
Good luck
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
Quote:
Originally Posted by
csmutty
I'm going to keep track of everything this season to prove all y'all wrong.:twofinger
One race per weekend doesn't count!
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
I've no doubt that Smutty can run his EX500, competitively, for under $3000 for the season.
That said, not many people could/would do it(he's a simple man with simple tastes), and not many want to race an EX500.
The best way to determine the cost of a season of racing is...not to. Show up with your credit card, abuse it for six months out of the year, then spend the next six paying it off. Repeat as desired. Even if you only do that once, you'll remember it forever.
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mr. Kurtz
I've no doubt that Smutty can run his EX500, competitively, for under $3000 for the season.
That said, not many people could/would do it(he's a simple man with simple tastes), and not many want to race an EX500.
The best way to determine the cost of a season of racing is...not to. Show up with your credit card, abuse it for six months out of the year, then spend the next six paying it off. Repeat as desired. Even if you only do that once, you'll remember it forever.
Its funny, I always wonder why I seem to have an extra $3k in my bank account a couple months after race season ends. Then I realize it's because I didn't have any race entries or toes to buy in the last couple months. Lol
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
First rule of racing, we dont talk about money.
Now thats out of the way. A few things to not go cheap on first and foremost is your gear (leathers, boots, gloves, armor, helmet) you get the picture. Basically gear is cheaper than getting banged up real bad. But you can keep things within reason here and still do well.
Secondly tires, I started my rookie season on a brand new set of dries, I got 3 maybe 4 race rounds out of them and that was pushing it. I made it to the 25's on them and they were spent. I will say the Q3's can be pushed to a 23, they dont like it, but they will do it. But on the topic of race rubber, the faster you go the quicker and more on top of your tire program you need to be. This past season was one set per weekend.
Spares on spares on spares on spares. Basically have plenty of pegs, rearset parts, clip ons, sliders, swingarm spools, spare nuts and bolts. But you can work up to this as chances are likely someone will be very willing to lend a hand and parts in time of need to get you back on track.
Really the moral of the story is you can make your program as mild or wild when you start as you want. Any of the guys on here, nhbubba, will tell you I had a crazy insane program to start but I dont do anything small.
so for what its worth 5 grand like the others are saying is reasonable but make sure you are able to recover if you crash and the bike needs more than just simple hard parts to fix. It is afterall racing anything can happen.
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
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Originally Posted by
Kurlon
Fling me a resume, references, pics of your bike and social security number so I can do a credit check... :P
How come I only had to send you nudes? And Im not even racing? :scratchhead:
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
And don't forget that the rest of life still happens. Cars break, tires wear out, roofs leak, people expect presents etc. There needs to be some money for that...
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
My first season (already-owned 2nd gen SV650), cost me ~$2500. That’s including odds and ends like random maintenance supplies, buying shit I needed (set of take-off tires) and offsetting the cost by selling m/c shit I didn’t (2nd set of bodywork). I ran my first three weekends on a pair of used Pirelli Rosso Corsa street tires, before buying those race take-offs. Though race rubber is always nicer, any sport-oriented street tire will get you through the Novice ranks. I brought my food and drinks and grilled with (new) friends. Bought used tire warmers, used the gear and tools I already owned (or borrowed when I had to), and was able to run cheaper 93 from Shell since pump gas was not spec at the time.
2nd season was closer to 5 or 6k, but that also included lots more farkles (paint job and decals, tools I could’ve borrowed but bought instead) and the expenses of registering and maintaining a van dedicated to track hauling.
3rd full season was 7k, but that included 2k of suspension work and probably another 1k of crash repairs. YMMV on crashing :)
All of these were 3 races/weekend. None of these ever included a night in a hotel; I was always able to bum a warm bed off someone before getting my own trackside housing. YMMV, but you can easily calculate the # of nights you intend to be in a hotel * the approx. cost. Tenting or some type of trailer are definitely more cost-effective.
As others have said, you’re not plunking down $5k today. It’s spread incrementally over whatever time period you chose to use, and you “can” stop at any time (if the addiction hasn’t taken hold). Rains and extra wheels, suspension upgrades, “extra” gear, rolling toolbox, built-out enclosed trailer or toy hauler, etc all don’t need to be had at the beginning.
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
If I could race for 3-5k per season I’d be renewing right now.
Things change and the experience adds on.
For me I needed a dedicate truck vehicle because I only had a sedan. Although the ambulance was by far the most amazing vehicle I have ever owned, residing in MA meant commercial registration, inspection, Insurance etc.
I immediately felt in love with racing so although I budgeted for 3 races I ended up doing 7 per weekend real quick.
Then some speed came and lap times dropped and I started caring about championships. B bike came in the picture. Crashes happened, gear and replacement parts came.
Then someone said we should try a weekend in NJMP... then Summit Point.., then Daytona. Yeah you don’t have to do all that but I was loving every second of it. If I didn’t race at all, my house would have been paid off, but I wouldn’t change it for anything (minus crashing at the IOM that really sucked).
But my first season I definitely kept it below $5k. I did the entire season on one set of take offs and one new set + used rains. All my gear bought was used and older than me (minus helmet). I slept in my ambulance and brought sandwiches from home and $5 subways. 3/4 races per weekend. Garage with the a bunch of awesome people.
Kurtz’s advice is spot on. Don’t budget it. Do it. Love it. Enjoy it. Make friends. Have the greatest time of your life. Money and bills will always come and go.
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
Also thank you for starting an awesome thread here. I feel like it’s been a while.
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Paul_E_D
And don't forget that the rest of life still happens. Cars break, tires wear out, roofs leak, people expect presents etc. There needs to be some money for that...
Presents?
Eff that.
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SteveM
School, license practice = 750
Races 240 * 7 = 1680
Tires 100 * 4 = 400
Gas 40 * 7 = 280
3110 right there before transportation to and from, food, parts, oil, gear, etc.
Can't see where others are scaring him, if fact I think the point of a lot of these helpful replies is that he should be prepared for a lot of seemingly small expenses to easily add up to a sensible minimum of $5,000.
If you've got the fever to do it, do it now or regret it later. (useful advice from an old guy)
I always laughed when people would budget food into racing. You still have to eat and drink regardless of being at the track or not.
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
I think it's because you're more prone to going out at least once that weekend, plus booze.
I tend to eat at home most nights, and not drink $6 beers
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Re: Bare bones cost to a full LRRS season
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pittenger5
How come I only had to send you nudes? And Im not even racing? :scratchhead:
You were applying the 771 Garage website, different application.