Reasons Racers stop riding on the street

[Ken C]

5 Reasons Why Roadracers Give Up Street Riding | Riding in the Zone

This article has stimulated a lot of discussion. Personally, I find that street riding is equally challenging as riding fast on a racetrack.

[reks95]

Riding on the street isn't so bad. Except for that time in the winter when I turned down that street that wasn't plowed.
Now, getting through the parking lot to the garage at the track... oi.

[Kat_man]

Damn Ken, you've got 5 reasons there and left out reason #1; it's illegal. Riding a modern sport bike at a sporting pace will put you in jail. Over 25mph in NH you must appear in court, I couldn't count the number of times I've been 70 over, that'll make the front page news. That's why I rarely ride on the street any more.

[Swizz]

Damn Ken, you've got 5 reasons there and left out reason #1; it's illegal. Riding a modern sport bike at a sporting pace will put you in jail. Over 25mph in NH you must appear in court, I couldn't count the number of times I've been 70 over, that'll make the front page news. That's why I rarely ride on the street any more.

After starting track days that's something I virtually stopped doing on the street. Hitting triple digits on the streets just didn't seem as smart afterwards. I get my high speed fix on the track now. Don't get me wrong I still love flyin down a backroad, the track just gave me a better mind set about what the outcome would be if I were to have an off. Telephone poles, trees, ect. seem a lot more intimidating after seeing airfence and proper runoff.

[Ken C]

Damn Ken, you've got 5 reasons there and left out reason #1; it's illegal. Riding a modern sport bike at a sporting pace will put you in jail. Over 25mph in NH you must appear in court, I couldn't count the number of times I've been 70 over, that'll make the front page news. That's why I rarely ride on the street any more.

Good point. I assumed that was a given. Those who can't help but ride at track speeds; please stop riding on the street.

[Pittenger5]

I stopped riding on the street just cause its not fun anymore. I just can't get the same rush anymore. Of course, if I had a reason to use a motorcycle to commute to work, Id probably get a harley or something like that.

[Kurlon]

Combo of #1 plus racing scratching that 'itch' making it so I just don't have any drive to fire up a street bike now. As Swizz says, playing on the track has tempered my habits off the track, I tend to putt at the speed limit even in my truck, leave larger following distances, etc. (Edit: Racing has also killed my interest in track days interestingly...) Ultimately though, the big thing that's killed street riding for me is no one to ride with locally.

[rolker]

Riding a modern sport bike at a sporting pace will put you in jail.

That's why I got a CRF250L last year as my street (and many other things!) bike. So far I only got pulled over once on it (knock on wood) and got off with a warning.

[ZX-12R]

I fall into category that needs changing scenery and new places to explore. If I were given a choice between track only or street only, it would be a no brainer. I'll keep the street!

[South of Heaven]

That's why I got a CRF250L last year as my street (and many other things!) bike. So far I only got pulled over once on it (knock on wood) and got off with a warning.

Glad that worked for you. I bought a DRZ 400sm last year thinking the same thing. I couldn't stand it. It barely could get out of it's own way. Lol. Sold it for a profit 3 months later.

[Chippertheripper]

I ride on the street and sometimes off the street to get where I'm going. Sometimes alone, sometimes with friends.
Why limit yourself?
As long as you can understand the time and place that you're in, it's all good.

One is definitely not as exciting as the other, I'll admit, but helmet time is good for the mind.

[jwm2k3]

I kinda stopped riding on the street this summer because both my streetbike and racebike are expensive Italians. I could only keep one goin at a time lol.....

[SRTie4k]

My risk is sensible, yours is stupid - Common Tread - RevZilla

[Petorius]

My risk is sensible, yours is stupid - Common Tread - RevZilla

I stopped reading about a paragraph in, following this setup: "I don't know any veteran track riders that haven't gotten hurt, but I know plenty of veteran street riders that haven't." How many veteran track riders do we know that suffered a permanent, life-altering (or ending) injury on the track? How many street riders?

That kind of discussion is worthless without stats.

[Chippertheripper]

There are always a few season/career Enders even locally.
And you definitely see a few track deaths in the U.S. too, annually.
Per capita, I have no idea how the percentages match up, but you certainly hear about it, being in the community.

[SRTie4k]

I stopped reading about a paragraph in, following this setup: "I don't know any veteran track riders that haven't gotten hurt, but I know plenty of veteran street riders that haven't." How many veteran track riders do we know that suffered a permanent, life-altering (or ending) injury on the track? How many street riders?

That kind of discussion is worthless without stats.

That's exactly why that article exists in the first place. Track riders may see themselves as mitigating risk more than street riders by riding in a controlled environment, but they often don't take into account that by engaging in a sport that is entirely about speed and pushing yourself and your bike to its limits, you potentially submit yourself to a higher rate of injury than the other Joe who putts around on a V-Strom, who may have a lesser rate of injury, but a greater risk to life when an accident does occur. In other words, riding the track for 5 years, you could crash 3 times and break 3 bones. Commuting back and forth to work and not pushing yourself to the limits, you may never see an accident, but that one time you do, it may be more serious than those 3 track crashes combined...but it might also not.

Let's also remember that riding a motorcycle is not a bubble. You can't necessarily compare the type of riding you do on the track to what you do on the street, because not everybody rides a sport bike with a one piece leather suit, dropping knee every time they possibly can through every corner. There are other types of riding that don't necessarily have as much inherent risk as sport riding does.

Which brings us back to the article posted. Risk is all relative. That's the point.

[TheIglu]

Whichever one I do is the right one and everyone else should do it too.

[gumby]

I kinda stopped riding on the street this summer because both my streetbike and racebike are expensive Italians. I could only keep one goin at a time lol.....

You missed a helluva a ride too!

[nhbubba]

6. Racers are broke. Racers spent all their money on their race "program" and can't afford insurance or upkeep on their street bike anymore.

[Pigman]

With the Groom and Low CC thing...I have found new faith and humanity in street riding. As long as it’s a quiet back road at a spirited pace

[cdovego]

6. Racers are broke. Racers spent all their money on their race "program" and can't afford insurance or upkeep on their street bike anymore.

I have 3 registered/insured motorcycles.

[MoXzilla]

I have 3 registered/insured motorcycles.

Good job? No Family? No Italians?

TELL ME YOUR SECRET!!

[cdovego]

Good job? No Family? No Italians?

TELL ME YOUR SECRET!!

Silver spoon rich kid from up north.

[breakdirt916]

track/racing too infrequent!

I needa daily rida

I usually squeeze oranges next to sliced apples and equate riding dirt trails to racing sport bikes

[scottieducati]

Racing is great for the buzz, the competition, the passes and of course those bits of wood and cheap metal we get at the end of the day. 2016 will be my 15th year racing, at the start I hardly street rode and didn't do track days. I love street riding for the immersion in the elements and your surroundings.... The scenery, experiences and random memories that only come with unplanned routes and destinations not yet known. There's a whole different kind of rewards I get riding on the street I'll never experience on the track (and visa versa). Trackdays are now a means for me to relax and enjoy riding at whatever pace I'm comfortable with, often on different (bigger, or older) bikes than I would care to race and it's a great way to have fun with friends, maybe teach them a thing or two and get lots of track time together. I find track days yield more on-bike time than racing while offering nearly the same kind of rewarding feelings at the end of the day.