Ok, so here's my thinking...
Discussion
Got 4 days of blissful open pit track days coming up, in Spain. Now, on all of my previous track days, I've been absolutely fantastic, clearly the fastest bike out there. However, I never really push it, as I really don't want to be throwing the bike down the road, and I'm determined to find the limits of grip etc.. So, I've been on the look out for a cheap track bike. Now, should I spend £1500 on something and sell it a few weeks/months later for a small loss? I would get something a bit more serious, but seeing as a friendly BM dealer has just relieved me of £**k I could do without a huge cost. Or, would you just take the gixer and get some race fairings to ruin?!
Cheers!!
Cheers!!
ed with or without race panels. 
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kawasaki-ZX9r-cheaper-than-a...
Blatent plug, discount for "friends" buy it for £1200 rag it round Spain, sell it for £1200. easy.
Blatent plug, discount for "friends" buy it for £1200 rag it round Spain, sell it for £1200. easy.
I've never done a bike track day but have done a lot of car ones. The main problem of trcking a road vehicle is that the consumables for track use need to be different. You'll need better brake fluid, pads, tyres and lubes to get the limits of the bike or rider. The other difference is weight. Weight makes a nice comfy and stable road vehicle but is the enemy of any track beast.
Therefore taking any road bike on track will be a compromise. I'd say get a snotter, sort it and rag it
The obvious thing that you've already mentioned is damage. If you drop your road bike and it rolls in the gravel just once, you're likely to need forks, clocks, engine casings etc, etc... I don't thing I've ever dropped a bike on the road and only damaged plastics, so on track I'd expect much more damage.
Therefore taking any road bike on track will be a compromise. I'd say get a snotter, sort it and rag it
The obvious thing that you've already mentioned is damage. If you drop your road bike and it rolls in the gravel just once, you're likely to need forks, clocks, engine casings etc, etc... I don't thing I've ever dropped a bike on the road and only damaged plastics, so on track I'd expect much more damage.
humpbackmaniac said:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kawasaki-ZX9r-cheaper-than-a...
Blatent plug, discount for "friends" buy it for £1200 rag it round Spain, sell it for £1200. easy.
£1200..friends prices? You offered it so some geezer on ebay for a grand! Now my offer is £750!Blatent plug, discount for "friends" buy it for £1200 rag it round Spain, sell it for £1200. easy.
randlemarcus said:
Nick, can you hire one?
Less worries about a snotter going pop. I saw Kiyo put a Plant Honda down at Guadix before lunch in practise, and by mid-afternoon, it was stripped to the frame, and the rest of the bits binned....
Hello Mate!Less worries about a snotter going pop. I saw Kiyo put a Plant Honda down at Guadix before lunch in practise, and by mid-afternoon, it was stripped to the frame, and the rest of the bits binned....
Not a bad idea that...saves transportation issues for me as well. I'll give it some thought. If not £1500 on a bike should do it!
Cheers.
StuB said:
With respect, I don't think a 9R is an ideal track bike.
With equal respect, the C model was better than the blade of that era, and it's lap times were rather much closer to those of the R1 than Yamaha would have care for, giving the power difference. True they are designed as fast-road bikes, but would you say that a '99 Blade was not much of a track bike?
chilli
I paid £1900 for a '99 R1. It had been raced for 2 seasons in the Bemsee series. it has a number of mods on it, full race exhaust, dynojetted, maxton, s/damper, carbon wavy discs, to mention just a few.
i spent a weekend tidying the fairings up and hey presto.
You don't need to spend loads on a bike, you'll find that the consumables add up after a while though.
I paid £1900 for a '99 R1. It had been raced for 2 seasons in the Bemsee series. it has a number of mods on it, full race exhaust, dynojetted, maxton, s/damper, carbon wavy discs, to mention just a few.
i spent a weekend tidying the fairings up and hey presto.
You don't need to spend loads on a bike, you'll find that the consumables add up after a while though.
trumpet600 said:
chilli
I paid £1900 for a '99 R1. It had been raced for 2 seasons in the Bemsee series. it has a number of mods on it, full race exhaust, dynojetted, maxton, s/damper, carbon wavy discs, to mention just a few.
i spent a weekend tidying the fairings up and hey presto.
You don't need to spend loads on a bike, you'll find that the consumables add up after a while though.
Nice That's what I need, somethnig that someone's already raced, taken care of (!!) and has a few bits and bobs with it.I paid £1900 for a '99 R1. It had been raced for 2 seasons in the Bemsee series. it has a number of mods on it, full race exhaust, dynojetted, maxton, s/damper, carbon wavy discs, to mention just a few.
i spent a weekend tidying the fairings up and hey presto.
You don't need to spend loads on a bike, you'll find that the consumables add up after a while though.
Ebay is my friend, but very little locally.
Chilli said:
trumpet600 said:
chilli
I paid £1900 for a '99 R1. It had been raced for 2 seasons in the Bemsee series. it has a number of mods on it, full race exhaust, dynojetted, maxton, s/damper, carbon wavy discs, to mention just a few.
i spent a weekend tidying the fairings up and hey presto.
You don't need to spend loads on a bike, you'll find that the consumables add up after a while though.
Nice That's what I need, somethnig that someone's already raced, taken care of (!!) and has a few bits and bobs with it.I paid £1900 for a '99 R1. It had been raced for 2 seasons in the Bemsee series. it has a number of mods on it, full race exhaust, dynojetted, maxton, s/damper, carbon wavy discs, to mention just a few.
i spent a weekend tidying the fairings up and hey presto.
You don't need to spend loads on a bike, you'll find that the consumables add up after a while though.
Ebay is my friend, but very little locally.
ETA - did you notice my use of Transit as opposed to tranny?
Edited by trumpet600 on Wednesday 21st November 11:07
trumpet600 said:
Chilli said:
trumpet600 said:
chilli
I paid £1900 for a '99 R1. It had been raced for 2 seasons in the Bemsee series. it has a number of mods on it, full race exhaust, dynojetted, maxton, s/damper, carbon wavy discs, to mention just a few.
i spent a weekend tidying the fairings up and hey presto.
You don't need to spend loads on a bike, you'll find that the consumables add up after a while though.
Nice That's what I need, somethnig that someone's already raced, taken care of (!!) and has a few bits and bobs with it.I paid £1900 for a '99 R1. It had been raced for 2 seasons in the Bemsee series. it has a number of mods on it, full race exhaust, dynojetted, maxton, s/damper, carbon wavy discs, to mention just a few.
i spent a weekend tidying the fairings up and hey presto.
You don't need to spend loads on a bike, you'll find that the consumables add up after a while though.
Ebay is my friend, but very little locally.
ETA - did you notice my use of Transit as opposed to tranny?
Edited by trumpet600 on Wednesday 21st November 11:07
To be honest the one suggestion that has made the most sence has been the hire option. If you are looking to get a track day bike to avoid the cost of an accident there is a flaw; any repairs both to your road bike or track bike will cost money. It has also been said that any trip into the gravel will be an expensive one. So lets look at the money, a bike will cost you £1500 to £2000. A hire will cost you £200 to £300 depending on the company, plus there is the money for the excess, again variable. I am sure you can work out the cost comparisons looking at the variables. 
It comes down to how many track days you plan to do in a year and how frequently you will crash.....
It comes down to how many track days you plan to do in a year and how frequently you will crash.....
IsMad said:
To be honest the one suggestion that has made the most sence has been the hire option. If you are looking to get a track day bike to avoid the cost of an accident there is a flaw; any repairs both to your road bike or track bike will cost money. It has also been said that any trip into the gravel will be an expensive one. So lets look at the money, a bike will cost you £1500 to £2000. A hire will cost you £200 to £300 depending on the company, plus there is the money for the excess, again variable. I am sure you can work out the cost comparisons looking at the variables.
It comes down to how many track days you plan to do in a year and how frequently you will crash.....
If he was doing a single trackday, I would tend to agree. However, this is a 4 day open pit. the hire cost will be about a grand and the excess is, I believe, £500. The company he is going with can be petty as to what constitutes crash damage (if mates are to be believed) so it is quite likely this outing could cost £1500. And at the end of it, other than a fab time, he will take nothing home.It comes down to how many track days you plan to do in a year and how frequently you will crash.....
Having read numerous chilli threads, I would assume that he is just getting ito this trackday malarchy and will no doubt be doing others next year. If this is the case, I would suggest leaving the gixer at home and buy himself a reasonable trackday tool. hiring a bike in my opinion, will be throwing money down the pan.
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