[chad1043]

So about ten years ago I was very active on this site. Since then I got married, sold my bike, had kids, bought a house, bought another house. Now as I sit here growing old and turning grey like the king of Rohan, I'm starting to get that itch. The itch to start riding again.

And here is the rub, I really want to stay as safe as possible. I lost my dad earlier on in my life to cancer, I don't want to risk taking those experiences away from my kids. I nderstand that life is a risk. I trust myself on the road. It is the uncontrollable outside chances that I'm worried about.

I was thinking I could scratch the itch by doing track days. I could get a dedicated bike for track and go riding every couple weeks for a few hours?

Does anyone on here do track 100% of the time? How has it been.

I'm thinking of getting an older 636 or something similar. What say you?

Any advice is great and appreciated.

Hi Big Daddy! Probably the only active member left I remember...

 

[Crescent1101]

I gave up street for trackdays and recently got into racing. I will tell you the faster you get the more it costs. It is worth it to me.

 

[Doppler]

I say any riding is good. There is always the chance something can go wrong no matter what you do to mitigate it. Obviously the more you do to swing the odds in your favour the safer you'll be. If track only is what it takes to make the odds acceptable to you I say go for it.

 

[Cyclotron]

I gave up street for trackdays and recently got into racing. I will tell you the faster you get the more it costs. It is worth it to me.

This has been my experience over the past year as well, and I agree that it's worth it.

Regarding the OP...

The last time I rode on the street I couldn't believe how narrow and rough the road seemed. Then I started noticing all of the shit that I'd slide into if I went down. Parked cars, guard rails, jersey barriers, trees, ditches... It kind of bothered me.

Even going slow, you still have dirt, leaves, oil and pot holes that can put you on your ass.

Crashes seem to happen more often at the track than they do on the street. Nobody that I know goes to the track to ride slow. I've been pretty fortunate in that regard, only had one crash and it was very minor with no injuries. Most of the crashes that I've witnessed at the track are like that. The last track day that I attended had two ambulances on site and neither of them left the parking lot all day. I credit that to the clear run-off areas at the track and the safety gear that's required to ride there. I've only seen two motorcycle crashes on the street, they were both pretty ugly.

Personally, after riding sport bikes at the track it almost feels silly to ride them on the road and even attempt to observe speed limits. I'm not saying that people shouldn't or can't ride them on the street and not ride like an ass. Plenty of people do it every day, I just don't have the self-control to not whack the throttle open on the highways and scrape my knee pucks on the back roads. It's just too easy to go stupid fast on these bikes, and the consequences of a mistake are often deadly on the street.

I think track riding is the only way that you can actually find the limits of your riding ability and your bikes capability and be relatively safe. Hitting the ground at 100+ mph is not going to be fun no matter where it happens, but your chances of walking away from it are much better at a closed course race track. I'm not "hating on" street riders, but I don't care to be one, either.

The thing that would be tough for me is deciding where to stop spending money. For example, tires for my ZX10 are $400 a set and one rear tire lasts me two practices and three races before I can feel the traction going away. I used to get a few track days out of a set of Dunlop Q3s on a 600 when I was slower. Now I have $400 tire warmers and an $800 generator in the garage, and a couple grand worth of Pirellis in my bedroom closet. Could I still ride on the Q3s and have fun at the track? Sure. Is it more fun to go faster on race tires? Yup. It's a snow-ball effect, the faster you go, the more it costs.

If you just want to get some seat-time on a sport bike in the safest way possible, I think track days are probably the answer. It's really not that expensive if you're happy riding in the intermediate groups on a stock-ish bike and not treating a track day like a race. I needed more than that, and I've just started racing with CCS.

 

[skidooboy]

with your location, check out sportbike track time, they are riding at grattan Friday, sat and sunday of next weekend. good times, scratches the itch, fun for the kids, and family, make a weekend out of it, camp ect.... even have a ladies only event there on fourth of july weekend for the mrs. Ski

 

[bluedevil]

Hi Big Daddy! Probably the only active member left I remember...

Big Daddy is NO longer Active on this site I maybe the Longest Active Moderator on this site and we still have the Original Admin here with YSR..... and we do have some long time members still here that are somewhat active that have been here as long or longer than I have but not many. :headshake: :sad: ....anyway welcome back :thumbsup:

Bloo

 

[chad1043]

Big Daddy is NO longer Active on this site I maybe the Longest Active Moderator on this site and we still have the Original Admin here with YSR..... and we do have some long time members still here that are somewhat active that have been here as long or longer than I have but not many. :headshake: :sad: ....anyway welcome back :thumbsup:

Bloo

Sorry to hear that Bloo. I saw his name on the top thread and thought him still active. Good to see you too. Is the stuffed donkey still making the rounds?

Thanks for the excellent advice. I know it's a hard decision to choose to ride track only. I find that option the only safest route at the moment.

No to decide if I want a SS or a supermoto.

 

[scout]

Holland, tulips, blast from past as grandparents always had to take me to your town during flower season. Always froze until I ran around long enough. Not being negative but with kids I'd just buy a good life insurance policy and hope the wife doesn't kill me. Then you can ride real life and track once in awhile so that you can say you did track.

 

[chad1043]

Holland, tulips, blast from past as grandparents always had to take me to your town during flower season. Always froze until I ran around long enough. Not being negative but with kids I'd just buy a good life insurance policy and hope the wife doesn't kill me. Then you can ride real life and track once in awhile so that you can say you did track.

I nderstand your point, but after being almost twenty years without my dad... I don't really want to risk that.

 

[bluedevil]

Sorry to hear that Bloo. I saw his name on the top thread and thought him still active. Good to see you too. Is the stuffed donkey still making the rounds?

Thanks for the excellent advice. I know it's a hard decision to choose to ride track only. I find that option the only safest route at the moment.

No to decide if I want a SS or a supermoto.

Donkey did Great!!! We almost lost him once a member found him there was even a Milk Carton Smily Created to help find him. :missingD: I had him the most I think about 4 or 5 times then Ruthless Racing Died he was the one that Bought Donkey so I shipped him to his Family to Remember Ruthless on this Forum.

Then the site wanted another Mascot so they got a Godzilla one. That mascot is still going I believe but since Ruthless was such a good internet friend of mine I haven't participated in the new Mascot to many bad memories to do it again I guess. :sad:

But anyway I think a Track only Bike will help with your "Itch" :wink:

Bloo

 

[R/T Performance]

You can get a pretty decent track back with a bill of sale or salvage title for around 3 grand. I would recommend a 600,636 or 675 Daytona.
you definitely can safely scratch that itch with just track. there really isn't much good street riding in Michigan anyways.
My wife and I decide not to do children due to our hi risk hobby's(she also rides trackdays ) Last year we both road our bikes double duty for the 4th year and other than riding on vacation around deals gap we didn't even un tape the headlights from track prep.

STT Does Grattan near Belding and Gingerman near south heaven Trackdays great organization to ride with.

If you decide to follow this plan. Start watching gear now and don't skimp on gloves or helmet's.
you may also want to consider a hit-air bag vest (tether deployed head neck back protection) or a Dainese Air bag suit

Hope to see you soon

Rob
ps I will be at Grattan this weekend if you want to come look around I don't think there is a gate fee Friday (VET2Track.org) rest of the week is 10 bucks/person cash only to get in the track shoot me a pm if your coming up.

 

[chad1043]

You can get a pretty decent track back with a bill of sale or salvage title for around 3 grand. I would recommend a 600,636 or 675 Daytona.
you definitely can safely scratch that itch with just track. there really isn't much good street riding in Michigan anyways.
My wife and I decide not to do children due to our hi risk hobby's(she also rides trackdays ) Last year we both road our bikes double duty for the 4th year and other than riding on vacation around deals gap we didn't even un tape the headlights from track prep.

STT Does Grattan near Belding and Gingerman near south heaven Trackdays great organization to ride with.

If you decide to follow this plan. Start watching gear now and don't skimp on gloves or helmet's.
you may also want to consider a hit-air bag vest (tether deployed head neck back protection) or a Dainese Air bag suit

Hope to see you soon

Rob
ps I will be at Grattan this weekend if you want to come look around I don't think there is a gate fee Friday (VET2Track.org) rest of the week is 10 bucks/person cash only to get in the track shoot me a pm if your coming up.

Thanks RT. Now I gotta start stalking salvage sites...

 

[Otto Man]

Track days are a blast. Haven't ridden the street in years, racing or track days only here.

 

[chad1043]

Could I get away with a 9r? Or are parts getting scarce?

 

[Siwa]

Friend of mine had two little girls and decided to give up road riding for the same reasons as you. He bought a CBR1000 and started doing track days a couple times a month. The dude is blisteringly fast now and says he has no desire to go back on the road.

 

[chad1043]

I have to say that the response to this thread has been outstanding and insightful. Thank you so much for being honest.

 

[R/T Performance]

Salvage Sites if you want to build a bike
Salvage Auction Motorcycles, Boats, Jet Skis | CrashedToys
Copart USA - Online Live Vehicle Auctions - Bid & Win
And a couple times a year this place has a Toy sale (bikes,sleds ,campers,boats)

Repocast.com, Repossession Auction and Foreclosure Auction Division of Miedema Companies

 

[Niner1000RR]

I started riding in around 1995 when I bought my first bike. I didn't do my first trackday until 2006 which I was instantly hooked. I did street/track from about 2006-2008 when I started coaching. In 2009 I stopped riding on the street. The street just didn't satisfy the craving any more. That and I started noticing more and more how dangerous the street was in comparison. It was about weighing the advantages...

Fun: (advantage track)
Street: 6
Track: 10

Cost: (advantage street)
Street: 3 (plus tickets?)
Track: 8

Safety: (advantage track)
Street: 2
Track: 8

Desire to do: (advantage track)
Street: 3
Track: 10

Naturally I just started doing more trackdays and eliminated the street altogether. Even then though, trackdays weren't enough so I got into racing which has been awesome.

I do now ride on the street, but it's literally about 2-3 times per month, it's from 6:00AM - 7:00 AM on Sunday morning with my girl so she get used to her bike. I ride our pit bike (Honda Grom). That's it.

And I am BEYOND happy! But I also live in SE Florida where the roads are straight and lights are a 1/4 mile apart and it's HOT!!!!!!!!!!

 

[trackaddict]

Donkey did Great!!! We almost lost him once a member found him there was even a Milk Carton Smily Created to help find him. :missingD: I had him the most I think about 4 or 5 times then Ruthless Racing Died he was the one that Bought Donkey so I shipped him to his Family to Remember Ruthless on this Forum.

Then the site wanted another Mascot so they got a Godzilla one. That mascot is still going I believe but since Ruthless was such a good internet friend of mine I haven't participated in the new Mascot to many bad memories to do it again I guess. :sad:

But anyway I think a Track only Bike will help with your "Itch" :wink:

Bloo

Still some of us on here! Years back I rarely rode street as I was at the track every month. It's dooable.