My late farther wouldn’t let me have a Raleigh Chopper he said they were too dangerous....the poor bugger would turn in his grave if he was alive to see my tricked Panigale. That aside, this is an interesting thread to me. I have been pondering for a while about going racing and possibility buying a track bike. What’s puts me off is the following: I am a legend in my own lunch time about how quick I am on the roads. That was a joke by the way….I ride quick, sometimes very quick, but, and it’s a big but, I ride safe, I don’t take silly risks as I feel at my age I don’t have anything to prove to myself or anyone else. On track I might be intimated into pushing my limits, which I don’t mind and is no bad thing but…….. 1. I don’t want to bin my Panigale, it’s paid for but all the same it’s a lot of money to chuck down the road. 2. I don’t have the flexibility to just take a day off whenever I feel like to attend a track day. The 28 days leave I have a year I want to spend lying on a sunny beach with someone bringing a cold beer every hour on the hour, or less if I am in the mood. 3. I can’t fit a tow bar on my company car and therefore it would mean convincing L that we should sell her SLK and buy a Range Rover or an ML……..Scrub that, I have always wanted a Range Rover. 4. I have a feeling I would spend what little time I have getting a track bike up to the immaculate specification I would need for my OC, getting the faring’s etc. painted to my design meaning we might as well revert to point ! 5. I am not good at half measures so it would need to be all or nothing and I really don’t have the time for it. 6. Lastly the Alpinestar Bionic back protector I have for sale won’t fit inside my 1 piece leathers and I am not that keen on salads to make it fit.
You sound much like me David. I have the very same tendency to do things in an all or nothing manner. I'm sure it is very much linked to OCD in some manner or another. Again like you I may only get 2-3 days a year when I can get a chance to get on track, but I have told myself that I won't treat the bike like my others. It will be a track bike and it will be rough and staying that way. As soon as I start to mend things the whole bike would need sorting and I wouldn't want to crash the thing. The other thing I've told myself is that even after say a year of trackdays, I should be able to recoup most of the cash (if it's still in 1 piece) if I wanted to sell it on afterwards.
Always welcome to borrow 'The Fridge' Colin if you are heading south - what are you using at Donington ?
Mate - you should def. borrow the fridge and go on track - its epic down there - you'll love it and the bike goes brilliantly with its recent service - that's why I won't let it go as it owes me nothing but goes like stink!
I've been on Donny last year mate with the Ron Haslam School. It was great. I couldn't ride someone else's bike though. I'd be too scared if I crashed it.
Lol. It wouldn't be that if I turned it end over end though mate. Seriously though thanks for the offer, but I couldn't.
On another note in regards to the track days themselves. How would it work if say myself and someone else shared the bike? Would we both have to pay for the full day, or would it be discounted?
Both pay full amount dude and you'd obviously have to go in diff groups.... Straight to fast for you then big man Tbh.... It's a great idea mate but not sure it'd work.... That's some serous pounding the bike would take in a day, you'd prob be changing our rear at lunchtime lol.... Plus is a lot of money for the day if one of you has an off early doors and you both have to sit in the garage grumpy???
Colin I'm also hoping to go to donny and if I can afford too I may hire from small boys hire and if not I will be watching May be able to split the costs of the hire in different groups if you want me to look into it? I will be slow group anyway
Would you not be able to swap between sessions though. Ie 1 person does the first session and the hands over the bike for the next session?
So essentially you get half a day? Never seen it done but don't think they would go for splitting the cost.... Long way to go for 3 sessions mate?? Specially if you get unlucky and get a couple of red flags??
I'll phone up a couple of trackday organisers to see how what they say about it. Not too fussed if I only get 1 session on track to be honest mate. It's just another excuse to get away from home
If your in a position to mate I would. 1 life, live it .. The things you want to do today you may not be able to tomorrow ...I would of thought you'd be shrewed as to what you buy so be wise sbd sell it in a year or 2 and get your cash back .. I've done 5 trackdays now since the last time my sp turned a wheel on the road. That's over about 7 weeks.. I love road riding but trackdays are something else All the best with what you deciede mate. New bike time is the best lol
Things can't be that bad I reckon alternating a shared bike between track days would work. That way you both get a fair crack at which ever days you each book for yourselves and repair costs can be met by who bins it (if). Maintainence though can be shared. Also if you can get a road legal bike and ride to days where any of us lot are at, you'll have recovery on hand if required.
