Whats your ideal track bike?

[Motkram]

I'm toying with the idea of a track bike, because I can't afford to pay for the running of a road bike along with track costs, it's got to be one or the other.

I see a good mix of 600 and 1000cc bikes on the track, (along with the odd 250 and tourers!) And I really don't know which way to go.

What do you think:?:
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Part-time GSXR1000 pilot>Micron Serpert system+K&N, PC111, Sigma slipper clutch, Brembo m/c+Galfer discs, Gilles rearsets, Translogic Quickshifter.

GP125>GSF400>VFR400NC30>YZF600R>YZFR1(1998)+KLR250>YZFR1(2003)>CBR900RRY>YZFR1(2002)>GSXR1000K1+RGV250

[Bendy]

Any sports 600.

Easier to make the best of than a litre bike, but still plenty of oomph.

Loads of ex-race bikes on the market so you should be able to pick up something fairly sorted, and possibly get some decent spares thrown in.

Can always slap a daytime MOT on it for occasional road fun.

[MarJay]

If you're small like me, then you might prefer a 400cc sportsbike.

If you're small like me and aren't afraid to get your hands dirty, and you like the smell of two stroke oil, then you might even contemplate a 250cc two stroke. Like mine!
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[G]

For a track bike I'd go with a GSXR750.
K series if you can, but not too new.

This way you've got similar go to seriously tuned 600s, but without the costs involved for engine tuning etc.

Shouldn't have as much kick up the arse as a litre class bike, so you can make more use of it.

As bendy says, a sports 600 is also a good choice. A lot around in ready prepped track-form.


Depends what you want out of a trackday, but a well ridden 600 should be able to keep up with a well ridden 1000 on most tracks.

[Silver]

Agree with Bendy. I have a GSX-R750, but when I came to getting a track bike I had the same dilema as you. I decided on a 600 (an R6) and I don't regret it at all. I can get much more out of the 600 than I can out of the 750, and there's less chance of it biting me in the arse if I get it wrong.

[Whosthedaddy]

To be able to man handle a hefty 1000 round a track is well above my capabilities, as are most of the sports 600's at the moment.

Fancy the idea of a 250, nice and nippy, light and agile and should be easily bullied
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[Wave2k]

K4+ GSXR750 with sorted suspention an absolute weapon.
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Ducati 1299 Panigale
2009 Corvette C6 z51
RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299

[Barry_M2]

Mark,

I know of someone selling an FZR400 with 1000cc engine if your interested? Think he wants £1k for it. I can put you in touch if you like?

[Motkram]

I'm not really what you'd call small, 5'11" and 14 stone.
I've had 1000cc sports bikes for 4 years now, so I'd say I'm used to that sort of power.
I have had a good thrash on an R6, and was fairly impressed with how it went, and can see how it would make an ideal track bike, but I can't help feeling it might feel a bit tame?

I've got too much money tied up in my bike to keep ragging the absolute shite out of it. It's just going to end up a right shitter, which it currently isn't.
I need someone to come along with 2 grand and a decent track or road bike.

[Bendy]

[Silver]

There was a test in a magazine a while ago where the 600cc sports bikes were almost as quick (and in some cases quicker) than their 1000cc big brothers. It's all down to useable power. This obviously depends on the track though!

[mattish]

Ive got my eyes on a rz250r, which has 350 top end, for track use

[Motkram]

Hmmmm, I reckon a decent 600 would probably do the trick, most tracks I think it's fair to say I would not be significantly faster on thou, and there aint no prizes for coming first anyway! Probably just willy waving on my part wanting a 1000 tracker

Fun is where it's at!
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Part-time GSXR1000 pilot>Micron Serpert system+K&N, PC111, Sigma slipper clutch, Brembo m/c+Galfer discs, Gilles rearsets, Translogic Quickshifter.

GP125>GSF400>VFR400NC30>YZF600R>YZFR1(1998)+KLR250>YZFR1(2003)>CBR900RRY>YZFR1(2002)>GSXR1000K1+RGV250

[Silver]

[Korn]

I got hooked on trackdays riding my R1 roadbike, which as the trackdays rolled by I slowly tarted up with funky suspension, better brakes, track bodywork and suchlike until it really didn't resemble a roadbike anymore. At that point I worked out that if I put the R1 back to standard spec, sold it, and also flogged off all the trick bits I had accumulated I would be able to get a ready-to-go R6 racebike and have lots of change left over. It seemed like a good idea at the time, so I went for it, and looking back on it now I'm quite glad I did.

The nice side effect of buying the R6 was that I realised crashing it wasn't going to be anywhere near as expensive as the R1, so I was free to push things a little bit further without worrying so much about the bike, and had more fun as a result. The lower power output also helped, because it made me have to work harder on my riding as opposed to just using litre-bike ooomph to get around.

The R6 is a great bike on track, you can pick up nicely sorted race-spec ones for not a lot of money and spares & general racing consumables are plentiful and cheap. My only real complaint is that it still eats tyres at quite a frightening rate, though it's not as bas as the R1 was. I'm quite keen to get back out on mine this summer, however she is slightly fucked at the moment due to a top-end blow up at the end of last season, which I'm taking a very long time to fix.

If I could have absolutely any bike to use on track, it would have to be a supermono special. Something like a 450f motocross motor in an RS125 chassis - that's the Honda racing bike and not the Aprilia yoof mobile, by the way. With plenty of four stroke thumper power and naff all weight I reckon it would be quite mental, and muller the more lardy machinery in the corners. Only problem is second hand ones are rare as rocking horse poo, and building one from scratch myself would be pretty damn expensive, so it's just a fantasy for now...
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3516 Miles, 11 Countries

[Silver]

[Korn]

[Motkram]

Nice post big boss man! Cheers.
My R1 now on ebay..........
https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4633703812&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1
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Part-time GSXR1000 pilot>Micron Serpert system+K&N, PC111, Sigma slipper clutch, Brembo m/c+Galfer discs, Gilles rearsets, Translogic Quickshifter.

GP125>GSF400>VFR400NC30>YZF600R>YZFR1(1998)+KLR250>YZFR1(2003)>CBR900RRY>YZFR1(2002)>GSXR1000K1+RGV250

[Whosthedaddy]

[Motkram]

Well, against my better judgement and advice on here, I'm picking this up on Monday. I'm not buying it to go fastest, I 'm buying to have fun, so there!
If I don't like it I can always flog her on and get something else.
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Part-time GSXR1000 pilot>Micron Serpert system+K&N, PC111, Sigma slipper clutch, Brembo m/c+Galfer discs, Gilles rearsets, Translogic Quickshifter.

GP125>GSF400>VFR400NC30>YZF600R>YZFR1(1998)+KLR250>YZFR1(2003)>CBR900RRY>YZFR1(2002)>GSXR1000K1+RGV250

[ronnieringdin...]

if had ever sports bike under the sun and ive now got a cbr600rr its the dogs doodars

[NSR Mick]

Did you not fancy tracking the R1?
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If you dont like the way that I ride.......Stop trying to keep up!!!

[Motkram]