Track Bike or Road Bike?

[cunni]

A choice to be made and I'm stuck.

I have two TL1000R's (Road and Race) and I have to get rid of one. (I need the money) Both are worth around £3k. Which do I keep?

These are my thoughts regarding them both:

Road Bike:

https://www.acm.org.uk/mediac/400_0/media/my_tl1000r.jpg

Advantages:

Can ride it any time I like
Tyres last longer than the track bike
Cheaper to maintain

Disadvantages:

Can't ride all that fast or push hard on the road - Too damn scarey out there!
Pot holes, road kill, pedestrians and car drivers get in the way
Any crash could be fatal

Track Bike:

https://www.acm.org.uk/mediac/400_0/media/100_02-02.jpeg

Advantages:

Can be thrashed as fast as I dare
Loads of expensive parts on it (which I won't get money for if I sell it)
Fantastic setup, great to ride
Loads of spares
No insurance, tax, MOT, etc

Disadvantages:

Eats tyres
expensive to run
expensive to replace parts (such as Ohlins kit)
Can't use it all that often (Too expensive - running and track day fees)
Could do with getting a van - more expense


Ok, so there are equal number of Advantages and disadvantages for each, so I need to figure out which I prefer riding.

Obviously I love riding on the track more than on the street, as it's so much faster and more fun, not to mention safer, but I can only afford to ride on track once in a blue moon. (Ok, so I can hardly afford to ride on the street at the mo, but that's about to change) However, I have lost my nerve on the road, due to the amount of dodgy manouvers I constantly see by car drivers, the crappy road surfaces and the cops! As mentioned above, I won't lose any money selling a bike, as they are both worth the same, albeit the race bike has over £10k invested in it! (luckily not by me)

What are your thoughts on this?

I've got a car for driving to work, etc. As for road riding, it's only something I'm interested in if I have a sports bike of some description, 1998 or newer. Anything else and I'm not that bothered. It's alot about the bike, not just the riding for me.

I hate letting a bike sit and not get used, but if I cancel the insurance on the road bike, this could be a couple of track days paid for and I have got an improvement in situation coming soon, so I should have more moeny available. I think I could use the race bike at least once a month after July.

I'm also getting a bit worried on the road and wonder if I should hit the track again or just leave bikes alone for a bit. I never come back from a road ride satisfied, as I'm constantly stuck behind lorries, caravans, etc. As with everything in my life I want to improve at this, get as good as I can, but of course, on the roads you can't do this! I think I am loosing the road riding bug. I'm kind of leaning towards the track, but it's the expense that is begging the questions I've asked. I guess if I did miss the road riding I could get the daylight-only MOT sorted for it and use it occassionally, but I probably won't.

Oh yes, Engine rebuilds, there's something that worries me. Anyone have an approx. cost of an end of year engine refresh for a 1000cc V-twin?
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TL1000R Parts For Sale!

[G]

Ideal solution would seem to be a fairly untuned, but sorted chassis, track bike with day time MOT.

I would have thought a refresh for a moderately tuned engine (as I seem to remember yours is) could easly be £1k if a few bits need doing.

[Barry_M2]

I agree with G.

I have two ZXR's at the moment, and like you, one is for the road and the other once its finished will be for track use, but with daytime MOT.

If I had to choose between the two you have, I'd probably keep the track TL.
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ZXR750R (M2) - For the road.
CBR1000 RR4 - For the track.
https://www.bikechatforums.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=4332

[cunni]

Thanks guys, it seems we are all thinking the same thing here. It makes little sense to sell a bike with over £10k of kit on it and keep one that is pretty much stock.

Don't get me wrong, I love the road bike, it's unique, I rebuilt it completely, engine and all and am not going to want to see it go.

I love the track bike as well though and it's awesome, faster, more powerful, lighter, etc. It's got a great spec to be fair and loads of spares. I still have all the kit to go with it, spare wheels, tyres, trailer, tyre warmers, genny, etc. I think it's the right decission to make!

Also, track bikes look the biz at bike meets! lol Although, the racer will hardly get much road use, as it over heats with two minutes if stood on a sunny day and also the engine rebuilds and oil changes are too expensive to do all the time.
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[G]

Could always see if you could swap your track TL for a track bike with an untuned or barely tuned engine.

[cunni]

Could do, but I'd rather stick with 'The Beast' for now. I love the TL, it's a fantastic bike. I have a spare engine in the garage anyway, so if it became a real cost issue I could swap them and sell the tuned jobbie.

I'm almost certain now that I'm going to keep the track bike and keep doing track days.
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[fast_tzr]

Personally I'd keep the road bike, imagine waking up on a sunny sunday thinking "great, time for a ride" only to realise theres no trackdays on. And the Ace or cat and fiddle(whichever end of the country you are) are always fun, but actually re-thinking, probably best to keep the track bike and get a daytime mot for it, but then again if you're worried about mental cagers would you really risk riding on the road without headlights on(though judging from your road bike you dont do this anyway) no indies or brake light? I probably wouldn't really.

[cunni]

I do like the idea of Sunny Sunday rides, but I hate being stuck behind cars doing 25MPH or lorries on all the twist roads round here with no chance to overtake. It gets boring. Also, I can't go getting my knee down no more on the roads, because I lost my nerve. Too many badly surfaced corners, mud on the road, badly parked tractors and lorries round corners, etc, not to mention the state of people driving at the moment.......I could go on. lol

Legally you have to have a brake light, you have arms as indicators and as you noticed, I don't use the front light unless it's dark. I have a theory about it causing T-bone accident, but I'm not going into that again.

I think I'm gunna go with the race bike, possibly daylight-MOT it, but mostly focus on riding on the track. It's a hell of a lot more fun!
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[Slickfish]

For the sake of old time's I'll offer you one piece of advice. I know you won't listen to it but hey it my opinion.

Sell the trackbike, keep the road bike.
Remove the goodies from the trackbike suspension etc and stick it on the road bike.
Put the standard kit on the trackbike and cut your losses with it.

That way you will be able to ride on the road should you want to(with Sharon perhaps). Ride when you want to.

With the money you save from services of a tuned engine, expensive tyres etc, take the TL on track every few months.

Just my opinion, granted I know afew people who would slap me for giving you that advice but hey its the truth.

[garth]

nick the tarty bits off the track bike, put them on your road bike, sell trackbike, do trackdays on road bike.
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You ain't a has been if you never was

[Gazdaman]

That's not a bad idea, but binning a road bike is worse than binning a trackbike.

Lots of fragile lights and stock 'pretty' fairings to ruin.

Although that's probably the best idea of the lot. Personally I'd consider a lesser trackbike like a steely CBR.

Then keep a TL for the road, and track it every so often if you so wish.

Gaz

[cunni]

Hmmm, there is a steelie CBRr in the garage at the mo, but I think Sharon would kill me if I pinched it!

Transfer the race bits to road bike: I have thought of that a fair bit as well. Not a bad suggestion, but a TL1000R racer is a hard bike to shift. No one wants one. It's more likely to be sold due to all the kit which makes it a good package.

Also, I don't really want headlights, mirrors and road fairings getting damaged on the track. I could get some track fairings etc, but then we arrive at the old bike again and the expense.

I think moving a step on from this suggestion would be to put my spare 'stock' motor in the race bike and then sell the road bike as is and save myself big service costs that way. Less work to do as well. I could possibly sell the 150BHP motor or just keep it if I get serious. (or as a spare just in case)

As for road riding, I've started to realise that it just ain't me any more. I'm not comfortable mixing it with car and van drivers. Too many dodgy roads and dodgy drivers out there, not to mention leg mangler posts everywhere. I am just too aware of what could happen that it's all I can think about. I just don't dare ride fast on the roads any more. I come home after a ride without that feeling of exhileration that oyu should get from riding, whereas I do get that on the track!

At the end of the day, for me a sport bike is a (expensive) toy and to me I prefer using them to their potential in the right environment. I'm gunna stick to just track riding and I don't think I'll bother with a day-light MOT or anything like that.

Cheers for the advice and thoughts everyone!
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TL1000R Parts For Sale!

[clarkee]

You know my thoughts Andy but at the end of my road riding I ended up just going out at 5am on a Sunday morning as this was the only time I could ride the bike as I wanted. Highly illegal speeds and very dangerous which is why I got rid and started racing. Racing is a big commitment both financially and personally, all your spare cash will go on it but I dont think anything else will satisfy your addiction, even though your race experiences have been less than successful. That doesnt matter, the addrenalin rush is the same for the guy at the back and the guy at the front (I know, been both) so cut your losses, ditch the road bike and stop messing about.
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www.clarkeracing.co.uk

[cunni]

Cheers mate!
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