Not sure if this is in the right section but it is track related I’ve had a notion for a while now to do some track days. I’ve not taken my bike on track before and I don’t want to take either of my current bikes on there for risk of binning them as certain parts for them are hard to come by so I’ve been thinking of getting something fit for purpose. What’s the best idea for a budget of < £2k? I’m thinking maybe GSXR600 K1/2 or similar? I’ve seen some road bikes and already track spec’d (race fairings, crash bungs etc) that fall within that budget. I wonder is it better to buy a MOT’d road legal bike and if I do a track day or two and don’t take to it for whatever reason I can sell it on easier than a track bike?
Sounds like you are just testing the water to see if you will enjoy trackdays, in that case I would suggest a cheap 600cc road going older model R6/zx636/CBR600RR for about £1500. If you find it isn't for you then its easier to sell on than a dedicated track bike as your market is larger. You don't need an all singing dancing track bike to have fun, just something with setup suspension, good brakes and decent road going tyres (forget slicks etc) Just a warning that once you do one track day it will be very addictive. I've done a few on my 1199 and am now looking for a dedicated track bike myself.
I wouldn't go 600, to much like hard work having to thrash them in the red zone all the time. You'll get gears wrong coming out of corners to start with and they have no grunt so you have to spend time going down the gear box. https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/cbr929rr-fireblade.71729/
I use a gsxr k2 1000 for track days and it's bloody brilliant, though it's far from standard now. @Cream_Revenge has got a great little bike for sale and I've seen it in action .
I agree with @bradders Start out on something that will require you to learn the merits of corner speed and finesse, CC and power aren't what makes a quick rider on track. Most of all, enjoy yourself
Especially those RR and V4R riders who go balls out on the straights, then park it in the corners, forcing you to sit up and run on..
636 Kawasaki under seat exhaust, lovely handling when set up on standard suspension. Bit more grunt than the other 600s. I had an ex track bike on the road...top bike. Had one of the last GSXR 750 srads made, superb handling bikes (geometry, wheelbase etc derived directly from Suzuki motogp bikes of past seasons) bloody quick as well. Should be in the 2k budget and enough go in both motors get you in plenty trouble.
They teach you to ride though There’s very little in laptimes at most uk tracks between 1000’s and 600’s. One is point and squirt, the other you have to ride the wheels off.
Probably. I went with the cbr929 as didn't want to rely on 'thou power but my 600 SRAD was just hard work after life on Ducati V twin. At about 130 at the rear wheel it's not much more than a modern 600 but with a bit more torque. Also why I've now got a k8 750 gixxer.
Had you considered renting one for a few trackdays before you commit You could rent a nice gsxr600 from Smallboys for circa £250/day Sometimes buying a <£2k trackbike can often be a false economy when it won’t run or the brakes or suspension’s so bad you end up fighting the thing and it puts you off for life
If you're getting sat up and running on it's your own fault! Poor anticipation. Are you a racer or on a track day? Big difference. With clear track, yeah go ahead and exercise your God like track pace. But on a track day, coming up to traffic you should always anticipate big variations in corner entry speeds from other riders.
He's not talking about those that he comes upon upon, he is more than capable of despatching those with ease, he is talking about the ones that scream up your inside just approaching the braking area or turn in point and then 'park it' because they can't ride around corners thereby ensuring that the corner speed he was looking to carry now can't be and he has to stand it up .....
Saw a bit of that going into foggy esses at Donington the other week. I was surprised at the aggressive riding by some. People get a bit carried away sometimes. One guy came past me on the brakes on the kerbing to my right, then chopped across me into the esses. He was millimeters from my front wheel... I thought I was going down the road...
Exactly, the 50p piece dive bombers ....... glad you never got tagged, someone on the DUK day at SS nearly did for me ........