can you point me in the right direction for an entry level track bike?

Discussion in 'Racing & Track Days' started by steven113, Feb 7, 2010.

  1. reg71

    reg71 Poser Staff Member

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    I just wanted to say thanks a lot 9using my sarcastic voice)Steven... Now you have got me combing craigslist again looking for trackbikes... I really don't need another expense... UGH... Hmm, I found an old SV650 for $800 that is crashed but frame looks okay... hmm...
     
  2. deepdish

    deepdish Banned

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    I always recommend a zx10- full modded out .. get around 180 rwhp.. you can grow into it and never need anything else...latter on when the zx10 is to slow maybe you could stuff a fully modded out zx14 motor in the frame...get aRound 200 rwhp.. then everyone will fell better...pleae send pics of first track day love to see them..
     
  3. steven113

    steven113 New Member

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    Man... I never thought of it like that... Thanks deepdish for taking the time to write this usefull post...:yousuck:
     
  4. reg71

    reg71 Poser Staff Member

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    steven, I came so close to pulling the trigger on this one:
    track bike I missed.jpg

    I sent an e-mail, called the seller and was ready to go talk to my banker. This 03 CBR went for 1800... The night before I found it... UGH
     
  5. uberchuckie

    uberchuckie New Member

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    I was in the same position as you so I was shopping for a cheap track bike. I took racing school last year on a Ninja 250 and learned the basics of track riding.

    I picked this up last week:

    [​IMG]

    2000 Honda CBR600F4 with stock engine, progressive front springs and Ohlin rear shock for $2500. I'm pretty happy. :)
     
  6. reg71

    reg71 Poser Staff Member

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    well, I gave in. I caved. I went and got the cash out of the bank and went in search of a track bike. I ended up with one fully set up for raceing, but it's just for track days for me. I'll have to change the rear spring as the PO was much smaller than me, but he had a heavier spring that he had swapped off. I looked around through cragislist using crazedlist.org to search all over the west coast to see what looked good to me. I using my finely honed negotiating skills, and rolled this baby into my garage tonight:
    27062_1290151625600_1584536768_30723517_5934225_n.jpg
     
  7. Bubba Zanetti

    Bubba Zanetti Member

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    ^^^^^^

    BBBBWWWWUUUHAHAHAHAHAHA!

    Most excellent reggie!

    BZ
     
  8. jay956

    jay956 New Member

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    have you started applying for more credit cards yet? better start soon before you credit score goes to shit and you owe every track day org in the west some money.
     
  9. reg71

    reg71 Poser Staff Member

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    I'm already jonesing to go. Tori found me a set of tire warmers on craigslist last night, told me how to get tires on credit without paying interest, and next I'm sure he's gonna have me selling blood to buy other bits...
     
  10. steven113

    steven113 New Member

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  11. nozzle

    nozzle New Member

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    my 2 sense:

    First track bike will be more fun if the engine has torque. Torque will get you through the corners better even if you are not in the right gear in the power-band every time. You can work on your lines and braking. V-twins and V-fours tend to generate more torque than the inline 4 of the same displacement. The two bike's with a V-twin power plant I saw mentioned in this thread are the Suzuki SV-650 & the Hawk.

    The 88-91 Honda HawkGT NT650, stock, has a 110 front tire. There are not a lot of options for sticky rubber for that hoop, so you'd likely want another front rim.

    The SV650 owners are much prouder of their bikes and prices over the last few months in the DC area rarely dipped below $3k, so will need to keep an eye out and jump on a good deal when it presents itself. The forum is still very active with lots of information and and active after mark community.

    but since this is a VFR forum, I don't think many folks would say that is not a good bike to ride ;-)
     
  12. jay956

    jay956 New Member

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    dont forget the superhawk!
     
  13. leebingate

    leebingate New Member

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    A SV650 or any of the 600's are great. Also, if you can find one in stock form (i.e. the motor hasn't been dicked with trying to add ponies) the Aprilia RS250 and Yamaha 250 two-strokes are lethal track machines per the owners I've talked too.

    Go to the WERA race forum and NESBA : Northeast Sports Bike Association. Look in the buying/ selling and their are plenty of bikes to choose from in your price range.
     
  14. jeanlee411

    jeanlee411 New Member

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    A SV650 or any of the 600's are great. Also, if you can find one in stock form (i.e. the motor hasn't been dicked with trying to add ponies) the Aprilia RS250 and Yamaha 250 two-strokes are lethal track machines per the owners I've talked too.

    Go to the WERA race forum and NESBA : Northeast Sports Bike Association. Look in the buying/ selling and their are plenty of bikes to choose from in your price range.
     
  15. tpadden

    tpadden New Member

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    Coming from someone who races and does trackdays on a 1st gen sv. I would tell you for track days only I would probably steer you torwards a 600 purely for fun factor. The SV is a great bike and is a blast to race, but it can become frustrating during trackdays when you have 600's and 1000's in your group especially because in most begginer groups you can only pass on straight aways and Intermediate and Advanced groups on the outside of turns which can be scary if you don't trust the guy your passing to hold his line. Don't get me wrong I absolutedly love my SV but it can get really frustrating to continuously work to set someone up to pass in a turn or coming out of one just to have them come right back by you on the straight because they have more power and then they park it in the next turn. The only way to go when buying a bike for the track around your price range is to by one already set up. You simply won't be able to buy a salvage bike for 3000 and set it up with what it needs for the track. Good luck and have fun!
     
  16. willy

    willy New Member

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    yeah...lots of hawks out there all ready to go track riding at a reasonable cost...not. I've ahad a couple hawks and loved them in the day but lest face it...they suck in stock form and the track bikes you might find will flogged, the pristine ones priced based on cache rarher than actual value...they have inherantly weak cranks too....ex 500...good lord...thats so 1991...get a SV man-better tire choices more after market better resale value after ridden on the track...although it occurrs to me I might be the last person to diss someones odd track bike choices.

    sure you can spend some money and make one handle pretty well...but a sv650 is so far ahead of the game
     
  17. willy

    willy New Member

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    yeah...they even allow harely davidsons o tnhe track these days...and track days...hard to believe 10 years ago almost nobody was doing track days around here -often theonly track time we got was during race practice and during actual racing . now my local track (blackhawk farms) has one pretty close to every week. it's amazing how much better riders people are now too-novice racers often have 10-20 or more track days under their belts (equivalent to 5-6 15 minute sprint races each) before they ever race. Intermediate level track riders are running laps on SV650s pretty near what expert club racers where running back in 1999.
     
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