The Track Bike

My desire to ride on the track started soon after I purchased my first R6 (2003), but there wasn't much exposure to track riding in western MA. The only times I had any conversations about it were when I talked with the "hardcore" riders at local shops. Even those were few and far between.

I didn't actually ride on the track until 2008, but when I finally did; it completely changed my world. I found myself more in-tune not only with what my motorcycle was capable of (and doing), but also what I was capable of. I was confident that I could take turns faster and sharper, and I felt more comfortable under emergency breaking conditions. Even though I had learned a lot and my confidence had grown, I had even less desire to try any of it on the street.

Riding on the track should give you a very real understanding that all the crazy shit you've been doing on the street is/was like playing Russian Roulette. On the street, there's no guarantee that around the next turn there won't be a patch of sand, leaves, a puddle, a dog/small fuzzy animal, roadkill, a branch, horse poop, a child, a person, a car backing up, another motorcycle, a Volvo, or a cop. You can't even be certain that any one of those things won't jump out at you on a straight-away. Add in traffic, and your likelihood of crashing skyrockets. It's not paranoia, it's experience. On the other hand, a track is made for going fast. It's groomed and cleaned. You have a large wide lane, no driveways, no cars, no on-coming traffic, there's typically run-off room or an air-wall so you're less likely to get seriously injured when you fall. Everyone is going the same direction with the same purpose: To learn and have fun. What's more is that you're going to be with experienced riders that can teach/instruct you. It's truly an ideal environment for riding. Fast.

After a handful of track days, I felt like I was approaching a plateau in my learning curve. I didn't want to push the bike too much harder because I was afraid of making a critical mistake and dumping it. That's where a track bike comes in.

A track bike is your confidence inspiring dedicated track motorcycle. Typically already banged up, not too expensive (to fix), and cosmetically challenged. I lucked out: I was able to pick up a Ducati 748 race/track bike for SUPER cheap. The bike had been raced, raced, crashed, raced, and crashed again. The damage on it is minimal, and all the critical components are OK: engine, forks, frame, wheels, and swingarm.

(1995 Ducati 916 w/2001 748 Engine. Came with 2nd set of wheels with rain tires.)

It might not look like much, but for about another $1000 to $1200, I'm going to have a perfect track bike. Something I don't have to worry so much about crashing. Something I can enjoy that doesn't have to be running every weekend so I can ride with my friends. Something I can tweak and fine-tune to increase performance. Since this is an older bike, upgrades are a little cheaper -so are repairs.

A word of advice when picking a track bike: Try not to get just ANYTHING. If you've been riding an inline-4 and that's what you feel most comfortable on, try to get an inline-4. Likewise, if you've been riding a twin, trying to get another twin. You'll learn faster, feel more comfortable, and there will be less to learn (in terms of differences).

I'll be posting specifically on the different components I'm rebuilding on the bike. If you have specific questions, I'll field them as best as I can.