Buying a Dedicated Track Bike

[Patent1]

I'm thinking of buying a 600 sportbike for track day use only. From the internet listings I've seen, it seems all the used track bikes either (1) have salvage title and/or (2) suffered at least one track crash (but of course the damage is only cosmetic). I'm thinking it might make better sense to pay a little more for a street bike which hasn't been crashed and hasn't been modified than risk buying an abused track bike. I don't mind a little wrenching, but I really don't want to deal with frame straightening or serious engine rebuilding. Any suggestions from those who have tread this path before me would be most welcome!

 

[SPORT]

Daytona 675

or SV650 or better yet, the SV1000.

 

[Silent]

If you spend enough time on the track, you WILL bin it eventually. That's why most track bikes have been crashed already. It's cheaper to take a "salvage" bike to the track than to go to the dealer, pay for a new 600 and go crash it at the track yourself. You usually pay ALOT less for a track bike than for a street bike of the same year/size when buying used.

 

[Patent1]

Silent, that's the key question: buy a used streetbike vs. buy a used trackbike, assuming same year and make. Does the difference in price justify the risk of buying truly damaged goods? I don't know how to evaluate a crashed bike's frame geometry. Is this a serious concern, or am I just being paranoid? In other words, how badly do you have to crash a bike before it is not salvageable?

 

[chrisflock]

Silent, that's the key question: buy a used streetbike vs. buy a used trackbike, assuming same year and make. Does the difference in price justify the risk of buying truly damaged goods? I don't know how to evaluate a crashed bike's frame geometry. Is this a serious concern, or am I just being paranoid? In other words, how badly do you have to crash a bike before it is not salvageable?

Well, the answer to both of your questions is: it all depends. The price difference is going to vary in every case, and so is the risk. If you can find someone who's got a good track bike for sale at a great price, and they are trustworthy enough that you can believe there are no problems that they actually know of that they don't tell you, then the difference in price could a lot and the risk small.

I think it is very difficult to assess the change in risk between buying a used street bike and buying a used race bike. There is certainly a good chance that street bike has been crashed. Every single add I've seen says never down, but then you go to look at the bike and the handlebars are bent and the side of the motor has the paint scraped off and all that...and the bikes that don't look like that, may have had the damaged parts replaced.

As far as how badly you have to crash a bike to make it unsalvageable, also depends on a lot of factors, from the exact circumstances of a crash to your definition of salvageable. There really isn't anything that isn't fixable, its only a question of how much it costs to fix vs replace, and that can go for a part or a whole bike. A bent frame may be bent back, or replaced.

But, look at how hard guys can drop stunt bikes, and they just pick it up and keep going. I would think that any damage serious enough to affect the frame geometry would be easily visible to a careful observer. If you just picture the bike in your mind, picture it getting crashed, and think about what parts are going to hit when it goes over in various types of crash, then inspect those areas.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Silent, that's the key question: buy a used streetbike vs. buy a used trackbike, assuming same year and make. Does the difference in price justify the risk of buying truly damaged goods? I don't know how to evaluate a crashed bike's frame geometry. Is this a serious concern, or am I just being paranoid? In other words, how badly do you have to crash a bike before it is not salvageable?

As far as how badly you have to crash a bike to make it unsalvageable, also depends on a lot of factors, from the exact circumstances of a crash to your definition of salvageable. There really isn't anything that isn't fixable, its only a question of how much it costs to fix vs replace, and that can go for a part or a whole bike. A bent frame may be bent back, or replaced.

Salvageable is usually defined as costing more than 80% of the total value of the bike to repair. It could be purely cosmetic and be "totaled". So don't look at Salvage title as always a bent frame, could be though.... Really look it over etc.

If you spend enough time on the track, you WILL bin it eventually. That's why most track bikes have been crashed already. It's cheaper to take a "salvage" bike to the track than to go to the dealer, pay for a new 600 and go crash it at the track yourself. You usually pay ALOT less for a track bike than for a street bike of the same year/size when buying used.

Gunny

 

[Silent]

Basically, just pay attention to the details (as stated above) if you're looking for a track bike. A "true" track bike will already have all the street legal stuff removed, and all of the important fasteners safty wired. If it's fairly clean, then odds are it's well maintained. if it's caked with dirt and oil, RUN!

The big advantage of buying a used track bike over a stock bike to take to the track is the amount of labor involved to make the conversion. Alot of holes to drill to satisfy most track gods. A perusal of Google will yield the various rule sets for the tracks you're planning on attending. They should tell you in no uncertain terms what is expected of your scoot.

 

[Auburn]

If it has been raced, find a 600 that has not been superbike modified or had and aftermarket CDI box put on it. Because in both cases the bike has been modified internally and the box allows higher rev limits which stresses the engine a lot more.

Even if the frame is bent, check into what compu-track wants to check and straighten it. Most bikes right out of the crate have frames that are not set at the optimum geometry for the bike.

The smaller the bore (less power) the longer the tires will last. Tires are a large expense for track days. Race compound tires cost considerably more than street compounds.

To answer your question, 600's are a dime a dozen, so you should be able to find a clean one that is relatively new (2-4 years old) at a reasonable price. In stock form, they are pretty much bullet proof and can take a lot of abuse. Maintenance will be critical - oil changes, tires, fuels, brakes, etc...

Enjoy the track it is a lot of fun to push the limits and not worry about a LEO or cage around the corner.

 

[TejasFJR]

If you decide you want to pick up a bike that has already been prepped, check out the wera forums:

https://forums.13x.com/showthread.php?t=176470

Typically if you buy a bike that is track ready, you can get extra goodies that typically don't show up in the asking price, things like rearsets, steering dampners, etc.

 

[pmeysemb]

I am going to throw in another possible source for possible track bikes - I still visit NESBA's forum and bikes for sale even after getting my '02 SV. www.nesba.com (track talk forum --> bikes for sale). I guess I trust most NESBA members now after being with the org. for about a year now. Most of the bikes seem to be on the east coast, though. Just have to be patient for one to pop up in your area.

On a side note: I decided to get a bike that was still street ready but previously raced. I have been riding it to work the last couple weeks and it is a blast. Lights and mirrors all come off on this one in about 10 minutes so not much work to get it ready for track.

I hope I don't have to thrash the FJR again on the track like my one day last year.

Good luck.

 

[odot]

Damn, everyone missed this one.....

DON'T CRASH!

 

[drew231506]

If you want a track bike, I would buy a track prepped or even A raced bike. It's ready to go and they go cheaper than a street bike, they usually have a lot of aftermarket components that cost a fortune on their own. If you're bike looks pretty at the track it doesnt fit in. I have a street bike now, gsxr600 that i tape the lights, take the mirrors off, license plate off, etc.. and i leave it it like that because i have so many track days set up. i should have bought a track specific bike. ill decide next year what Im going to do....although if i crash it, it will make my decision easier. if you have a few thousand extra bucks to convert it and lose the money on it, then do that. (dont forget tires...$$$$$$$$$)

 

[oldryder]

I went thru the same exercise last fall. I bought a bike (SV650) that was currently being raced. It had been down before as most track bikes have but since it was being raced I knew there were no issues. also got front & rear stands and a bunch of spares.

Saves a lot of work purchasing a race ready bike and if you are like me you'll have more then enough other things to work out to start racing. Getting racing legal suit, boots, and gloves, (cost me about $1000)a road racing license, a generator, tire warmers, a canopy for the pit, and some other stuff.

Its a lot of fun and I'm glad I'm doing it but its expensive to get started.

my 2 cents.

 

[Fencer]

I bought mine from the Wera link above. It has a clean title, not that it matters cause it aint on the street.

The rational for a lot of salvage bikes on the track (as I understand), Is you (individual) can fix the bike back to a ridable condition, that does not have to go to inspection to be "streetable" Example, you don't have to put on expensive fairings, (paint) headlights, kickstands, etc, (make OEM for inspection) that you will just take back off to make a dedicated track bike (race plastics, no-lights, you get the idea)

I paid $4k for a lot of aftermarkets and got the bike for free (the way I look at it). It had a Penske triple (thats 1K right there), skins, wiring, extras with the extras. It has been down 2 or 3 times I know of.

If you are looking for a street as well as a track bike, that is a diff story.

 

[Patent1]

Many thanks for all the replies! Yesterday I sat on new Japanese 600's at the local toystore. The Ninja ZX6R seems to fit me the best; I've still got to check out the Daytona 675.

I'm definitely buying used (2006 or later), but I'm still on the fence about buying salvage title, etc. I intend to join NESBA and do track days at Summit Point and VIR (rather than actually race) , so I'm not sure I need to buy all the race-specific parts some of the ads list. Of course, there's always the trailer, canopy, pit stand, etc.

I'll post details once I actually purchase a bike; it may be a while because I'm going to wait until the "right" bike appears on the internet listings. No hurry - I've got the FJR and some favorite twisties to keep me busy in the meantime!