Choosing a Track Bike vs a Show Pony


brownwa

New Member
So I'm facing a huge dilemma. I need a track bike.

I have been tracking the FZ6R which is great, but it is sadly just too slow, even for beginner group C. The tracks near me (Laguna, Sonoma and Thunderhill) are always packed with douchebags on Panigale 1199's, IN GROUP C! Basically they want to feel big by making honest folk like me feel small.

What I would love to do is get a +2005 GSX-R600, make it "track ready" and just ride the s*** out of her at the track. However...

2-months ago the woman of my dreams blew past me as I was overtaking a cage. She was riding a brand spanking new Aprillia RSV4 R, so virgin it still had the showroom tags on it. A few miles later should pulled up in front of me at a traffic light and kept turning back giving me looks. Her "date" pulled up about 5-minutes later, clearly having had a very hard time keeping up with her.

Now to the FZ6R's credit she was actually checking out the bike (and not me :(). I think she probably couldn't tell what it was because the red framed fizzers confuse people a lot.

Anyway, it totally tickled my testosterone fueled ego that I now also need a faster street bike. I am not sexist I swear, but it really treads on my nuts when the fairer sex out rides or out drives me. Ok I would marry Danica Patrick in a heartbeat and let her drive everything from the Porsche to the pram, but you get the idea.

So I am torn. My soul is telling me to get a used gixxer and track prep it. My heart is telling me to get a BMW S1000RR and hunt this Aprilia chick down. My brain is telling me to live with the FZ6R because it makes me happy and quite frankly gets the job done, on both the road and track.

Thoughts? I could really use a crowd sourced voice of support on this. My track day buddy is pushing me to go the used gixxer route... but his street bike is a gorgeous Daytona 675.
 
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derf1278

New Member
Not considering the R6 for a track bike? I got three friends I ride with that all have the s1000rr for mostly track days(always in novice class too) and mountain runs. Its also a decent street bike too. Probably the best compromise for what you are looking to do.
 

D52

New Member
I’m finding myself in a similar situation to you. Two people from a group I ride with and myself each did our first track day ever last month. All 3 of us enjoyed it and plan on attending more in the future. This got us talking about possibly picking up track bikes. One already owns a CBR so he is leaning towards picking up a used bike and make it track-ready. The other owns a Bandit. He was already considering making the jump to an actual sport bike and the track day pretty much sealed the deal.

The answer to their situations were easy to decide, whereas, I’m kinda stuck in the middle. Do I look for a track-ready option that I’m only going to ride a handful of times during the year? Do I look for something a little faster and more powerful than the FZ6R? Or do I just do nothing for now?

If I were in your situation, I’d go for the S1000RR, especially since you’re in CA and your riding season is much longer than mine here in PA (if it ends at all) and I’m presuming you have more tracks and road/geogrpahy options (canyons, mountains, etc) closer to you than what I have available so that you could fully enjoy everything the S1000RR has to offer.

As for me, I wasn’t planning on making a decision anytime soon, but my job had me out in a town I’m not normally in, so I stopped in a showroom to kill time so I wouldn’t be stuck in traffic on the way home and was surprised to find a new 2014 Daytona 675R on the floor going for $500 less than a new 2015 non-R. :drool: Especially tempting since I’d prefer a non-traditional choice in sport bike and have no desire for a liter bike. How’s your friend like his 675?
 

brownwa

New Member
My thoughts exactly. I'm going to try to hold out until "winter" here when the prices go down. Doing another two track days this weekend and getting owned :( Still having fun though!
 

brownwa

New Member
Not considering the R6 for a track bike? I got three friends I ride with that all have the s1000rr for mostly track days(always in novice class too) and mountain runs. Its also a decent street bike too. Probably the best compromise for what you are looking to do.
Ok, so after concluding two track days in a row I'm beginning to take the Yamaha R6 more seriously. That bike was able to keep up with the liter bikes except for long straights.

@D52
I was observing the stampede of BMW S1000RR's at the track this weekend. They definitely seem like the bike of choice for those who like to track and street a single bike. HOWEVER, I was helping a buddy load his S1000RR and his gf's Triumph Street Triple onto a pickup truck. Unfortunately my friend was too ambitious and tore open the BMW's fairing with a poorly placed ratchet strap. It completely ruined his weekend, after he'd had an epic 2 days owning his racing group. I don't think I could sleep at night if I damaged a $800 fairing lashing down a BMW on my trailer. A Japanese bike seems more within the limits of my nerves.
 

brownwa

New Member
In the end I got a 2014 GSX-R750 Anniversary Edition for $11,700 out the door. The same day another dealer called me to buy my FZ6R. So Rachel was sold and now I'm riding Morgana:



Anyway I don't really like the gixxer forums so I'm sticking around 600cc. I learned a lot about bike maintenance here and it's the right crowd. Also I'm absolutely in love with the FZ6R and in a perfect world would have kept two bikes in the garage.
 

pkoko

New Member
Before reading what you did; I was going to recommend a GSXR 750. It has all the power that you will ever need, handles great, comfortable. Good value. I would upgrade brake lines, tune the suspension, and you will be amazed what this bike can do. A quickshifter might also help on technical tracks.

I have raced 1099 Panigale from 0-60. And the Ducatti is only 1-2 bike lengths ahead. I am also taking off at 4k rpm so I am easy on the clutch.
 

FastFreddy

New Member
Hot chicks that ride hard are hard to find.

The GSXR-750 should go well on track, 190 kg, comfortable, apparently one of the more confident bikes to get your knee down on.
 

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brownwa

New Member
That Google search just made my day! Lol. I spied a few biker chicks on my local forum. Will have to start going to the meet ups. Thanks for the motivation :D

The gixxer is everything I had hoped it would be. Have a track day lined up for it right before thanksgiving. Still dream of the fz6r though, that bike is just impossibly versatile.
 


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