Hey everyone, I've got a wall of text for you (and some questions) | GTAMotorcycle.com

Hey everyone, I've got a wall of text for you (and some questions)

gtm

gtm

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So to begin with, I have always been interested in motorcycles and racing in general. As a kid I raced 80cc shifter karts until my parents financial means lessened I guess you could say. I still have the racing bug to this day, I love going fast and I love when you feel like you become a part of the machine you're driving and you can sense and feel everything within it and control it like it were your fingers.. Im sure you will all understand what I mean.

I've only ever ridden dirtbikes and such a few times, I have no problem riding or changing gears or anything, and Ive done a fair bit of mountain bike racing (not that it realllly applies, but it is on two wheels none the less). I don't own a street bike and quite frankly with the cost of insurance, I doubt I ever will.

Ive been dying to get on a track lately, whether it be in a car a go kart or a horse drawn carriage, I cant get rid of this urge to just push something to the limit on a track. I was thinking about a track car, but then again ive always wanted to ride a bike and race one.

So, I have a bit of a plan of action and Id like you to pick it to pieces please

- Buy track bike. Ive seen pretty darn cheap out there, and as a beginner I dont need something with 20k dumped into it obviously.
- learn to ride it in parking lots at night since I cannot on the road
- go to some sort of school for a day just to make sure im doing things right, or
- just get out on the track on track day and see what happens

I know the rates for someone my age (23 male) for a sport bike.. and well, to be honest I would rather go to the track maybe 10 times a year with my bike and be able to actually unleash its capabilities than to pay roughly the same for a road legal bike and the cost of insurance where I am a huge target to be pulled over, not to mention for cars on the road, and plus it would be too hard not to speed.

That being said, I do not have any variation of my M license and I was wondering if it was required of me, or if I could just in some way prove that I can ride to get on the track?

Im quite certain I wont have any issues.. I know all about being smooth and choosing lines, I just have to learn to adapt that to a motorcycle.

Really my end goal, maybe after a year or a bit of track days I want to start racing, not super competitively because I know realistically I cannot afford it, but Im sure a lot of people in the am's cant either (unless I am so good I get a full pro ride)

Thanks for reading!

CLIFFS:
I dont have M license. Racing background shifterkarts as a kid, racing bug biting me hard and no release. Love motorcycles, never driven road one, dirtbikes, bikes etc though.
Want to buy track bike, leanr in a parking lot, maybe go to one of shannonvilles schools or something, do some track days, start racing, get full pro sponsorship ride and race in the mosport superbike weekend instead of spectating
 
don't waste your time doing a road based train course, its a waste of money.

for your cliff notes, don't bother learning in a parking lot, go to an entry level track school, you'll learn all you need there.

Do start doing trackdays, get a race license and you can race at mosport as an amateur.


No one gets full rides in Canada anymore.

The BEST rider in Canadian history paid for his own program last season and didn't get much more than that this year.
 
RACER5 is a pretty good intro program that won't cost an arm and a leg.
 
Thanks for the replies, I hadnt seen any and was beginning to worry everyone was just ignoring another "dumb noob"

Like I said, I know the jist of riding and the "mechanics" involved, but I do need to learn how to lean properly, as much as I am sure I can imitate my idols I'd rather be doing it right from the start.

So you'd reccomend just hopping onto a track school right away? As long as I dont need anything other than a bike then that seems pretty awesome. I read on TMP that you need your M to do track days? I am mostly interested in shannonville and mosport like I said (well for racing, at the moment Ill take what I can get!)

Why ride in Canada then and not try to make it into the States (I do realize they have enough talent of their own..)

Am I right in my basic assumption that $10k should take me through my first year no problem? I expect to spend upwards of 5-6 just on the bike and gear.. I hope I can find a dinky little trailer on the cheap too. Im not going to skimp on gear at all, full one piece leather, armor, the whole nine yards so I know that will probably cost more than the bike itself LOL. How much does a set of tires up here cost? Ive been told estimates of around $500 per track day? Plus at least a set of tires and a tank of gas a day, not including any damages. I know I will drop the bike, but I'll let the credit card handle that or ill take the rest of the season off if it comes to that point, but I shall ignore that for now.

Would anyone reccomend the RACE or FAST school from shannonville? I notice that there are a lot of different level courses.. all are pretty expensive and I have a feeling I wont need any course that "takes its time" so to speak which is what these seem to do. Pretty interesting to know that they have pros teaching the courses though.

I really am dead serious in that racing is my end goal after this season if I can get into things quick enough.. the rush is just unparalleled
 
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Why not try sidecars?,similar corner speeds to carts,free school,lots of help ,prices comparable to a 600,and one set of tires last you all year,plus maybe you can split the cost with your passenger check out www.sidecarracers.com ] have 2 formula 2's for sale,0ne with engine(2008 GSXR 600) and one without (motor mounts are also GSXR 600)
 
There aren't really many paid rides in the US anymore either.

Lots of our riders try to make it there, a few have done REALLY well, lots more have spent fortunes.

you need to walk before you run.

If you're over 18 now, you're chance are pretty slim.
 
reciprocity said:
There aren't really many paid rides in the US anymore either.

Lots of our riders try to make it there, a few have done REALLY well, lots more have spent fortunes.

you need to walk before you run.

If you're over 18 now, you're chance are pretty slim.
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Holds true for pretty much all levels of professional Motorsport in this day and age. If you didn't fall out of the uterus and land on a kart or motorbike you have a serious uphill battle to go pro.
 
I'm in a similar boat to you, except I'm older and my aspirations aren't quite as high.

I just did the Racer5 school this past weekend. It's the most affordable and best way to get into racing. Your first day starts on the bike during a trackday, learning the bike, body positioning, and the racing lines at TMP. Your second day is more of the same, except this time you're getting your race license for SOAR. On Saturday, it's your 6 lap qualifying race. On Sunday, you do a 12 lap race. All of this for under $800.

I had so much fun, and learned so much, I'm going back. I won't do the first two days (what they call Stage 1 and 2), but I'll be doing the Sat and Sun. $400, and you get to race and earn points towards the Racer5 cup. All you do is show up, ready to ride. I'm doing at least 2 more weekends this summer.

My plan after that is to pick up a cheap trackbike over the winter. You can get a bike for $2-3k that is decently well setup. The expensive part is the fuel, travel costs, race entry fees, tires, and spare parts that will all add up over the course of the race season.

In short, do what I'm going to do. Train up with Racer5 on a CBR 125 and get your technique down pat. Win some races there, get comfortable with the track and riding in general. Then once you're ready, start adding in horsepower. It's probably the easiest and cheapest way to get started, and because you will have established a solid foundation, you'll be much better than other people on the bigger bike.
 
Ive never heard of racer5, but from your post I assume they have a bunch of cbr125s they loan out to riders who pay to use them on their track days?

Sounds pretty good to be honest, and I'll have to look into it but from what ive read tmp requires you to have your M?

I am over 18, and yes I understand my chances of making it big are long gone, just like with skateboarding etc haha. What could I possibly have over an 18 year old already racing pro? nothing.. I was just joking, I dont ever expect to make it to the pros. I understand full well the actual cost of being competitive at higher, if not any level of racing. I tell people my go kart seasons cost nearly 20k and people stare at me as if I just froze over hell itself, thinking go karts are little toys you can pick up for a few hundred :rofl:

and no to sidecars lol, just no.

Cost isnt my biggest issue, I want to race bikes and that is that.. wherever that takes me cost wise is where it takes me, I'll suck it up and work some more if need be! I am by no means rich and I know racing is a rich mans sport, theres no ifs ands or buts about it. You can get by on the cheap, but we all know that only takes you so far, and it will be no time before I am itching for this or that and the costs start to skyrocket heh.

Like I said, I am willing to spend whatever I would in a year on a road legal bike + its insurance (my guesstimate, 15k) to go to the track a few times, I think that should be more than able to cut it, have some fun and maybe even be a little competitive.

I just want to know if I truly can just show up to a track day with nothing but my gear and bike, pay my dues and have at'r? Like what do they typically do for the noobs who show up on track day? I know you're stuck in beginner/novice groups and there is no passing.. How fast can you move up groups? Is there some sort of graduated system or do the marshalls just say to each other "okay that guy needs to be bumped up"?
 
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You should go to Shannonville this weekend to watch RACE round 2. Walk around and talk to some racers. Talk to real person. You will learn lots more there.
 
TMP Does NOT require an M license for trackdays, or racing, the information you have is incorrect.
 
gtm said:
Like I said, I am willing to spend whatever I would in a year on a road legal bike + its insurance (my guesstimate, 15k) to go to the track a few times, I think that should be more than able to cut it, have some fun and maybe even be a little competitive.
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WHOA 15k lol. When I was a little younger than you I got my first bike (Ninja 250) and gear/year insurance for 6k maybe...

I want to get on the track too, but it's a lot easier for me to justify my street bike with 1.40 gas than it is to justify going to the track. It is WAYYYYY safer though, and if you don't trust yourself on the street to take it easy then I commend your decision. Good luck!
 
Gryph said:
WHOA 15k lol. When I was a little younger than you I got my first bike (Ninja 250) and gear/year insurance for 6k maybe...

I want to get on the track too, but it's a lot easier for me to justify my street bike with 1.40 gas than it is to justify going to the track. It is WAYYYYY safer though, and if you don't trust yourself on the street to take it easy then I commend your decision. Good luck!
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Well, a 600 ss will run me near 10, then I was figuring in cost of financing/buying a bike as well as other associated costs, and really I could see it going over.

Its not that I dont trust myself, its just that I would be so bored and literally aching.. its like being blueballed. Imagine yourself driving your car, and there is a little section of road you like to do a little over (;)) the speed limit on, but there is a person in front of you doing 10 under and its single lane with a solid line.. Happens to me all the time and it aches me to a point that I could only associate it as withdrawals in the same way a person who quits heroin cold turkey gets withdrawals. I have to do wayyy over the speed limit to get my car to start feelin what I could almost call "comfortable yet excited" and really its stupid, I dont want to lose my license and its not safe because people on the road are morons and you cant count on them ever. Like I said.. constant blueballs. All that would be hugely exacerbated on a bike

as far as gas.. id probably just go buy a drum of racing fuel :eek:
 
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Please go research more about this. I admire your ambition, and definitely support you doing this. But if you think you're going to spend 10k on an SS bike and jump on the track, I will smack you.

Start small, learn the techniques. A $10k 600 SS is not the right way to start on the track. When you crash that bike, you'll be hurting when it comes to replacement parts. Seriously, if you don't want to start on a CBR 125, at least buy a cheap, used, well-sorted track bike off someone. You can easily find a good one for less than $4k. That'll leave you plenty of cash to spend on other, more important things. Track riding can get expensive. Spending it on an expensive bike before you even get to the track, isn't smart.

Oh and listen to guys like reciprocity. They're the track gurus.
 
HorizonXP said:
Please go research more about this. I admire your ambition, and definitely support you doing this. But if you think you're going to spend 10k on an SS bike and jump on the track, I will smack you.

Start small, learn the techniques. A $10k 600 SS is not the right way to start on the track. When you crash that bike, you'll be hurting when it comes to replacement parts. Seriously, if you don't want to start on a CBR 125, at least buy a cheap, used, well-sorted track bike off someone. You can easily find a good one for less than $4k. That'll leave you plenty of cash to spend on other, more important things. Track riding can get expensive. Spending it on an expensive bike before you even get to the track, isn't smart.

Oh and listen to guys like reciprocity. They're the track gurus.
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I do plan to [try to] buy a bike for under 3k.. im talking 10k total for the year, which is 3k plus all those costs that add up. Im just being realistic *shrug*
the way I see it:
-3k bike
-2k+gear
-10x $500 a track day not including other fees

already we are at 10k, so I really do not think I am very far off the ballpark, if anything I feel I have likely largely under shot it as I havnt really included any schools/courses, any work that needs to be done, etc
Obviously I will try to do things as cheaply as I can without blowing money away.. like I said I am not rich, just realistic. I appreciate all the comments so far, thanks guys
 
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So I've decided that Im gonna try to go through the racer5 program. 125 should be forgiving enough for a noob like myself, and by the end of the weekend I'll prove if I can handle something bigger I figure :)

I have yet to speak to them but I am hoping to do this some time in July. Seems crazy, in 3 days you go from knowing nothing to racing on the last! I assume they expect people to have had regular road riding experience, but we'll see how I fare >:D

thanks for the help everyone
 
gtm said:
So I've decided that Im gonna try to go through the racer5 program. 125 should be forgiving enough for a noob like myself, and by the end of the weekend I'll prove if I can handle something bigger I figure :)

I have yet to speak to them but I am hoping to do this some time in July. Seems crazy, in 3 days you go from knowing nothing to racing on the last! I assume they expect people to have had regular road riding experience, but we'll see how I fare >:D

thanks for the help everyone
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I'll see you there that weekend. Try and catch me.... but you probably won't.
 
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