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Riding options.

ungoloth

ungoloth

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2 years ago I came off the bike (totalled it) and found myself in the hospital for a month.
I am paying the insurance extortion now and I'm almost done with this S**t.
At the time it was 38 years without incident. I hit some gravel and came off.
I'm thinking of just doing track days and cutting insurance out of the equation (I outright own the bike).
I hate to give up motorcycling as it's what I enjoy the most. The rides, friends, destinations, meetups etc.
Any thoughts or options?
I love/hate adrenaline as it's the rush that makes this fun but also the factor that makes for diminished concentration.
I suspect adrenaline factor gets reduced after a few track days.
I also leery about putting a 2019 bike on the track (being a newby and all).
Maybe the insurance rates will ease up as my 3 year crash anniversary passes?
Happy Apexes
 
Sell your bike. Buy a cosmetically challenged, mechanically sound track bike.

You're screwed on insurance for 7 years, at least on a zx-10r (thats whats in your profile pic?)

Maybe buy a cheap, small displacement, non-black listed street bike for the next 4 years?

Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk
 
Insurance should drop over time as the at-fault moves back.

Riding in the dirt takes a lot of the pain of insurance away and you can get the comradery etc that you like. Presumably your current bike is not a good fit for that path.

I agree with Matt. If I was going track only, I would buy one ready to go (ask @Priller about the conversion if you want the fear of god put into you).
 
ungoloth said:
2 years ago I came off the bike (totalled it) and found myself in the hospital for a month.
I am paying the insurance extortion now and I'm almost done with this S**t.
At the time it was 38 years without incident. I hit some gravel and came off.
I'm thinking of just doing track days and cutting insurance out of the equation (I outright own the bike).
I hate to give up motorcycling as it's what I enjoy the most. The rides, friends, destinations, meetups etc.
Any thoughts or options?
I love/hate adrenaline as it's the rush that makes this fun but also the factor that makes for diminished concentration.
I suspect adrenaline factor gets reduced after a few track days.
I also leery about putting a 2019 bike on the track (being a newby and all).
Maybe the insurance rates will ease up as my 3 year crash anniversary passes?
Happy Apexes
Click to expand...

I had an at fault in 2011 when I totalled my bike. They replaced my bike at a very fair value including all the undisclosed aftermarket stuff on there and my gear. The raw costs of replacement was around $10k. Insurance went up for 3yrs or so at a pretty reasonable increase as well - something around $500/yr. Then after 3 or so years of good riding, rates went back to normal.

How much are you paying for insurance on it now vs. before?
 
For a 2015 Kaw ZX10R with group rate from my employer was $700 year.
Group rate disappeared, ins co dropped ss bikes and I'm now at $2100 year for 2019 zx10r.
For $2100 I may be able to do track days (once I jump through all the hoops)
 
Dirt biking is the cheapest hobby going, excellent cardio workout.

Track days can get expensive depending on how serious you want to be.

Racer5 or FAST@ Shannonville, and Trail tours or smart adventures, try this before going full in.

Sell the 2019, buy a cheap track bike and a dirt bike.
 
A friend of mine was in the same boat as you regarding insurance. He had a KTM Duke 390 and sold it in late 2019 - we both still talk about how he should've just kept it for track days. My opinion on some of your thoughts below:

I'm thinking of just doing track days and cutting insurance out of the equation (I outright own the bike).
Do it! I stopped riding street in 2019 and have been doing track days since then on a 2019 SV650. No regrets whatsoever.

I hate to give up motorcycling as it's what I enjoy the most. The rides, friends, destinations, meetups etc.
On my end, I always preferred riding solo, but the social aspect is still there at track days! Great community.

I suspect adrenaline factor gets reduced after a few track days.
But the learning never stops. I like the fact that there is always room for improvement at the track, so it keeps me engaged. Plus there are a good number of tracks within 3-4 hours of the GTA for variety.

I also leery about putting a 2019 bike on the track (being a newby and all).
If so, do Racer5 or FAST first to build confidence (I did Racer5 in 2018 and started track days on my bike in 2020). Otherwise, plenty on here would be willing to help on your first day out.
 
2100 for a superbike isnt out of order

Imo, get a naked, have more fun on the street and still do track days

There are a wide variety of options depending on your budget

I'd recommend a duke 890R, hella fun on the street and rips around tracks and you'd still save money on insurance
 
I went through the exact same thing when I was unmarried, carefree and mortgage-free.

From 2003-2006 I developed a brotherhood with a few GTAMers here and we hit every road, twisty, fork and straightaway in Ontario. In that time we became quite proficient and capable riders with some squid antics on the side back when it was a right of passage to knee-drag on the "cloverleaf".

Fortunately, none of us ever went down. For me however, and when super-sport premiums became ridiculous (in 2006 the premiums on my 00' CBR600F4 jumped from $920 to $3200), I decided to take my bike off the street and ride track exclusively. Back when Cherry Picker was still active, I met a few track and race junkies there, picked up race skins, a spare tank and Bridgestone race take-offs and had at it. I signed up for enough track days that summer to equal all my experience in years from the street. Shannonville, Calaboogie, Mosport ... every other week until the last week of September. I learned so much in that one summer than all the antics I gained from the 507, Snake Road, Pearson Airport, Forks, etc in 3 years of street.

Your first track day is an exiting and humbling moment. But will make you the best rider you can be.
 
Does Mosport offer a race school? I live 5 min from there. R5 Grand bend is a long way away...
There is nothing on CTMSP web site.
 
ungoloth said:
Does Mosport offer a race school? I live 5 min from there. R5 Grand bend is a long way away...
There is nothing on CTMSP web site.
Click to expand...
Lots of groups rent rdt for training. You dont have the best bike for that track though. I dont know if anyone uses the big track for race school.
 
Wingboy said:
Gave up trackdays because i was tired of throwing thousands at it. Dirt has a lot more to offer. Trail or trial, there are lots of events to go to. And it's cheap!
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Dirt is definitely cheaper.

For me, it's proximity as well. I have trails literally right in my back yard.

Closest track is an hour and a half away, and it's private as well. $50K membership!

If it was 15 minutes away, I'd maybe consider it...
 
Lightcycle said:
Dirt is definitely cheaper.

For me, it's proximity as well. I have trails literally right in my back yard.

Closest track is an hour and a half away, and it's private as well. $50K membership!

If it was 15 minutes away, I'd maybe consider it...
Click to expand...
50K is like pocket lint for you lol.
 
bigpoppa said:
Baller
Click to expand...
Jayv said:
50K is like pocket lint for you lol.
Click to expand...

Well, you can sell your membership and they go up every few years, so some members have been making money selling their membership at current rates.

It's like $3K/year annual fees. Worth it if you're doing a track day every weekend. And the riding season is long in the Okanagan.
 
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