Motorcycles For The Track and Circuit

[jscottyk]

As mentioned here, cranking up a discussion of track and race bikes.

Yep. Been considering everything from 390RC, to RSV4 RF, to R1, to 675R. I'm all over the place! Considering most of my time will be at COTA, the liter bikes are interesting. That said, Harris Hill, in San Marcos would be perfect on the 390RC.

COTA = LITER

R1S?

I'd say the new R6 but the price is too high and the R1 platform is just way better for a few $$ more.

Lots of good used 675 out there for great price.

There will be a new Daytona in 2019.

Or you could have your balls smashed and roasted on a baby panigale........only way I would own one would be for 30 minute track sessions and to have in the garage to look at. 959's are going cheap. Lots of 899 out there too.

Ball roasting isn't an issue since they moved the exhaust? The seat warmer exhaust on my 999 was appreciated in the shoulder seasons in Canada. And 148hp hardly makes a baby out of the 899 Panigale, more like a hell child. 1098s are cheap now, though a little light on power for the displacement by current standards, but my Ducati shop guy says they were a better built bike than the Panigale. I'm not going to miss the 10hp, but would appreciate the 25% increase in torque, and I could pay for 2 years of tires and insurance with the cost savings.

When I started to seriously considering a track bike, a starting point of a Ducati 1198SP was my first choice. After discussing things with James Compton, he suggested that unless I was a Ducatista, I might want to consider something like an R1 or RSV4 in liter bikes, or an R6 or 675R in the midweights. This bike will mainly be a tool, but I style and form are a bit important to me too. Honestly, I just don't like the shape of the R6 so it quickly feel off my list. Top consideration currently is R1, RSV4 or 675R.

[dogrange]

I wish I had more to add, but here are my impressions, all very [U]not[U] well informed as I have not been on a bike in 8 years:

1098 series: best-looking Ducati of the last decade, trellis frame can't be beat for looks

Panigale: a bit meh for looks, I'd go 1098

R1: last time I was in Boston (I think in September) someone rode one of the new ones down Newbury street as I was walking. It had a very loud aftermarket exhaust. It sounded really great.

RSV4: totally cool, looks great

[jscottyk]

I wish I had more to add, but here are my impressions, all very [U]not[U] well informed as I have not been on a bike in 8 years:

1098 series: best-looking Ducati of the last decade, trellis frame can't be beat for looks

Panigale: a bit meh for looks, I'd go 1098

R1: last time I was in Boston (I think in September) someone rode one of the new ones down Newbury street as I was walking. It had a very loud aftermarket exhaust. It sounded really great.

RSV4: totally cool, looks great

The current R1 with crank basically acts like a fast spinning v-four and sounds amazing, as does the RSV4. I like the lines of the RSV4 more, but the electronics of the R1 are reported to be pretty darn amazing.

[dgaddis]

I have nothing useful to add but to be careful and have fun. A buddy of mine has an R1 (no idea what year, probably 5yrs old now, if not older), I've watched him take it down the drag strip. He didn't launch it super hard 'cause he didn't want to land on his ass, and it still ran the 1/4mile in 10.4secs @ 140mph. Gah those things are fast!!! It was totally stock, he said more experienced drag racers could get the stock bike across the line in under 10 seconds.

Same guy also had a Suzuki SV1000, that thing was sweet, that V-twin sounded great.

[jscottyk]

I have nothing useful to add but to be careful and have fun. A buddy of mine has an R1 (no idea what year, probably 5yrs old now, if not older), I've watched him take it down the drag strip. He didn't launch it super hard 'cause he didn't want to land on his ass, and it still ran the 1/4mile in 10.4secs @ 140mph. Gah those things are fast!!! It was totally stock, he said more experienced drag racers could get the stock bike across the line in under 10 seconds.

Same guy also had a Suzuki SV1000, that thing was sweet, that V-twin sounded great.

Oh yeah, these latest liter bikes are around 200 horsepower and capable of 180+ mph on long tracks like COTA. My 2018 Triumph Street Triple RS is 765cc, no fairing, and should be able to hit about 140mph on the back straight of COTA. The most crazy thing is, screaming down that straight feels safe. The runoff is great and the brakes on these modern bikes are as amazing as the engines.

[pdxmech13]

The R1 Cross Plane is amaze balls. I wouldn't say it sounds as good as a true V-Twin but it has a distinct aura about it. Listening to Cameron Beaubier's at Laguna Seca is surreal and is just plan angry.

My coworker has a 16 and it's truly something amazing. Chassis is so dialed that such little input is really needed and the IMU is out of this world. Lots of parts available for them and obviously you get the tuning fork reliability with Rossi's blessing. Damn ugly front end though. If I were plunking down money for one as a track bike I'd get the R1S. Saves about $2k right off the top.

I don't think there is a better bike all around than the V-twin of the Aprilla. Most journo's would agree and the noise.......OMG. They were the first on many fronts including IMU tech. The only problem is the dealer network and overall reliability of spinning a motor 14K RPM all summer. The auto blipper on the 17 is pure freakin SEX!!!!!!

The new Ninja that REA is riding is pretty sweet to even though it's not even close to the same animal. Great chassis and good electronics as well.

The 959 I rode was one of the most disappointing bike riding experiences I've had in the last year. I really wanted to love it but it isn't meant for anything other than the track and at the RPM's it needs to be in it's a freaking rattle can and crotch burner. No thanks. I'll just look at them on my Instagram feed.

Rode my Speed today for about 2 hours in 37 degree weather. Damn I love 2 wheels.

[dgaddis]

Oh yeah, these latest liter bikes are around 200 horsepower and capable of 180+ mph on long tracks like COTA. My 2018 Triumph Street Triple RS is 765cc, no fairing, and should be able to hit about 140mph on the back straight of COTA. The most crazy thing is, screaming down that straight feels safe. The runoff is great and the brakes on these modern bikes are as amazing as the engines.

Watching the sport bikes at the drag strip was always....I dunno, fun, but also scary. Lots of the guys on them didn't have the experience to be out there and it was always skeeeeetchy. Watching my buddy blast down the strip was even scarier, not because he was sketchy (he wasn't), it's just that he's my buddy and I don't want him getting hurt haha.

At the drag strip, cars - even the really fast ones - only pull super hard for a short ways, then the acceleration dies off. Not the bikes. They look like they're just getting faster faster the faster they go.