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zaster said:
Remember, it is more fun to ride a slow bike fast than the other way around.
Click to expand...

I have friends who say this too, and I honestly don't get it. They're into mini racing - xr100s on a cart track. Now, I know it's a personal preference thing, and I've seen them race their minis, but, again, to me, there's no way that racing a mini around a cart track is going to be more fun than my 1199 around Road Atlanta.

They'll also say it's safer to wreck at the lower speeds of the minis. That may be true, but it's easier to wreck a bike that has lower capability once you exceed those capabilities. My 1199 has more capability than I'll likely ever be able to exceed. To me, that's a built-in safety net that can only be exceeded by my own stupidity. I've watched them get busted knees and mangled fingers riding their slow bikes fast, but to each their own.

If you've never done a track day before, why buy a track bike right off the bat? If you have a 2002 GSXR you're comfortable on, start with that. Make sure it's something you want to do before investing money. Tape up the lights and give it a try.

If you're anything like me, you'll immediately wonder why you didn't do this sooner. I've done 8 track days over the past year and a half, starting off slow and just now getting to a decent pace to move to the "I" group without getting passed by everyone. It's the most fun on a bike to me, ever.

Also, if you're anything like me, your street riding will slow to almost a stop. What's the point anymore when there's so much more fun to be had at the track? My 1199 is now in track trim, and probably will not go back.

I, too, was initially worried about what would happen if I wrecked my 1199 at the track. But honestly that's what the bike is built for, and that's where it is at it's best. Once you're comfortable on the track, give it a try. The track isn't anywhere as dangerous/unpredictable as I thought it would be; it really is a safe, controlled environment - relative to the task at hand of going fast on a motorcycle.

Remember,

"You live more for 5 minutes going fast on a bike than other people do in all their life." - Marco Simoncelli
 
Take your GSXR out there and enjoy it, and see if it is something you want to pursue...

I will track my 1199S for the first time on the 30th, cannot wait!

The whole debate about riding a slower bike fast & never being able to push a fast bike, is all subjective BS... Just ride what you like, enjoy it and BE SAFE while doing it.
 
I'm geeking out...getting ready. Need to buy a suit, or I could use a funky one they have for the time being.
 
Get the best leathers you can afford - not only protection will be better, but one thing I didn't take into account initially is how much more flexible good leathers can be - i.e. allowing for much easier movement on the bike. Which leads to less fatigue. The first set I had were decent A* leathers but didn't have many stretch panels etc. Wearing those on bike wore me out. Upgraded to the A* Atem suit and it feels so much better. Nowhere near as restrictive.

Try the suit on if you can. Nearly impossible for me to do in my area.
 
hmm...cheap track bike so you can crash and not worry about the repair cost, is a good option.

what about a bike that would do its best to SAVE you from the crash in the first place, with its advanced electronic, so NO repair cost and NO broken bones, such as the 1299?

on the track, i dont ride like a fool and 100% relying on the bike, i ride as if the electronic is not there, and when i made a stupid mistake, it was there to help

this is my own logic, and love to hear your thoughts
 
ghostdog6 said:
I have friends who say this too, and I honestly don't get it. They're into mini racing - xr100s on a cart track. Now, I know it's a personal preference thing, and I've seen them race their minis, but, again, to me, there's no way that racing a mini around a cart track is going to be more fun than my 1199 around Road Atlanta.

They'll also say it's safer to wreck at the lower speeds of the minis. That may be true, but it's easier to wreck a bike that has lower capability once you exceed those capabilities. My 1199 has more capability than I'll likely ever be able to exceed. To me, that's a built-in safety net that can only be exceeded by my own stupidity. I've watched them get busted knees and mangled fingers riding their slow bikes fast, but to each their own.

If you've never done a track day before, why buy a track bike right off the bat? If you have a 2002 GSXR you're comfortable on, start with that. Make sure it's something you want to do before investing money. Tape up the lights and give it a try.

If you're anything like me, you'll immediately wonder why you didn't do this sooner. I've done 8 track days over the past year and a half, starting off slow and just now getting to a decent pace to move to the "I" group without getting passed by everyone. It's the most fun on a bike to me, ever.

Also, if you're anything like me, your street riding will slow to almost a stop. What's the point anymore when there's so much more fun to be had at the track? My 1199 is now in track trim, and probably will not go back.

I, too, was initially worried about what would happen if I wrecked my 1199 at the track. But honestly that's what the bike is built for, and that's where it is at it's best. Once you're comfortable on the track, give it a try. The track isn't anywhere as dangerous/unpredictable as I thought it would be; it really is a safe, controlled environment - relative to the task at hand of going fast on a motorcycle.

Remember,

"You live more for 5 minutes going fast on a bike than other people do in all their life." - Marco Simoncelli
Click to expand...

duckyduc said:
hmm...cheap track bike so you can crash and not worry about the repair cost, is a good option.

what about a bike that would do its best to SAVE you from the crash in the first place, with its advanced electronic, so NO repair cost and NO broken bones, such as the 1299?

on the track, i dont ride like a fool and 100% relying on the bike, i ride as if the electronic is not there, and when i made a stupid mistake, it was there to help

this is my own logic, and love to hear your thoughts
Click to expand...

I say it depends on your goals. Kenny Roberts and many other world champions used to train on xr100's to help them with riding Moto GP bikes. A slower bike allows you to approach your limits easier and expand those limits at a faster rate than a superbike.

If you just want to get out on the track, make some noise and get some adrenaline going, then it doesn't really matter what you ride. My first race bike was a 1000. I used to think it was fine. If I could go back in time, I would have bought an SV650 and an xr100 with the baldest tires possible. In fact.........likely going that route here shortly. For me (and note, this is just for me), the rush of pinning it on the straights got old after a while and now I prefer feeling the tires/chassis squirm as I'm pushing them. I went faster on my stock 750 race bike than I did on my HRC kitted ex-AMA Superbike. In fact, won quite a few races on the 750 up against 1000's.

Your mileage may vary though, have to ask yourself what you are in it for and then go from there. However, if I was to throw another opinion formed from some observation as I've gone from trackdays to racing....Most newbies tend to start on big bikes and then convince themselves they can handle it and learn just fine. Until they start racing and are getting smoked by people with half the horsepower and realize that they have been using the power as a crutch more than they thought.
 
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shakazulu12 said:
I say it depends on your goals. Kenny Roberts and many other world champions used to train on xr100's to help them with riding Moto GP bikes. A slower bike allows you to approach your limits easier and expand those limits at a faster rate than a superbike.

If you just want to get out on the track, make some noise and get some adrenaline going, then it doesn't really matter what you ride. My first race bike was a 1000. I used to think it was fine. If I could go back in time, I would have bought an SV650 and an xr100 with the baldest tires possible. In fact.........likely going that route here shortly. For me (and note, this is just for me), the rush of pinning it on the straights got old after a while and now I prefer feeling the tires/chassis squirm as I'm pushing them. I went faster on my stock 750 race bike than I did on my HRC kitted ex-AMA Superbike. In fact, won quite a few races on the 750 up against 1000's.

Your mileage may vary though, have to ask yourself what you are in it for and then go from there. However, if I was to throw another opinion formed from some observation as I've gone from trackdays to racing....Most newbies tend to start on big bikes and then convince themselves they can handle it and learn just fine. Until they start racing and are getting smoked by people with half the horsepower and realize that they have been using the power as a crutch more than they thought.
Click to expand...

agree with what you have pointed out, but that is if you are thinking about racing,
i would never have the time nor the budget to go racing, i can only do 5-6 track days a year, so for me, the 1299 works great

as for riding the big bike, i could care less about the power, i go quite gentle on the straight and concentrate on corner entry and lines, what the "big" bike give me is the good feed back from the higher end component of the suspension and brake, hence increasing confidence and help me concentrating on riding and passing other in corner

lastly, there is a satisfying feel about riding the bike you love, instead of a cheap bike that you could care less if it goes into flame
 
We aren't really disagreeing at all honestly. If I was just doing casual trackdays, I would buy whatever gave me the biggest boner while sitting on the stands before I even got on it. That's why I prefaced everything with "It depends on your goals".

Suspension....can't say I agree with that. OEM Ohlins stuff is generally nowhere near the aftermarket versions in performance. I have no track time on the 1299s though, only street miles and at those speeds it's not really possible for me to formulate an opinion.
 
shakazulu12 said:
We aren't really disagreeing at all honestly. If I was just doing casual trackdays, I would buy whatever gave me the biggest boner while sitting on the stands before I even got on it. That's why I prefaced everything with "It depends on your goals".

Suspension....can't say I agree with that. OEM Ohlins stuff is generally nowhere near the aftermarket versions in performance. I have no track time on the 1299s though, only street miles and at those speeds it's not really possible for me to formulate an opinion.[/QUOTE

for the suspension, what i meant was instead of riding a $2000 SV, just ride the 1299, wasnt talking about a decked out track bike with $4000 worth of Ohlins installed
but all good, i know what you meant
Click to expand...
 
My research is leading me towards either getting the gsxr a little track ready or or buying a local zx6 for 2,500. The Zx6 already has race plastics and a few little a things done. I doubt I'll lose any money on the bike, so it might be worth it ride that as opposed to the gsxr...but either way I can't wait to get out there. On one hand, I like the idea of the familiarity of the Suzuki. On the other hand, getting a track bike that I won't lose money on when I sell it sounds good too. I certainly won't be setting any track records, so mitigating my risks is probably all that really matters. I'm certain that I'll have a blast on either machine!
 
I would suggest at least one track day on the GSXR you're familiar with. At least then you have a known quantity for the bike. That way you're not trying to get used to a whole new environment on a whole new bike as well.
 
I didn't spend money the 1199 and upgrade it so I can peppep around the streets. There's no way I can enjoy the bike on public road without breaking every single traffic law. I say take it to the track.
 
Do you care about the GSXR? If not, go spend $2 on painters tape and bring that bitch to the track.

If you bin it, oh well. Life is short.

Get hooked, then eventually stop riding on the streets and convert your Pani to fulltime track beast.

So it goes.
 
ghostdog6 said:
I would suggest at least one track day on the GSXR you're familiar with. At least then you have a known quantity for the bike. That way you're not trying to get used to a whole new environment on a whole new bike as well.
Click to expand...

This is actually solid advice. After my first trackday I never rode on public streets again. It's unlikely you will bin it at your first trackday unless you are totally hamfisted. The first day is usually pretty humbling. I had no intentions of ever racing at the time, but went to a couple Yamaha Champions schools as well as the Pridmore school just to improve. Then got bit with the racing bug.

Now I sell crack to pay for tracktime.
 
Most of it has already been covered.

A good place to start is with an SV or a 600. IMO nobody should start out riding on the track on a Liter bike. You will rely on the power of the bike rather than skills, and that will drastically affect your learning curve.

A 250 or 300 is fine if you are racing in a dedicated race class for them. But at track days, when 99% of the riders are on a 600 or 1000, you will not only get really aggravated, but you will also be somewhat of a safety hazard due to the closing speeds. That is why many orgs do not allow 250's in Advanced, regardless of the capabilities of the rider.

But if you are just looking to get on the track and have fun, any bike will do. Your current Gixxer will do. In all honesty, your Panigale will do.

I have never understood the idea behind riding your kickass Superbike on the street, and riding some .... bike on the track. To me, that is backwards. It doesn't matter on the street, anything is fine. A Grom, a 250, an SV, a 1986 Gixxer, whatever. It doesn't matter on the street. On the track, it does matter...and that is where the Panigale is designed to be. I can't see riding a .... bike on the track, so you can ride a Superbike on the street. That is completely backwards IMO.
 
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Totally agree Chris . Everything this bike is designed for can really be utilised on the track . I get why some people prefer the street to the track as it's easier and the terrain is varied and to be honest we feel great riding a stunning looking motorcycle .
 
I'm using my 1299 on track every thursday :) I'm not the fastest out there, but with the bike's capabilities, the fastest group is the only place I can ride my own pace without being queued up all the time. Take care that your tires and fluids are ok, and go out and have fun :) At the moment I'm about 10 sec off the superbike championship pace on average, but on street tires (Supercorsa SP) I thinl that's ok, and I can keep up with the rest of the group without doing anything stupid :)
 

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