Track Bike

[vw151]

As other have said.  The track is awesome.  Possibly one of the coolest things I have ever done.  It's thrilling and calming at the same time. 

Having said that.  The suspension alone on that bike might be worth close to the asking price of the bike so the purchase makes sense.

Lastly let me put up some pics from the track.  I get the satisfaction of a little me time on the board and you can see how fun it is.  Thats me on the black monster with the red helmet at mid-ohio.  I am officially an addict as of this summer and I've only been 2 times. 

I've been considering finding a track bike as well.  The japanese all ready set up bikes seem to be the best value. 

[Fox]

Very cool pictures.

It's obvious from the responses that I should spend some quality time at the track. Do I need to get a track bike or can the Monster suffice?

[vw151]

Monster will do at first but the track bike you mentioned is nice and will have more left for you when you skill level grows. 

And me personally.  I'd rather throw a Kawasaki off the track than my beloved Ducati if I could afford to.  Keep in mind crashing is eventually just going to happen.  Especially at the track. 

[Spidey]

If you're going to go to the track with an regularity and can afford it, get a track bike.  If it's just an occasional track day, the monster works well. 

The monster is a good all-round bike, which does not make it an ideal track bike.  Its clearance is limited, especially on a 620.  And parts aren't cheap if you toss it away, which can and will happen at the track.  For the cost of repairing my monster when I crashed it at the track, I could have bought a cheap trackbike.  That said, there is a ton of value in taking your monster to the track and learning what it can really do.  Expect to get absolutely slaughtered on the straightaways.  At a minimum, take it on the track once, just so you can see its limits.

When I think about locals with track/race bikes, most of us did between 1-10 trackdays on our monsters before getting a dedicated track bike.  For many, it was around 5 or so.     On the other extreme, datv did one track day on his monster and then went out and bought an r6 as a track slut.  

[vw151]

So true about the straightaways.  The air cooled motor just gets destroyed by the water cooled bikes, whether they are twins or 4s.  It's still fun as hell though.  For the cost of repairing a ducati alone I'd say a japanese track bike makes sense. 

It's cold, I am sad. because all this talk about the track is making me want to go right now.

[Statler]

On the other hand, while riding track-prepped inline four 600s was good for learning, it would not be fun for me to do ...well...for fun versus for actual instruction stuff.

The things that make me like riding the Duc on the street are the same things that make me like riding it on the track.  It's worth it to me to risk the bigger expense of a crash for the more fun riding experience.

But I'm only four days in so that opinion may change next season.  We'll see.

[vw151]

I road a GSXR 600 my first track day and my S2R1000 the second.  They were completely different.  The ergonomics of the superbike make way more sense at the track.  The pegs are higher so you don't drag them nearly as easily and the torture rack seating position just seems to make sense in the turns.  Having fairings is great at 130mph +  and keeping the 4 cylinder above 10k rpm at all time isn't a big problem on the track.  The other nice thing about a 600cc 4 cylinder at the track is that it has something like 40ft-lbs of torque.  Which means you can open the throttle a lot more liberally out of a corner and not risk breaking traction. 

Having said that.  The monster is more comfortable and held it's own with no issue in terms of corner speed and braking.  I plan to track it some more this year but with adjustable rear sets because my biggest problem was keeping my feet off the ground with the low pegs.  It wasn't horrible in the straight aways but the water cooled bikes with fairings were much faster on the top end.  It's really a matter of money.  A track bike or any sort makes more sense in my opinion whether it be something like a ducati 749 or something cheaper like a GSXR because those bikes are just plain designed for it to the point where they hardly make sense as street bikes.  As mentioned above the moster is a good all around bike.  It has suspension and brakes and motor like a track bike but ergos and lack of fairings like a street bike so it lacks a little.  In the end though.  Track days are for fun and I guarantee no matter what you are gonna have fun and it also probably makes sense to track the monster 1 time because you will become much more intimate with the bikes capabilities. 

[Fox]

I really appreciate the input. I'm going to have to so some soul and wallet searching.

[NuTTs]

Go for it!! If it´s a japanese bike, better still. Parts are cheaper and so is maintenance compared to a Duc.

[Celli]

Track?!? Do it!!!!

Celli

[lauramonster]

You gotta go - at least once to the track!!

went twice this past year.  Here's what I learned : each track is different.  I prefer the tighter turn, more technical style of Pocono - so the Ducati is fine for a couple of days at the track each year.  went to NJMP and the larger track, sweeping turns were at incredibly high speeds and the Japanese bikes had their way with me.  (S2R 1000)  If you like the faster pace, then yes, get a track bike.  You can't afford to crash the Ducati.  Your money is tight, and if you crash, not only do you have to fix it - you're out of a bike until it's fixed!!!!  That's what sucks the most!!! 

Get a second job while the riding season is slow and bank every cent.  Buy the track bike and enjoy next season!!

[Fox]

Your money is tight, and if you crash, not only do you have to fix it - you're out of a bike until it's fixed!!!! 

Hmmmm, that's something I did not think about. My 620 was cheap ($3,600) so if i crashed it would not be the end of the world. The cost of repair and not having a bike available to me were not considerations. At least I was smart enough to consult some professionals

The feedback has been great. Thanks everyone.

[AndrewNS]

I agree with all the comments about japanese 600's being cheaper to fix and faster and all that...but I don't think they will be any more fun than your monster. So my advice would be to get a track bike for sure if you sorta fancy yourself as a potential future racer, but stick with the monster if you're only in it for an occasional thrill. It's hard to beat a light bike with good brakes and decent suspension for fun, especially if the track you run on is tight and twisty. And working with a little less power might even make you a better rider, quicker.

Either way, enjoy! It's a long time 'till spring...     

[Fox]

Either way, enjoy! It's a long time 'till spring...     

Thanks, but lucklily I live in So. Cal. where it was 90 degrees last weekend. The riding season is quite a bit longer than most areas of the country.

[Fox]

a little part inside of me would die.

I can relate to that, even if it is only a 620.