My first trackday

[strat10]

^^^^^^thats great positioning on that S4RS. Did you do alot of damage to your bike when you dropped it?

[Spidey]

Ill look for a older jap bike, you can pick those up for a song.

Good plan.  That said, you might want to up your budget a bit and look for a former race bike that is already set up for the track and something a little more recent.  Don't get, or don't pay anything more for, a bike that has a built engine or engine work or that runs on race gas (unless you want to budget extra $ to get it remapped for regular gas).  That's pointless for a track bike.  However, get something that comes with suspension work and a steering damper.  Oh, and budget extra for suspension work.  That said, don't discount the stock suspension on modern supersport bikes.  It's pretty damn good out of the box.   

Here's the thing.  It's easy to pay $3k or less for an older 600, and have it be a fine track bike.  But then you eventually start doing maintenance and adding suspension bits and rework the suspension and get a tune-up and etc, etc. and it can add up for $5 or 6k pretty quickly.  That same $5-6K will get you a fully set up race bike that is pretty new.  If you can find one sprung for your weight and that comes with spare parts, you're GOLDEN.      

[gm2]

Good plan.  That said, you might want to up your budget a bit and look for a former race bike that is already set up for the track and something a little more recent.  Don't get, or don't pay anything more for, a bike that has a built engine or engine work or that runs on race gas (unless you want to budget extra $ to get it remapped for regular gas).  That's pointless for a track bike.  However, get something that comes with suspension work and a steering damper.  Oh, and budget extra for suspension work.  That said, don't discount the stock suspension on modern supersport bikes.  It's pretty damn good out of the box.   

Here's the thing.  It's easy to pay $3k or less for an older 600, and have it be a fine track bike.  But then you eventually start doing maintenance and adding suspension bits and rework the suspension and get a tune-up and etc, etc. and it can add up for $5 or 6k pretty quickly.  That same $5-6K will get you a fully set up race bike that is pretty new.  If you can find one sprung for your weight and that comes with spare parts, you're GOLDEN.      

...except for the part about stock suspension being pretty good out of the box.  nonsense!  =)

[ducpainter]

...except for the part about stock suspension being pretty good out of the box.  nonsense!  =)

So...

just like a Duc?

[Statler]

^^^^^^thats great positioning on that S4RS. Did you do alot of damage to your bike when you dropped it?

sent you a PM.

[strat10]

Ive been knocking around getting an older 749, or maybe a 999R.

Or maybe something like this:

its on Craigslist, the guy wants 6 grand
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/mcy/2235949160.html

I have sitting in my garage a perfect specimen of Ducati's most famous superbike. I own a monster and bought this looking for a little step up and honestly, the ride is just not what I am into. This bike has had one owner since new (not including the 200 miles I put on it) and is absolutely flawless in performance and aesthetics. 16,xxx on the odo, billet levers, billet clutch plate, springs, retainers and cover, Ducati Performance steering damper, Ducati Performance front and rear stands. All records from Pro Italia. This is a perfect 996 Biposto. Thanks for looking - if you email me with a phone number I will call you back and I will not respond to emails with ridiculous offers of half the selling price

[gm2]

Ive been knocking around getting an older 749

heavy

or maybe a 999R.

REALLY heavy

Or maybe something like this:

bigger fans may give you different advice but, IMO, unless you're rich and patient, it makes no sense to have a duc for a track bike.  ..unless someone is paying you to ride it, of course.

got a thing for twins?  get an sv.

[strat10]

What about an RC-51. Yeah, I have a thing for twins

[Spidey]

Ducs make sense as trackbikes if your goal is to ride a Duc at a track.  And that desire shouldn't be discounted.  You'll pay for it up front and then again in maintenance and parts, but that's part of the deal.   But if you don't have that specific desire, get something more conventional.

An RC-51 weighs as much as a 999R that ate a 749 and an SV.  If you like twins, get one of the new Duc superbikes ($$$$) or a race-prepped SV (my next trackbike).

[Triple J]

I have a Duc as a trackbike. It's a 2002 748s ex race bike. I paid $4K for it a couple years ago, and it was fully set up, including a slipper clutch.  It isn't too expensive to run, and I've even lowsided it once. No real damage other than needing a new clutch cover and I had to do some fiberglass work on the fairings. It isn't the fastest bike out there, but it is plenty fast enough...and I'm not the fastest anyway. I've never really noticed the lack of power except when exiting corners and trying to chase friends on 1098s or other liter bikes.

It even handles well after I got some OZ wheels for it (cost 1/2 as much as the bike  ). It was a truck before that. This winter it got the valves checked (private mechanic), a Brembo radial master, and new suspension internals...about $1600 total. Not any more expensive than any other model for the same work...and the sound is sweet.   It weighs 400# with about 1/2 tank of gas.

The weird thing is it runs better than any Ducati I've ever owned. Of all the ones I've owned, it's the only one that doesn't pregnant dog at me every time I try to start it...just fires right up.  

[Statler]

how much you want for it?   

oh... and DIBS.

[Monsterlover]

Guy, don't discount a sweet 900ss.

Easy to work on, cheap to maintain...

Its made by Ducati, did i mention that?

[strat10]

how much you want for it?  

oh... and DIBS.

Now thats what I call thread jacking

How much?......

[ducpainter]

To all the naysayers...

I like my 996.

I don't like it's penchant for tires and rocker arms.

[zooom]

I don't like it's penchant for tires and rocker arms.

you haven't gotten them all switched over to Megacycle ones yet?