I ride an 02 f4i and it works fine for me. It has no bodywork, and everything on it is stock (except for a set of $30 rearset lifting plates). I rode at Barber a few weeks ago for the first time, and it got me into the 1:45's, which was "rider limited." In the right hands it will go much faster. I started on the track with my SV650 and it was a great bike. Rode for a while in the advanced group with it as well, no problems. Eventually you might fall into the trap of upgrading- suspension first, then rearsets, clipons, etc but it's not necessary for a long time. Don't buy a fizzer 400 they were eclipsed by the SV and you will find yourself looking for a faster bike pretty soon. It's frustrating in the beginner and intermediate groups to get stuck behind slower riders in the corners and they leave you like you're standing still on the straight sections. But! It does all come down to rider ability and a fast rider can make magic on a "slow" bike. You can't go wrong with a SV or a used 600.
Gericke Celtic 1 Piece Leather Suit in green or yellow is $90 cheeper. and the MotoGP Nitrous gloves for $89 are a decent entry level race glove.
What, no love for the 125's??? If you want to learn to be a mechanic at the same time you are learining to have a great time on the track, there is no better way to go. Parts are cheap, you can be whizzing past bikes with 8 times the displacement in no time, and you can get a little bit of a buzz off of the 2 stroke fumes. Oh yeah, they crash really well too since they are so light. you can pick one up with a respectable spares kit for $3k and up for a 1996 model or newer.
Wow. Guess I need to spend less on a bike after buying all of that. Did not know that stuff was so much. Are there cheaper places on the web to get new stuff (not interested in used)??
you can find cheeper, but you get what you pay for. Used is not a bad way to go for just starting out. You can get better used stuff than just going cheep. Try wera.com for some good used stuff
I fully agree with all of Bill's points. I picked out the least expensive stuff that I personally would wear. Although Bills earlier post saved another $180. definitely look into used gear- especially suits, you can save a lot of money on excellent quality used gear at wera.com or the CCS racing boards or even ebay- almost half off new. what ever you do, don't skimp on quality to save a few dollars, especially with your helmet!
The SV650 is a great first bike for a trackday ride and will work well on the street as well. Go to a dealer and sit on one and see if its you. Honda 600 F4 i's are great bikes as mentioned and are fuel injected ( no messing with the carbs come spring time) which can mean less maintence down the road. Once you find a bike you like, the proper riding gear is a MUST! You dont need a $600 replica racer helmet to start but a good quality brand helmet from Arai, Shoei, HJC, etc. can be had in the $300 range ( cant put a price on your nugget!). For a begginer I would suggest a leather riding jacket with a waist zipper so once you do go to the track you can buy some track pants to go with it. Most racers wear 1-piece suits for better protection, however for general road use and an occasional trackday a 2 piece works fine. You will need boots and gloves as well. Your bike can be set up for the track for a very minimal amount of money. Tape up the lights ( or remove them if possible like blinkers), and change the factory coolant out for some engine ice, water wetter, or something that doesnt have Glycol in it. Tracks dont like coolant because in the event of a spill it is very slippery. Any dealer can help you with the above items. As far as rearsets, clip-ons, and all the other parts mentioned my opion is leave it stock and ride the daylights out of it. Being new the best investment past the saftey gear is getting riding time and some proper instruction. The MSF course is excellant, even for a seasoned rider for a refresher! Once you pass the saftey course for the street and get liscensed, get used to your bike and comfortable on it. When you feel like your comfort level is getting there on the street and its becoming secong hand (ie. you dont have to think about everything to do it, more natural movements) sign up for an STT begginer group. I think every sportbike rider should do one at least once even if the track isnt there thing! You will learn more in one day of riding then 5 years on the street. Best of all its in a controlled environment with expert instruction. Lessons learned on the track can go a LONG WAY to becoming a safe and smart street rider! I got my bike liscense 10 years ago and since have done about 20 trackdays. Trust me when I say you will improve your riding more in one day on the track then you can imagine! Most of all, keep it simple! Stop by a track day and see how it all goes down so you know what to expect and dont be afraid to ask questions! My experience with bikers at track days has been outstanding ( compared to the ego filled world of cars ). Most are willing to help however they can! Hope this helps.
Good points - especially about getting a quality helmet - make sure it fits properly first & foremost. And never skimp on gloves! I know too many people who have serious hand issues because they thought they were saving a few $$$.
Finster def listen to these guys they are dead on. If u buy good gear to start u wont have the pain in the a#$ problem of trying to sell used stuff at a later date and losing your butt. Just buy good stuff to start and it will last . Once that exsense is done you dont have to worry about it again for a long time. It may seem like its alot of money and it is but thats a great deal for very good equipment. Like the saying goes u will never find anyone who will say when they crash that they wish they would have bought cheaper gear. I would say u are going to spend around 6000.00 to 10.000.00 to get into this depending on bike price. Example--bike-3500.00 gear-1500.00 shipping costs--needed bike parts like tires 250.00--track day 175.00--under armor long johns,chest and back protectors--300.00--fuel 50.00--trailor rent one 25.00--fuel for tow vehicle--50.00 Im assuming you have a tow vehicle ,track day food and water-25.00 misc BS that im forgetting 100.00. bare minimum. And ya know what its worth every penney.
Holy sh#t, that is one MOTHER of a paragraph. If we were back in grade school the Nuns would BEAT you!!!
Yeah, that's one heck of a paragraph, but I agree 100% with everything said in it. Get an SV, run it like it is out of the box for street and track. You don't need rearsets and clipons for your first track day. A good quality zip-together two piece suit is more versatile than one-piece for street & track use. Spend the money on decent gear for your own safety before you start changing things on the bike. Don't skimp on boots either, "over the ankle" is the minimum, but you should really have more protection than that. Also agree that two wheel people, in general, are way cooler than four wheel.
Yup, an SV 650 sounds like a good choice, and do a riding class. Even if you've been riding a bit, you'll get something out of the MSF course or something similar. For most novice classes, about $3 for a roll of blue painter's tape. All lights and mirrors, if you can't pull the fuses or take them off, need to be taped over. This is for a few reasons - 1. So the person behind you can't target fixate on your brake light, or be distracted by it, 2. in the case of a crash, it keeps all the glass/plastic from shattering across the track, and 3. so you don't look at who's behind you - on the track you should always be looking ahead of you. You can get fairings for the SV but you don't need them. Nekkid bikes are fine, although once you're going faster, not having any wind protection can get a little annoying 'cos your head will shake around in the wind. This is especially important if you're riding on the street, and take any longer freeway rides, having even just a smaller upper fairing helps a bit.
+1 on looking behind. When I was at Schwantz I got out late and grabbed a bike. When I came in they grabbed it and moved it to the 'other' line It was an instructors bike 750cc complete with mirrors. I didn't even notice they were there.
SV's are cool , but I gotta put a vote in for the FZR600. Picked mine up for 1200, already had a 17" rear and a really beefy swingarm. Spent about 400 on sorting the carbs and suspension . Turned a 1:47 @ MO and a 1:12 @ Beaver Run. I'm still getting u sed to it , but thats cheap fun right there Little video from MO on the fizzy http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5691692028875023100
Thanks, gr8 video! I see these (FZR600) pretty cheap out there (theres a '99/8k miles/$2200). I know everone likes the SVs, but ANYONE else have opinion of this bike for either a first street or track bike??? Thanks.
:? Also, any opinions on these bikes: Ducati 620 Sport FZR600 YZF600R ZX6 Ninja Triumph Daytona 600(not 650) Thanks to everyone for all of the input. The best deals for the SVs really seem to be in the Track Ready/Track only Bikes. I dont think I am ready for one of those since I have yet to do a track day. My current plan is to get something for the street, but that is capable of doing track days. After experiencing the track as a novice, will probabaly pick up one of those Track Only SVs in the $2-$3K range if all goes well and keep my original bike street. That being said, I am still looking for a good deal on a cheap SV for the street. 8)
Your streetbike can be your track bike to. I ride an RC51 and can have it taped and lights off in less then 20 minutes! Its nice to have a track only bike, but if you only do a few trackdays a year like 3-6 of them, and ride on the street on a regular basis, let the bike do double duty.