Track the S1000RR or....

jtm8bd · 10-10-2011, 09:12 PM

Love the forum despite the fact that I've done a very poor job of posting anything of relevance! I had a '10 Thunder Grey with all the options that I made the terrible decision to get rid of this past summer in exchange for a Ducati 1198S. Missed the BMW almost immediately, sold the Ducati and got back in the market for one. My local dealer (Engle's BMW, awesome dealership) happened to have 4 of the beasties available new, and after much deliberation I chose a Light Grey Metallic. No ABS, no TC, only the QS. I'm in the military, so with the discounts it was only a $400 difference between the fully loaded and this bike, but I'm young and stupid and thought it would be fun to own one of the less common non-optioned bikes, especially since '11 is the last year for them. I LOVE this bike, and have enjoyed flogging it around the local twisty stuff hoping 600 miles would hurry up and get here...

So here is my dilemma... I have '04 Ducati 749S that I've decided I'm going to sell (great bike, just doesn't get ridden anymore), and I'm trying to decide if I should sink some money into making a fun (but not that fast) trackbike out of my '00 Ducati 750 SS, or buy a set of track fairings for the RR. I've done a full season of trackdays this year aboard the 750 SS, and it's been a really great bike for the purpose. It would be an awesome bike with some suspension and engine work, but I keep feeling like the money might be better spent on the RR. No need to tell me I should have bought the model with TC, I didn't want it and don't regret it. I'm a tinkerer and would like to install the Bazazz TC unit to play around with (I know it's not nearly as sophisticated as the stock TC unit).

Crazy idea? I'm by no means a serious track junkie, but will expect to do around 4 TDs a year...What do you guys think?

**1000RR** · 10-10-2011, 09:48 PM

I would first ask myself if I was willing to bin (and total) my S1000RR. If you are OK w/that, the S1 would/does make a superb track bike. Keep in mind that what ever suspension stuff you were thinking you'd need to do to the Duc, you'll likely need to do to the S1... it'll need some help in the suspension area if you can push the bike at the track.

I had the same delima in early 2010 when I picked up my S1. My solution was to buy a dedicated R6 for trackdays. I didn't like the idea of binning my S1. Then I picked up a 2nd R6 and have gotten into racing.

The smaller duc will make you a quicker rider faster at the track than a bigger more powerful liter bike IMO. But on a bigger track the extra power certainly helps out in the straights.

russianvr4 · 10-10-2011, 09:56 PM

i've been wanting to road race but no way i'd want to ride an S1k on the track as a first bike. i'd personally get a cheap 600 that i wouldnt care about crashing to get my skills up first.

jtm8bd · 10-10-2011, 11:00 PM

1000RR: You are probably right, I like the bike a little too much to throw it down the track. It's so tempting to take it to a day or two though, it's such a superb machine. I should probably just spend a little dough on the little Duc and get it to where I'm not getting slaughtered on the straights just to have some fat guy on a liter bike park in front of me

**1000RR** · 10-10-2011, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtm8bd

1000RR: You are probably right, I like the bike a little too much to throw it down the track. It's so tempting to take it to a day or two though, it's such a superb machine. I should probably just spend a little dough on the little Duc and get it to where I'm not getting slaughtered on the straights just to have some fat guy on a liter bike park in front of me

Many a liter bikes have been passed by a little ole 600 or the likes

You might take your S1 for a few sessions or a full track day... just keep in mind, it's not always you that might be the cause of your fate. Could be the jackass ahead or behind you that decides to help throw your bike down the track

Not that I haven't had that happen to me or anything

jtm8bd · 10-11-2011, 12:06 AM

I got used to and began enjoying passing the 600s and 1000s in the corners, but at the end of any long straights I was barely pushing 120mph! She needs a little more steam. I'll be working on that over the winter.

That's the part that scares me about taking the S1K to the track; a buddy took his new RSV4 to the track and promptly wadded it up as a result of some jackass losing it in a corner and plowing right into him.

**Karlb** · 10-11-2011, 07:48 AM

sell the SS and make a sweet track bike out of the 749S

moman · 10-11-2011, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1000RR

You might take your S1 for a few sessions or a full track day... just keep in mind, it's not always you that might be the cause of your fate. Could be the jackass ahead or behind you that decides to help throw your bike down the track

Not that I haven't had that happen to me or anything

I would absolutely love to take my S1KRR on the track but this is exactly why I set up my Gixxer 750 for the track.

Nikk777 · 10-11-2011, 10:34 AM

ah heck...throw it in the gutter and go buy another....

**Travist1161732** · 10-11-2011, 12:36 PM

I agree with all the above, however, like in my case, this is my ONLY bike, and while I would LOVE to have a dedicated R6 for the track, I don't want to avoid the track, just to wait for funds. I learned a TON just getting out there. However, I probably don't ride it without abandon like I would a 'track' bike (maybe a good thing anyway). My wife also has my balls in a vice grip because of the amount of $$ spent so far on the bike and my next mod is a big one (the exhaust). Maybe I'll approach her on buying an R6 or a 750 instead. Who knows, I can just see the track bike becoming another money pit.

It's all a gamble, because what if you wreck your s1000 at the track, that's a bit more money than an R6 and exhaust combined.

Anyway, long reply I guess to say that when money gets a little better, I'll probably go for finishing up the s1000 (most of it anyway) then getting a dedicated track bike. The gamble being that I don't wreck the beemer in the meantime.