A cunning plan? Or a monumentally stupid idea?

[TonyB]

Lately I've been looking at getting into another road racing class. I've also been seriously considering selling my road bike, due to a rather shitty ride I had where among other things I found I couldn't enjoy myself because of the heavy police presence. This forced a bit of soul searching "if you can't enjoy yourself without breaking the law, then should you even be doing it??" etc etc. I even experienced an 'intervention' of sorts, where a few of the local crew tried to talk me out of selling the bike LOL

I've thought about Post Classics- but I've been told they're not much quicker than buckets. I've thought about Street Stocks and F3- I'd need to find a wee pile of cash for that. Then after the track day yesterday I had an idea...

Why not put the FZR's rego on hold over winter and then race it in clubmans events? Realistically it's only worth about $3K. Selling it would be pointless financially. It's definitely got the go in a straight line. Despite it's ridiculous weight it can still hold some decent corner speed (compared to other 1000's). Its, challenging to ride, so I'd learn a lot and get pretty bloody fit in the process LOL. Realistically I'd need to find some fibreglass fairings to throw on it- the originals must be damn near irreplaceable. Even just a top fairing and a few crash bungs would do the trick.

The question is- there aren't that many rounds I can play in. Do I fork out for some nice sticky slicks, or do I just put some sticky street rubber on it and therefore still have something for the road and for wet races?

I'm fed up with my feeble riding skills. I want to improve. I learn as much in 100k on a track as I do in several 1000 on the road.

What say you? Slicks or street legal? Or is this just a monumentally stupid idea in the first place?

[cowpoos]

PM shaun and get some second hand pirelli diabalo super corsa pro's...cheap...race tyre....and road legal.... can't do better than that???

and go hard bro....scare everyone of the track with that bohelmith!!!!!!!

[TonyB]

Not a bad idea MrPoos! Although I kinda wonder if the somewhat portly dimensions (209kg dry/ 235 wet :spudwow of the (once) mighty FZR might be a bit much for the Super Corsa's, which I understand have quite thin sidewalls. I'll PM shaun and see what he thinks.

[onearmedbandit]

Would be awesome to see the old destroyer out there Tony! I've got a set of K3 thou race fairings at home and a pair of slicks, if the time can be found I will try to get out there myself this year, at least the local rounds. Getting a bit ahead of myself though, I haven't ridden this thing on the track yet and I think I'm in for quite a lesson...

[TonyB]

Would be awesome to see the old destroyer out there Tony! I've got a set of K3 thou race fairings at home and a pair of slicks, if the time can be found I will try to get out there myself this year, at least the local rounds. Getting a bit ahead of myself though, I haven't ridden this thing on the track yet and I think I'm in for quite a lesson...

I've ridden 30UTD's K4 out there and compared to riding 'the old destroyer' the K4 is a bloody picnic! It stops soooo much easier, corners better- it's just easier in every way. I've ridden with you on the road- you'll be fine!

Tell you what- the destroyer still hussles all right in a straight line too. I think people are surprised at how quick the old girl is. My theory after watching the proceedings yesterday is that initially acceleration is all down to torque. Once the speed climbs and the bike has to start pushing some air out of the way HP comes into play. The old FZR makes decent torque and it has lower gearing than the new bikes- seems to help even out the weight disadvantage.

[Kickaha]

I've thought about Post Classics- but I've been told they're not much quicker than buckets.

Really, I'll bet Neil can beat your FZR1000 on Black Betty!

[TonyB]

Really, I'll bet Neil can beat your FZR1000 on Black Betty!

I have no doubts about that at all. Neils a bloody good rider. I'm a bloody bad one. I also bet that if we then swapped he'd beat me by an even bigger margin.

But it would appear that you are going senile- it was you that said "Post Classics are not much faster than buckets" in the first place! Hmmm or do I mean Classics?? Remember? I was looking at buying a CB350

[dangerous]

I'm fed up with my feeble riding skills.

I want to improve. I learn as much in 100k on a track as I do in several 1000 on the road.

Snap out of it man, theres nothing wrong with your riding skills.
Nothing wrong with wanting to improve either theres always room for it.
Yip 100/1000k thing is correct, but we dont ride on the rd to improve we do it to enjoy like doing the rallys.
So you getting down on one ride (which wasn't with the usual crowd as we dont ride that hard on the rd & you didn't leave in the best frame of mind) is you being too hard on ya self 'again'

I know you enjoy touring with us and I know ya enjoy your bike, tour in summer and race in winter... sounds good to me. Get an after market fairings and slicks and go for it.

[TonyB]

Snap out of it man, theres nothing wrong with your riding skills.
So you getting down on one ride (which wasn't with the usual crowd as we dont ride that hard on the rd & you didn't leave in the best frame of mind) is you being too hard on ya self 'again'

I know you enjoy touring with us and I know ya enjoy your bike, tour in summer and race in winter...

Yes Dad. Sorry Dad.

[miSTa]

I think your putting yourself down unnecessarily, and I don't really think your problem is your skill level. From what you've said previously, I think it's more of one of riding time.

If riding time is the issue, then as Dangerous said, touring in summer and racing in winter maybe the answer.

[TonyB]

Thanks Grandad, I respect your opinion due to your MANY years of experience
Seriously though- didn't write this post looking for people to say "your not as bad as you think". Wasn't the intention.

So- slicks or road legal?

[miSTa]

FWIW slicks but maybe the answer is to pick up another set of wheels i.e have a set for the track and a set for the road.

[XTC]

Sell the beast and get a road legal trailie... DR650/xt600/KLR650 etc and find out what all those police free backroads and gravel routes are all about.... I did and I love it. The XT is still a capable road bike and will keep up easily in group rides on the road and can be hussled through the corners on the coro loop just as well as a sportsbike even on knobbies but hasn't the straight line speed to get you into trouble with the law... Will only do 150 or so which is heaps... But you find that you are having so much more fun near the legal limit than you thought was possible.

[scumdog]

I've also been seriously considering selling my road bike, due to a rather shitty ride I had where among other things I found I couldn't enjoy myself because of the heavy police presence.

Listen ya bastid, I MAY have put on a LITTLE weight but there's no need to drag it out on front of everybody on this forum, OK????


If it helps I won't ride so close to you next time.

[TonyB]

Sell the beast and get a road legal trailie... DR650/xt600/KLR650 etc and find out what all those police free backroads and gravel routes are all about.... I did and I love it. The XT is still a capable road bike and will keep up easily in group rides on the road and can be hussled through the corners on the coro loop just as well as a sportsbike even on knobbies but hasn't the straight line speed to get you into trouble with the law... Will only do 150 or so which is heaps... But you find that you are having so much more fun near the legal limit than you thought was possible.

Thats definitely something I want to do. But at this point in time with depreciation I've lost so much money on the FZR I want to make sure I get some fun out of it. Plus I really do want to get my racing skills up.