What is keeping you from racing?

[chrobis]

The MRA's Rule Change process is in motion for the 2010 race season. We would like to entice more street riders onto the racetrack with us. What is keeping you from joining us?

Look here for more information: http://forums.mra-racing.org/viewforum.php?f=3

[Nick_Ninja]

Old decrepit body and less testosterone than 20 years ago.

[RajunCajun]

I've always wanted to race more than anything. But since I've been riding, I've been moving and changing jobs too much to be able to afford it. Hopefully next year.....

[Snowman]

I don't want to have a race dedicated bike.

I know the potential damage I could do to a street bike, but it would be easier to do minor mods and put it on a track than to invest in a full on race setup.

[willb003]

Gear... in the process....

[Graphite675]

Old decrepit body and less testosterone than 20 years ago.

^I can relate to that!

Seriously I think for most it will come down to cost, plane and simple. Of course you must have the desire to race as well.

I believe the way to get more people interested in racing is to make track day's more accessible and affordable. Once you get more riders off the street and enjoying track days there will be a natural progression to racing. Your not going to get people right off the street to go racing. Promote track day's, make them more affordable, more accessible and the racing will benifit.

.

[Repsol a095]

I would love to race; it's just not affordable. I think I may try to race a couple endurance races next year, but I wish I had the cash to ride in a couple classes!!

[FZRguy]

Time and money. I would like to give the 5280 supermoto series a go.

[Matt]

Not enough track time. You dedicate a whole weekend to the race and only get to ride for a short period. A single track day offers more track time than a race weekend.

[PhL0aTeR]

desire.... if there was a track in the springs, id be more pressed to do it, but i absolutely hate denver, and cant see loading up a bike, load of gear, driving 2 hours, ripping it up hard all day and then doing the same thing in reverse.

I also dont ride JUST to go fast.... i like the difference in scenery and the adventure of finding new roads. partly why my DR got ridden a lot more than the busa this year.

[CaneZach]

Nothing now. I'm taking my race school the first time it's available next year now that I can dedicate my GSXR to full-time race use. I do have to say, the initial cost is high. Race school, licensing, transponder, etc. is around $600+

[brennahm]

I bought a supermoto strictly because I wanted to race motorcycles and it was a much cheaper alternative to the MRA.

No license.
$50 is the most you will spend on a single class (you get discounts for every class you race per weekend after the first class)
$45 season "membership"
Reputation as a friendly series.

Plus, the bike is cheaper, tires are cheaper, crashing is MUCH cheaper.

I'll stick with supermoto5280 for a while.

[salsashark]

I also dont ride JUST to go fast.... i like the difference in scenery and the adventure of finding new roads. partly why my DR got ridden a lot more than the busa this year.

I'd have to agree with this. Riding to me is more about the journey. For the cost of a race weekend, I can put a lot of gas in the bike and go any direction I want.

[BigE]

Having gone thru getting a race bike, licensed, all the gear it is an expensive sport. All racing is. Especially in this economy, you have to be able to take the risk of losing your job and being able to support your family (I am living this now and my crash was almost three years ago).
Which hits the desire button, as in, I can spend $500 (if I'm lucky and it's not more) to go race this weekend or go for a nice long ride in the mountains, stay in a nice hotel and chill out.
Then there is the family aspect. Unless you are blessed with a wife and kids who love hanging out in the hot sun with noisy bikes howling around all day roadracing is more of a single guy/gal sport. There was a lot more family inclusion with MX and SuMo than roadracing.

[LordLosh]

I'm trying to save up for everything. I need gear, i need classes, a Trailer, Registration for trailer, gas money, a race bike (i have a nice k8 1000 and dont want to race a 1000). items for the race bike. I mean it never stops and BigE makes a good point all racing is pricey. I want to do it but man all this money and then i dont even know how many long travel races to like pueblo and Springs i can even make lol!

[longrider]

I am speaking as a former racer so it is not keeping me from racing but to me the biggest obstacle today is cost. I just got back from a 3 day trip of nothing but riding and I spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $350. Even if you count using up a third of a set of Qualifiers it is still less than $500. 3 days of riding or a weekend with 60 - 90 minutes of track time? We have not even discussed the start up costs. Unfortunately I dont see a solution to this, gone are the days you could ride to the track, tape up lights, race, uncover lights and ride home.

[racedk6]

I believe the way to get more people interested in racing is to make track day's more accessible and affordable. Once you get more riders off the street and enjoying track days there will be a natural progression to racing. Your not going to get people right off the street to go racing. Promote track day's, make them more affordable, more accessible and the racing will benifit.

.

That is a very good point but the MRA does not run any trackdays, they are all done by out side organizers.

[OUTLAWD]

I agree with 675 as far as desire goes...in my case, i started running track days to push myself and the bike. now when I'm in the canyons, I find myself riding ALOT faster, even if I am only riding at the same ~60% that I always ride. I am defiantely going fast enough at times to lose my license for sure. This kills the whole aspect of owning a sportbike to ride on the street for me. Yes, the scenery is nice, but I can enjoy that on my sport tourer without needing a chiropractor after a weekend trip. This has made me seriously consider racing...BUT...

A dedicated bike is one part (which I am working on), but the rest of it adds up quickly as well.

Once you have a bike prepped for the track, you need to trailer it to the track, making it necessary to purchase a trailer, or bug a buddy every other weekend and hope you can borrow his. Assuming you are going to be spending the weekend at the track, you'll need food and either a tent or money to spend on a hotel. If you are running race tires, you will most likely want to use tire warmers, which would require a generator. Being that the sun is a bitch here in CO, and you are spending the weekend at the track, an easy up would be a nice thing to keep the sun off between races...and so it continues until you have a small fortune invested in stuff that you use at the track

many people I talk to keep there trailer stocked with all the necessary bike tools, and have a dedicated set that stays in the trailer to ensure nothing is forgotten on a race weekned. So now you have a full set of tools at home and at the track.


This isn't even taking into account the AMA and MRA memberships, the race school, and the necessary components to get your bike ready.

Yes, you could run a frugal operation, and mooch off your neighbors in the pits when you need tools or shade, and as helpful as all the MRA people I have met are, nobody wants to be that guy.

Riding and maintaining a bike is enough by itself, after you account for the gear and everything else that goes along with it, and racing just piles more on top of that, which alot of people simply cannot afford.

that is my view personally on why I cannot commit to racing.

/novel

[racedk6]

I'm trying to save up for everything. I need gear, i need classes, a Trailer, Registration for trailer, gas money, a race bike (i have a nice k8 1000 and dont want to race a 1000). items for the race bike. I mean it never stops and BigE makes a good point all racing is pricey. I want to do it but man all this money and then i dont even know how many long travel races to like pueblo and Springs i can even make lol!

Everything can be bought used and you can save half the costs on alot of stuff. You dont need to have the biggest and best equipmment you can buy.

I raced a bike this year that is relatively stock with great success.

[racedk6]

Then there is the family aspect. Unless you are blessed with a wife and kids who love hanging out in the hot sun with noisy bikes howling around all day roadracing is more of a single guy/gal sport. There was a lot more family inclusion with MX and SuMo than roadracing.

I have never been into sumo or MX but I dont see how it is any different in the family aspect. No matter what you are around loud bikes at a track all day.

[racedk6]

Not enough track time. You dedicate a whole weekend to the race and only get to ride for a short period. A single track day offers more track time than a race weekend.

A single track day does not offer what an actual race does. I used to think just like you and have that same opinion until I did my first race.

[Graphite675]

That is a very good point but the MRA does not run any trackdays, they are all done by out side organizers.

Yeah I know they are a "race" organization and don't do track days but maybe they should try and have some involvement in the future? I know it's not there cup of tea but I was just trying to think of way's to get more folks out there and involved.
If they were to organize some day's or have a presence at the track day's they may be able to promote themselves a little better?

Just trying to think of something a little different? It's really going to come down to money for most.

.

[racedk6]

Yeah I know they are a "race" organization and don't do track days but maybe they should try and have some involvement in the future? I know it's not there cup of tea but I was just trying to think of way's to get more folks out there and involved.
If they were to organize some day's or have a presence at the track day's they may be able to promote themselves a little better?

Just trying to think of something a little different? It's really going to come down to money for most.

.

Very very true!

Another thing as well is the track day fees are high because the the track rental fee is high. As well as getting the event staffed and covered by insurance. Im sure the fees for track days could be alot higher if they actually wanted to make a lot of money.

Also the MRA does have a pretty good presence at Chicane track days. All the instructors are MRA licenced expert riders. Also Mark Schellinger is always there with tire support. He is also the new rider director for the MRA as well

[thatmofo]

Can't afford to wreck another bike and keep up with all of the costs of racing