TIME FOR A TRACK BIKE... just kidding, I got a GoKart

[JKOL]

If you're that broke then I guess racing was not a good idea then lol

[dirkterrell]

Shhh...I said that and got flamed

Priorities!!! Some get them and some don't

Well, now hold on. Let me relay my own experience with being a poor/broke college student. I worked full-time+ and went to school full time. It was a brutal schedule and was clearly taking its toll on me mentally after my freshman year. Then the '84 500 Interceptor came out and I bought one. It made the financial situation harder, and there were times when I had to skip a meal or two.

Despite the financial difficulties, that bike saved me. I had something that kept my fire lit: riding when I needed a break. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it through school without it, so I look at it as a great investment in my sanity during what was the most stressful period of my life, even though it required sacrifices in ways I now don't even remember. To motorcycle riders, a motorcycle is a hobby that can come or go, there is a "riding season", etc. To a motorcyclist, it is a vital part of life, like eating or breathing. So, let's not be too quick to make pronouncements about other people's priorities.

Mak, enjoy your shifter cart. Work hard. Play hard.

[bulldog]

Well, now hold on. Let me relay my own experience with being a poor/broke college student. I worked full-time+ and went to school full time. It was a brutal schedule and was clearly taking its toll on me mentally after my freshman year. Then the '84 500 Interceptor came out and I bought one. It made the financial situation harder, and there were times when I had to skip a meal or two.

Despite the financial difficulties, that bike saved me. I had something that kept my fire lit: riding when I needed a break. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it through school without it, so I look at it as a great investment in my sanity during what was the most stressful period of my life, even though it required sacrifices in ways I now don't even remember. To motorcycle riders, a motorcycle is a hobby that can come or go, there is a "riding season", etc. To a motorcyclist, it is a vital part of life, like eating or breathing. So, let's not be too quick to make pronouncements about other people's priorities.

Mak, enjoy your shifter cart. Work hard. Play hard.

Riding vs racing is a different thing when it comes to money though!

Riding takes some money for gas, some occasional money for oil and tires. To get serious about racing you will be spending some good money which is hard to sacrifice at such a young age. Everyone has different ways, I just choose to buy a house at age 20 instead of putting it into fun. Still best decision I ever made. To each their own though.....

[dirkterrell]

Riding vs racing is a different thing when it comes to money though!

Depends on how you do it. Racing a 250 isn't bad at all. I don't know about karts, but I suspect it's not too bad either.

Riding takes some money for gas, some occasional money for oil and tires.

Depends on whether you are a motorcycle rider or a motorcyclist.

To get serious about racing you will be spending some good money which is hard to sacrifice at such a young age.

Again, that depends on how you dot it. Maybe kart racing made a lot more sense for him financially.

Everyone has different ways, I just choose to buy a house at age 20 instead of putting it into fun. Still best decision I ever made. To each their own though.....

Exactly. I was working 80+ hours to survive and get a degree in physics. The 8 hours of riding fun was necessary for the success of the latter. Life is a balance of work and play. Too many people let it tip too far one way or the other.

[Snowman]

If you want to build a track bike, this would be a good place to start...

crashedtoys.com

See there is a reason why squids exist...

[bulldog]

Depends on how you do it. Racing a 250 isn't bad at all. I don't know about karts, but I suspect it's not too bad either.



Depends on whether you are a motorcycle rider or a motorcyclist.



Again, that depends on how you dot it. Maybe kart racing made a lot more sense for him financially.



Exactly. I was working 80+ hours to survive and get a degree in physics. The 8 hours of riding fun was necessary for the success of the latter. Life is a balance of work and play. Too many people let it tip too far one way or the other.

We all know racing a 250 is a just a "gateway drug" and nearly everyone progresses past this and moves up

I've never heard a racer say racing is cheap...although don't know anyone who races 250's. I don't care what people do, but I think they should know what they are getting into (which is irrelevant now since he went with kart racing anyways).... I do follow this board pretty close and have read what Mac has posted about his financial issues so just questioned if it was a good decision for someone so young. He has also expressed how he wants to do MMA, but can't afford that either and that is literally a $100 fee a month.

Here is what I found from a fast google search:

How much it costs to race really depends on how serious you want to go about doing it. Here is my budget for the season.

Tires: $3200
Entrance Fees: $1200
Bike: $10000 invested so far
General equip: $1000+
New gear: $2500
Bike mods: $900
Race Fuel: $1200

Thats a pretty general estimate but you get the idea. Remember also that i have decent sponsorship and get most of my stuff for less than dealer cost. Crashing can also tack on a few thousand dollars. You literally do feel like a crack whore dishing out money not by the hundreds but by the thousands. One thing you need to do is go to a local shop, talk to the guys there, see if they'll give you better deals on parts and stuff... Its so easy to get carried away moding up your bike, getting new gear thats costs soon soar way higher than you thought possible.


P.S. Basing a lot of this on one of my best friend Hoopty who use to tell me how much he spent a month on racing. I never knew myself how much it costed, so amazed me to find out. Racers get it, but most people entering it don't understand the full picture.

[Bueller]

I raced for the last 2 seasons pretty much without a job. It can be done economically. I just bought an old F2 for under $1k.

[bulldog]

I raced for the last 2 seasons pretty much without a job. It can be done economically. I just bought an old F2 for under $1k.

Aren't you like 80 years old though Buller?

And let's be real...most people couldn't survive being unemployed for two years as it is so you must have something set up or money saved

[dirkterrell]

Here is what I found from a fast google search:

I raced for the last 2 seasons pretty much without a job. It can be done economically. I just bought an old F2 for under $1k.

Hmmm. I wonder who I might be inclined to listen to if I hadn't raced for three years myself and knew from personal experience?

Sure, you can spend a shitload of money racing, but you don't have to. You can race and have a lot of fun on a very limited budget.

[bulldog]

Hmmm. I wonder who I might be inclined to listen to if I hadn't raced for three years myself and knew from personal experience?

Sure, you can spend a shitload of money racing, but you don't have to. You can race and have a lot of fun on a very limited budget.

True, but true for a lot of things. I wouldn't race for fun though, I'd race to win. That is just how I am though.

Just don't crash! I heard that cost a lot of money in hospital bills too.

Ok, ok, you guys are the pros. Biased opinions in MRA forum

[Snowman]

Just don't expect to podium and get those big sponsors with the hot chics holding the umbrella for you. You have to race for your own reasons only.

When I bought my race bike the guy that sold it to me had been racing for most of his life. The story I got from him was how much he didn't want to do it anymore. He had gotten in because he wanted trophies and had spent a small fortune to do it. His parents had told him early on that if he wasn't winning then there wasn't a reason to do it. So now this guy has a shop filled with high end race bikes and trophies and detested the idea of racing again. He was younger than me.

In all of the racing I have done, I've always been a mid pack racer. There is nothing more boring to me than finding myself all alone on a race track. (4 wide into corner, is what I live for.) I have at times taken a place at the back of a starting grid in order to run with racers I know. I have no idea what my points are or what position I’m in when crossing a finish line, but I’m always one of the most excited riders when I cross it.

When someone I call a friend passes me on the track, I’m the loudest person cheering them on. This sport is about the people, pushing limits, competing and the people. You will never find a better bunch of friends with the same addiction anywhere.

Age doesn’t matter, I routinely get my ass handed to me by people even older than me. I race in classes that at times I’m up against a guy that has raced more laps in the Daytona 200 than anybody on the planet, and a couple girls that outrun almost everyone else on the grid.

So why am I there? Simple, I get to ride with them. They know what they are doing. They have lines and braking points that scare the shit out of me. But when they go by I see what is possible. Even if I can hang on for a couple corners my lap times go down because I ride with them.

Trophies have never been a goal but an aspiration. For me it's the real experience of racing that has the real meaning.

[bulldog]

Just don't expect to podium and get those big sponsors with the hot chics holding the umbrella for you. You have to race for your own reasons only.

When I bought my race bike the guy that sold it to me had been racing for most of his life. The story I got from him was how much he didn't want to do it anymore. He had gotten in because he wanted trophies and had spent a small fortune to do it. His parents had told him early on that if he wasn't winning then there wasn't a reason to do it. So now this guy has a shop filled with high end race bikes and trophies and detested the idea of racing again. He was younger than me.

In all of the racing I have done, I've always been a mid pack racer. There is nothing more boring to me than finding myself all alone on a race track. (4 wide into corner, is what I live for.) I have at times taken a place at the back of a starting grid in order to run with racers I know. I have no idea what my points are or what position I’m in when crossing a finish line, but I’m always one of the most excited riders when I cross it.

When someone I call a friend passes me on the track, I’m the loudest person cheering them on. This sport is about the people, pushing limits, competing and the people. You will never find a better bunch of friends with the same addiction anywhere.

Age doesn’t matter, I routinely get my ass handed to me by people even older than me. I race in classes that at times I’m up against a guy that has raced more laps in the Daytona 200 than anybody on the planet, and a couple girls that outrun almost everyone else on the grid.

So why am I there? Simple, I get to ride with them. They know what they are doing. They have lines and braking points that scare the shit out of me. But when they go by I see what is possible. Even if I can hang on for a couple corners my lap times go down because I ride with them.

Trophies have never been a goal but an aspiration. For me it's the real experience of racing that has the real meaning.

Well you remember Hoopty! I learned from that guy that you go balls to the wall and either crash or take podium. For sure though it can be fun for some to just do it.... I was about to race when Hoopty was doing it, but I admit the cost got me scared.

Ok, maybe I am just frugal with my money

[Snowman]

Well you remember Hoopty! I learned from that guy that you go balls to the wall and either crash or take podium. For sure though it can be fun for some to just do it.... I was about to race when Hoopty was doing it, but I admit the cost got me scared.

Ok, maybe I am just frugal with my money

And the last time you saw Hoopty on a track was? It's all about why you are do it, come up with a reason and go for it.

[bulldog]

And the last time you saw Hoopty on a track was? It's all about why you are do it, come up with a reason and go for it.

Pretty sure he did get a lot of trophys when he did race though; may have even broke some records back then on modern vintage. He doesn't race now because he has a kid to support

Hey not saying it isn't for some people, just saying I am too competitive to spend money if I don't have a chance to win. So yeah if someone wants to do it just for fun I am sure it can be done for pretty cheap. You want to get serious and try to get to the pros you are going to put some serious money down though.

[dirkterrell]

True, but true for a lot of things. I wouldn't race for fun though, I'd race to win. That is just how I am though.

Well, anyone who races races to win. But at the level we are talking about, it's not about how much money you spend. It's about how good you make yourself. I learned that back in '84 when I watched Kevin Schwantz on an air-cooled FJ 600 beat multiple guys on tricked out RZ 500s at Road Atlanta. And note the spread of lap times in the 250 class.

Ultimately for me, racing is about challenging myself. To not race because I'm not immediately able to win or able to spend enough money to win, would be an empty feeling. A true sense of accomplishment doesn't require a trophy. My martial arts background is the same. The originator of our style prohibits competition (e.g. for trophies) because that is not what the style is about.

[dirkterrell]

Trophies have never been a goal but an aspiration. For me it's the real experience of racing that has the real meaning.

Well said.

[dirkterrell]

You want to get serious and try to get to the pros you are going to put some serious money down though.

I'm pretty sure if your goal was to make it to pro racing, you wouldn't be going to college.

[bulldog]

I'm pretty sure if your goal was to make it to pro racing, you wouldn't be going to college.

You saying no pro racers have a college degree?

[Mother Goose]

How much it costs to race really depends on how serious you want to go about doing it. Here is my budget for the season.

Tires: $3200
Entrance Fees: $1200
Bike: $10000 invested so far
General equip: $1000+
New gear: $2500
Bike mods: $900
Race Fuel: $1200

Thats a pretty general estimate but you get the idea. Remember also that i have decent sponsorship and get most of my stuff for less than dealer cost. Crashing can also tack on a few thousand dollars. You literally do feel like a crack whore dishing out money not by the hundreds but by the thousands. One thing you need to do is go to a local shop, talk to the guys there, see if they'll give you better deals on parts and stuff... Its so easy to get carried away moding up your bike, getting new gear thats costs soon soar way higher than you thought possible.

Damn, that dude is spending way more than most of us would.

[bulldog]

Damn, that dude is spending way more than most of us would.

Funny, because I talk to Frank (who was Shane Turpins racing partner a few years ago) and he tells me he was spending tons of money racing.

[dirkterrell]

You saying no pro racers have a college degree?

Eh, no, but I guess the political season has everybody thinking a little fuzzily. I'm saying that if you are a young kid with the skills and desire to be a professional motorcycle racer, chances are pretty slim that you'll also be going to college if you want to succeed at either one of them. It's certainly not impossible but I'd bet it's not very common. That's any interesting question though. I wonder how many of the riders on the MotoGP and WSBK grids went to college during the normal college-age years?

[rybo]

Eh, no, but I guess the political season has everybody thinking a little fuzzily. I'm saying that if you are a young kid with the skills and desire to be a professional motorcycle racer, chances are pretty slim that you'll also be going to college if you want to succeed at either one of them. It's certainly not impossible but I'd bet it's not very common. That's any interesting question though. I wonder how many of the riders on the MotoGP and WSBK grids went to college during the normal college-age years?

Karel Abraham (current Moto GP rider) was just awarded his law degree - it's the only example I know of.

[UglyDogRacing]

Funny, because I talk to Frank (who was Shane Turpins racing partner a few years ago) and he tells me he was spending tons of money racing.

The reality is it comes down to what you want to spend and the resources you have. We have local racers that will spend what an AMA team will spend on their club racing effort. But that is not the norm. You can do it cheap by running the 250 class or picking up a bike like the F2 that Bueller found.
This is what Amber's 250 effort cost this past season-

Tires: $150 (2 sets of used take offs)
Entrance Fees: $1750
Bike: $3500 purchase new 2009
General equip: $0 (i have everything)
New gear: $800 (used leathers, new boots, helmet gloves)
Bike mods: $1200
Pump Fuel: $125

In comparison, this is what my effort cost in 2008 when I got the #3 plate,(and there were plenty of others that spent much more than I did):
Tires: $8000
Entrance Fees: $2300
Bike: $10000 purchase new 2005
General equip: $4000
New gear: $2000
Bike mods: $12000
Race Fuel: $1200

[bulldog]

Karel Abraham (current Moto GP rider) was just awarded his law degree - it's the only example I know of.

Yup, http://www.visordown.com/discount-ra...yer/21319.html

Now I love sports, but anyone that puts everything into thinking they can make a living for life in sports without a fall back plan is pretty crazy to me. The fact is most people don't get to the big leagues where they make a ton of money. Even the ones that do don't make enough unless they are the main stars (since time is limited in pro sports).

So saying to not do college because you need to focus all attention on racing to be a pro is wild to me. Go to college and if you are good enough to make a living racing, even better.

This is what Amber's 250 effort cost this past season-

Tires: $150 (2 sets of used take offs)
Entrance Fees: $1750
Bike: $3500 purchase new 2009
General equip: $0 (i have everything)
New gear: $800 (used leathers, new boots, helmet gloves)
Bike mods: $1200
Pump Fuel: $125

In comparison, this is what my effort cost in 2008 when I got the #3 plate,(and there were plenty of others that spent much more than I did):
Tires: $8000
Entrance Fees: $2300
Bike: $10000 purchase new 2005
General equip: $4000
New gear: $2000
Bike mods: $12000
Race Fuel: $1200

Exactly my point; without even the bike it costed about $29,500 for a year to be competitive. Even in 250 we are saying about $7525 a year; which to me is a lot for a 19 year old. I just don't think a lot of people getting into it realize it can be that much; especially a 19 year old. And again, yes I agree it can be done for cheaper if you are not concerned with being competitive, but fact is most people play sports to win. if not just do track days

All in all, wasn't bashing anyone, just had said to this kid how much it could end up being if he got serious; which is sounded to me he was. Why not give some cons to the pros of it too. I respect all racers and think what they do is awesome!