Almost done the deal.

<suspicious>

Even better than a Kawasaki?

 

<Smug>

 

and serious style makeover.

 

**** that. Style's a) all subjective anyway and b) not important when
you have the perfect bike.

 

it's not "perfect" if it looks a bit gash.

 

But, after all, you're old and look gash.

 

Good job it doesn't then.

Although TBF the ones with all that mickey-mouse stripey stuff all
over are a bit garish. But that's just a paint job, and style is
something that runs much deeper than that.

 

But all your bikes are old and look gash.

 

I've got a double bubble on mine. But I still find cruising at
anything over 115mph hard work.

Lot's of race bikes for the Isle of Man and the Northwest 200 (where
you spend long periods at very high speed) have additional little
bubble screens added on top of the main one.

 

Any aesthetics of the bike will be ruined when you get on the thing

 

I'm not claiming any of them are the "perfect bike".

One of them doesn't even go, FFS.

 

what's that got to do with it?

 

BTW apparently you DON'T have to do race school to get an acu license. You
do however have to go to a theory test in Rugby and take your normal
license.

 

I was talking about this with Simon yesterday - we really need to do
lunch and talk it through, because basically we concluded you're very
confused about the whole concept.

 

be fair - I do wear a completely black visor to try and spare the
sensibilities of the public.

 

I'm not in town at the moment, in between jobs. What's to be confused about?

 

Maybe you're just a poor communicator. Anyway points to address:

* you said you reckoned racing would be cheaper than doing track days.
I reckon this is rubbish.

* you seem to be talking nebulously about the concept of a "team" of
you, me, and Simon using a single bike, kept in my garage. Surely the
only type of racing where this is reality is endurance racing, and
surely endurance racing wouldn't be the ideal start for newbie racers?

* what bike are you talking about using - one of mine? What's in it
for me?

 

I think it is rubbish. The average track day gets you around 2 hours
of track time, for a hundred-and-something quid.

The average day's club racing gets you about 10 minutes of practise,
plus a 6 lap heat and a 6 lap final. This will cost somewhere between
60 and 100 quid. If you enter an additional race (i.e. use a 600 in
the 'open'), then that entry will have an additional cost.

More than one person can't really club race on the same bike.
Theoretically you might be able enter different races and share a
bike, but you'd be swapping numbers back and forth, and god nows how
the scrutineers and admin people would look on it.

KRC (the only people who run Endurance races in the UK) allow novice
license holders, but specifically insist on previous race experience.

So, in summary, you (Darsy) are right on all counts.

 

I probably said it could possibly end up not being that much different if
you did a trackday every two weeks instead. Utter guesswork, I was just
trying to fire you up.

Why not? It's about smoothness and consistancy rather than hell for leather
hammering. I would have thought it would be ideal.

Again I don't care. If it was yours then I would expect the other team
members would share the cost, even for the bike itself. There are no
misconceptions on my part because I don't really know anything. Actually I
know one thing: The only way is to bite the bullet and do it. And with
others involved it would be a shared resource/support group. I can't do it
on my own because I don't have the space or transport although I do have
spending cash, although that doesn't extend to hiring a garage, buying a
car, etc. It would also be good to share the embarassment of the first few
outings.

 

Champ says...

And of course unlike trackdays the better you get at it the less time you
spend on the track IYKWIM.