Ducati's trackday
- Thread starter Navyboy12807
- Start date
HondaGalToo
Control Rider
The pit bull stuff is awesome! It would also allow you to pack more bikes in more closely than using tie-down straps. Downside (only saying it's a downside because you may be carrying many different bikes) is that the pins for the restraint are bike-specific, so your buddies would each have to buy their own. at ~$280 a pop, I'm guessing you wouldn't want to spring for 4-5 of them! Also, once the plate is on the floor, that's where it stays, so you'd have to plan for the most number of bikes you'd ever carry, and put them on the floor accordingly. They are hands-down the best system out there, though. No tie-down straps needed.
Trailers don't usually come with the stuff you'd need. If you go the the tie-down route, I'd equip your trailer floor with e-track, then get the rings that fit in it. There are also brackets available for the e-track that the chocks attach to. That would give you many options on where to place bikes, as you could move the rings and chocks where ever, depending on how much e-track you install. The bikes would need to be a bit farther apart, as you'd need room for the straps.
Trailers don't usually come with the stuff you'd need. If you go the the tie-down route, I'd equip your trailer floor with e-track, then get the rings that fit in it. There are also brackets available for the e-track that the chocks attach to. That would give you many options on where to place bikes, as you could move the rings and chocks where ever, depending on how much e-track you install. The bikes would need to be a bit farther apart, as you'd need room for the straps.
Navyboy12807
New Member
I thank all for there opinions I'll talk to my other buddies and see what they think and if they want to fork up the 280! They should as it is my truck and will be my trailer that's the least they can do haha! Any other pointers to the first trackday as in what to bring along. Of course tools gear, canopy, food, and drinks and before some says it of course the bikes! With or without the riders lol.
Navyboy12807
New Member
And of course my big boy pants!!!
BigBird
Member
HondaGalToo
Control Rider
Hahaha. Or, you could get the pitbull system for yourself, put it where you'd want it even if traveling solo, then put down etrack to use straps for the other bikes. I have both, as I'd set my trailer up pre-pitbull system invention! The etrack is good to have anyway, to strap down other items.Hitman954;132757 wrote: You could always plan for the three bikes and stick the other two in the truck bed. Just a thought. Or make them get thier own damn trailer
Bring gas, about 5 gals each if you start with a full tank. Gas is available at the track, but it's expensive. If you fill cans in NJ, they must be approved RED containers. Don't forget your bike key, I've seen that happen several times. See the link BigBird posted.
Navyboy12807
New Member
Well they are good friends and they would be paying for 80% of the gas in my truck and maintenance on the trailer! And one of my buddies works at a dealer who helps me out with parts, gear. Ect. So eveything works out in it's own way!Hitman954;132757 wrote: You could always plan for the three bikes and stick the other two in the truck bed. Just a thought. Or make them get thier own damn trailer
Trent1098S
New Member
Jon, hate to say it, but I've been there, done that (crash a $25,000 motorcycle). Three times, actually.
Here's the last crash the Ducati and me went through. Pics courtesy Gron4.
So before you think about taking out a $25k bike, consider this.
A) Insurance will NOT cover track days in nearly every state now.
B) Be prepared to come home and part out the motorcycle.
Here's my story. Rode the 2008 1098S on the street for a year, got bored, signed up for track days.
The first two crashes were easy. In the first crash, I bent the frame tabs for the rearsets, bent the frame tab for the steering stop, ground up some bodywork.
Paid the dealer to straighten the frame out. $375. Clutch cover and pressure plate replaced. $325. Got the bodywork repaired and repainted by Turn One Racing. $600. Put on new (less slippery) vortex rearsets, $450.
In the second crash, an easy lowside in the rain, I bent the steering stop AGAIN, bent the frame rearset tabs AGAIN, bent a Brembo brake lever ($160), destroyed a brand new Vortex rearset on the right side (half of $450), tore up my brand new bodywork and paint job AGAIN (SONOFA..), cracked the undertail cowl ($180), bent the magnesium front fairing stay (straightened it out, sort of), destroyed a Speedymoto clutch cover ($270)....
This time I mostly just duc taped the thing back together.
Third time down (pics above).. holy shit. This one hurt.
Magnesium front fairing stay destroyed ($270), clip on destroyed (??$), clutch lever destroyed (master cylinder is questionable too, I can't fully disengage clutch now but that may be debris still in the clutch?), left bar broke ($20), right bar bent ($20), rear brake cylinder damaged ($80), tank scratched up & gouged (1700$$$!!!!!), left hand control box cracked in half (controls brights, turn signals, mode switch, etc - $300+), swingarm bent slightly ($2600, but I scavenged a used one for $350 that's powdercoated black), tail section destroyed, rear subframe bent, undertail cowl destroyed, right muffler damaged ($1500, so better off buying slipons), etc etc...
I still could have more damage that's hiding; bent forks, etc. Dunno until I get it pieced back together and ride it.
Anyway I see so many first timers crash on their very first day I've lost count. And I'm SURE that every single one of them said "I'll take it easy, I'll be fine." Granted, most people are, and do come home with an intact bike, but there's always one or two on any given weekend who wad their shit up. I'm sure in every case they did NOT want to do that....
The truth is you do NOT know in advance how you will respond to the higher speeds, compressed timeframes, and faster decisions on a racetrack.
Take my advice. Get a dedicated track bike and keep that nice shiney expensive Ducati on the street where it belongs.
Just my .02.
Navyboy12807
New Member
I am in the process of getting a track bike! The ducati will be on the track on the ducati trackday school with doug polen as I have to be on the duc to go it's a prime duc has but after that it probable won't see the track almost never, maybe once or twice a year after I have been to on a track for a year on the track bike! Oh and I hope a pray that u are ok and didn't get hurt seriously!
Trent1098S
New Member
Yeah I was chuckling a bit when I wrote it. Was wondering if anyone would call me out on that.
I believe superbikes belong on the track, period, regardless of make or model. Every literbike sold off the showroom floor is capable of breaking any United States speed limit (that I know of) in 1st gear.
However.. my message shouldn't be diluted. If you take a motorcycle to a racetrack, be prepared to bring it home in pieces, be prepared to buy parts, and be prepared to face repair bills.
I'm not saying it 100% absolutely WILL happen, but it absolutely 100% CAN happen.
Just like it can on the street.
Personally, I know of MORE people who owned Ducati superbikes that have been totalled out on the street, than on the track. Hell one young kid local to me with too much money, bought an 1198 as his FIRST street bike, and it's been totalled out TWICE now. (Hate to see his Insurance premiums now!)
The key difference is, if you wipe out on the street, your insurance is likely to cover it. Where as, on the track, it just ain't gonna happen. Not anymore. I don't know of any insurance companies that'll cover track damage nowadays, at least in Illinois. The last was State Farm, and they closed their policies down in 08 to include "any closed course facilities". I.e. they only cover crashes on public roads.
I bought a well-outfitted bike off Brian Blume last year for $7200. 07 GSX-R, AK-20 gas forks, Pensky triple rear, quick shifter, Vesrah engine, etc etc.. fully set up and ready to rock on the track. Replacement parts = cheap. I even added Brembo Monoblocs and a Brembo 18-20 master and I'm still under HALF of what the Ducati cost new.
To me, that's a lot more "sane" than tracking a Ducati, from both a repair and maintenance perspective.
But, if you got enough money to maintain it, repair it, and upgrade it so it turns in properly, and rocking a Ducati on the track is what makes your world go round and your sun rise in the morning, by all means don't let me stop you. Hearing that twin roar IS intoxicating.
iamnotgreg
New Member
Trent I am in a somewhat similar however less expensive situation to yours... Tracking that special edition Aprilia - a lot less money though.
In any case - I can't find it on their website but I saw an ad for Foremost Insurance claiming they provide automatic track day coverage with their policies.
http://www.ducatiforemost.com/program.htm
They sponsor Pegram on his R bike as well as a # of other riders - Larrys Mom was even cool enough to let me take some awesome pics of my daughter on Larry's bike and have him sign a poster for her.
link to them - but as I said there is nothing about it there. The ad was on the back cover of one of my RRW's maybe a few months back.
Might be worth a phone call to the OP
edit: maybe it was the AMA magazine and not RRW
Navyboy12807
New Member
I just got off the phone with them they don't have track insurance but they don't exclude the track like 98% of other insurance companies they said if I'm sponsored or getting paid winnings that I will not be covered it's for on the street and track. They said it's not track insurance but that if it's on the track that they won't deny it if it's in the specifactions that they have set! I got a price on the ducati 1198s it was around 7200 a year not worth it to me! That 7200 to me can fix up a track bike and get a second!
iamnotgreg
New Member
Precisely what I was talking about. Up until this year SF covered track day incidents as long as it wasn't a timed racing event - as of this year. Nope (as Trent stated above)
Foremost is the last one left that covers it at all - the rest of them provide 0 coverage in the event of a fall at the track. There is or used to be insurance specifically for racing but it is/was very expensive - I never looked specifically into it as I never needed it but I do believe it was over 100$ a day. I am sure others on here are more informed about this, but to be honest like Trent said "if you can't afford to crash it don't take it to the track" paraphrased quote
oh and 7200$ a year!?@!?? Wow! How young are you and how bad is that driving record?!
I pay 300 a year for half a million in coverage on my SV and on the Mille R I was only paying 460 a year (it was 20k so not too far off of the price of an S bike)
Then again I am now a slow old man so maybe they think I got all my crashing out of my system. Sure hope they are right. Past couple of years it's worked out for them - I have ridden on the street 4 times in the last 4 years, so far not a single street ride this year. At this rate I'm just giving them the insurance money to be polite.
Navyboy12807
New Member
I'm 23 and I was shocked! right now I'm paying like around 500 a month but that includes the 09 f150 lariat sc, house, corvette z06, mustang gt, ducati 1198s corse, and something else that Im forgetting!(I'm on afamily plan with my uncle so I'm a little lucky) I was just checking them out because of the track coverage that would apply to the ducati and not the track only bike if it's not street legal it is not covered at all! Glad I asked that but still for 04 Gsxr 1000 is 315 a month! So I did the math and it work be cheaper fixing bike out of pocket or getting a new track bike!
Trent1098S
New Member
Thanks for the tip, I'll need to get a quote from Foremost, and a copy of their policy.
I'm still carrying comprehensive on the Ducati in case of fire / transport accident / theft, but I don't keep collision on it so it's not legal to ride on the street here.... Costs me $270 a year as it sits now, but again, that only covers total loss by some outside influence, not any riding incidents whatsoever.
I had a friend (21) get an 08 R1, and his first insurance quote was $8900 a year. Basically, it'd cost him as much to insure it as it would to replace the bike once a year. (He picked it up new in 09, prior year model, paid $8800).
Yup, insurance for a year > cost of bike. Rediculous.
I'm still carrying comprehensive on the Ducati in case of fire / transport accident / theft, but I don't keep collision on it so it's not legal to ride on the street here.... Costs me $270 a year as it sits now, but again, that only covers total loss by some outside influence, not any riding incidents whatsoever.
I had a friend (21) get an 08 R1, and his first insurance quote was $8900 a year. Basically, it'd cost him as much to insure it as it would to replace the bike once a year. (He picked it up new in 09, prior year model, paid $8800).
Yup, insurance for a year > cost of bike. Rediculous.