Ride or transport my bike?

99vengeur

99vengeur

New Member
I am a new member (though I've been lurking for a while) and I am looking forward to my first track day this summer. Barber is the closest to me, although it is still 500 miles and 7 hours away.

I have no means of transporting my bike. I would have to either ride there or rent a truck to haul it. So my question is this...is it advisable to ride that many miles the night before a track day?

I am looking for advice here, because I don't think I want to rent something to transport my bike, but I also don't want to walk 500 miles home if I were to go down at my first track day.

Thanks for your input.
Robert
 
Thunderace

Thunderace

BIG JIM
Control Rider
Rent a cargo van from enterprise and haul it down there. I've seen people do that several times and it just takes out the problem of being stuck if you crash.
 
ninjamansc

ninjamansc

THE Comstock
Control Rider
Dude, don't even think about riding that far. Rent a panel van from (insert rental car company) or small box truck.
Plus it'll give you shade to rest in, place to put drinks/food, and if the truck's big enough, you could even save money on hotel by sleeping in the back.
Seriously. Don't ride that far both ways.
 
rk97

rk97

Member
where are you coming from? sharing a ride with another member would be ideal. Even if they only have space for your bike, and you need to follow in your car. Like you said, if you crash, you want a way home. And you do NOT want to be riding 500 miles after a day on the track... You'll cramp like crazy.

renting a van, trailer, or pickup is also an option, but you know your long-term plans better than we do. is the $300 to install a hitch on your car NOW worth it? trailers don't get mileage charges.

i know i have loaned my truck to people for lots of tasks more random than moving a motorcycle for the weekend... it has moved a 120 gallon aquarium (and the salt water that was in it), new patio furniture, towed a float in the St. Patty's day parade, etc.

for 1,000 miles, I would expect a full tank of gas, and a case of beer ;-) maybe an oil change too, if i was close to needing one. still less than renting a van.
 
Hambone

Hambone

New Member
I was in the exact situation a few years ago and I did just what you did and wrote into the forum here and got some nice responses. So to repay NESBA, my advice would be to do what you have to do to get your bike there without having to ride it. I have seen people ride their bikes to a track day and then you have to prep it, tape it and you never have enough time to get comfortable around there. There are so many things that you need to bring along to make it a nice event (chairs, food, drinks, shade). Don't even think about what would happen if you crash a little.

Go to Enterprise and rent a cargo van. Get some straps and a ramp or two (you will keep these for when you get a more long term solution. Got to the track and have fun. As you do more track days (you will do a lot more) you can get a better mode of transport. By the way, you will be pretty cooked at the end of your track day.

Mike
 
Bubba Zanetti

Bubba Zanetti

Member
^^^^^

What they said.

rk97's response about NOT riding 500 miles back after a track day is spot on. I thank God my buddy and I have vehicles that let us haul them.

Beg, barrow or rent brother!

BZ
 
99vengeur

99vengeur

New Member
Transporting would definitely ease my mind...probably a good thing for a newb on the track.

Here's another question. Being new to the track, would you suggest signing up for both days, or just one?
 
rk97

rk97

Member
track riding works out a LOT of muscles you're probably not used to using. I did squats, lunges, and wall-sits all winter, and was still sore after my first weekend back.

That said, an FZ6 will have a slight more relaxed riding position than those of us with woodcraft/vortex rearsets adjusted all the way up and back :)

I am ALWAYS kicking myself for signing up for the second day at about 10:00 on sunday ...and then i get back out there, and completely forget that my legs are sore. I try to "back off" a little, and end up running my best laps of the weekend.

I say do both days. especially if you're 500 miles from the track. how long will it be before you get back there???
 
AU_R1

AU_R1

New Member
I'm going to chime in here and recommend not riding to the track. Have you ever done a long ride on a sport bike? I rode from Auburn to Birmingham on Sunday, then Birmingham to Atlanta on Monday where I picked up a old Dodge Ram with 170k miles specifically for the purpose of transporting my track bike. The ride the first day wasn't so bad, only about 120miles and I've done that a many times before. The 120miles the next day was not fun at all. Riding 500miles on a sport bike would suck. Doing a track day after riding 500miles would suck a lot of the fun out of it. Riding 500miles home would be pure hell.

The Sunday after my first trackday felt like the first day after a hardcore leg workout after I hadn't done a leg workout in six months or so. I didn't go running again until Wednesday, I'm a Marine, running is what I do, I was hurting. While riding 500miles to do one trackday might feel like a bit of a waste, that's what I'd recommend for your first time. My 2 cents.

:tothetrack:
 
PJZOCC624

PJZOCC624

New Member
Enterprise, Uhaul (Uhaul has open landscape-type trailers that work great for bikes), etc... Don't try to ride to and from the track, whether its 100 miles or 500 miles. It will seriously suck ass.

I know NESBA doesn't ride there, but if you're in Shreveport, look into a track called Oak Hill Raceway in Henderson, TX. It's gotta be less than 2hrs -if my memory serves me right- from where you are. It's DEFINITELY not Barber, but a track is a track. It'll give you another option for track time. (Don't ask me what org's run there, b/c it's been 6yrs since I've been there, but might be worth looking into - maybe Lone Star Track Days). It's bumpy and lots of patches, but track time is track time.

Just an FYI....
 
Rick Johnson

Rick Johnson

New Member
+1 for renting a van or small box truck.Sleep in it at the track and save money there.Coming
that far do both days if you can swing it.It's a great track.
 
O

Olde English

Member
I'm doing my first trackday this saturday and bought a hitch to tow a trailer to transport my bike.
Uhaul rents open trailers for about $15 a day. This is the route that I'm going with.

I never really considered renting a van to transport the bike due to mileage costs, but I never even thought about sleeping inside of it to save money. That's a great idea.
Yes, I wouldn't recommend riding to a track day either.

*Edit: After a quick search, Penske does unlimited mileage truck rentals. About $60 per 24 hour period for a 12, 16, or 26' truck. Sleeping in the truck would save a good amount of money as opposed to getting a hotel room.
 
B

beac83

Member
Order of preference:

1. Try to find Ride Share for bike and maybe you. - lowest cost and usually most fun
Post in the ride share forum here or on your local SB board.
2. Rent trailer and add hitch to car - long term and reasonable cost
3. Rent van. - easiest to do, higher cost if you do additional days.

500 miles one way is too far to ride to/from track. I wouldn't do it for more than 100mi at most. And as others have said, if you should have a spill, the bike might need transport home.
 
Revvin' Evan

Revvin' Evan

New Member
Everybody already covered the transport issue.

Regarding the 1 day or 2 question........

I would stab myself in the eye with a tire gauge and drop a spare tire on my nuts if I drove 7 hours to go to the track and only did one day......but that's just me:dunno:
 
F

Folly1

New Member
Revvin' Evan;54783 wrote: Everybody already covered the transport issue.

Regarding the 1 day or 2 question........

I would stab myself in the eye with a tire gauge and drop a spare tire on my nuts if I drove 7 hours to go to the track and only did one day......but that's just me:dunno:
Click to expand...
You sir, win the "best phrased answer of the month award". No doubt about it.


Ben.
 
Hambone

Hambone

New Member
Do 2 days if you can afford it no matter how close/far the track is. Don't worry about being sore or tired. Once you get going on the second day, you forget about pain and start to focus on what you did the previous day. Two days at a track give you day one to learn the track and focus on some essentials and basics. Day two gives you time to work on those things and really have some fun. I did two days at BeaveRun (8hrs drive) and had the best track day on the second day.

Do two days if you can!
 
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