So how much money have you spent on riding track days? | GTAMotorcycle.com

So how much money have you spent on riding track days?

matt220

Well-known member
What is the total estimated amount that you've spent riding on the track so far? (Bike, tires, parts, repairs, gear, trailer, gas, track fees, etc.)

Maybe there can be a prize for whoever has dumped the most money into it? :lmao:


I also want to get a feeling for if it is economically viable for me to start track riding in the next 5-10 years... Being young and looking at the price of houses in the GTA it seems there is no possible way for someone making ~$60k/yr to pay off a mortgage (actually trying to pay it off, not just the minimum amount like an idiot) and other monthly bills while also having enough to race a track bike.
 
You mean, how much total in our whole track riding lives? 10 years of track riding would be hard to calculate, and I don't really want to think about it. haha...
 
Since my wife is on this forum too.....I think its been $2 per week.....
 
If it's something that gives you pleasure then why count the cost? Plenty of time to do that when you're too old to ride or dead.
 
Since my wife is on this forum too.....I think its been $2 per week.....

Only during the season though. You're saving that $2 a week in the winter months to spend on flowers and dresses for her aren't you?
 
its an expensive habit, but I love it. If your asking will there be extra room in your budget, the answer is always no. Its a question of priority and what are you willing to do without? For me, I don't have a cell phone, I don't go out for lunch or dinner, I don't go to the bar, etc. Since you asked a legitimate question, here is an answer:

bike: $6200 (street and track), although I ride street anyways and already have a bike, so $0 in additional cost for track really. I bought an extra set of rims for slicks among a few other goodies, but none of this is needed for an entry level track rider. Most people spend $3000 - $6000 on a used track bike, if cost is your primary concern. Sky is the limit from there. You don't need a high $ bike or lots of horsepower to have fun on the track.

tires: this is usually your big cost. I run red group with race slicks and get 5-6 days on a set of pirelli superbike pro slicks ($350-$400/set). When you're new to track, you can likely just use a track oriented street tire, Q3, Pirelli DRC, S20, etc, at almost no additional cost (if your already using a sticker street tire). On the track you will use the edges, on the street you will use the centers. The tires will still go 4000-5000km on the street, you just get to use all of the tire, which is nice. You'd want to wear out the edges on the track first, then use them as street tires (which may mean 2 sets of rims to make life easy), squared of tires suck to ride on on the track, are more work, and have less room for error. So consider tire consider tire changing equipment if your riding track ($90 bead breaker, $20 spoons, $150 air compressor). The air compressor is generally a useful tool if your buying a house (flooring, roofing, cars, etc).

If you haven't done so already, you need to become skilled at fixing your own ride, mounting tires, etc. Having a shop do work on a track bike is prohibitively expensive.

gas: a tank for the day, so $20 (unless your doing mosport, then double it)

oil: change ever 3-4 trackdays ($50)

track fees: $100 for TMP on a thursday, $250+ for the big tracks (bogie, mosport)

trailer: $1000 5x7 (although I use it for many things, might be hard to store depending on your house. Get 5' wide if you can, not 4', so you can haul 2 bikes). Trailer hitch $250

parts/repairs - depends on how much you crash, engine case guards, spare levers, foot pegs, etc are a good idea. If you don't care about paint job, its not too bad. If you have a street ride you want to show off at the next Tim Hortons meet, could get pricey.

Remember, don't bring anything to the track your not willing to bring home in a box. Unlikely, and generally rare, but it does happen on occasion.
 
its an expensive habit, but I love it. If your asking will there be extra room in your budget, the answer is always no. Its a question of priority and what are you willing to do without? For me, I don't have a cell phone, I don't go out for lunch or dinner, I don't go to the bar, etc. Since you asked a legitimate question, here is an answer:

bike: $6200 (street and track), although I ride street anyways and already have a bike, so $0 in additional cost for track really. I bought an extra set of rims for slicks among a few other goodies, but none of this is needed for an entry level track rider. Most people spend $3000 - $6000 on a used track bike, if cost is your primary concern. Sky is the limit from there. You don't need a high $ bike or lots of horsepower to have fun on the track.

tires: this is usually your big cost. I run red group with race slicks and get 5-6 days on a set of pirelli superbike pro slicks ($350-$400/set). When you're new to track, you can likely just use a track oriented street tire, Q3, Pirelli DRC, S20, etc, at almost no additional cost (if your already using a sticker street tire). On the track you will use the edges, on the street you will use the centers. The tires will still go 4000-5000km on the street, you just get to use all of the tire, which is nice. You'd want to wear out the edges on the track first, then use them as street tires (which may mean 2 sets of rims to make life easy), squared of tires suck to ride on on the track, are more work, and have less room for error. So consider tire consider tire changing equipment if your riding track ($90 bead breaker, $20 spoons, $150 air compressor). The air compressor is generally a useful tool if your buying a house (flooring, roofing, cars, etc).

If you haven't done so already, you need to become skilled at fixing your own ride, mounting tires, etc. Having a shop do work on a track bike is prohibitively expensive.

gas: a tank for the day, so $20 (unless your doing mosport, then double it)

oil: change ever 3-4 trackdays ($50)

track fees: $100 for TMP on a thursday, $250+ for the big tracks (bogie, mosport)

trailer: $1000 5x7 (although I use it for many things, might be hard to store depending on your house. Get 5' wide if you can, not 4', so you can haul 2 bikes). Trailer hitch $250

parts/repairs - depends on how much you crash, engine case guards, spare levers, foot pegs, etc are a good idea. If you don't care about paint job, its not too bad. If you have a street ride you want to show off at the next Tim Hortons meet, could get pricey.

Remember, don't bring anything to the track your not willing to bring home in a box. Unlikely, and generally rare, but it does happen on occasion.
yes, but then you crash...and trust me you will and there it goes the street and track bike.

To the OP, if you are going to get into this, get a dedicated track bike, even if it is an old beater.

In regards to the cost.... I don't want to think about it but :

to get me started
3500 (including importing as a parts bike from the states) already track setup bike
150 for scrubs
Oil change and filter $80
Gas for the bike and an extra container $50
track fee 150

Edit: I forgot... the Gear!

But then I decided to go racing, get the calculator out..........
 
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Smergy summed it up well. Also take into account any gear you might not already have i.e. 1 Piece suit, racing oriented boots etc. As pointed out, once you have your track bike sorted the biggest cost is tires and track time(depending on the track).

My first season, I started out with a used track bike ~$5k after I sold some spares I didn't need. I bought a used Astro van as a bike hauler, paid $900 for that and it was probably the most reliable used vehicle I have owned believe it or not, I would load it to the roof and made lots of long hauls to the track with it, basically just did oil changes and put gas in it. You could also sleep in it once you set everything up. Starting out as a track newbie, tire wear wasn't too bad but as you get faster it makes a big difference, lol. I bought a one piece suit(which I am still using approx 6 years later.) I already had a good recent helmet, gloves and boots so was good to go on that front. I think that was pretty much it to get started. I don't really want to think about how much I have spent since.

Also, on a side note, why would you try to rush to pay your mortgage off at the expense of enjoying life? I get it if you have a ton of disposable income to throw at it and pay it down quickly but I wouldn't make it a priority if funds are limited, especially if you are just a single income. In my opinion of course.

If the track is something that you want to do then make it happen. I pick up a couple OT shifts at work every month which covers most of my habit.
 
if you have to ask....


You can always find a way to make it work, like others said, you cut back on other things to make room for your track days.
+1 on the dedicated track bike (if you still wanna do street).
 
if you have to ask....


You can always find a way to make it work, like others said, you cut back on other things to make room for your track days.
+1 on the dedicated track bike (if you still wanna do street).
here is "someone" let's call him TRFB using his street bike on the track

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^^^ Exactly.

Long bus ride home from bogie.
 
nothing wrong with a street bike at the track, but don't ride it there, that's for sure. ZX600 is correct. Downside is when you crash (and you will eventually, we all do), you could be out of both for a while. Fortunately I don't think of crashing as damaging the street bike, I call deterring theft.
 
So Far:

1. Racer5 Course $1130.00
2. Weekend expenses including gas for said above event $700.00
2. Racer5 Track Day $226.00
3. One-Piece $678.00

Total: $2734.00

The rest of the gear I already had before considering track again after many years of not riding. I figured the Racer5 program was a good way to ease myself back into it and see if I still enjoyed it with out the additional cost of a track bike and supporting equipment for running track.
 
I also want to get a feeling for if it is economically viable for me to start track riding in the next 5-10 years... Being young and looking at the price of houses in the GTA it seems there is no possible way for someone making ~$60k/yr to pay off a mortgage (actually trying to pay it off, not just the minimum amount like an idiot) and other monthly bills while also having enough to race a track bike.

While you're paying down your mortgage in excess of the minimum for 5-10 yrs, I'll be paying the minimum and riding track for that time... hard to justify calling me an idiot.

Just get a renter and use the income from them to pay for all your track necessities, and then some.

Back to your original question, if you can find a friend to start up with you can split on tools, gas to the track, trailer and general know-how.
 
Gawd, i dont even want to know what i spend a year on this ****.

This year i wont get alot of seat time as in previous years, but the number would be insane.
 
I spent $700 at Pro 6 yesterday on a track day and a set of tires. I'm just off to get gas ($45). Then a bit of lunch and a few energy bars and drinks ($20). And this is for a single day at Mosport. If i'm smooth on the gas then I should get 4 days out of the tires. Which means by Monday night they'll be 50% shot.

If you count the cost you won't do it. But then, in saying that, there are people who go out every weekend and drop $200 in a bar/nightclub. I don't.
 
I haven't seen him around here lately, what happend? or should I not ask.

You need to be subscribed to see the thread between him and his ex gf xtina. Both got banned. The Herp a Derp was involved.

Also - Is that TAFB's R1??
 

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