Is an F3 too much bike for a first track bike? No racing, just track days. I've ridden for a few years, but am not a greatly experienced rider. Better choices? (Looking for cheap as well as fun).
I lot of it depends on how much experience you have and what you want to get out of it. If you have plenty of riding experience and are just looking to have fun at the track then an F3 is a good track tool. If you are looking at eventually racing get a smaller bike, SV650, EX500 or a two-stroke if you want to wrench also. My $.02 Steve
No. It's not enough bike if you are relatively smooth (throttle/brake input), but still enough to get you in trouble if you are not smooth. Just make sure you set up the suspension right and go have fun!
Thanks Mitch......... I think it could be a tire issue although I am still not positive about exactly why my front end tucked. The right side of the front tire is definite showing more lean angle than I ever got out of my bike though, and plenty of melted rubber. I guess I should have to run a different pressure or perhaps a harder compound for a real hot day (I had my Supersoft Rennsport set at 30 psi cold pressure). Are you all healed up and the bike ready to race?
For a first " Track/race bike", I would have to ask : Just how much ridding time do you have? As a first track/race bike, I would have chosen something else but worked my way up to an F2 or F3. ( They are both very very good bike and will give you a real nice road feel as to what is happening with the bike.) Either way, take a good school and I would say : Jason Pridmore's is the best. He and his fellow teachers ARE there just for YOU ! A great way to spend 2 days.:up: :up:
F3 should be fine. Are you going to buy one or do you already own it? If you are going to buy, look for a racebike thats already sorted out and wired. They come up around here for good prices all the time, and you'll be helping out a racer by buying it from them. If you buy a street bike but really want a racebike, and start throwing suspension, exhaust, bodywork, covers, damper etc... at it you will spend more money than just buying a race bike in the first place --- YMMV. Don
Six spots!!!!!!! Ouch, good thing it didn't seem to hurt too bad in your case. See the pile-on shit you started? I've better leave now before more assholes get in........
If you own it, have at it. If you're buying it cheaply, have at it. If you're paying a "premium" there are better choices. If you're having Green work on it, get your head checked out.
look in classifieds under the tl1000r/ ducati888 spo thread by me td930 buy one or the other or both even
This is why I wouldn't do an F3. I just wanted a track bike as well, but after getting my prov am. license I really enjoyed racing, the comradarie, the new world it opened up regarding bike set up, not to mention the art form of knee dragging. After my 2 prov am weekends I felt much safer on the track than on the street. So...I raced amateur for almost a full season on the F3, learned to sort the suspension out decently and had a ball. After being persistently goaded by several experts, I purchased and R6 around August 2001 and immediately began to piss people off by finishing ahead of them. I didn't think they would mind, I didn't and still don't. (note: I wouldn't recommend an R6 for a beginning track rider or racer...then again who am I?) The R6 made a huge difference, was easier to ride fast and had enough power where everyone didn't just ride by me on the straights. Riding and out classed bike is not as much fun as riding a competitive one, that's for sure. So whatever bike you get, make sure it is competitive in it's class, that way you won't have to purchase another bike so soon after you get yours the way you want it. My F3 was a well set up race bike when I bought it, but it needed much attention which it got. It just couldn't hang with the newer lighter faster bikes. Take Care,