The old "taking a break" thread.....

Maybe it's the law of diminishing returns, but it seems that riding on the track doesn't seem as fun as it used to. I can't justify the expense of racing seriously so it's pretty much just trackdays. I've been considering selling my bike and buying a bigger/faster bike, or buying a newer/slower bike, or even getting into 250's or motards, but the more I think about it, the more sense it makes to just sell it all and pay off my car or something.

I'm just afraid I'm going to regret it and end up spending twice as much buying and building another bike in the spring.

 

Everyone is different, but I simply cannot imagine NOT riding. I've been doing it since 1971 and still looking forward to everytime I throw a leg over and ride.........street and track.

 

You definitely have to have the desire to race very strongly to overcome the time and expense this sport entails. I've never been involved with something you can spend this amount of both on but yet here I am because I have also never found anything that compares to the feeling of gridding up .

 

You don't need to race much or too seriously to make track days feel like a round of golf. At least that is how it was (and is) for me.

 

There are few competitive sports that don't seriously penalize age...golf? MC's? Can't think of any others off the top of my head. Anyways, If you have the "must compete" gene then something will suck you back in. If you're already geared up and past the learning stage, Why change?

 

I'm broke as shit. I can't even come close to affording to race. I get maybe a couple track days a year in because of cost. My track only bike could help me get more trackdays in if I sold it and used my street bike, but then I'd be without a trackbike. Nobody wants to be that guy. Don't be him.

 

I’ve been doing trackdays for ~9 years, and I have been racing for 4 years. Living in Southern California, those have been long years with a lot of riding. I’ve already logged 8 full days at the track in the last month and a half between trackdays and racing. 3 race weekends in the last 5 weeks. It never gets old.

I was recently tallying up the massive amount of crap that comes with the territory. Stands, warmers, gas cans, tools, laptimers, gear, etc. All of these things were slowly accumulated over years and years, and I couldn’t imagine having to buy it all over again. If I were to ever sell all of that stuff, then it would only be when I was 100% sure that I was never going to come back. I can’t ever see that happening, though.

 

I quit racing a few years ago after doing it for 10 years. I just didn't have the same desire, I was tired of being broke and injured. So I did track days the next year, and yeah... That was like golf. So, I bought a street bike and I've been touring, and loving it. Riding the street every day I can too.

I didn't sell my race bike or any of the associated shit tho.... You never know.

 

Towards the end of me racing, I didn't enjoy it nearly enough. I'd become obsessed enough with it all that it seemed like a job, only I wasn't getting paid. I bought a Husky 510 SMR and CBR1000 and decided to just do track days. The Supermoto was fun for a few laps, but not my cup of tea so it got sold. The liter bike was a different story and I really enjoyed riding it. No lap timer(I think this is key), didn't talk about lap times, just rode to have fun and hang out with friends. It was awesome! Had a blast until an unfortunate accident and another injury. Said screw it and bought a mountain bike. Having fun with that now and injury(mostly) free for a few years now. Good luck with whatever you decide

 

Get back to the basics, sell whatever you got, get an SV and learn how to go fast again. That and quit being a faggit.

 

How many different tracks do you go to? If only one or two maybe try to go to some different ones.

 

THIS.

Exactly my deal.

Why the hell does this happen?

 

If there's a question, don't sell.

If you're using the "what if" as an excuse to not do what you think you should, sell and don't look back.

Never thought I'd up & quit. I got as good as I was going to get (not very) on as much as I was going to spend, I don't have that fire in my belly to beat the other guy so I was always racing for and against myself, and I just figured that hanging it up while I was still physically unscathed from my many fall-downs was probably a wise thing to do. I instructed for a couple different orgs to get my track fix, and even that got to be tedious. So I hung up the leathers and heaved my skeevy old AGV into the trash and haven't been on a bike since, til this year when after Sarah's pregnancy I squidded her bike to my shop. Sick part was as nervous as I was riding sans gear, I still had an urge to go hooligan. Bike hasn't moved since that day.

Do for you what's right for you. Don't let nostalgia get in the way of making a decision you know is right for you. :up:

 

Only you can figure out what's good for you.

I'm adding about $1500/mo to my commuting and housing costs with my move east. With that I'm not seeing how to afford the truck/trailer storage here, much less track day/racing fees. Doesn't help that I've been sidelined this summer by a foolish track day crash. For now I'm leaving the track equipment in Chicago, until I figure out what comes next. It may be cheaper to fly back to IL to run than keep the stuff in the NYC area.

 

I've been racing for 30+ years and wondering what I want to do next with racing. I got the chance to race a 250 ninja last weekend and I had a ball! (Big thanks to Ray Meyers!) I think a 250/300 would fit pretty well with all the other things I have going on in my life without costing fistfuls of cash. Plus the maintenance will be pretty low. Really looking forward to racing one and just having fun.

 

I quit after a lot of years and it's been great because I replaced it with new adventures. I was racing and coaching at a track school and had become way too burned out. It was a chore and I found myself dreading loading the trailer and preparing for the weekends.

So I sold off everything, bought some really cool stuff with all that cash and feel energized again because I'm taking up new stuff and learning again. I think for me it's all about going all out with everything I do and learning new things, getting real good, then moving on to the next adventure is my game.

Now I'm 4 wheeling more, shooting a lot more and getting ready to start competitive shooting. In a couple weeks, I'm going to a two day precision rifle shooting school...I couldn't do that when I was spending all my money and time racing/coaching! Now I'm excited to plan my next week long adventure in Moab 4wheeling my rig and camping way back in the canyons.

So I think the key is to replace it with something and you'll be happy. :up: Maybe it's just me but I want to take in a lot of different experiences in my short time on this here rock so keep the new adventures coming!

 

As others have said above, after spending seven years chasing championships with my son, the fun was gone. We did the Jennings endurance last season, spent the usual pile of money, and then mutually decided we weren't enjoying it anymore. I wouldn't trade the time we spent together at the track for the world, but it was simply time to move on. I got rid of his SV a few weeks ago. He hasn't even noticed that it is gone. We are focused on running now, with plans to do the junior Olympics. As a bonus, my daughter has joined us in our new pursuit. It was pretty easy to fill the void left by bikes with a new form of competition.

 

So if you decide to "take a break" but just set the equipment aside rather than selling it off because you feel that you may want to return, how much time do you give for the "break" before you would become comfortable with the idea that this hobby is indeed over for you? If you do decide to walk away from the racing and follow the advice to take up a "replacement" hobby, how much money are you willing to put into it? Everything costs, and it is far too easy a trap to keep spending in order to "do it right".
The mere fact that "taking a break" is a serious consideration is telling and it is smart to remember that over time the "regret" that could draw you back in stems from an idealized memory that fails to deliver once you return. It's easy to have the "taking a break" feeling at the end of the racing season. You can hang on to all your equipment over the course of the winter and if you still feel the same way in the spring, you'll have the answer to your question. Besides, wouldn't all the equipment fetch a better price then rather than now?

 

^^^^Perfect example^^^^ I think the key is to avoid Burnout.. Racing or Trackdays... I will only go to the track once a Month and its been perfect over the last 14 Years.. I agree... Check out as many tracks as possible to change it up a bit.. Over the last decade I think I am up to 15...I would make it a goal to hit a new track every year.. It has been well worth it. I also got back into Stand Up Jet a couple years ago which really had me thinking of getting out of Bikes all together...We set up buoys and have the perfect cove many from surrounding area's come too that's about 1 Mile from my house... The last 2 years I have been juggling both but it has been very rejuvenating (Spelling) getting back into these things after a 25-30 year absence... Its just like the Pits at the track only your working on a Ski.. Waist deep in water and not sweating your Balls off like the Paddocks in the SE...... Every weekend there are over 20 of us that meet every Sunday and like Bikes you start to know, people, start relationships and thrive off of each others skills and knowledge...I think that's the best thing about any Speed related sport is...Well except for the parties after 5.. I'm heading to Barber this Friday and think I'm going throw a ski on a trailer to dip in Logan Martin on the way... Best of both worlds.... Here is a Pic from a couple weeks back...

 

When I had twins, I was conflicted. Should I sell the bike...all I remember from that thread was this, "people fall in the bathtub everyday and die, do you stop taking showers?"

I did sell my middleweight, and got 2 bikes as replacements, a track and street LWT, and now the Grom.

I've been on the mend recently, but I love to fondle my bike when I get the chance and can't wait to ride them next year.. But that's me...may not work for all, but I can't imagine not.