Will I regret buying a liter bike to race?

[tucktuvak]

Quick season recap:
Hit expert and got into the 17s on my duke 790. Also raced an rc390 in the last round, was a lot of fun but also kind of frustrating to not have the exit power.

Moving to Northern California so sold the duke and a few other things. Current plan is to race supermoto, do the occasional trackday and maybe race AFM.

I’m very considering buying a 2015 R1, as I already have a street legal supermoto to ride, and was thinking an R1 would be more fun for track days (get through traffic faster). Other option is pick up a gsxr750 for ~$3.5k less, or a 600. Don’t want to get an SV again because I want to eventually race motoamerica when I get fast enough, and the class structure there is kinda strange (another + for the R1).

Question is, for anyone who has switched from LW or ULW to a liter bike, did you regret it? Will I? At what skill level are you fast enough to make the switch and have fun with it?

[Paul_E_D]

I just did my first laps on a new ZX10 last week. I was helping Peter Kates dial in some of his shifter settings, so I did a bunch of laps. I was a lightweight specialist, but now race a middleweight. The ZX10 was interesting. Not as hard to ride as I expected, but also a little too much for me to want to race one. It was blindingly fast, so if you are HP addicted, it might be for you. It was fun to spin the tire from corner exit to the next entry. Be warned though, getting it set up to actually be competitive against other fast liter bikes will require some computer expertise. It's a 200HP computer that you are riding.

I'm happy with the R6. it's fast, nimble and largely in synch with my right hand.

[nhbubba]

I've watched so many of the instructors and control riders I know at track days park their SVs or other LW bikes in favor of a liter bike for track days. Experiencing the frustration of non-race day passing rules combined with being outgunned ~2:1 power wise as a customer just out for a nice track-day is one thing. I can only imagine how infuriating it is as an instructor.

Long way round of saying, I get it.

That said, I have no experience here.

Good luck and post up some photos and ride reports rubbing in all the great riding out there in NoCal.

[sdog30]

Limited class structure and tire budget are the two biggest down falls. You can only enter a couple races on a liter bike and they eat rear tires for breakfast.

At least with a middle weight, you can race up in heavyweight and unlimited and still be competitive.

[sdog30]

I think a 15 R1 is still the older style bike too, right? The newer R1s are ridiculous and will bury you in a race.

You should get an Aprilia 660 and run the MA Twin Cup. That bike is sick for a LW.

[tucktuvak]

2015-2018 is the new generation that puts down 180+ to the rear wheel so I think it should remain competitive for a long time

[jimmycapp]

Yea, as long as you can afford tires, and don't mind being pointed at walls going warp speed, they are a fucking blast.

[Crconnor18]

Do it.

Get this bumper sticker for the Prius

“I save money on fuel to buy tires for my race bike(s)”

Then live your best life with the fastest motorcycles the common man can own without dealing with snow or the cold

[SteveM]

Shouldn’t “New York’s fastest” be chiming in here?

[loudbeard]

If you have to ask....

[JettaJayGLS]

I started track days on a middleweight. Then I jumped into racing on a 450. Then I jumped back to track days on a middleweight.
After racing, I felt 100% comfortable that I had enough experience to do track days on a middleweight, but I'm pretty calculating by nature and came in with absolutely nothing to prove.
I imagine that since you're racing a powerful LW bike, with some pretty good lap times, that a jump to a heavy weight would be no problem.

To me, the biggest risk of a big bike is not having an understanding of how a bike reacts to a twist of the wrist. I feel like you likely have that pretty well covered, since the duke will probably throw your ass on the ground if you do something stupid.

Then again....17s are completely possible flying by the seat of your pants. If you're pulling them off and not really understanding how, then maybe hold off and get some more fundamentals.
From experience, I've come to learn that my fundamentals were MASSIVELY improved through a couple years of track days after I stopped racing. I've realized that going racing early puts you in a weird place to just try to go as fast as you possibly can.

YMMV

[theducman]

I've watched so many of the instructors and control riders I know at track days park their SVs or other LW bikes in favor of a liter bike for track days. Experiencing the frustration of non-race day passing rules combined with being outgunned ~2:1 power wise as a customer just out for a nice track-day is one thing. I can only imagine how infuriating it is as an instructor.

Long way round of saying, I get it.

That said, I have no experience here.

Good luck and post up some photos and ride reports rubbing in all the great riding out there in NoCal.

I did this exact thing. My sv was too slow to catch students on S1000RRs and the like. I had to ride super hard on my LW bike. I bought my MV 1000 for track days and could not be happier.

I still prefer to race a LW bike

[OreoGaborio]

In my humble opinion, while riding a liter bike certainly doesn't HURT your ability to get through traffic, it also helps you catch up to the next bit of traffic quicker... which means you may very well end up spending MORE time working your way through or around traffic than riding clean laps all by yourself.

What REALLY gets you clean, clean laps is your planning and decision making.

If you really want a liter bike, absolutely, no question, go for it... They're a fekkin blast. But there are better reasons to get one than a way to deal with track congestion.

[OneCheekRider]

Hate to be that guy but many of you are spelling "leader" bike wrong.

I haven't owned a leader bike in probably 10 years now so I can't comment on the newest offerings but I had a GSXR1000 and my R6 simultaneously. Ultimately, I decided to stick with just the R6 after two seasons. I absolutely agree with Paul above. Riding my R6 is simply more fun and rewarding for me.

[number9]

Hate to be that guy but many of you are spelling "leader" bike wrong.

Isn't it liter bike because they are all 1000cc, i.e. one liter?

I know the metric system is hard for y'all, but

[tucktuvak]

What REALLY gets you clean, clean laps is your planning and decision making.

If you really want a liter bike, absolutely, no question, go for it... They're a fekkin blast. But there are better reasons to get one than a way to deal with track congestion.

Seems like it would make planning your passes a lot easier!

Main reason for getting one is to learn how to ride a superbike, because it seems like it will be the most stable pro-level class structure in the coming years. Though I’m a long way from that….

[JettaJayGLS]

Eh, pretty sure all it takes to race MotoA is money.

[MattR302]

Isn't it liter bike because they are all 1000cc, i.e. one liter?

I know the metric system is hard for y'all, but

Neg this noob

[OneCheekRider]

Isn't it liter bike because they are all 1000cc, i.e. one liter?

I know the metric system is hard for y'all, but

[ducatirdr]

I had a 16 R1 and it was a blast to ride on the track. The stock electronics with stock setup was so easy to ride fast. I ran slicks for track days and the thing was a hoot. That slide control works like a good luck charm. Power slides on exits were silly fun. My rear tire was soon tired of my Gary McCoy antics and by the 5th session it was overheated like grease and ready for the bin.

Fun? YES!!! Expensive tire budget? HELL YES!!!!

[number9]

Awww fuck, I'll see myself out

[Paul_E_D]

I had a 16 R1 and it was a blast to ride on the track. The stock electronics with stock setup was so easy to ride fast. I ran slicks for track days and the thing was a hoot. That slide control works like a good luck charm. Power slides on exits were silly fun. My rear tire was soon tired of my Gary McCoy antics and by the 5th session it was overheated like grease and ready for the bin.

Fun? YES!!! Expensive tire budget? HELL YES!!!!

That yellow/black R1 was hawt

[Jim]

At least with a middle weight, you can race up in heavyweight and unlimited and still be competitive.

that's only a thing at NHMS because it's not a horsepower track. OP said he moved to NorCal

[tucktuvak]

Picked it up last night, going to try it at thunder hill next month. These new motorcycles are so nice!

[ducatirdr]

Please post your thoughts after your track time. I'd be interested in your opinion.