How/Why? Race expense justification.

[Super Dave]

Sickness?  Yeah, that's good...

To have some longevity, you almost need to reinvent what you do in motorcycle road racing every so often.  Different bikes offer different opportunities.  Rather than running a series, you run specific events.  Run with another organization.  Or try hooking yourself up with another racer as a "crew chief" or something.  

We can all talk about the financial problems associated where one can actuallyl count the money, or maybe come up with numbers that might be close...

But the emotional costs of racing and not racing are huge.  The commitment that is necessary to keep going on at a particular pace is high.  Sometimes one NEEDS to get off the ride for a bit and evaluate, change gears, wait, decide, reinvent, quit, start again...or not.  

[njracer]

Yes it's a sickness.....this will be year # 11 for me.  This year, due to getting married, I will only go to select races (no rain ).  

njracer

[jigmoore]

Ok, so after last year spending lots and lots of money racing every chance I had. This year I've been trying to convince myself to keep spending it.

Don't get me wrong I love racing, and would love to keep doing it but the cheapest I've been able to come up with is $550 for a weekend of 4 races, and local like BHF. Keep in mind this includes gate fees for me and my wife. This is pretty much a bare bones number assuming nothing goes wrong, and no crashes. It gets a little cheaper if my finishes are good enough to help cover tires, and possibly a race entry fee. But in the end that's about what I've come up with, and at that price I just can't justify it very well.

There are so many things I enjoy, one of which is dirt riding, where the whole family goes for maybe, maybe $100 per weekend and we have an absolute blast. What do others use as motivation, or an excuse to keep spending this kind of money.

This number is pretty much fuel to get there, entry fees, gate fees, tires, ok the one anemity power for the weekend.

So I'm interested in how others view this in relation to other things they would spend this kind of money on, and how much fun you can have doing those things as opposed to racing.

i'm there with ya.  i raced for two years and am already retired.  money was a factor (not the main one...but definitely up there).  i averaged $1000 per weekend...that was with no crashes or bike improvements.

do whatcha gotta do.  it's your decision....not us dorks.

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

You just reach a point where the well is dry.  For me it happened when I needed all of 2004 to pay off my 2003 season.  I'd probably have left the sport entirely if I hadn't gotten hooked up as a coach for Sportbike Track Time.
Nothing beats lining up for a green flag, but eventually there just isn't any more money! :(

[fullmetalF4i]

money is whats keeping me from getting into racing.  We've got a trackbike lines up, its just coming up with the 3K for the actual purchase of it.  Then on top of that i've got to add the expenses of running it.
Road racing is tough on the pockets i see.  Might not be too late to look back at SM again....

[Scotty Ryan]

I am going to try to quote a wise man - but I may be slightly off "Roadracing is like a mixture of cocaine and heroin - but multiplied about 10 times"....I don't have a family that I have to support - so I guess I am in a different situation then some of you....Last year things went so wrong and I got so down on myself that I questioned the amount of money I was spending - but it came down to one simple thing - If you don't do this now there is a chance that lter in life you may not be able to.....And then your just going to say " what if".....Yeah I could go buy a house or fancy crap - but I would never get the satisfaction that I do with racing......Not all of us struggel to afford this sport - but the majority of us do - And I know for myself that it is well worth it and I wouldn't trade it for anything......I don't know what I would do with myself if I didn't race.......

[Protein Filled]

Wasn't Peter Egan that said  "motorcycle roadracing makes heroin addiction seem like a vague wish for something salty."


I race for the fame and the glory...oooh, and the chicks! Oooh, wait... and for the money too!!! OOh yeah, and the ability to tell peopl "Yeah, I race ninja bikes"!!!

[KBOlsen]

It's the sight of all those sweaty, half-nekkid men in leather.

Seriously.  It's the most fun I've had doing anything, EVER. Period.  I wouldn't trade anything in the world for the experiences I've shared over the past few years (even though I could have bought a Porsche with what I've spent).

"Better a racer for 5 minutes than a spectator for a lifetime".

[r1owner]

OOh yeah, and the ability to tell peopl "Yeah, I race ninja bikes"!!!

You mean on the pavement? Around an oval Like NASCAR?  ;D

[Steviebee]

I've forced myself to have a balance of race weekends and track days that are local.  Not going to every race weekend.

Ok so i only can go to a few a year, but thats all i can affoard.  

This is a huge addiciton  and i love it.  and still want to accomplish more.

I have realized that i want to do it for more than the normal 2 or 3 years. so i have sacrificed doing the whole season for doing it for a few extra years.

Yea i struggle with what i could have done with the income that i spent on racing or track days.   But hey its the reason i work, so i can enjoy somthing that i think is incredible.

[motard98]

I think the low cost of racing is one of the primary benefits with supermoto.  When you compare entry fees, tire wear, crash damage, etc. between RR and SM the difference is huge.  As SM grows there are more and more tracks popping up which is improving access to the sport.  Most of the guys I race against are either motoX racers that were tired of the injuries or road racers that ran out of money.

My point is that before you hang up your leathers for good take a look at SM and see if it's for you.    

[Super Dave]

Supermoto looks fun.  I think I'm supposed to ride one or two this year.

But when I talk to the tire guys, the fastest motard guys are tearin' up tires like fast guys on road racers.  So, if you're gonna run the top rung SM, I think you're still gonna drop a lot of cake.  I can at least find used wheels for bikes, but you're gonna have to have SM wheels built.  That's a big expense.  

It's still bike racing though.  So, it's an addiction yet too.