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[bond_yzf]

guys need some real advice here,im seriously thinking off getting rid of my rc8 and getting a track bike next year.

i dont fully enjoy riding a sportsbike on the road anymore for many reasons,my lad being born has made me lose a lot of bottle and i just cant risk not being here.but i just cant get the feeling that im making a mistake out my head.
ive been offered a pretty good price for the katoom and i will be buying a xt660z for touring/off roading,i still have my drz sm for hooning the lanes and ill be buying a zx10 trackbike as from march/feb next year.

looking for some real advice from people that are either in the same position or have done it ?

cheers jim

[Wheeltrax]

Hi Jim, If its any consolation I went thro exactly the same when my first was born.
Spent months riding around thinking about the consequences of "what if".
After sveral month I realized I was riding more dangerously by not having my mind 100% on the job at hand.
My eldest is now ten and Im so glad I managed to get my head together and stayed the course.
Being a biker is part of who you are. Your missus knows it and so will your kid/s!
There are so many people out there that are alive but they forget to live.
Lets face it we can get run over trying to cross the road or a picture could fall on yout head just lying in bed.
This life isnt a dressed rehearsal. As the saying goes "one life, live it!"

(there's more to road riding than staying on the same old roads. Get out there, think outside the box and explore a little)

[bond_yzf]

cheers for the reply buddy, i just cant do the bike justice on the road and its too much bike to "track", i wont ride in a group as i tend to get pulled into riding faster suppose you could call that the wrong group.

i just dont come back from a blast "hyped" anymore,i used to come home and chat to the misses for hours about how much fun it was, but now its just "yeah it was ok",i recently done 2 css schools and a trackday at silverstone and i loved thrashing the living daylights out the thing not having to worry about anything coming the other way and all the other stuff that comes with riding on the road.
Thats what made me think about packing in the road and go for the track, i know ill still be riding on the road but imo the tenere is less likely to get me dead/jailed lol

[allsorts]

Jim,would appreciate your views on the RC8 as its one of many on my next bike list..
U mention the bike's too much to track? Too nice you mean??
I do a lot less road riding these days as I have the' track addiction'..expensive but much more rewarding & I thought an RC would suit my old frame..
Good luck,agree with Wheeltrax tho m8

[bond_yzf]

the rc8 is an amazing on track, very track focused,fast and feels so planted made mince meat of many il4,s

yeah i meant it was too much in regards to value and how much it would cost me "trackify" it,ive had some mechanical issues with the bike recently a blown oil seal but nothing that wasnt fixed under warranty and the guys at redline ktm in loughbourgh are great.

would i buy another one ?....no purely for the resale value other than that id have another.

the adjustability of the rc8 is great also adjustable seat height,rear sub-frame height,adjustable rear sets and the suspension set-up is to die for !! man im talking myself into keeping it  .Dont be led to beleive all the bullshit about them needing a pipe to make the ktm feel alive it doesnt its plenty fast enough.

overall yeah ok its a bit agricultral compared to a lot of bikes but its sheer rawness makes up for that,its shit around town but if you want a bike for that buy a ped,for tyres go dunlop sportsmarts excellent milage and work great on track

hope that helps

[Shongololo]

Jim,

I'm the same. I used to rave about the ride outs now it seems more of a hassle to get kitted up to go on one. ANd getting a ban this year has effected my mirror observation increase ten fold.
The one thing I would say from my perspective is that I have thought of going TD only but I can't afford to do any this year so the road is where I ride, I just reign it in so not hooning. Not as much fun agreed but I'm still riding.

[arek PL]

I think many of us have the same dilemma but.... bad things can happen on the track as well. And no insurance company will pay out, when if shit happens on the road u can get some cash for your children in the worse case scenario.
I know roads are more dangerous, there are idiots there with no insurance etc, but on the track not all of them there are responsible either.
I'm probably the worse advisor in this matter at the moment because track bike is sitting in the garage gathering dust and road bike.... let's just say its gathering just a little bit less dust. I obviously blame the work commitments 

[jamma10566]

Allsorts, The RC8 is fucking awesome! I just sold my barra and got an '09 RC8R and the grunt and handling is phenomenal! Go for it!

[bond_yzf]

cheers for the advice guys,went and test rode the tenere and it was ok but that was the problem it was just ok and the place and the dealer had an rc8 for sale as well so the thought that could be my rc8 sitting there was horrible 

im a sportsbike rider thru and thru and the rc8 will do everthing i need it to (tour,hoon,trackdays etc,) but just leave the hooning for the trake and like you guys said have less enthusiastic rides on the road,ive got a drz sm with off-road wheels so i can greenlane with that.

i sold my zx10 a few years ago but the reason ive hung around is the sound advice like the above you get from this forum.

cheers guys 

[EXJ10R]

cheers for the advice guys,went and test rode the tenere and it was ok but that was the problem it was just ok and the place and the dealer had an rc8 for sale as well so the thought that could be my rc8 sitting there was horrible 

im a sportsbike rider thru and thru and the rc8 will do everthing i need it to (tour,hoon,trackdays etc,) but just leave the hooning for the trake and like you guys said have less enthusiastic rides on the road,ive got a drz sm with off-road wheels so i can greenlane with that.

i sold my zx10 a few years ago but the reason ive hung around is the sound advice like the above you get from this forum.

cheers guys 

  a round of applause please for Jim.........

mate, I wish there were more people who had a moment of 'clarity' like you. The reason?
Because working with bikes I am experiencing first hand this frightening trend that is gripping britain......death of the sports bike.  This year I have had loads of customers chop in their sports bikes for a 'super naked' or sit up and beg slow-me-down paranoia bike.
You can have fun on a sports bike on the road, think outside the box like Wheeltrax said.
These things are amazing on track and it's a pleasure to ride around on the road knowing you're on a performance bike that can blow anything away with a sniff off throttle......but instead of getting scared and choosing a lesser bike, I'll go for wisdom and a sports bike everytime....

it's also vitally important for sites like "zx10r.co.uk" as it shows britain that sportbikes ain't dead...

[Shongololo]

Jim, have a look at the Aprillia RSV4 if I was going to get  new bike it would be that or the new 10r. Allways like the RSV's and the new one is the nuts

[bond_yzf]

If I were to change to another sportsbike I'd have a rsv4 in a heartbeat but funds wouldn't allow that at the mo, and like I've said big and small niggles aside in my opinion the rc8 caters for everything cer well.

Forgot you live in welly shong I work there now mite have to pop in for a cuppa sometime

[allsorts]

Guys,i dont get it... .just demo'd the rc8 today & wasnt blown away as expected..
Pros: brakes,sweet handling,steering,light gearbox,riding position
Cons: hard seat(numb bum),lots of vibes thru the pegs/grips(touring?? no thanks),gutless??

Every time I try a new bike I compare it to my barra & I'm disappointed.My zx10 has been with me for 4 years now & after plenty of tweaking she now fits me.. .Why im lookin elsewhere christ knows,I just fancy something a bit different.Am gonna look at a 999s tomorrow but cant see me being impressed after today..Ho Hum

May just invest in some light wheels for my barra,tweak the fuelling & treat her right....Am surprised some other guys feel different but thats what its all about eh??
P.S. Best new bike ive ridden so far is the daytona 675,such sweet fuelling & steering  

[Shongololo]

If I were to change to another sportsbike I'd have a rsv4 in a heartbeat but funds wouldn't allow that at the mo, and like I've said big and small niggles aside in my opinion the rc8 caters for everything cer well.

Forgot you live in welly shong I work there now mite have to pop in for a cuppa sometime

welcome any time mate. If I'm home. I now work in London and comute everyday makes for long hours

[bond_yzf]

Just went for a spin on the rc8 and didn't enjoy it at all, so many coppers about,twats in cars etc, thought I'd made my mind up but now I'm back to square one