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Slaughter
| | Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2008 - 11:37 am: | 
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I need to clarify my COSTS.
INSURANCE!!!
If you are racing with an HMO, heaven help you. Through our work, I have selected premium insurance through Aetna which has added a few hundred dollars per month to my expenses. It allows you to chose your own specialists and NO WAITING FOR APPROVAL!!!
Now that I've had a closed-head brain injury (google "subdural hematoma") coupled with spine injury - and follow-up with continued neurologist and orthopedic oversight, AND add to that some pretty involved physical therapy (I also had broken ankle and shoulder - all from the same wreck) I would say that ANYBODY racing with an HMO is playing Russian Roulette. My ortho is TEACHING orthopedic trauma at USC - doctor Art Ting was his student. My neuro is on the faculty at UCLA. Yes, they are almost an hour drive away but I suppose that is where my priorities lie in medical treatment.
RRW did an article a few years ago about insurance for racing - if you get a policy that will cover you for racing, expect to pay $900-$1100 per month... and that is a policy that covers you ONLY for racing.
YOU MUST FACTOR INSURANCE into your equation.
If you are racing with only HMO insurance and have a familiy who needs you, (IN MY OPINION ONLY) - you are being irresponsible.
I included the cost of insurance into my $2K per month.
Direct costs - fees, tires, maintenance, crash costs (non medical) run more like $1000+ (fudge factor) per weekend.
(Sunny proof-reads what I post so this correction is coming at her suggestion) |
Slaughter
| | Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2008 - 11:40 am: |
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Oh and this all assumes you get mechanic services FREE and are eating food from home. Restaurants and hotel for you and crew aren't cheap |
Alessio66xb12r
| | Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2008 - 08:21 pm: |
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better i do not a list of "how much racing costs".
right now i can see how much it costs to have a regular practice and visiting others circuits were the next season will stop.
today i was in Magione circuit were the xl1200r Trophy will start tomorrow.
a lot of buells 1125s and xbs
shorter circuit respect Misano but easy to learn . i got a fine tuning ( the stoichiometric reader was a good idea)
.....i want to tell you ... had a ride during a session about four laps following a group of 3 1125s , sure i got help from a yellow flag the 3 1125s were ridden by Craig Jones , Marco Lucchinelli and an instructor (a magazine's tester)
sure Craig Jones and Lucchinelli were at their 10% for them it was a test not a race , don't know about the instructor .
the ride of the year
about gearing :
the 88 "long" engine with 21 front and 50 rear sprockets stock 12 primary gearing is a bomb , hits the 7000 redline in 5 gear in short places .
about costs every time you see you're getting faster you think it is the better money ever spent ( i hope it makes sense in english)
2.00 o'clock it was yesyerday not today |
Alessio66xb12r
| | Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2008 - 09:21 pm: |
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what kind of pipe and collectors i see in the picture of the crashed bike ??? |
Slaughter
| | Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2008 - 09:31 pm: |
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That is Beson exhaust. Tom Beson is now retired so it's no longer available.
I did repair the exhaust.
Burns makes some of the new systems (I can see if I can get that information) - I am not sure if those are available directly from Burns or if you have to buy from Buell Racing. |
Alessio66xb12r
| | Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2008 - 10:24 pm: |
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nice pipe thank you .
when i'll change pipe i think i'll buy a micron. i think micron does the best collectors for my mild configuration . |
Paint_shaker
| | Posted on Sunday, October 12, 2008 - 09:25 am: |
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This is a great thread with very useful info!!!
Seth, a chain drive would probably help a little at Jennings, but I believe I'd be better off spending that money on tires for my first year. Xopti has performed his ecmspy magic on the bike (including raising the rev limiter) and it has helped a lot!!
I really want to see what happens this first year, before I get crazy with upgrades and the like.
Now for the really cool stuff... I have been talking around and will possibly have some sponsors to help out!! If things work out, I may have enough sponsors to cover nearly all of my race weekend costs!! One of them has already mentioned they would like to come out and see me run sometime.
I'll have to wait and see. The race season doesn't start until March, so I definately have time to use!! |
Gearhead
| | Posted on Sunday, October 12, 2008 - 10:39 am: |
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It's great to hear you're getting some help financially!
Take good care of those folks!! All sponsors want to know that their porduct or company is being represented by a first class person. Sure it's great if you're winning all the time but it's the image you project that they are most interested in.
This winter, develop a newletter template that you can use to send out race results and photos if you can.
I also set up a blog that my sponsors can check out at their convenience. I got this idea from Rocco and the best part is it's free and very easy to set up and update. Give them, your sponsors, more than they expect!!
www.racingwithralph.blogspot.com |
Alessio66xb12r
| | Posted on Sunday, October 12, 2008 - 11:18 am: |
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if you use your hands to fabricate a tensioner(not difficult) all you need is a 21 front sprocket and minimum 2 of rear sprocket(50 and 48) 47 is useless in a 12 race kitted ....a good start and not a big price.
tensioner is NOT a substitute of the rear adjustable axle so better you have 2 chain, 1 link difference will permit the use of all 4 sprockets normally used in some kit from 47 to 50.
when you start riding harder down shifting with the belt is a russian roulette a lot of racers passed through broken belts. from now to march better use the money of a practice day (only 1 ) and put that money on a chain drive.
bye Alessio |
Paint_shaker
| | Posted on Sunday, October 12, 2008 - 10:40 pm: |
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I know my way around PR a little bit, so that should help. |
Wolfridgerider
| | Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008 - 12:19 pm: |
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The more I look at that number, the more I think I may put the Buell back in its street clothes..... |
Sd26
| | Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008 - 12:27 pm: |
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Well, street riding is no guarantee of not getting seriously hurt or killed. I've known too many of my students lately that have had arms destroyed during street mistakes, and some that have been killed just by putting a wheel off the road in a slide not even pushing the bike in a way that would have been called just simply riding.
You can't get the excitement of motorcycle racing from much of anything else. Even if it is from a season or two.
How's that go..."Motorcycle racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty."
It's not for everyone. You'll have to mitigate your risks, costs, and opportunities. |
Wolfridgerider
| | Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008 - 12:33 pm: |
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Costs = 3 Mortgage payments... doesn't sound that exciting.... but if things don't turn around that may be the way things go... |
Paint_shaker
| | Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008 - 12:39 pm: |
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Wolf,
Have you tired to find some sponsors, possibly some that are non-motorcycle types?? Sell them on the advertising they will get in exchange for a few $$ to help defray the race weekend costs.
I have one local restaurant that maybe throwing a few $$ my way. I have some others such as the local bulk fuel suppy that I am going to speak with as well. And of course I have a few motorcycle types that I will be speaking with.
Between any or all the sponsors I can get, if it even pays half the cost it will make it soo much better.
You aready have a head start over me, you have a few trophies to show!!! |
Wolfridgerider
| | Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008 - 01:04 pm: |
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Thats another thing.... I can say that I have done it. |
Rocketsprink
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 04:18 pm: |
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That's why I'm switching to Supermoto racing. I can still run the small tracks with CCS, but the cost to run a Supermoto weekend is leaps and bounds below the road racing weekend. Not to say it's free. And there is the cost of the new bike (being offset by parting out the old bike). But in the long run, less expensive and from what I hear from people that switched, a lot more fun. That part remains to be seen. I'll let you know.
I have to race something, and track days and street riding don't do it for me anymore. I still ride the street bike, but I find that after starting racing a few years back, I don't take the risks on the road like I used to do. Not worth it. I;m a lot more defense of a rider (on the street) than I used to be.
(Message edited by rocketsprink on October 15, 2008) |
Sd26
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 04:56 pm: |
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Well, a shock for a supermoto bike is still the same cost as a RR shock, tires are similar. I guess the initial investment of a YZ450F or something is a little less than an R6, but after that, things kind of cost the same.
Ice riding rules.
Flat track after that.
And I'm a road racer saying that. |
Eboos
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 06:32 pm: |
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Yeah, but there are crap loads of used 05 and up 450 dirtbikes for under $4000. Looking around in the right places, you can find built supermoto bikes for about that price range. They also crash very well from what I hear. |
Wolfridgerider
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 07:05 pm: |
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I would like to try my foot at flat track racing... |
Eboos
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 07:19 pm: |
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With my bad knee, anything that requires me to stick my leg out like that I will have to pass on. I would like to try a 450 supermoto bike on the track (I have a TTR125 setup with 17"s for practice) but I would be a knee out rider not a foot out.
(Message edited by eboos on October 15, 2008) |
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