I am going to use 'small boys' this year for 4 track days to see what it's like renting as opposed to owning s track bike. His prices are reasonable at £250 per event for a new GSXR 600. Seems good to me. Also there is a £500 limit on crash damage.
So that's £1k per year with no ownership hassle at all.
Owning s bike I inagine will cost £500 per year in terms of tyres, pads, discs, servicing, fluids, filters etc. also I would inevitably end up modifying it. You also have hassle of maintenance and trailer to and from track. None of this is a big issue, just trying to look at this objectively.
So it's basically £500 per year for convenience??? Am I missing something???
Only real down side is if the operator changes bikes and I need to get used to a new bike and as such that stunts progression.
Thoughts???
Stu
Depends on how many days you do - it would cost me about £4k a year to hire a bike.
I'd only be doing 4-6 max I imagine
You could have a spill each time....£2k....unlikely and don't wish it upon you..but....
True but would be similar price if not more to repair track bike of that happened.
Quote from: Stuno1 on November 26, 2014, 08:12:45 PM
True but would be similar price if not more to repair track bike of that happened.
Depends - you might be happy with a scuffed fairing but the bike hirer will want the bike returned to "as was" as the next guy to hire it won't want a tatty looking bike.
with your own bike you get the chance to make it exactly how you want it and set it up perfectly for your self, they can only do so much with a hire bike
True. Definitely something else to consider.
Quote from: Carbon_ZX6R on November 26, 2014, 08:16:51 PM
with your own bike you get the chance to make it exactly how you want it and set it up perfectly for your self, they can only do so much with a hire bike
Yeah looks like personalising a bike is the main miss here.Will rent a bikes for a year and see how I feel after that I think. Thanks folks. Confirmed my thinking.
Stu
Fuck renting one.
Just buy Neil's, it's amazeballs!
If you buy mine Stu, I'll even do you a good deal on my Erde trailer too.
Depends if you just get your pleasure from riding a bike. Personally I enjoyed, tinkering with, prepping and improving my bike before each trackday as much as I did actually riding it. I love having bikes in the garage to look at and play with.
I've just had a couple of years off biking. Knowing I was going to have to do this to commit all of my time and money into a project I sold all of my bikes. I've been looking at hire bikes myself recently though to tip my toe back in the water, I think they are really handy for this. Thankfully I should be back on my feet next season so may book a rental at some point to kick off with. If I get back to doing regular trackdays again I think I would just have to have my own bike.
Neil - cheers chap but want to rent this year and see if it will be something I progress with. Have an erde trailer and they are great!
Tuck - as above really. Next year will be the acid test for me. May end up buying but will know next year.
Gobert - that's a feck load of track days!
Quote from: Stuno1 on November 27, 2014, 06:40:58 AM
Gobert - that's a feck load of track days!
It sure is, you would have thought riding improvements would have taken place.......
Quote from: The Wizard of MOz on November 27, 2014, 08:58:19 AM
Quote from: Stuno1 on November 27, 2014, 06:40:58 AM
Gobert - that's a feck load of track days!
It sure is, you would have thought riding improvements would have taken place.......
Nice, let's get 2 threads going on the riding inability/ability of you chumps :)
Quote from: Stuno1 on November 27, 2014, 09:24:53 AM
Quote from: The Wizard of MOz on November 27, 2014, 08:58:19 AM
Quote from: Stuno1 on November 27, 2014, 06:40:58 AM
Gobert - that's a feck load of track days!
It sure is, you would have thought riding improvements would have taken place.......
Nice, let's get 2 threads going on the riding inability/ability of you chumps :)
The more the merrier....
And go and buy trackbike and be done with it....
I've done the sums a few times over the years, & based purely on cost (not pleasure of ownership etc....) it's a complete no-brainer for me.
It's all about the number of trackdays per year.
At 4 per year renting is MASSIVELY cheaper than buying - I've done trackdays with mates that own their own & they've sneered at renting costs, only to be stunned at how much they actually spend with ALL of the costs incurred with ownership.
Don't already own a van for your job? - you'll be renting 1 then.
Hourly paid? - you'll be losing time off work picking the van up & dropping it off if you live as far as I do from a track.
Tyres, chains & sprockets, servicing, de-valuation - all expensive.
Plus, my bike owning pals are stuck with their old bikes whereas the lease companies keep pace with the latest machines fairly well.
Starts raining? - you'll need wets-on-wheels AND all the gear to change them yourself in the peeing rain in your leathers - Focused events will put wets on for you while you have a brew.
So many things to consider and each to their own - if you enjoy owning, fettling, tweaking your own trackbike then good on ya - great hobby.
If its more about the riding & you only plan on 3 or 4 per year - cost wise, owning doesnt add up.
Quote from: whoopee on November 27, 2014, 10:47:45 AM
I've done the sums a few times over the years, & based purely on cost (not pleasure of ownership etc....) it's a complete no-brainer for me.
It's all about the number of trackdays per year.
At 4 per year renting is MASSIVELY cheaper than buying - I've done trackdays with mates that own their own & they've sneered at renting costs, only to be stunned at how much they actually spend with ALL of the costs incurred with ownership.
Don't already own a van for your job? - you'll be renting 1 then.
Hourly paid? - you'll be losing time off work picking the van up & dropping it off if you live as far as I do from a track.
Tyres, chains & sprockets, servicing, de-valuation - all expensive.
Plus, my bike owning pals are stuck with their old bikes whereas the lease companies keep pace with the latest machines fairly well.
Starts raining? - you'll need wets-on-wheels AND all the gear to change them yourself in the peeing rain in your leathers - Focused events will put wets on for you while you have a brew.
So many things to consider and each to their own - if you enjoy owning, fettling, tweaking your own trackbike then good on ya - great hobby.
If its more about the riding & you only plan on 3 or 4 per year - cost wise, owning doesnt add up.
Great reply.
Quote from: whoopee on November 27, 2014, 10:47:45 AM
I've done the sums a few times over the years, & based purely on cost (not pleasure of ownership etc....) it's a complete no-brainer for me.
It's all about the number of trackdays per year.
At 4 per year renting is MASSIVELY cheaper than buying - I've done trackdays with mates that own their own & they've sneered at renting costs, only to be stunned at how much they actually spend with ALL of the costs incurred with ownership.
Don't already own a van for your job? - you'll be renting 1 then.
Hourly paid? - you'll be losing time off work picking the van up & dropping it off if you live as far as I do from a track.
Tyres, chains & sprockets, servicing, de-valuation - all expensive.
Plus, my bike owning pals are stuck with their old bikes whereas the lease companies keep pace with the latest machines fairly well.
Starts raining? - you'll need wets-on-wheels AND all the gear to change them yourself in the peeing rain in your leathers - Focused events will put wets on for you while you have a brew.
So many things to consider and each to their own - if you enjoy owning, fettling, tweaking your own trackbike then good on ya - great hobby.
If its more about the riding & you only plan on 3 or 4 per year - cost wise, owning doesnt add up.
Thanks chap. Spot on. Most I would ever do is 6 so renting still looks my best bet. Thanks very much :)
Thanks guys - glad that wasn't taken as criticism of anyone who enjoys their track bikes.
Quote from: whoopee on November 27, 2014, 10:47:45 AM
I've done the sums a few times over the years, & based purely on cost (not pleasure of ownership etc....) it's a complete no-brainer for me.
It's all about the number of trackdays per year.
At 4 per year renting is MASSIVELY cheaper than buying - I've done trackdays with mates that own their own & they've sneered at renting costs, only to be stunned at how much they actually spend with ALL of the costs incurred with ownership.
Don't already own a van for your job? - you'll be renting 1 then.
Hourly paid? - you'll be losing time off work picking the van up & dropping it off if you live as far as I do from a track.
Tyres, chains & sprockets, servicing, de-valuation - all expensive.
Plus, my bike owning pals are stuck with their old bikes whereas the lease companies keep pace with the latest machines fairly well.
Starts raining? - you'll need wets-on-wheels AND all the gear to change them yourself in the peeing rain in your leathers - Focused events will put wets on for you while you have a brew.
So many things to consider and each to their own - if you enjoy owning, fettling, tweaking your own trackbike then good on ya - great hobby.
If its more about the riding & you only plan on 3 or 4 per year - cost wise, owning doesnt add up.
i think you've ignored resale value of owning a track bike ?
4 days a year for
one year.... massively cheaper
... doesn't this depend what you buy and sell the bike (and equipment) for ?
(mate brought a cbr600 steelie at the start of the year for x, used it all season, sold it for x , hiring not massively cheaper)
4 days a year
per year .... increase either the number of days per year or the number of years and owning makes more financial sense
number of trackdays ( ignore period of time ) / purchase price of bike (and equipment) / resale value
4 track days per year over 2-4 years.. owning a bike starts to make sense .. depends if you want to tie up some cash in a track bike (and equipment)
a gsxr 600 k1 for around 1-1.5 k would pay for itself in 4-6 trackdays in saved hire costs .. running expenses you offset against re-sale value of the bike for the first year.. so say £500 running cost.. your still £500 up on a £1000 bike in the first year (granted your not £500 up until you sell the bike on for £1000)
the more expensive the bike, you either need to do more track days per year or over a long period of time to justify owning
taking the 600k1 example for £1000
year 2, you only have running costs, bike has paid for itself in saved hire costs already..so year 2 you only have £500 running costs against £1000 hire costs.. £500 up (on just 4 days) .. (thats £500 towards a euro trip for the same yearly spend)
running cost are cheaper than hire costs.. so with each track day after the
hire cost=purchase price point, you benefit financially by owning
(and this doesn't take in to account resale value which would be
hire cost=purchase price - resale price)
a cheap bike has no devaluation... often worth more broken as spares tbh
you may want wets on wheels.. these actually cost nothing in real terms ... because you'll sell them for the same money you paid for them (tyres are covered in the £500 running costs)
i decided to own two years ago as didn't fancy throwing my road bike down the tarmac, my rough figures :
hiringhire costs for this year would have ~4k (and ~2k in trackdays)
last year ~2k hire costs (and ~1k in trackdays)
so 9k
one off in 23 trackdays - mostly kit replacement and medical fees ~1k
ignoring other costs which would be similar very similar
hiring would have cost
~10k
owningbuying a road bike, converting to track, bike mods ,trailer, tow bar, tent, gazebo, generator, tyre warmers,paddock stands, trackday tools, plastic boxes, spares, gaff tape..etc..etc.. the list of trackday stuff can be as long as you want it to be
actual cost of ownership over the last two years
~12k
not looking good for owning :huh:
but factor in all the stuff i can sell if i give up the habit ... :rofl: :moto: :moto: :moto:
4k-5k of bike / equipment
so the ~12k is really only ~8k .. so i'm 2k up by owning
(and I could have brought a cheaper bike than was already track prepared)
so for me owning was the right decision.. and as each year passes it'll make even more sense
anyone fancy snett on the 29th ? :rofl: :moto:
Cheers for backing me up on that Rich.
As he says - if you plan to do 23 trackdays in 2 years consider owning.
If not - I'd hire.
Cheers chaps. I wasooking at 3-4k bikes and as above max if 6 days per year so hiring makes sense for me I think. Things may change but until then I'll see how I get on next year and take it from there.
If the extra cost of hiring over maintaining a bike is £500-£1k per year I can swallow that for a bit.
Stu
You selling the trailer Neil?
Quote from: LewisBeGoog on November 27, 2014, 09:31:35 PM
You selling the trailer Neil?
If Neil isn't i have an erde single trailer with loading ramp and wheel stow plus. Also have handle bar tie downs and a great rear wheel tie down.
Pm me if you don't hear from Neil.
Stu
How mcn for your Erde Stu???
I need a trailer for my enduro bike for competing plans.