Racers are one percenters ?

I saw that comment in one of the posts. What does that mean ? I've raced a bit over the years however I've never thought of myself in those terms. As much as I love it, to me racing is just one of those things that you do sometimes. It lets you know where you are with your bike. I don't know many motorcyclists who don't enjoy wringing the neck of their bike now and then. I've won very few races however I enjoy racing even when it costs too much, as long as I get a chance to ace somebody off. It appeals to my sense of humour. I had to laugh a few years ago. I took the Seeley to Mount Gambier with a few friends to an old farts classic meeting. One guy was 20 years younger than me and had a lot to say for himself. We went out for first practice , and he started ahead of me. When I came around the back of the circuit in the Seeley, he and his H2 Kawasaki were laying on the track. He was unhurt, however he'd cracked his frame, so could not race for the rest of the weekend. I won two trophies. On the way home his mate was still shooting his mouth off. I said to him 'you know if John hadn't dropped the bike, he'd be taking those two trophies home'. - Well I know it's sad, but it keeps me amused.

A good racer takes the bike or car to within 1% of the performance envelope and holds it there lap in lap out, easier for a short circuit racer to achieve than an IOM racer of course.

I'm not a good racer, I work progressively up to each of the corners using the same gears as smoothly as possible until I go around each a bit out of control, then I know how fast I can get around. Then I have to convince myself that I want to stick my neck out. It's OK if I get a bit aggro, then I do it anyway. It's great if you are taking beta blocker medication, then the adrenalin doesn't affect you.

P.S. Don't take any notice of me, I'm a silly old idiot and I've crashed a lot.

Only this racer is a 1%er, and in both senses of the word. Wknd warriors are more like 10%ers,lol.
http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-rac ... 22851.html

It means "tiny minority"

Glen

I wouldn't take it personally...didn't make sense to me either. We all are racers at heart...some are really good and some just think their good like me

I was a wrench in the pits in my younger days...loved keeping the stuff running right. Just not good enough or fearless enough to be a competitive racer.

Biology still has best minds stumped on how it gets by with members both risking it all or hiding in a hole. Some call it the SOS dilemma: Save Our Souls/Ship, Superman or shrimp, sink or swim, Shit or Sugar on a Shinge, Save our Selves...

What is so fascinating about 'racing' is the reality testing it delivers so instantly. Many more want to race than can d/t mental emotional or physical combo of reasons. One level is whether its you or the craft that's limiting performance. Racers Razor edge, any slower off the mark any faster over the edge. Seeking of perfection on imperfect purposeless planet by putting attention out to create a future beyond where you actually are/is/am/be. Our energy goes where we put our attention on, duh.

Anywho I had always wondered if I could race competitively and didn't really know if up to it till move to Ozark's in '99 on THE Gravel crashed me no end and still does, so had to face facts, quit or learn to ride scared and fight through fear spikes to try to save bike instead of just pitching off, as riding it out mistakes meant impacting fence, ditch tree grills deer or tractor tires & shiny hay ball spikes. I eventually got to ride against others and realized it was more fun than scary so yep I could race though who knows if I'd be very competitive- just wise enough now to stay out the way of others mistake take out zones and not to follow another's line by thinking if they can you can too or best is because that just ani't the funnest way around unless on a corner cripple : )

It takes good ego sense to feel secure enough to press a cycle but zero ego in actually doing it - just pure instant reality satisfaction ya pulled it off or disappointment in sense of self control or some poor feature of the motorcycle. Then lightening can strike so nothing means anything forever more.

Worntorn(Glen) you are right there.

It's sort of a play on terms. it's not the "One Percenter" in the Outlaw biker world but the richest one percent takes home more than the rest of the population combined.

My analogy is that one percent of the posters are races compared to the rest of the memberships posts combined. It's just an observation and not meant to be mean or critical. It may not be accurate at all but it just seems that way sometimes. I just wanted to see if someone would grasp my ill logic (so to speak).

That being said, would I like to be a one percenter in this regard, hell ya.

I used to ride road bikes when I was a kid, however I got scared so went road racing when I was 28. Self inflicted wounds don't make you so miserable.

I suspect both in the motorcycle racing world (sanctioned, organized racing), AND the outlaw biker world (true outlaws), neither of these two groups represent as much as 1% of the riding population these days.

From my viewpoint........... all racers are 1% 'ers.
as in.... the top 1% of the population with all of the $$$!
It takes money to go racing, and even more if you want to be competitive.

I'd love to spend all of my time at the track, or in a shop full of my racing machines.
Unfortunately, I can't afford to race anything, I gotta go to work instead.

Way back when I started racing first time around I discovered some guys liked the idea of racing but didn't...we were discussing this sort of philosophically....

What is the difference between those that do and those who don't I offered the opinion that those who do do, those who don't don't...

Anyone can race, its a question of how much you want to, if you want to you will...

....blame money, birth or luck or whatever.....some people would rather race than eat.....

Actually I like to eat too, thats the difference between someone who likes to race and someone who wins....

Mark said:

From my viewpoint........... all racers are 1% 'ers.
as in.... the top 1% of the population with all of the $$$!
It takes money to go racing, and even more if you want to be competitive.

I'd love to spend all of my time at the track, or in a shop full of my racing machines.
Unfortunately, I can't afford to race anything, I gotta go to work instead.

Click to expand...

Most of the guys I race with have average jobs and earn average money. It's what they do with it that makes the difference.

My close friends in the racing club are : A plumber, an industrial door fitter, an air conditioning tech, a financial adviser ( he's quite well off) and a manager in local government. We all do most of our own work on the bikes and all of the race bikes I own have been built from scrap. The BMW frame was bought for £50 from a dealer who was throwing it away after it had minor damage, my Norton race bike cost £550 to build in 1983 ( including new tyres). The Honda cost me $600 on ebay.

You don't need to be rich to race, but you need to be able to do a lot of mechanical work yourself and you need to be inventive enough to find cheap ways around problems.

Hi

My next race project will not cost me much, my first cost me £380. Not competitive but I wanted to be out there.
The difference now, is that I have been swapping collecting building dealing for 35 years. Cant see myself stopping anytime soon.
I built my sons Honda K4 racer from a racer who had started a project but not finished. 1 1/2 bikes, some alloy wheel rims, One wire brush & a polishing mop & 6 weeks later two second hand tyres, one chain, one mastercylinder & caliper seal set, one gasket set & he was on track . Total 130 quid.

ie choose your class!

If he had wanted a Manx he would have had to wait another 35 years

Chris

I raced on virtually nothing for 12 years when I was a kid. The bike was nasty and under capacity, however I learnt so much. And the rare occasions that I really stuck it to the rest made it all worthwhile. These days I am retired and cannot afford to race , however I still have an outstanding score to settle so for one meeting next year, it will probably be on the credit card. If the motor blows up I will have to get a job. I believe I might have ten years left to live - so if I don't do it now, I never will. You guys need to get your priorities right, and once in a while do something purely for your own edification. Life is short and work, belongings, sex and kids are not everything. I'm talking about experiences and racing is excellent fun if you get a smidgin of success - you only have to outperform one other person in a dog fight on a level playing field, especially if that person believes he is an ace. Perhaps someone like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRqk2UL17DY

Oh, the shame of it all !

I raced stock cars at the local dirt track when I was younger.
Even with working at and being sponsored by a junkyard....... it still costs a lot.

Not just the car, the safety gear, the fuel, etc.... but the tools, the shop, the bits and pieces.
also the truck and trailer to haul the car to the track, entry and pit fees, it adds up quick.

I suppose that racing could be done cheaply, maybe a hillclimb bike and a pickup truck, a dirt bike and a van, or ride a bike to the salt flats
do one of those run what ya brung type of things.

But to be competitive, to run a full season and take a shot at a championship (in any type of racing) is gonna cost you.

Although the most meaningless threads tend to take on the strongest lives of there own, please realize that the reference in question (title) has nothing to do with monetary status.

Again, it is the relationship between the number of posts by racers and the rest of the members posts combined. Just a observation of what is "seemingly" true and what has turned out to be a seemingly bad analogy.

That being said, and I am sure this will make little difference, blaze away!

There are so many cost factors in racing, it's not just having a bike.

You have to have a bike
The bike has to fit the rules
You also need rule-compliant safety gear (helmet, leathers, boots, gloves)

That's just the hardware. Then, there's:

Racing school
Racing license
Sanctioning body membership
Entry fees

That'll get you approved to be on the track. Then, there's:

Time off work to GO racing (time is money)
Travel expense (gas & lodging)
Race fuel & miscellaneous expenses

I'm sure I'm missing other stuff, but that's the biggest cost.

In order to race above nominal level, you need to practice and/or race often. That means the last 4 line-items times, let's say, 6 or 8 per year.

In order to be competitive and perhaps even atop the podium, that means go back to the very first item and dump a load of money into the bike. That also means go back the fourth item and add advanced racing school(s). An, of course, keep repeating the last 4 line items with some frequency.

IF you happen to leave near a track that has open or club track days, you are more fortunate than most of us, and your cost to achieve mid-pack status or higher goes down A LITTLE.

IF you happen to live geographically near SEVERAL race track where your chosen sanctioning body happens to race in a typical calendar year, you have a shot at achieving mid-pack status or better, at significantly lower cost than the rest of us.

Beyond the list that gets you to race 1, all of the rest will separate you into one of two general classes: "racer for fun" or "competitive racer". Those who race for fun typically don't make it a lifestyle choice. Competitive racers typically drop other pastimes, and tailor their lives to accommodate racing.

I race for fun, but would love to be competitive. With one grade-schooler and a pre-schooler, it isn't going to happen for at least a dozen years, unless I win the lottery.

It is very rare to find a race class in which you can be competitive cheaply. I can think of only two in Australia. One is bucket racing where the engines are very small and it is possible to use Chinese engines (ugh). The other is period 3 historics (up to 1962), where a replica featherbed frame, two valve Jawa engine, and triumph gearbox can be used. The biggest disincentive about it is the need for a decent drum front brake. However if you don't have a bike and want to buy one and have fun, it doesn't matter much what you do, you are looking at least $12,000 even if you already have leathers and a trailer. Club events are a good option if you don't have to have a full licence from the controlling body. It seems to me that the people running the sport in our country think everyone is a millionaire. There is a race class for 250cc production machines. Recently Honda brought out a 300cc bike, so immediately the controlling body tried to up t he capacity limit to 300cc. It would have meant every kid wanting to race in that class would have had to buy a 300cc bike to be competitive. - Obviously a backhand deal had been done between importers and the controlling body, however there was a minor rebellion and the capacity limit for the class has remained unchanged. I am secretary of an affiliated motocycle club where most of the kids do MX. Many of their parents want the kids to race on the bitumen where the injuries are less, - there is no cheap option for them. The Juniors racing is slanted t o suit importers of two basic machines. The difference is between $3000 for a Honda CBR 250 from Thailand and a 'race prepared ' one on the registration list for $10,000 from the smart guys. For the difference you get a fairing and you are not excluded from racing.
If you want to race , track ride days are a good place to start using a repaired bike from the auctions. However I suggest you should always keep an eye on what race classes your track bike might be competitive in. In that respect my Seeley 850 is a waste of space.

For what it's worth (this was in 2007)

Bike & prep $3,800
Racing school, safety equipment $525
Travel expense & race entry fees incl. race fuel $750

So, prep a bike, obtain safety equipment, get to one track 300 miles away for race school, and the next track 1200 miles away to race, all totaled just over $5,000.

Just the travel part was $750. Distance matters.