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Good Bye Track Bike

1K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  hogcowboy 
#1 ·
Well, today is my last track day with my Kawasaki ZX10R. Put a quick shifter on it last year and used it once. I have a few people interested in buying my bike which I'm definitely going to have those conversations but yeah, I'm done taking the risks. Last year my feet came right out from under me descending 3 concrete steps that were covered in wet slippery ice and came down hard on my side where my ribs came into contact with the corner of one of those steps and where I laid there for a few minutes is some pretty good pain. Broke 2 ribs and recovery took forever it seemed.

Now that I'm almost 70 yrs old I don't trust myself that when I get on the track I will push it because I generally do. I've gone down on the track a few times over the years, it's just going to happen and recovery for the most part was quick and for the most part painless, but my reflexes and balance are not what they use to be which is normal when you get older, I've known that, but the reality is I know that lol.

Good bye my friend.

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#2 ·
That's a hard decision, but our Number One goal as riders is safety. (y) The fact that you were doing track days until almost 70 years old is AWESOME and inspiring!!! :cool::cool::cool:It's a beautiful bike and I'm sure it served you well. I'm sure you'll find a good home for it.

I'm 55, and I don't bounce back like I used to. I find myself wondering how much longer I'll teach classes because it takes so much out of me.

I don't plan on returning to the track until I have a second bike. I want to be able to push myself there because that's the place to do it, but I don't want to crash my daily driver and be without a bike indefinitely. It's also a pain dealing with all the farkles on it to get it track ready. I hope I can pick up a NINJA 400 before next track season, but I'll be riding it on the street in the meantime, too. (y) :D:cool:
 
#3 ·
I feel your pain.... in more than one way:

At the tender young age of 74, I hit a deer at about 50mph last year. Totalled the bike and put me in the hospital for 5 days. Just don't bounce back like when I was young.

The other pain - I was about 45 when I sold my track bike (a Yamaha RD 350). With newer and better performance parts, my lap times were going up instead of down.... time to quit.
 
#10 ·
I'm 6' 190 lbs and it is tight but I'm fine with it. I'm just not getting my moneys worth and not feeling it so much anymore, so time to move on and not tempt fate. I do have my Monster for around town and day runs and my VRF for touring. I've lately been thinking of a dual sport instead of the VFR.
 
#6 ·
I'm looking for a new 2022 Honda CT125 but they are totally sold out!!!!

:bigthumb:

Approaching my 75th Birthday on June 18, I find myself being drawn to MUCH, Much smaller bikes and just slowing down a lot.

For about the last month, I have been going through all kinds of HEART tests to ascertain my SLOW, left side Bradycardia that causes tiredness, lethargy and fatigue! An angiogram/ heart catheter test is coming up in a few weeks! Depending on the outcome, I may sell my Expensive Tricycle and end up riding something around on the rural country roads where I live.

Sam:thinking:
 
#12 ·
Depending on the outcome, I may sell my Expensive Tricycle and end up riding something around on the rural country roads where I live.
I would think you would be much safer on 3 versus 2 Sam. Especially if you needed to pull over and stop quickly.
 
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