Can you guys help me pick a track bike?

[rrslave]

I'm pretty frustrated with choosing a trackbike and it has everything to do with ergonomics. I'm 5'10", 32" inseam and 165lbs with gear. In 2004 I had a CBR600RR that I could never really get comfortable with. I didn't modify it very much, but always felt like I couldn't position my body right or hang off the way I should and I think it had to do with the aggressive riding position. I've tried and tried and tried to keep weight off my hand for years and years but as soon as I start going faster I notice my hands tighening up and putting more and more pressure where it shouldn't be. It's getting to the point where I want to give up.

So I sold it and bought a used CBR600F4 racebike. I was instantly more comfortable and on my second trackday I was much faster, smoother and having way more fun than ever. I do think the clip-on's above the triple had something to do with this, in addition to the lower seat height and possibly the street oriented chassis vs the racier 600RR. I only ride at an intermediate club race pace and I have to build up to that at the end of the day. I ended up crashing that F4 in 2008 and been off the track ever since.

I've decided to get back into track riding, and I'm looking at either the Triumph 675R or stick with what works and build up an F4i. So my quesiton is about what direction to go becuase I know the reason I'm not more comfortable in a racing position is becuase I haven't learned how to ride in good racing position. It seems easier for me to go fast when I'm more upright with less of a crouch over the front. My F4 was awesome for this, I could do anything I wanted to on that bike. What I'm not sure of is if I would be happier in the long run getting by a 675R and learning how to ride it correctly.

I don't care about lap times, racing, passing people or any other that. I just want to have fun and carry lots of corner speed becuase that seems to be what I find most challenging and rewarding.

Thanks in advance, if you are interested in seeing a grainy old video of me riding here it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U_uPdLmagc

[TD675]

There are a lot of things you can do to change any specific bike to help it work better for you. I will start by saying that the 675 has had a reputation in the past for having a very aggressive riding position. It has (or had at least, not sure of newer models) one of the highest seat positions of comparable bikes.

So there are some things you can do to help yourself learn to ride the bike and change the bike to fit you better to make you more comfortable. Clip ons can be adjusted up, down, forward, and backward. Aftermarket rearsets can also be adjusted to a lot of different positions and they offer more grip than factory footrests. I think a large part of getting weight off of your hands is having good core strength. If you can grip the tank (get good tank grips also) with your legs and use your upper body more, you may rely less on squeezing the grips and making your arms so rigid. A big part of it is mental conditioning also. It takes a lot of practice to get it down.

So there are things you can do to help with the situation, but that won't really change the fact that the bikes just have an aggressive riding position. If you are set on a Triumph, consider the Street Triple. It is basically the same thing as a Daytona with a much less aggressive riding position, a different cam, and a different tune. Yamaha makes a triple (FZ09?) that would also fit in that category. The factory "cafe" bikes can still have plenty of power and make for a good track bike.