although 848 looks far more expensive than DD, if you have the bike thats a large chunk towards the cost so yes more cost, but lots more? Not really...except tyres!!

As I learn't at the 2004 TT you need to be able to afford to write off what ever bike it is you have for racing as you never know what might happen.
Since then the bikes I have raced have been budget bikes and mainly DD bikes.
So its not only what can you afford in running costs of a race series but also how big a crash damage budget you can manage up to the value of the bike

So whats the race bike worth

at a calculated guess I would say

Class B £1.5 to £2k
Class A £2.5k to £4k
848 £8k+
Minitwin £2k to £4k
944SS with all the bits £2.5k to £4k
748R preped £5k
748S preped £3.5k
SoT ex Buildbase 1098 £13k

F400 ZXR400L with ram air etc £3.5k +
Steelie 600 CBR600FW preped £2k to 2.5k
YPMS TZR250 preped £1.8k

I may be wrong but Class B Desmo Due is still one of the cheapest classes to get into and be able to compete with the bikes running at the front

What bike is you have again Paul-848 was it?? :devil:

John

I was starting to think it was just me that thought that way Kev!

Some need to remember DD is a basic cheap entry level race series that is a success because of that.
Seems to me some are confusing it with motogp, if you don't like the rules/rounds/costs/tyres then go race another series and as it happens there are plenty of series you can race a Ducati :)

take the point Skids, and you have the experince of it, but surely its very unlikley to completely total a bike on a track (excepting fire maybe). And is it that different to racing an R6 or R1 in most UK series? (obviously if you dont have to shell out 10500 for the bike!) OPK thers still a risk but then there are risks on trackdays

I've worked up the budget, and the big differences with DD are tyres and some of the preparation costs (although I dont have to buy a DD bike which offsets some costs). Entries, travel, damage costs are pretty much likely to the same (excepting above comment re fire). Sure, two international rounds add a bit (but they are WDW and Assen!)

For me, the way I am viewing this is as a once in a lifetime oppotunity; if it doesnt work out (or I cant get the level of help with funding I need) then I'll go DD and enjoy that as much.

And if 2011 means racing, having ticked this box I'd be happy to head with all my mates into DD. Most think I'm made contemplating the 848 serioes anyway (varying between cost and ability I'm sure!!)...but life's short :D

apologies if this is a bit of a hi-jack, especially as this is a DD thread.

How much does an 848 frame cost? :lol:

good point ;)

but everything else could be broken (no pun intended) and much of the value recovered.....or you could just weld it ;)

Unlikely but not unknown, just ask Dan Abrahams, his very first time out on his new 1000 and he total'd it at Pembrey. As Paul says a replacement frame if needed wouldn't be cheap neither would replacing a blown engine.

just pointing out that you have to be prepared for these things or at least be aware that it could happen. Dallas is a dab hand at inflicting damage on exspensive race bikes and is well aware of the costs involved, but as yet he has never risked his road bike, as he buys new ZX10Rs and RC8s and secondhand 998Rs with a view to just racing them, so something like the 848 series would be ideal for him, but these days its not ideal for me. The loss of the bike at the TT means I haven't got that money to put back into the racing especially in the form of helping someone else out financially.

Turn the clock back eight years to when I first raced a Ducati in SoT then a series like the 848 series would have been very appealing with the BSB meetings and two overseas rounds, Especially as I had around a extra £3k disposeable income back then. Add some sponsorship and it would have been something I could have afforded to do.

So I'm happy racing a cheap and cheerful DD bike these days as its keeping me racing especially as all the other associated costs keep going up, maybe i'm not scareing myself as much as I did on my old TL1000 but its probably taught me more.

all that you all say is very true. we are all aware of the costs involved etc but what i think is in question here is the level of commitment to DD that we recieve. we have imho been ousted in favour of a more modern officially supported bike but one that has not been homologated for racing because as Kev rightly pointed out ' it is a bike in the current model line up and more likely to attract TV and Media coverage'. So where do we go from here? your very grown up comments about Daves attempts to expand the Ducati particpation at New Era events don't show a particularly non partisan viewpoint? what is the problem with more relaxed tuning guidlines? we have as far i can see been running with something similar ourselves. we don't even take points of particpants running on illegal tyres???? if the cap fits wear it!!!