So, where is safer, on the road or track?
 

I went through this with my "expensive" Ducati. I would say now, ride it on the track, its far safer than the road!

Others may argue, trackdays! not with my bike its too dangerous out there, ill stick to the road.

Track, no contest.

Ains.

You can get Nuggits on both track and road.

Maybe not gonna get one pull out on you from a side turning on track, but one might just run into the back of you or take you out going into a corner.

I would say I feel "safer" at speed on track 'cos I'm not on the lookout for scameras, side turnings and so on. I also like the idea that someone is on hand to scrape you up if the worst happens on track, not left lying in a ditch for a day or so as could happen on the road!

Ray

Track no doubt at all. Actually stopped riding on the road about a year ago now because it was getting so bad.

Yesterday I decided to go out on herselfs S2R. On the short 50 mile ride to work, I was pulled out on (twice) hit wet leaves (several) smelled before I saw a diesel spill on a roundabout, and narrowly avoided two socking great potholes. This in additin to all the normal hazards of riding on the roads, mud, muppets and morons!

Think it will be at least another year before I'm tempted back on the roads.

I would have said track but I've had more incidents in the last year than in 15 combined years of road-riding!

But how many of these "incidents" resulted in injury or death... :sing:

None all resulted in just laundry bills. :o

isnt it all part of the fun of road riding

I can confirm that in one incident my leathers ended the day cleaner that at the start!

I would say it should be safer on the track, but because you go faster on the track, any mistake becomes more important...

You’re right I remember that, they were much cleaner on the out side. :lol:

The track is probably safer, but i feel happier on the road, go figure:puzzled:

What BDG said .

hiya Gaz, are you my long lost twin bro by any chance?

Say hello to mum

[Edited on 10-11-2005 by BDG]

What? what? There's another BDG out there? I feel ill :barfy:

:P

I just like riding my bike - whether on the road or on the track.

I accept all the hazards that go with riding a bike in either of those situations as part of the deal.

I would say though, that for me and I suspect for many others, that since I've spent a lot of money on my bikes I want to get maximum riding time out of them. What does a trackday cost? Let's say an average of £100.

So for every £100 a month disposable income I have I could ride my bike that many times a month?

Nah...I want to ride it more than that, which is why road riding is cool.

There are no blind corners with hedges, that have tractors parked half way round on a track, last time I looked.

If a muppet runs up your back then at least on a track you can pick your self up, dust off and punch their lights out.

Can't do that with a tractor.

Some people can ride for tens of thousands of miles with out mishap on the road, get out on a track and bin it . Riding a bike IS risky, its frout with dangerous situations. Im sure a risk assesment proforma would be three A4 sheets on riding a bike . Riding a bike on the road is one of lifes little pleasures and the quickest way from A to B . Much depends on how people ride and the attidude they have . When I see some of the ****s on bikes, epecially when Im in the "white van" and the stupid utter redicoulus things some of them do Im not suprised some of the statistics we hear about . So do I think its safer on a track than on the road No, as Tonio 600 said, higher speeds on track mean just as many broken bits to you or the bike if you cock up ,whether its a tyre wall on track or hedgerow on the road its going to hurt, thats a great deterent . 4D

I would imagine you are better qualified than most to answer the question !

I suppose how and when you ride on the road has a bearing on the risk factor.

I've ridden to work in the winter and had to contend with all of the obvious hazards we encounter.

Thankfully now I ride mainly very early on Sunday mornings into Wales and return home just as most people are going out for the day. It feels safer to me and is far more pleasant than having to mix it with slower traffic.

I havn't had the spare cash to go on a trackday - three kids and a big mortgage have sorted that out for me :D

Seriously... I'm not sure, I've enjoyed and will hopefully continue to enjoy both, I do feel road riding has become more risky over the years, there just seems to be a complete lack of road manors and skill in the last few years from motorists and bikers alike.

But you get that on a track also as I am sure we all know, I guess the differences are down to perception, on a track the only obstacle is yourself, your riding skill or lack of it and pushing yourself (in most cases not your bike) to your limits and beyond. On the road the speeds should be lower, but the obstacles are greater, so even though you are hopefully more aware and riding within your limits the unknown usually lies in someone else's hands unfortunately.

Not sure I would neccessarily agree with that last statement. When I still had the Royal Barge (ST2) I timed my run (50 miles) and it was only around 10 minutes faster.

However, by the time I had factored in the time it took me to unlock it, remove from garage, tog myself up in riding gear etc, and do it all in reverse at the other end, it actually took 10 mins longer than the car, and at 5.30 on a cold winter morning, the car looked VERY appealing!!!

Looking at it that way Yeti I would agree with you.Im not into 0530 starts on a cold morning thankfully unless its a BHC ride out then its worth it . 4D

I've only done one track day and it was ok, but i've been riding on the road
since I was 16 and I'm 51 now , so thats a few years.
I think if you only do track days you miss so much, Road riding is by far the best and the most dangerous;) But then isn't that what it's all about us against them:D

I love the challenge provided by road riding. I do track-days aswell and allways feel less at risk on the road.
Unless you are including the Nordschleif!!! Then you get the best of both worlds. Which is why we are looking to move to germany.

I too started at 16 and am ALMOST 51, thought I got away lightly with only a busted pelvis to account for my 30 odd years on the road, but reasoned that the law of averages was comin round again, so retired............

Very well said Tonio!

Trackdays should be safer for sure, but unfortunately they bring us into close contact with our own worst enemy......each other!
I ride on the road, very illegally most of the time, but I can honestly say that I've come closer to crashing on track, and more often too.
The amount of utter nobheads that ride bikes is amazing, and when you do a trackday you get to ride around in very close company with lots of them!

On balance, if I had to do one or the other then it would be track, because I love the feeling of pushing my envelope. And that's not something I do on the road. :)

BDG

5`10`` 11 stone and hair = no :lol: :lol: :lol:

I know where you are coming from mate.
I never think how dangerous it is out on the road,(unless I'm following Fordie!;):lol: ),if I did,I would never go out again.

Roads by far


Last Sundays Essex ride out put the wind up me :o

Tracks are safer from the point that everyone is going in the same direction (normally), there are no side roads, speed camera's, lamp post to hit, ditches etc etc

All that said, it's hard to beat a quick ride down an A road with a few mates whilst overtaking a few of the moving traffic jams.

I think a mixture of the two is just right.

After 27 years uninterupted riding on the roads and 7 years of racing all the broken bones have come from the road accidents with no serious injuries from the track, but as we all no well it only takes one serious crash on either the road or track to end our riding enjoyment for good.
I know this well and when the two are combined at the TT things are even worse. But I enjoy them both so will continue with both. If I wanted safe the garage and workshop would be void of bikes and I would get myself a more comfy sofa and a plasma screen TV

i focus all my time to the track now as its a safer bet( for me that is) :P

I’ve never ridden on the track but would assume it’s safer in some respects. Rainey/ Kato ect may disagree though.:(

In my experience, track days are less expensive if you get it wrong than when on the road.
As long as you approach them both with due regard to your abilities and the prevailing conditions, track riding is much safer. I've had two years of trackdays now, and twenty-three on the road.
That said, I enjoy doing both.

I tend to agree that on balance track days are safer. I am, however, not convinced about "the less expensive if you bin it" argument. If some t**t takes you out when riding on the road and you end up badly injured with a wrecked bike then you should get at least some financial recompense even if they were uninsured. I hate to think what would happen if I ended up unable to work after a bad track day smash. The 3 kids, wife and various vehicles are not cheap to run....

Keith

As long as you approach them both with due regard to your abilities and the prevailing conditions, track riding is much safer.

Loz, nail on head hit hard......

I think a few people go to the track just to push their limits; getting the knee down, topping the bike out etc. etc. And I wonder how may ever ride that hard for 5 mins on the road, let alone a 20 or 30 min session..... I think they are most at risk, to themselves and others, not so the regular track fiends who have even practiced getting off at silly speeds a few times.

Rgds Rob

yep what Loz said..
bang on..;)

Have to say, I think the track is safer, but it does all depend on how you approach it, and by the same token, how you approach road riding dictates how safe that is.
As for speeds being higher on track - is that really so? Most tracks haven't got a straight long enough to really wind up a Ducati, it just feels fast 'cos there's a corner coming.. I'd hazard a guess that many people have been faster on the road than they have on a track..

Urban, you're right there, the possibilities for maxing out are greater on the road than on most tracks I've seen or been on, at least on a standard road bike.

As for which is cheaper to crash on (Keith's comments), I can only go on my own experience. Insurance is a non-issue for me, I cannot afford to claim on it anyway! :lol:

What about Silverstone GP.hanger straight, i recon on +160 down there?
Would you be bold enough to do that on a road? :devil::pig: