Agree with you 100% Kev, I know from experience as you are well aware. Race bikes go down a lot and my CB500 and Monty's TZ250 are no exceptions, we've spent hours until last light and back up first light begging, borrowing and making bits to repair bikes in order to get someone out for the next race, but they TEND to be fixed to a decent standard as they are going to be raced again and racers know the bike has to be right as it's going far closer to it's limit than any Sunday morning blast on the road and aside from the danger factor, you are not going to go very quickly on a bike with bent subframe, swing arm, yolks, forks, frame etc.
My view is based on helping someone (TP) come into racing for the first time and I personally don't think I would buy a crashed 996 road bike and spend time and money fixing it and then turning it into a race bike when I could buy something already completely prepared, even if it has been crashed. For example, I'd rather buy my crashed/repaired CB500 than a crashed CB500 road bike out of MCN.....just my opinion.
Oh and TZ....cheap......never heard that in the same sentence before unless it's "does anyone have any cheap bits for a TZ we can borrow" to which the answer is "you poor sweet innocent child you....get your cheque book out".
The trouble with this racing lark is we always want more - the bikes underpowered, doesn't handle well, I need the latest gismo titanium addition thingy like the other boys at school - it's a money pit if you let it be that way. Single model series are the way to go if you want to try it, like the CB's, Hornets or SV's - in theory everyones on the same bike and it's down to rider skill. Of course rider skill counts the most in the big expensive classes as well, but so does throwing £000's at it - take the 600 series, I've just bought and ex race CBR6 with a lot of trick bits on it but it's only 105bhp - there are talented guys doing mid/upper field on near stock bikes, but the boys at the front have talent and another 30bhp and full Ohlins forks etc - now if I had the money, maybe my opinion would be completely different eh
WeeJohnyB
[Edited on 21-7-2004 by WeeJohnyB]