Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > So, where is safer, on the road or track?

[yeti]

Originally posted by Fordie
Riding a bike on the road is one of lifes little pleasures and the quickest way from A to B .

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!!!

[Fordie]

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

[marko]

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

[doogalman]

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.

[yeti]

Originally posted by marko
I've been riding on the road
since I was 16 and I'm 51 now , so thats a few years.

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............

[desmojen]

Originally posted by Tonio600
I would say it should be safer on the track, but because you go faster on the track, any mistake becomes more important...

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.

[Gaz 748]

BDG

5`10`` 11 stone and hair = no

[KeefyB]

Originally posted by marko
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

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

[ericthered40]

Roads by far


Last Sundays Essex ride out put the wind up me

[Carbon749]

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.