[mattjmartin]

Okay, so after clocking 2000 miles on my bike during spring break, I have come to a decision. I drive WAY too fast and WAY too hard on the street. Buying books regarding riding position/technique and finding areas where I can put it to the test is probably not the best idea in regards to my personal safety.

Also, I have a really nice car that I have put a lot into and I am beginning to feel guilty about letting it sit for lengths of time. We all know how negatively it can affect a vehicle to let it sit.

So, with that in mind, I have come up with a plan:
- Sell my car
- Buy semi beater and pay off ASAP
- Buy good condition street bike
- Convert SV to track only status

1) I have a 2003 Acura CLS 6-speed. There were only ~ 4500 made with the 6-speed transmission. I bought it one year ago in absolute MINT condition, after searching for almost 2 months. Since then I have spent quite a chunk of change on mods. Headers, hi flow cat, exhaust, intake, vafc, springs, shocks, tires, calipers, rotors, pads, stereo, etc... It was my pride and joy - my life... Until I got the bike. I owe 10k on it and will set the price at 13.5k OBO on some of the enthusiast forums I frequent. I really want to just break even but extra is always nice.

Currently I run premium gas, get 19-24 mpg and spend 1700 every 6 months on full coverage. Not to mention, the additional toles of upkeep on a modded and lowered car.

I am going to put the car up for sale ASAP, after some general maintenance over the next 2 weeks.

2) Next is to buy something in good condition with a lot of miles for dirt cheap that I only have to carry liability on. Fuel economy is important as well. Also, I am a honda fanatic through and through.

My dilemma on the car purchase is this: Do I want to spring for a super cheap super civic (~3k), or something a little more practical and a little less economical (~5-6k)?

Options here are RAV4/CRV or Civic. 20-25mpg vs 30-35mpg.

3) This is where the excitement of all of these decisions kicks in. I decided to buy a good condition, non-modded, perfectly reliable street bike to replace the SV. This will be end of summer/mid-winter at earliest.

So far, the ONLY options I am even close to considering are the 2nd Gen 650 or a Daytona 675. My dad is my allstate agent and ran some stuff and basically with my policy, anything under 750cc is going to run about the same.

If I get the SV, it will get a new rear shock (gsxr/zx swap) and springs/emulators plus some other small stuff. Nothing like the current bike got.

If I get the Daytona, it will get stripped naked and have dual headlights installed. That is it with the exception of little things here and there. I'll probably make money on the conversion which will go right into paying for the bike. Oh, and I will be buying used FOR SURE. Beat up with salvage title is even better as long as the damage is reasonable.

Obviously I am leaning towards the Daytona, but the thought of saving money on the SV is tempting since I don't really NEED all of the bells and whistles of the Daytona. I just can't get past the sexiness of the Daytona...

4) Lastly, after the car is paid for and the new bike is bought, the SV will get stripped of street parts and converted to track duty. Hopefully the money I make selling street stuff can fund springs up front and a used Penske/Ohlins/Elka/Fox for the rear. Also, a small trailer would be nice... hence the idea of a more practical RAV4 or CRV instead of the civic.


So, with everything stated in mind, I have some questions:

- Should I get a Small SUV or a Civic? Anything else recommended?

- Should I get the cheaper 2nd gen SV or the sexier Daytona? Any other bikes that fit my circumstances that I should look at?

- Should I even get a street bike or just a car and track bike?

- Should I just get a new street bike and no track bike?

- Should I even get a car?

- Should I even be considering any of this in the first place?

I know for a fact I am selling my car. I feel guilty letting a car that could be someone elses pride and joy just sit and deteriorate. It deserves an owner that will love and care for it. Specially this summer when I ride every day and totally forget about it.

 

[Cornfed]

Pay your car off and keep it.

 

[mattjmartin]

Pay your car off and keep it.

See, my reasoning there is why pay off 10k for something that doesn't benefit me any more than something for 3k? Also, I forgot to mention that my parents are buying me a new car when I graduate. Up to three years, but possibly only two.

 

[pne]

you are going to lose a sh!tload of money doing this.

my advice:
-sell your sv, buy a race bike instead of building one, you will save thousands.
-buy whatever street bike you want, after you paid off the trailer for your track bike, and all the track days you want to do.
-part out all your mods on your car, revert it to stock, then sell it.

 

[mattjmartin]

you are going to lose a sh!tload of money doing this.

my advice:
-sell your sv, buy a race bike instead of building one, you will save thousands.

How so? I don't want race plastics for now and already have a well rounded platform for the track. Honestly, what else would I need? Keep in mind, this will be a track bike to start with, not a race bike. I'm not looking to build it to win races, just to handle well.

-buy whatever street bike you want, after you paid off the trailer for your track bike, and all the track days you want to do.

That is what I plan on doing. If I borrow a truck, I won't even need the trailer. I am a little bit skeptical to go all out on equipment until I get some track time in to see if it is for me. All else fails, I'll have a Daytona 675 sitting in my garage and a track bike for sale!

-part out all your mods on your car, revert it to stock, then sell it.

I would, but I have literally ZERO stock parts left. Plus, in those forums, the mods actually lend to the value of the car. Not as much as I paid for them, but some. The nature of this car and the parts I used in modding will make for a great resale to an enthusiast.

Thanks for the feedback. I just feel that if I am going to be in debt, why do it on something that is only going to sit, when I could be doing it over something I am passionate about...

 

[LithiumSky]

buy my civic...2001 coupe LX with 55k miles...6500 In a very good condition really good condition....Reason I'm selling is cuz I got another car already and a bike....so civic sits all lonely and only gets driven once a week.

oh you in texas.....I bought it there tho (now has CA plates)

I think selling your car and getting a cheaper one that you won't owe money on it is good idea. why pay 10k for that car? when your done paying that the car will cost 4k....might even look into buying a small suv or truck since you plan on doing a lot of track? to carry your bike wether in the bed or a trailer.

about the bikes....no clue

good luck whatever you decided

 

[636Tony]

pne has a good point. you can buy a track-ready ex500 and a mid-80's chevy van for about what you'll lose on the sale of your cl, or roughly half of what my sv's prior owner put into parts to make my sv race-ready.

 

[pne]

How so? I don't want race plastics for now and already have a well rounded platform for the track. Honestly, what else would I need? Keep in mind, this will be a track bike to start with, not a race bike. I'm not looking to build it to win races, just to handle well.

well here are some numbers for you. I sold my almost completely stock 03 SV last year, for around $4600. The only mods it had were springs and oil up front. Then I bought an 03 sv that was done up for racing (the guy chickened out) for $5000 a few months later.

This bike had painted fiberglass, a custom built fork from a well known suspension shop with springs and emulators, an aftermarket rear shock, a power commander with dyno tuning, stainless lines in the front, aftermarket rearsets, a slip on, frame sliders with a lots of extra pucks, a sh!t load of spare parts including gearing, and a trailer to pull the whole thing. Oh and it had a clean street title and all the stock plastics too. That stuff would have cost me $2000 to add on my own, if I wanted to convert a race bike like you. Trust me, converting your street bike to a track bike is for people with deep pockets. Buy a used one and let depreciation work for you.

Also consider if you wad up your SV at the track. You'd have a SV with a clean streetable title with a bunch of crash damage that nobody is going to want to buy. If you wad up a race bike, its still a race bike and the people who were considering it already probably would buy it at a discount.

 

[mattjmartin]

well here are some numbers for you. I sold my almost completely stock 03 SV last year, for around $4600. The only mods it had were springs and oil up front. Then I bought an 03 sv that was done up for racing (the guy chickened out) for $5000 a few months later.

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

Makes since. I understand where you are coming from. However, I have a salvage title first gen that I bought for 1200 bucks. I can sell everything I have put into it for probably close to 1000 and have a first gen track (not race... no race plastics or fully dialed in suspension) bike for under 1800. So, in MY situation, using mine as a track bike is the best idea. Like I stated, once stripped of street parts, it is ready for anything I'd be able to throw at it on a track (for now). Clipons, gsxr forks, rear shock swap for now, r1 brakes, sliders with extra pucks, spools, stands, extra tank etc... What else do I need?

I am not criticizing your advice, just trying to make it fit my situation.

 

[pne]

is the sv in question your project bike in your sig? I'd hate to convert that to a track bike after all the work you've put in, but it's up to you. Being salvage titled and cheap it does lend itself to being a good track bike base. Have you done any track days before?

 

[mattjmartin]

is the sv in question your project bike in your sig? I'd hate to convert that to a track bike after all the work you've put in, but it's up to you. Being salvage titled and cheap it does lend itself to being a good track bike base. Have you done any track days before?

Yes, it is the one in my sig. I am going to sell the majority of what is on it anyway since I am not super fond of the look, so it really isn't that big of a deal. I am going to throw a single round headlight on it too since it is registered for the year and insured until november, that way I can still ride it throughout the summer. As for the work, it isn't like it is going to waste. The work I put in on the mechanical aspect will go to great use and the work on aesthetics will get sold off, ultimately to my benefit I hope. The only thing I bought that will be a straight loss is paint. Super nice paint on a track bike seems like a waste and people buying the parts from me will not have any use for World Rally Blue...

And no, I have never done a track day. Not on the bike at least. I had a blast in my old accord, but it was a one time thing. I wasn't about to fork over $1800 up front plus several hundred per month to be able to run my car on a semi-regular basis.

Now that I have a bike and track days are relatively cheap, I have a feeling I am going to be hooked. I'm am also hoping that it will tame me down some on the street as many have claimed.

 

[Coop]

Only thing I'll say is never expect too much from selling used parts, which it sounds like you are doing. You cannot expect to recoup ANY of your time. People won't pay for that, they are looking for used parts for a reason .