FR-S vs Motorcycle. There can be only one...

[bcj]

[Resolute]

Originally Posted by bmxr

IMHO it's highly ironic that you sold your car in order to ride a motorcycle on the STREET and then cite safety as why you refuse to ride a motorcycle on the track. There is nothing inherently more dangerous about a track than the street other than the lack of impulse control of the rider. In fact, if you keep your ego in check, I think the track is safer than the street given that almost all of the things that tend to murder motorcyclists on the street, are absent from the track.

Yeah, that point is a valid observation, and one that is not lost on me. The fact is, where I live and work, my commute is now primarily on back roads with relatively little traffic, with no highway or freeway travel whatsoever. The roads are mostly low speed (35mph), but I typically get to enjoy some pretty long empty stretches to unwind the bike. It's great, and the best way to unwind from the office before getting home. It was fun in the FR-S, and is even better on the bike. But you're right, even light traffic is still a threat that doesn't exist on a track.

The track by itself is safer than street traffic (although it's also been my experience that some of the motorcyclists that show up for open track days all think they're Rossi and have no need to adhere to passing zones.) But only if I kept myself in check, like you said. That seems to defeat the fun of track time, though. I'll want to knock the lap times down, because making little adjustments and seeing the corresponding improvement is what makes track days fun. It's how you get faster, and get more familiar with how to properly handle the car/bike. But that will eventually result in an off, and that's more risk than I am comfortable with on a motorcycle.

Originally Posted by bmxr

And maybe I missed it, but does the HOA forbid you from parking any vehicle at all in your driveway? No parking in the street is common; no parking in your driveway is comically draconian.

No, we are allowed to park on the driveway. The problem is, because of how the driveway is laid out, if a vehicle is parked out there it effectively blocks the ingress/egress of all three garages.

Before we bought the house we tested it with my car and our minivan, and verified the FR-S could (barely) make it up the driveway. The curb ramp I installed helped, and so we figured we could keep all three vehicles and park the motorcycle next to my car. Getting the car up and down the driveway was a real PIA, though, and meant I could never lower it. Ever. Which sucked, but I could live with that. The real killer was the storage. What we didn't see in the covenants was that we aren't allowed to have any outbuildings on the property, like a shed. That made us move a TON of stuff into the garage that we used to keep in a large workshop at our old place. My wood working equipment and all my mechanics tools, plus bicycles, lawn stuff, garden tools, and camping gear... I seriously could barely get the FR-S in there. No room for both it and the bike.

[86 South Africa]

Originally Posted by Resolute

It's very tempting, but I'll just admit it- I'm worried about breaking my body at the track.

Flogging a car around a track is so much fun because when my talent runs out, I just spin the car, maybe get some nicks in the paint from gravel or grass, and then after checking the car over in the pits for serious damage, I can just get back out there and try to improve. It's great, and one of the best hobbies I've ever had. I've only done about 20-odd HPDE or TT events over the last 12 years, and I wish I could have done more of them. I wish I could run at the track every weekend. I would have kept the car in a heartbeat, especially this car, if I could be at the track more regularly.

But on my bike, as much as I love flying through corners leaned over, the potential damage of exceeding the limits is high. I'm not bragging to say that my chicken strips are almost non-existent on the street touring tires I run, it's just the natural result from my love to lean hard through turns and tuck inside of the tank. And every time I do, I know that the bike and tires still have more to give. Exploring what is left of the limits at the track is therefore very tempting. I imagine that the wonderful feeling of nailing a perfect lap while on a bike is even better than doing it in a car, just because the man-machine interface is much more intimate. But, I've broken my collarbone twice doing other activities, and I'm in no rush to break it or any other bones at the track. If I run out of talent at the track on a motorcycle, it's not a simple spin through gravel or grass and then back onto the track with some nicked paint. I've seen riders wreck at speed when motorcycles have had a run group during a HPDE, and it SUCKS. Twice the local PMP track had to close because of fatal motorcycle crashes during open lapping days (albeit one of the deaths was a spectator hit by a motorcycle flying off the track at speed). For me, the risk seems too high. John McGuinness I am not.

I instructed motorcycle riding for many years... if you go there with the mindset to learn and not set new lap records you will be fine (do an accredited/known riding school day).
I can't say your track day has a good record. In over 10 years we had many accidents, few bad ones, but only fatal one - and that poor guy was super unlucky.

It will add MASSIVE skills... and probably more importantly show you how much you don't know. I guarantee your awareness alone will make you both safer and help you enjoy your bike more in all situations.

Like people always say on here - invest in seat time

[MrDinkleman]

Just found this thread. Sorry to read you sold the FRS. My first thought when I saw those dreaded 3 letters (HOA) was, "sell the house". From your description of the stuff you packed into your garage, I'd say you really don't belong in an HOA.
I realize there are people who actually like living in such a regulated environment but not me. I've lived in one for 25 years and hated the last 20. The resentment starts to really build up as you find more and more things you like to do but can't do (within the rules). I finally was able to save up for a down payment and bought a house in a regular city. I love it
I also realize not everyone is in a position to "just sell" but you might want to consider it and make it a goal. Good luck...

[AngelGT86Racer]

That's a tough one. For me it would depend on a couple of things.
1. Do I live near good mountain roads. If so, I enjoy riding my motorcycle up the canyons more than the FR-S these days. Also I have the benefit of occasionally commuting on the bike and lane splitting through heavy traffic.

2. How important are track days and autox to me? If I'm two hours or more away from the nearest autox events and more than four hours away from any tracks, I probably wouldn't own my FR-S. Mine is strictly a fun weekend car for events and the occasional leisure drive. I have a dedicated daily car.

[KR-S]

Originally Posted by FollowingYa

Yes, I originally wanted to buy BRZ, but my girlfriend didn't like it, so I ended up buying Yamaha <redacted>.

I didn't realize bots could have girlfriends.

[Sasquachulator]

Originally Posted by KR-S

I didn't realize bots could have girlfriends.

Fembots need love too.

[Red-86]

Originally Posted by Resolute

If you could have either your FR-S/BRZ, or your motorcycle, but not both, which would you choose?

This depends on the situation. Do I have another car for when a car is needed? If so, I’d keep the motorbike for fun. As fun as a sports car is, nothing approaches the fun of a bike. If I don’t have another car, then I’d probably err toward keeping the twin, because there are times a bike can never replace a car (very bad weather, need to transport stuff etc).

[Limitless_BRZ]

easy.. both. duh