It's been about 13 months since I got stupid and wrecked my beautiful baby. And I have to say there hasn't been a single day I haven't thought about her. That bike just has it all. Beautiful, monster torque and a thumping heart. I think about what to replace it with and I'm amazed how hard it is.

My wife is permanently terrified. It was bad before my crash. But to get another streetbike now would just be miserable for both of us. but I want one soooo bad. I had my wake up call and got to live through it and recover completely, or enough to call it good anyway. I know better now and wouldn't go there again. You can have great fun and go fast without being stupid. That's what got me as far as I got. She will never understand. Some days I just think F$% it, I'm getting one anyway. Another VTR is all I need for a street bike.

But I have a permission slip for a track bike, and we have 4 tracks within reach for weekend track days. More like 7 or 8 if I extend my radius a little. I could be pretty damned happy with 4-5 track days a year. Heck it might even quell my aching desire for another streetbike. But what to get?

The 600s have plenty of speed and handling, but lack the pull your arms out torque that I love. The literbikes have scary power, lots of torque, but I don't know if I could ever use everything they've got. I guess I could just shortshift it and ride it like a hyper-twin. Or there's the RC51. Big, heavy hippo with that wonderful thump. But going away...

Love Ducatis, but that would be silly...

I don't know. Just had to vent.

 

Hmmmm
Time heals many wounds.
Scoop a VTR, use it for track days for a year, then see how you both feel about street riding at that point...?

 

All I can say is when I was laying on my back on the side of the highway with my foot and my leg smashed up (after t-boning an out of control car on the highway and ripping my baby in half) the first thing out of my mouth was "where's my bike?" Of course "dude, your bike is in ten pieces on both sides of the highway-get in the ambulance" wasn't the response I was looking for but a day didn't go by for me either...until I gone another one.

 

I don't think you can find another group of riders that are as passionate about their bikes as 'Hawk riders. We all know what it is. Some call it raw power, some call it torque - call it what you like - if you're talking to another 'Hawk rider it's just not said because we all know what it is and words do not describe it. Every rider has the opportunity to get stupid and every rider can be fallen by some stupid **** in a car but when a 'Hawk rider goes down we all hurt and feel the loss. I know of no other group that shares this group consciousness. Harley riders would like to think they have it but 'Hawk riders are just polite in their presence. I am reminded of what Lou wrote once, "It's better to live a day as a lion than a lifetime as a mouse." 'Hawk riders live forever, they just move on.

 

Glad to hear your OK... As in wanting to get back on the saddle.
For a track bike I'd go for an RC51.

 

I have to agree with "Nuhawk",i've been through many sportbikes & still have a Hayabusa and a 05' gsx-r 1000 in the garage,and i still find myself riding the Hawk the very most,there's just something about this bike that feels soo right,even when i took my girlfreinds Ducati Monster out to play,don't get me wrong it was a blast, but i just feel write at home with the hawk,This bike just has Soul...... i just can't see myself without it,
so i feel with you guy's.

 

Track use only? Must be a twin? RC51. Or, Duc 996/998. The front end is simply amazing on the 9xx bikes, but the price is hard to justify over the almost-as-good RC51 front end.

If there was any other bike out there to make me forget about my Superhawk, I haven't seen it yet.

 

Most "track" guys answer that question almost like a reflex: Get a track-prepped SV650. It's got enough power for most tracks, and all the handling you need to embarrass lesser riders on liter bikes. The stock suspension is worse than the stock SuperHawk suspension, but nobody leaves it that way for track use. Also, you can tell your wife that it's safer because it's got a smaller engine.

 

Jaedcem was right on with the track SV650. I contemplated purchasing one strictly for track use while the S'Hawk would live on the streets. But if I could have only one bike? Definitely the S'Hawk.

The S'Hawk is trackworthy with a little work. As RedHotFireStorm suggested, get another S'Hawk for the track and see how y'all feel about riding on the steet later on.

 

I've definitely been thinking a lot about an SV650. Having been dusted by more than one, I know about their potential. Still can't figure out why they work so well. It goes to show you don't need a braced swingarm at the sport level.

that would be reasonably inexpensive -at least until I had to start building on it. And a blast to ride. My friend has a stock one with track bodywork. and I happen to know a good builder that would help me out...

 

I know the sv's a very popular and good riders can ride them well and blah blah blah....but have you ever ridden one? I rode one of my freinds sv's and I just was NOT impressed by the power. Don't get me wrong I know they're light and agile and you can carry good coner speed but if you thought you got passed in the straights with the hawk multiply that 10 fold on an sv. They're great if you are racing and everyone around you is on one but if you're just doing track days, no thanks.

Personally I would get either an inline 600,(because the highside potential of a 1000), a track superhawk,(because they're cheap), or a track RC,(because you can find them much cheaper than a Duc and kick it's ***).

At least you still have parts of your old bike still doing trackdays though!