Ferrari Mailing List: Track time verses soupup?

[dale sailors (sailorsdaleedward]

Hi guus!

            It can be easy to just keep technically improving machinery without also developing operating skills. Back in my BMW M/C racing days I" invested" a ton of money and time to clone a SAN JOSE BMW roadrace bike. Even though I sourced most of the specialty parts

and labor well below retail, it still addedup. The bike was a superb improvement over the stock R100S in power, handling, etc. However when it was time to sell, I endedup having to restore the bike to stock cosmetically and sell the takeoff racing items on the side. At that time SAN JOSE was getting in he high $20,000's for the bike (1978) and nobody would make an offer on mine at $6,000 as modified! And a lot of potential customers had seen it run flawlessly at WERA tracks and events around Texas. In retrospect I should have left it stock and just concentrated on lots more track time and perhaps professional instruction to improve my skills? I admit there is a lure to having a relatively unique machine and most of us enjoy technical complexity that works. After all people used to say DUCATI M/C "never used 1 part when 12 would do".when the early desmo twins were popular. If the mechanic did not carefully mark everything, setting valve clearances on a twin could take two frustrating days. Anyway, I will go with track time first I believe.

            Please have a great day.

            Dale