Racing…..Is it really worth it?

[mkilger]

thanks Glen

[SPARKY]

Mike---thanks for all you do---but most of all enjoy the roadster

[gkabbt]

Sorry I have not responded but I had errands to run to get ready and then drive up from NC to Little Falls, NY for Bill’s funeral service tomorrow.
My inner voice told me I needed to do this as a final farewell for a friend.

As to the responses to my original post, I would like to say many, many thanks to all of you, from the bottom of my heart, for the insights and words of inspiration you have given.
Your words have helped answer some of the questions that I have running through my head.
I was going to try and single out some members posts, but everyone’s have be so poignant that I could not.

As I was reading all of this thread, I remembered this line from one of my favorite movies:
In the movie The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne played by Tim Robbins, says in a conversation with Red who is played by Morgan Freeman:

“It comes down to a simple choice, get busy living or get busy dying.”

I think this equates to what you have all said.

Again, many thanks
Gregg   

[Frankie7799]

Gregg that's a great movie and a great quote for this very topic. Safe travels to you!

[runt13]

YES! that's my answer, and I'm sticking to it.

[Captthundarr]

if it wasn't worth it we wouldn't do it. Amy and Frank.

[wobblywalrus]

A couple of friends like what I do and offered to sponsor me on a Honda Superhawk.  This is one of the modern ones that go really fast.  The effort I am spending to go 150mph on the Bonneville would get me past 200 mph and a red hat on the hawk.  And, and, a whole lot less money would fly out of my pocket 'cause I would be getting lots of help.

It was time to do some thinking.  Basically, I am a family guy with bills, a job, children at home, and lots of folks depending on my paycheck.  Plus, I like being with those people and doing a lot of other things in addition to racing.

Racing is not worth it on the hawk.  Sponsorship puts on the pressure to perform.  This means pushing things a bit too far sometimes.  This is especially true when it comes to taking the time to test and develop.  It is hard to do this when people have invested money in me and I have to deliver quick results.  Also, a crash at 200 plus is a heck of a lot worse than one at 150.  Also, I would be riding a Honda, a four cylinder one, and water cooled.  Nothing I am familiar with.

Racing is worth it on the Triumph.  It is plenty slow and sorta safe in that respect.  Also, paying my way gives me the luxury of developing things slowly and making sure they are working good.  Also, air cooled twins are my specialty and this makes the racing a lot safer.  I know what to expect.

This is how I look at it.  Racing is fun and worth it when I manage it within the framework of my life, overall.  Racing is not worth it when it becomes a burden to those around me and I take too many risks. 

[racefanwfo]

The Honda Super Hawk is a V Twin not a 4 Cylinder.

[Peter Jack]

Wobbly, I like your post. Everyone has to set their own limits and as long as you meet those limits or know you tried your best to do so then you can consider your endeavour a success. 

Pete

[Cereal KLR]

Like Wobbly, I like to work with what I am familiar with and have cost/family constraints. I enjoy the learning part of this as much as the racing, so simply buying a fast vehicle would not have allowed me to continue to seek the solutions that always are necessary when running a slow one!

[wobblywalrus]

I forgot about the Superhawk being a twin and should have remembered.  The plan was to run it for twin cylinder records in FIM.  A hawk with well done partial streamlining would do well.  Sort of a poor man's equivalent of a Ducati or Aprilia.   It is a workable plan for someone.   

[bucketlist]

A rut is just a grave with both ends kicked out.

Nobody understands why I'm building a car to tow a thousand miles and drive for a couple of minutes at a speed that the tow truck could probably exceed while towing it. It's because I'm 75, and my reflexes aren't what they used to be, and it's orders of magnitude safer than our open class rally car was, and I don't need a racing venue involving a second seat for my late co-driver wife. Not building another race car is not an option. Building it is most of the enjoyment, maybe all if it never reaches fruition. But the pursuit satisfies an itch at relatively low cost and racing it will definitely be low risk. And I don't feel like I'm stuck in a rut.

For me it's definitely worth it.

Bucketlist

[johnneilson]

Having another view of this.

Let me tell you a short story of a Friend who passed a year ago.
Herbbie was a true hot rodder, driving his '27 T with a Miller Scoffeld A motor.
He took the motor out and boxed it when Uncle Sam called him to the South Pacific.
Upon returning, he found out that his Pop sold the motor and never found another one.

Fast forward to a couple years ago, Herbbie would come out to ElMo every time he could physically make the trip.(meaning we could get him in my truck)
He would come over to the shop and sit in his wheel chair and dream of again driving a hot rod. And telling me that Mod A's don't need this and that.
When the body can no longer do the minds will it is too late.

Gregg Moore was far too young, and he lived, at 200 mph.

John