With the lack of any autocross venues in my area and having recently acquired a 2002 Ducati Superbike 748s, I decided to convert my 2001 Ducati 900 Supersport into a part-time track bike so I could do some motorcycle track days to get my "racing" fix.
I still enjoy riding this bike on the street, so I didn't want to make it a dedicated track bike. The bike also has some custom bodywork and a custom gloss black paint job that I didn't want to risk damaging if I had an accident at the track (I've never done a track day before), so I've been slowly acquiring some used OEM fairing pieces (half fairings, front fender, rear grab handle, and tail sides), a used seat, and a used gas tank from eBay to use for the track. You may wonder why I didn't just buy some Sharkskinz track fairings, but its because the used OEM fairing pieces were much cheaper and I already had my OEM upper headlight fairings that weren't being used since I installed a custom HID projector headlight. The OEM fairings also break down into smaller pieces for less storage space when they're not installed on the bike. I went with half fairings to give the bike a different look and to potentially allow the engine to get more air and not overheat at the track. I'm also going to use my old cored OEM exhaust mufflers to preserve my beautiful carbon high-mount Termignoni slip-ons that are apparently no longer available.
I've also acquired all the necessary riding gear that is required for track days: one-piece leather race suit, back protector, riding boots, and gauntlet style gloves.
I still have to prep and paint the used fairings and replace the wood decking on my 5x8 trailer, but I'm hoping to be ready for the April 1st event with RideSmart motorcycle school at Eagle's Canyon Raceway near Decatur, TX. I'll post some photos of the bike with the new fairings once I get it finished, and hopefully I will be able to capture some good on-track video with the GoPro HD camera.
Stay Tuned...
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