Do you want a track bike" Silly question, of course you want a track bike. Because the track is the best place not only to see what you and your bike are really capable of, but to hone your motorcycling skills to the Nth degree. But it can be difficult choosing the right track bike, with so many options out there. Do you go for the latest, greatest streak-of-lightening superbike to chase the lap-times and impress your mates" Or do you go for the budget option and buy yourself a bullet-proof bandit from the days of yore" What spares do you need" Does it need to be road legal" If you?ve ever found yourself pondering questions like this, hopefully the following will shed some light on things.

Cost

You don?t have to spend tens of thousands of pounds to get a half decent track bike. A couple of grand will get you a serviceable bike that any half decent rider ought to be able to hold their own on in the fast group in any trackday. I?m talking about things like mid-noughties 600s, mini-twins (Suzuki SV 650s and the like), and that kind of thing.
Of course you?re more than welcome to spend five or ten times that on a track bike. If you could afford to, there?s nothing stopping you buying, or building, a trick-as-you-like superbike with all the bells and whistles. You?ll be the talk of the trackday.

At the other end of the spectrum, it?s also possible to buy a couple of quid?s worth of tat, that?ll probably get you round. You might find t...