I?ve often wondered what it would be like to be a full-time, factory motorcycle racer. And it?s something that I fantasise quite a lot about, at times like this; on the run up to a big race like the TT, where I?ll be competing against the pros on my own little bike as a complete and utter privateer. I?ve convinced myself over the years that racing for a factory team has got to be a better way to go racing, although having never been in that position, some might argue that I?m in no position to say. But I?m going to tell you what I think anyway. This is what I think the differences between a factory racer vs a privateer are.

Budgets

When you?re doing it by yourself, you?ve quite often got to fund it by yourself. And bike racing is expensive. If you?re a privateer with a massive bank balance, or you?re dad?s a Saudi prince or something you might be alright for cash, but most of us struggle. You work as much as possible to get the cash in that you need to go racing, and when you?re not working (or working on the bike), you?re trying you?re best to find sponsors to help you pay for it, or doing what you can to keep the sponsors you?ve got happy. Most people will tell you that one of the hardest things about racing bikes is finding the money to do it in the first place.
If however, you?ve got some factory support, things can be slightly different. If you?ve got a factory team budget, you?re probably not going to worry too much about how you?re going to pay your ...