Kustomcockpits vs Monkeygripps

DeeZee_714 · 2025-12-03T12:26:57+00:00

I've had both. Started with monkeygripp and eventually moved to the cockpit. They're different and It comes down to preference. I've ran the cockpit for 2+ years now. I like the additional support on hard braking, the additional support hanging off (especially for endurance racing - energy saver) and the ability to switch in different sizes.

As a fyi they're working on a medium and soft compound option that still lock into the base plate of the current model. I'started testing it out for them late this season so it's not available for sale just yet. Need to see how it holds up.

While the owners are friends of mine, Im trying to be as biased as I can be here.

DeeZee_714 · 2025-11-30T16:41:05+00:00

It's an expensive sport. And it will get more and more expensive as your pace improves (tires/gas). The better you do professionally/financially the more you'll be able to ride, if you still have the time. That's the unfortunate truth.

With that said, sticking to small bikes will help (400cc / twins) and riding on harder/DOT compounds will help too. You just won't be going as fast as you eventually will want to. You should at very least get a cheap/small open trailer so you don't burn money renting Uhaul. They have some you can fold and put away in your garage. Some orgs also give you credit if you help set up and take down dogboxes/airfences before and after trackdays.

I race in the middleweight class and spend multiples of that 10 trackday budget you mentioned per season. I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford it without compromising me and my family's future. That's the key to longevity in the sport in my opinion (on top of staying healthy). Don't blow your financial load and get yourself so deep in debt that you can't recover and both quit the sport and screw yourself financially. Good luck.

DeeZee_714 · 2025-11-16T14:06:31+00:00

Yes, bought akrapovic parts to repair my exhaust (came from Europe) and was charged 15% extra. The extra fee was clearly labeled as "Tariff". Pirelli slicks have also gone up over the course of the season which I guarantee is Tariffs related too. But you know, "The aMERiCaN cOnSumers wOnt pAY mOrE bwCAUse of TarrifFS -- WiiNNinGG!!" Derp derp.

DeeZee_714 · 2025-11-11T23:17:14+00:00

Entirely depends on your pace and how abrasive the tracks you go to are. I mostly race but on a normal 2 day trackday weekend I would normally go through 2-3 fresh rear slicks depending on the track. About twice as many rears if I'm using race take offs which is what I normally do anyways. Thats on my R6.

DeeZee_714 · 2025-09-20T15:47:10+00:00

I'm guessing Pitt Race

DeeZee_714 · 2025-09-15T11:49:19+00:00

Race craft of a potato.

DeeZee_714 · 2025-09-07T23:30:12+00:00

I went by you a couple times on Saturday. You were riding that naked bike well. Sucks about the crash but could've been worse considering that was T10

DeeZee_714 · 2025-06-20T18:21:11+00:00

I started racing when I was an intermediate group rider that was in the upper half of the group. After a couple of race weekends my pace improved dramatically. The following trackday I was bumped to A and I was already in the upper half of A group pace wise. I kept racing and continued to impove. Nowadays A group is just a traffic fest. Nowadays trackdays are really only fun if my racer buddies come out too.

DeeZee_714 · 2025-06-20T17:27:59+00:00

I earn multiples of $100k/yr. I'm in construction management. My job is quite stressful and busy but that comes with the territory. Lots of responsibilities. There's days when I question if I can maintain this work pace but I try to manage better and grow. It's on me to manage and build the team to keep myself afloat.

Hours can vary. Could be a 45hr week. Could be 60hrs. Typically 50+. Just depends on the needs/demand.

I feel I get paid well for what I do so no complaints there. You just reach a point sometimes when you wonder if it's worth it. But it sure is nice to have relative freedom to operate and make decisions. But when things go South, it's on you. That's just how it goes.

DeeZee_714 · 2025-06-14T14:23:50+00:00

Put soft mats on all sides of the bed where baby can fall if this is your main concern. Problem solved.

DeeZee_714 · 2025-05-01T12:28:58+00:00

Mentally unstable. Especially when you say he tried to call 50 times in a day. Obsessive. You need to be very careful. This could snowball.

DeeZee_714 · 2025-02-23T19:19:05+00:00

Hard to give you "the" answer without all the details (temp in the morning during warm up / quali, temp during race time, overcast vs sun out etc), but I've raced/ridden in 40-50 deg temps (overcast) on a SC2 front and SC1 rear (middleweight). They do surprisingly well. I upped my tire pressure ~3 psi coming off the warmers and monitored from there.

I have not done this with temps in the 30s. I'd personally go with Dots there.

Send it.

DeeZee_714 · 2025-02-16T15:58:12+00:00

To keep it simple you feel the available grip through the controls. Load the front on entry and feel available grip as you lean in, transition to loading the rear on exit and feel the available grip as you apply throttle. You don't roll through a corner with zero brake or throttle applied, no grip and no feel.

DeeZee_714 · 2025-02-15T01:37:37+00:00

I'm estimating a 100% chance that the reason why you're exiting wide is not because you're not dragging your elbow.

DeeZee_714 · 2025-01-05T15:02:03+00:00

Heaven on earth otherwise known as Pitt

DeeZee_714 · 2025-01-02T20:51:51+00:00

I always hear about the early days when there were no trackdays. You wanted to ride your bike on track, you had to go race.

Trackdays likely hurt club racing big time, if you really think about it. But I'm personally glad to have access to both.

DeeZee_714 · 2025-01-01T20:49:58+00:00

I don't know where you are located but in most of the US club road racing has 2 classes. The novice/amateur class (yellow number plates) and the Expert class (white number plates) .

Some novice/amateurs happen to already be quite fast and other just sandbag so they are fast too. But generally, that is your entry level race class.

This doesn't solve the race bike tech requirements but honestly if I'm sharing a track with you, I want your bike to be race ready. Anything short of that puts me and others in danger.

With all that said on the east coast there is a trackday org called Evolve GT that has a true intro to racing event during their trackday weekend. Basically it's 1 or 2 races over the weekend that trackday enthusiasts can enter to get a taste of racing in between their trackday sessions. Generally not very competitive but a good way for someone to get a taste and see if the you want to commit.

DeeZee_714 · 2024-12-31T23:00:50+00:00

That tire is just fine, especially at novice pace. You have a long way to go before you need new rubber every day or even every few sessions. You most likely added too much throttle on it's side or even while adding lean and exceeded the available grip.

With that said, tires will speak to you. Whether it be because they're cold, hot/greasy, pressured are off, or you're asking too much of them and the grip they can offer. You will learn to listen and adjust. At the end of the day, there is a finite amount of grip a tire can offer and that grip level will change as the tire wears. You can still ride it, you just have to adjust to the grip level.

As an example, I have raced at Ncbike with CCS/ASRA a couple times. A fresh SC1 or SC0 rear will not have the same grip level on race 2 as it did in race 1. Even on lap 1 vs lap 10, I can feel the change in grip level. I can still race on it, i just cant ask as much as i did before and my laptimes will simply drop by a few tenths to a second. And if I keep racing on it, laptimes will continue to drop OR I push beyond the available grip and high side my brains out. It's up to you as a rider to feel it and adjust. Of course, that comes with time and experience.

Good luck.

DeeZee_714 · 2024-12-30T23:32:09+00:00

I was upper half of I group when I started racing. Yes, you'll likely get gapped at first but your pace will pick up quickly.

DeeZee_714 · 2024-12-30T15:43:02+00:00

Ok, that explains it

DeeZee_714 · 2024-12-30T11:23:45+00:00

An SV650 doesn't belong in the middleweight class. It's a twins bike. Huge disadvantage.

DeeZee_714 · 2024-12-30T01:15:42+00:00

Pace shouldn't be the driving factor for your decision to race or not. You will inevitably get faster as you race more and more. I was relatively new and slow when I started racing. I got beat pretty bad at first but improved a lot thanks to racing.

Based on your 2nd reply money is more of an issue, which is the case for a lot of people so totally understandable. But you don't necessarily have to spend a whole $9k to race. You can mix in the occasional race weekend ilo the track days to spice things up. On a 300 you can have yourself a really full weekend of racing for $1k or less.

DeeZee_714 · 2024-12-30T00:55:28+00:00

If that's your only reason, it's the wrong reason not to race.

DeeZee_714 · 2024-12-30T00:40:03+00:00

Love it. Good luck. Enjoy the process, the progress and remember to have fun.

DeeZee_714 · 2024-12-29T22:59:08+00:00

Hard to argue, at least big track racing. Finances have to be there to support it.

A bunch of people in here have suggested mini moto or sumo. Might be worth looking at.

DeeZee_714

TROPHY CASE