Replica Racer

I have heard this topic come up a few times as to were the sportbikes you can buy retail are replica racers and not the real deal. as far as i know if you take the same year race bike and retail bike they are not very far apart other than the race bike having the very best of the best upgrades. Such as shocks,brakes,pipes maybe a top end kit that you can buy and install in your own bike if you wish and of course a full tune. I'm not even sure if these race teams do full blueprints on there motors but i would think they do. At max to me it looks like at max your street bike is maybe 2 or 3 years behind from the top notch setups before the become common place in retail. Any other insight on this issue would be great. What make the factory race bike such a diff animal from the reatil bikes ? I also know that you can take your street bike and get your pro card pass the track test and enter yourself in a race as an indi.  

First of all the bikes do start out the same. However; the amount of work, cost of the upgrades, amount of developement, experience to know what to do and how to do it, and ability to even get the top upgrades (one of a kind parts) can make the price of a race bike astronomical compared to the bike at the dealer.

Second, you can't get just "take your street bike and get your pro card pass the track test and enter yourself in a race as an indi." You have to start as a club racer and go through the system. They get your pro license if you are good enough, then qualify to get into a pro race. All of this is not an easy task.

I know when people go to a race as a spectator they think that is looks easy and they can do it. Believe me the pros make it look easy but it is not. I suggest if you are interested, join a club organization like WERA or one in your area. See how you do in the Novice races (anyone that has some talent will progress very fast here) and move up through the system. You will find out if you can handle the competition, if you can afford it, and if you have what it takes to keep going to pro. A lot of guys never go pro but still have fun in club races. A lot of guys just do track days to have fun going fast on a track where it is safe. You might want to go to a race school and see how good you are first.

Road racing is a very expensive addiction. The best addiction you can have if you are good.

Here is a good post about a Honda race bike.
http://www.sportrider.com/features/146_0410_ten_kate_honda_cbr1000rr/index.html  

Great post and all very true. The only thing a race bikes has over the retail bike is the money and the R&R. If anyone is going for a pro card good luck,but it is doable. So really there is no diff other then your competing agianst guys with fatter wallets.