Hi, I'd appreciate some advice as I research which bike to get for the track as well as occasional road use. I've been riding for years. 600 and liter bikes, Japs, Ducatis.. My learning ground has been the crooked roads of the Appalachian Mountains, from WV to GA as well as other parts of the world. This is not the track but years of taking on these twisties have allowed me to gain a good feel and control of these machines. Although at lower speeds. So which one to get... Seems like the SV650 is a great one to start with and it's fun. Cheap to run, good on the street, as with my Griso I like v-twins. I'm leaning towards that bike, almost a no brainer. My one concern though is its performance, especially with higher speeds. There will be a lot to learn but all these years of riding have made me comfortable with the turning, from a ZX-6R to the 10. A Jap 600 would have more performance and allow me to push more if I get to that level. I like to have that power available if I feel I can take it on. I'll be interested in racing as well one day, again if I get there. So if I feel comfortable on these machines, is a Jap 600, biased on the ZX, a good choice? Or is the SV the route to take? I'd appreciate any other suggestions too. I wish I had more money to risk and just get the Tuono V4R, I want that bike bad, but would likely cry seeing the bill if I bang it up. Thanks much!!! Happy riding and I can't wait to join the track club. Can't believe I've waited this long to do this. First thing is to find the right machine
unless your ride in Advance all ready I would spring for the SV650. Why? Its cheaper generally, lots of used parts, prolly better on tires, and most importantly being a novice myself the honest truth is I think everyone learns faster on a slower bike than a faster bike.. I think youll learn to be faster quicker on the slower bike than you would on the faster bike if that makes sense lol
I bought a 2013 zx6r after becoming hooked on track days. The original idea was to ride it on track as well as street but the track hook went deeper and I couldn't justify the loan and required, expensive insurance so I sold it to build a track only machine. Started with a Ducati 748 that I found cheap but they are kinda known to have reliability issues and I had them so I bought a second gen sv650 as a back up and I love it! They are cheap, reliable machines and while they are not as fast as 600 inline 4s, they aren't exactly slow either. I can't say I didn't love the thrill of the zx6r, I just couldn't justify the cost. So this is a hard one for me call but if you're not rich, it's a no brainier to go with the sv650 so you will have more money to spend on track days. This is a VERY addictive sport!
the sv platform is a great track bike, cheap to buy, dependable, tons of upgrades and tons of spare parts available. They are great on tires, though the size does limit tire choice. The accept a lot of different bodywork (as most needs to be fit to them anyway)...
I'm going against the grain here. Get a 600. Why? You are already used to them and it seems, you know how to handle them. Get a GSXR or R6 as parts are more plentiful but of course the ZX6R is a great choice too! Although I love the SV, at your level you may have the experience to justify more power/revs and performance. But as many said, you can't go wrong with the SV either.
Thanks a lot for the advice. Common sense says to go with the SV and that's what I'm looking at right now. Will go see a 2000 Gen 1 this evening that looks sweet although I do prefer to get a Gen 2. But I'm still tempted at getting a Jap 600. I appreciate the advice and thinking hard on this. A nice benefit of the SV is the cheaper operating cost. People just seem to love those machines and I agree a slower bike will teach you to ride better to go faster. It would be a cool feeling to pass guys on their bigger bikes. I live for the turns happy tracking!!!
They say it is more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow. But I have a R6 and I have lots of fun.
I don't know where you are located but here is a Gen 1 sweet deal. http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/mcy/5698813659.html
If you're patient and dedicated to learning the craft go with the SV. I started on one. It took me from Novice to Advanced and it was a great bike to do it on. It taught me to carry corner speed, brake deep and plan my passes carefully. With that said, I now have a Daytona 675 and am having 10X more fun it at track days. Why? ....majority of the field at track days is made up of 600cc and bigger bikes. There are fast guys out there who can make their way through the field on SV650, but I am not one of them ...many times it would take me 2 or more laps to find a way around someone on a bigger bike because I didn't have the horsepower to stay close to them between the corners and didn't want to make a sketchy pass. With the 675 it's so much easier to stay with others and find a way around that I end up having a lot more fun.
my r1 on the track vs my ninja 650, id rather ride the 650 any day of the week .. little bikes are actually fun . especially when passing big bikes
This is the same question I asked myself about 7 or 8 years ago. I had ridden liter bikes on the street and done a number of track days on them and had actually gotten to the slow side of the advanced group. At that point I decided on wanted to go racing and knew I didn't want to race a liter bike and wasn't interested in racing with the novice 600 crew (other wise known as the hamburger class) so I decided to get an SV650. Hind sight being 20/20 it was the best decision I have ever made when it comes to my riding. On a smaller bike you don't have the horsepower to overcome riding mistakes that you do on a bigger bike. So in order to go fast on a small bike you have to learn how to be very precise and consistent. Cost of ownership on an SV is very low compared to a bigger bike. Your tire budget for an SV 650 will be half what it is for a 600. Less money for tires means more money for track time. Your buddies are passing you on the straight on their higher horsepower bikes? Big deal, it's much more rewarding passing them in a corner where they think nobody will pass them and then walking away from them through all the twisty sections. All in all if you're seriously considering an SV then you've probably already made up your mind and are just looking for some reinforcement that it's the right decision. I say go for it, you won't regret it. 1st Gen SV's typically are considered to handle better than 2nd Gen SV's. 2nd Gen SV's make a bit more HP (1 - 3) than 1st Gens and have fuel injection. There are various kits available to change from the stock rear wheel to GSXR rear wheel that will allow you to have more of a selection of tires. Lots of SV's have had GSXR forks put on them. Honestly the bike handles as well or better with the stock forks but the GSXR brakes are substantially better than the stock SV brakes. Lots of other info over on SVRider.com if you want a place to do research.
@airbornebaby Thank you for asking the question. I have the same question as OP but with a little twist. I'm trying to decide between an SV and springing for an Aprilia RS250. Why an RS? I have a 02 Mille R and having a RS250 as a stablemate would be cool and a number of the parts interchange. I built the Mille to be a street legal track bike (it has a couple different tails, sharkskins and led bolton/off lights). Problem is it turned out way nicer then I intended and the thought of dropping it really holds me back mentally on the track. Anyway, not trying to hijack the OP but any links to west coast deals (built SV or RS) if you see any please PM me.
Are you going to race? It makes a big difference. For a RACE bike...SV. It is the perfect platform to learn on. They are cheap, plentiful, and very easy to ride near the limit. The grids have pretty good competition, and are full of good people. You don't need any fancy parts to be competitive. For a TRACK DAY bike...anything but a SV. A SV will never make the horsepower or a 600 or 1000. It can make for some frustrating sessions when spend an entire lap trying to get around "that guy" with the swoopy lines on the liter bike that has been holding you up. You finally do, and he just passes you back on the straight. Repeat that for 20 minutes and you WILL get frustrated.
Any thoughts on this one, its really close by: http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/mcy/5720990688.html What is the best year to look for/stay away from in regards to an SV?
2800 tops on that one if not cheaper. You would need to check for any structural damage due to the road rash but there doesn't seem to be. Also mileage and original motor etc...
In theory, but try it a couple times and let me know how it works. Or try it at my local track (Grattan) where it would consist of exiting the track, driving thru the real pits, and then re-entering on at the opposite side of the track.
No. Any one you want. There are basically 2 styles. 99-02 (first gen) and 03+ (second gen). I've tracked an 03, 06, and 07. There are no bad years but there are some minor differences. SVrider is a fantastic resource if you want to learn more. But having owned both, I agree with fz1guy. An R6 is more fun...
Get an SV and don't look back! There is almost nothing as satisfying on track as passing faster bike and pulling away from them. Riding an SV can let you experience this. You will learn how to carry corner speed riding a smaller bike. When you're ready, sell it for most of what you paid and get something faster. Passing down a great first dedicated track bike to someone else who can benefit from the lessons that can be learned riding it.