what do i do?

sneakynoshoulders · 07-30-2008, 04:20 PM

i've been doin track days for about a year now on my everyday rider. as im sure a lot of people do. i ride an 06 600rr. obviously an inline4. my question today is regarding the fact that im lookin for a track only bike. ive settled on wanting a twin, but a smaller one. anyone who has taken a 600 inline on the track knows there's lots of shifting invovled. i want something more simple. i know the powerband on twins is much wider, thus cutting down on the necessity of hitting the "right" gear. i've been lookin a lot at sv650s and kawi 650r's. they seem to be the best candidates for me. i just havent found that deciding factor. i've never ridden either of these bikes so i dont know how either of them feel or behave. everything i've read or seen on these bikes has told me they are both extremely reliable motorcycles that will do just fine for regular trackday use. so if anyone has any info they can give me on these, or any other suggestions for bikes i may not have looked at it would be greatly appreciated.

Parabellum · 07-30-2008, 04:41 PM

From what you described, I believe you want a V-twin, not a parallel twin.

The SV650 fits the bill, the Kawi 650r is a parallel twin...so it will have most of the same drawbacks and characteristics of an I-4.

I'd say try to find a used SV650 and you will be good to go.

Philbie · 07-30-2008, 07:59 PM

Both the 650R and the SV are a blast to ride on the track. I've been fortunate to have ridden both and they are pretty close for the most part. But I'd recommend the SV because there are a ton of parts available. Harder to find used upgrades with the Kawi.

OreoGaborio · 07-30-2008, 07:59 PM

SV650 or 650R, they both make great track bikes... but the SV seems to be a better bang for the buck due to the greater aftermarket & track-side support and it does put down a little more power in stock form.

I just picked up an '06 SV for race use, fully set-up for racing for FAR less than I could have found a similarly set-up 650R & I nabbed 3 top 10 finishes (6th, 5th and a 4th) with only a couple of practice sessions on it.

In contrast, I have a friend that races a 650R and although I've never competed against him, he's done QUITE well on it.... but he's also sunk a lot more money into it than I would want to do.

I'll have to see if I can get him in on this thread to shed some light on the differences, but other than what I mentioned I can't immagine they're all that different.

Philbie · 07-30-2008, 08:02 PM

What he said.^^^^

OreoGaborio · 07-30-2008, 08:07 PM

I just edited my post a little, sure you still agree?

Philbie · 07-30-2008, 08:14 PM

What, did you have a typo somewhere?

OreoGaborio · 07-30-2008, 08:37 PM

Hehe, nah, i didn't change much, just said it makes a little more power than the 650R and there aren't all that many differences.

Philbie · 07-30-2008, 09:31 PM

You are correct about the hp. I'm fairly new to SV's actually. Raced a borrowed 650R and Husky 450 a few rounds and had a blast. Liked it so much I stumbled across an ex-Zoran built SV and bought it having never ridden one. Having more fun on it than my bigger bike.

Riding a LW bike is more forgiving in most areas and makes the game of passing in-line 4's more calculating than HP down the straights.

Justice06RR · 07-30-2008, 10:01 PM

You mean you're not happy with your 600RR on the track? I have the same bike and altho I do agree that there's a lot of shifting involved, that's just part of the fun of riding just as dragging knee is. Depending on your mods, it may feel slow or fast but from my experience at Jennings the RR has a pretty good power band so I only shift from 3rd-5th around the track.

Some mods would help like a full system, pc, sprocket change, etc. But if you really want a twin then go for it. I personally love the suspension of the RR and think its better than any other twin can offer. just my 2cents.

OreoGaborio · 07-30-2008, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justice06RR

I personally love the suspension of the RR and think its better than any other twin can offer. just my 2cents.

Stock suspension is good & all, but the Ohlins shock & re-worked forks on my SV are like buttah!

And considering I got it all race-ready & well set-up for 3g's, how can I say no?

Not to mention racing in the Lightweght categories at NHMS is where it's at!

sneakynoshoulders · 07-31-2008, 01:56 AM

[quote=Justice06RR;3697628]You mean you're not happy with your 600RR on the track? QUOTE]

not at all actually. i love the rr. its just thats my everyday rider, and i have a kid on the way. so im thinkin more about practicality than anything else. i've been down on it twice, and its really expensive to put repli-racers back together (im sure everyone here already knows that though). ive done a lot of reading and poking around before starting this thread. the reason i settled on the 650s is the fact that if i go down on the track its not as big a deal cause im gettin it specifically for track use (and the parts are much cheaper). i dont have to worry bout pouring $500 (at least) into it asap so i can get it back on the street. im still pretty new to the sport. so im still takin baby steps out there. ive only been riding since 2005. with gas prices on the rise, i use the cbr to get back and forth to work. its much better on gas than my 5.9 v8 ram. im a honda guy at heart, i would never put down the rr. its an awesome machine, but like i said, i need it to get me to work in morning.

serpentracer · 07-31-2008, 08:24 PM

I can almost bet you aren't going to like anything else as much as your CBR for the track. and if you are too lazy to even shift....you are going to have a hard time with everything else. shifting is very low on the ladder of skills you are going to have to work on.

yeah a sv can be nice with all the suspension done ect, but remember, the CBR has all the engineering etc to the frame, the motor, the transmission, the swingarm, etc etc...the bike is far more advanced. but it's not like you are ever going to be able to exploit it fully.(not trying to bash you)

I think you'd be better off buying the 650 for driving to work. the ergos etc..

sneakynoshoulders · 07-31-2008, 08:42 PM

well then, serpent guy, then you obviously havent seen a damn thing ive said. laziness has absolutely nothing to do with it. as i stated earlier, i am new to this sport, so im sorry that i havent quite got down all the little tid bits here and there like you do. i havent said a anything about suspension or ergos and whatnot either. i happen to like the way my rr rides on the street. granted it was made for the track, but i cant afford to keep putting it back together when something goes wrong... which is why i am looking for a budget bike for the track.

OreoGaborio · 07-31-2008, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by serpentracer

I can almost bet you aren't going to like anything else as much as your CBR for the track.

I wouldn't necessarily say that. A properly race prepped SV is about as good of a lightweight race bike as you can get. After just one race weekend on it I'm already faster on my SV than I was on my street duty ZX6R.

Are there better lightweight race bikes out there than the SV? Absolutely (Duc Supersports come to mind immediately), but you'll pay a lot more for it and it won't be all that much superior to it.

And besides, we're talking about TRACK DAYS here, not racing. I did track days for YEARS on my ZX, then got an EX500 when I started racing.... I had a BLAST flogging the snot outta that little turd

The thing was wiggling, shaking, shimmying all over the place once I really got it up to pace, but it was damn fun! And I did quite well on it, too, getting w/in 5 seconds of Expert championship pace.

As far as forgiveness goes, I'll go out on a limb & say that the SV will let you make more "mistakes" w/o paying for it like the RR may. And that's worth something, too.

That's what I liked about the EX... you had to ride it VERY smooth or else it would start gettin all outta shape on ya. I learned a ton from that bike.

Then again, NHMS is a pretty small/technical track. It favors the lightweights & has a class specifically designed FOR the EX500.

What you want is a LEARNING TOOL. You said you wanted a smaller twin & I think the SV is the right tool for the job.