Hi from Wisconsin!

[Astrin]

In case you've never heard of it, a state in the Upper Midwest US east of Lake Michigan, south of Lake Superior, east of Minnesota and north of *cough* Illinois. But I'm not pure yank - my mom was from Sheffield and I went and got Brit citizenship this year, for reasons even I am unsure of. I thought I'd get a discount on Roundtrees.

So why the Brit SV forum? Because you are cool and funny and stuff! Actually I don't even ride an SV. My street bike is a BMW K75RT (1991) and I'm an active BMW tourer, camper and rally socialite. But I ride a Gixxer 600 on the track, and am very seriously considering switching to an SV track bike. Mainly because I hate the shrill whine and high torque peak of the inline four, and I love twins, but also because SVs are said to be absolutely kickass track bikes in terms of handling. With cheap widely-available parts, etc. It'll be underpowered at a huge fast track like Road America, but I don't care. Straight line speed is boring. (I don't race.)

I'm thinking definitely Gen 2. I like the simplicity of fuel injection and I'd put my Power Commander IIIr and quickshifter on it with a tracky fuel map.

A couple track buddies have offered to swap bikes at a track day soon, so I'll perhaps post up my reactions. One is an '01, the other is Gen 2 of some vintage. Both are strictly race bikes (lightweight categories in the local CCS club racing series) with appropriate racing mods.

If I do go for it, I'll hope to find a track-ready bike on, say, the WERA classifieds. It's too expensive to mods a streetbike, even though one can buy an excellent street SV with reasonably low miles for under $3000. (Motorbikes are cheaper than bicycles around here.) My '01 Gixxer was race ready on a second engine, and cost $2000 - a very good deal, but you get the picture.

If anyone is planning a trip to my area, be sure to ask me for riding recommendations. Southwest Wisconsin is gorgeous riding, with rolling hills in the unglaciated 'Driftless Region' with cheap dining and lodging. I don't know where you could rent an SV, but I'd be happy to help out. (There ought to be an Airbnb-type site for motorcycle sharing!)

[Bibio]

yey another yank to the members list. if your anything like Bananaman you'll be more than welcome. i do hope you understand sarcasm as most of us on here are very sarcastic well when i say most i mainly mean me :-)

for general nonsense and pizz taking you go here http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=176548&page=402

all the rest is boring bike stuff.

[pookie]

welcome to the mad house!

[jambo]

G'day!

No, wait, that's one of the other former colonies isn't it?

Howdy!

Close enough...

SVs in my opinion make good track bikes provided you're after something light, torqey and fun. If you want the best brakes, suspension or power out there a GSXR is better setup out of the crate. If you try your mate's bikes you'll know exactly what you're getting in for so that's a very good start.

So hello and welcome, and feel free to stick about regardless of what you ride, half the people on here don't have an SV anymore!

Jambo

[Sir Trev]

... half the people on here don't have an SV anymore!

Jambo

Half? More like three quarters don't have an SV any more, although a lot of us ex-owners still have a hankering for the one they sold.


Welcome Astrin. As already mentioned, if you can get on with the sense of humour you'll fit in just fine. Feel free to post up some snaps of these roads in your area you say are great in the photo forum.

[Astrin]

Ah yes, the old "I never should have sold that bike!" syndrome. Every time I meet someone that used to have a K75 they say that. Therefore, I will never sell my K75. I'll turn it into a planter when it finally expires.

As for sarcasm, that's the main reason I joined this forum. Everyone knows Brits are the kings/queens of sarcasm (and surely invented it).

As for brakes - lots of SV updates are needed for a racebike, including steel lines, better brakes, etc. No worries on that, the lightweight class in local club racing is down from the good old days, but there is still a critical mass of (mostly older) dudes racing SVs. I'm really excited about the low-end torque and lighter handling. If I don't go for an SV (for whatever reason) I'll probably switch to a GSX-R750 for the torque. Triumph Daytona 675 is an option, but it's a bit squishy for my long legs. But I do love triples.

For your edification, I've pasted a screen grab of some results from last weekend's CCS races at Road America (a formerly famous four-mile track in Wisconsin built on some wooded hills) for lightweight class. As you can see, it's mostly SV650s. Formula 40 is riders at least 40 years old. It's pretty much the same guys. I want a Formula 50 class, and pretty soon a Formula 60 class would be handy.

You'll note a Moto3 group appended to race at the bottom. The interesting thing there is this well-sponsored kid, Brandon Paasch, who is 11 years old and insanely fast - he flew by me in the trackday sessions, and on Sunday he went from 11th row (in the Moto3 group) on a sparse grid to winning the entire race - beating my over-40 paddock neighbor who didn't mind since he won his class. Keep an eye out for Paasch in the future. He seems like a nice kid.

[kaivalagi]

Hi and welcome, you are indeed a rare breed in the states, an American that appreciates sarcasm is as rare a Brit that doesn't...I know all too well from the Rocket forum I belong to

Make sure you keep us posted with your race bike saga as it unfolds, it'll make for an interesting read I'm sure

[BanannaMan]

Cheesehead eh?
Welcome to org from Virginia!

The sv is a fun bike.
You know what they say 'it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow' and the SV loves to be flogged for all she's worth.





I'm totally jealous of the UK citizenship.
If I had either that or the offer of a decent job I'd move there in a minute.
Beautiful country, nice people, better economy and healthcare system.
good roads & better drivers. (Just dont think about the fuel costs)
And these blokes are even better in person than on the forum.

[Geodude]

Howdoo and welcome, ride safe have fun :)

[Astrin]

Cheesehead eh?
I'm totally jealous of the UK citizenship.
If I had either that or the offer of a decent job I'd move there in a minute.
Beautiful country, nice people, better economy and healthcare system.
good roads & better drivers. (Just dont think about the fuel costs)
And these blokes are even better in person than on the forum.

Yeah, my wife and I just did two weeks in England/Scotland on a rented ST1300 out of Hunts in Manchester. Awesome trip. Stayed with my aunt in Sheffield a few days, then moseyed up to Edinburgh along the northeast coast, stayed with our friends there (and saw our daughter who flew up from Madrid), then set up camp at a sweet B&B in Pitlochry and did day rides to the west coast. We meandered back down through Loch Loman park and then the Lake District, and poor Damien at Hunts had to pry the 'Pan' out of my hands. Rode about 1800 miles, mostly in the second week.

Roads were fantastic, people were great, terrain and vistas were amazing, and we saw lots of middle-aged couples touring two-up like us, usually on BMW GSes. Oh, and the weather cooperated more or less. Scotland is CRAZY BEAUTIFUL.

[Bibio]

Scotland is CRAZY BEAUTIFUL.

yes when the weather plays ball it's stunning. the area you were in is nothing compared to the top west coast which is breathtakingly scenic with the added bonus of being very sparsely populated, you can drive for miles on some of the roads and not see another vehicle.

thanks for visiting our lovely land :cool:

[carelesschucca]

Ah Wisconsin its one of the few places in the US of A that I want to visit, well Lambeau Field in particular. GO PACK GO!

Thanks for the big up for Scotland. I'm trying to convince the forum members from south of the border to come up and play.

You stay safe and enjoy the riding.

[Astrin]

Ah Wisconsin its one of the few places in the US of A that I want to visit, well Lambeau Field in particular. GO PACK GO!


I'm actually a Packer owner along with my wife. Haven't been to the "owners meeting" at Lambeau yet. I have been to two games in my life, an early-season loss to the Jets and a Monday Night Football game against the Rams which was Favre's 200th consecutive game. We won decisively and clinched a playoff berth. It was November and just a TAD chilly, but we were prepared. No idea how the team will be this year, we supposedly drafted a super good DB which could help a lot.

[carelesschucca]

You're telling me you went to Lambeau and you didn't stand about topless for 5 hours, wimp;) I don't get to see much of them we get one or two selected games a week so I get to see the Pack on TV a couple of times a year. At least I get to see my team more than my wife, as a kid she had a liking for a certain QB who moved from the 49ers to KC Chiefs and shes liked them ever since. They seem to bring her more pain than anything else in her life. Bar the moment Colin Edwards crashed at the last corner at Assen last years play off defeat for the Chiefs was her worst sporting moment she damn near wrecked the house and went storming off down the street trying to find a Colts fan to kill (there aint many about thankfully)

[Astrin]

I think WTMJ streams the radio broadcast with Wayne Laravee and Larry McCarren, which I prefer over the TV audio (got a sync radio so I can line them up). It's much preferable sharing the joy and pain with our own announcers.