<You might want to get a cuppa before reading this!?! (or just give up now?!?)
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I first got my SV around Christmas, having seen some minitwins racing over the years, I realise a SV can be pretty 'useful' on track. With this in mind, since getting my own (road) SV I have wondered how it goes/what it is like on track. I had a trackday booked at Silverstone (GP circuit) for the 23rd May, so took the SV along too (I have a dedicated race/track bike that I was primarily taking).
I think it was the 3rd session of the day and I decided that it was dry enough to swap bikes and take the SV out for a sesh (had started off damp from the day/night before and no point taking it out in substandard conditions).
Had the tyre warmers on my other bike, so out on cold tyres, not that much of a problem on a trackday, but something I had to bear in mind!
It is a well documented fact and I have always thought that the SV's brakes are nothing special. I had popped some 'Performance friction' pads (track/race orientated carbon based pads) in there to give them the best chance, I had also fiddled with spacing/increasing the 'span' on the leaver so I get more pull.
The PF pads do need a bit of heating up before they 'work (carbon based remember)', I have them in my other bike and when hot, they are great, it only take a few corners to get them up to temp.
The brakes did improve when up to temp, but still wooden and unimpressive. I was breaking much earlier than I wanted due to perceived lack of breaking. And lets face it on an underpowered bike (compared to the 600s and thous etc that I was out there with) one place you need/can make time back should be on the brakes.
I have never really liked the front end of my bike on the road, it has always been too 'stiff' (for me/my preferred setup). The forks have been modified for track use (springs and emulators) by the previous owner, which presumably is why it is so stiff? After advice from here, I have adjusted the emulators and used thinner oil (and different 'air gap'). Anyway, it was better on the road, but still to stiff for my liking. I wondered if it'd seem better on a smooth track where it was designed to be?? But alas even on track it was still way too stiff (for my preference).
The rear is a stock shock, bearing in mind I wasn't expecting much from it, that was actually working fine at the sort of pace I was building. I have always ridden on the 'front end' anyway, but where there was a 'soft' rear and a 'hard' front, this mismatch in overall bike balance made the bike not very confidence inspiring,
Although the engine feels nice and 'punchy' on the road, on track, especially a biggy like Silverstone GP, it felt ... well ... dead.
I did have some fun and managed to hold my own in the group, and although after a bit of time was working the bike harder, wasn't totally comfortable with the bike so not prepared to go totally balls-out.
So overall, if I was to take the bike back to track I'd want to get the suspension more 'balanced' and do something with the ruddy brakes!!! I could ride it as it is, but I felt like it wasn't really giving me the 'feedback' I wanted. Many other bikes I have blaggged a go on at or taken to track, I have 'hopped straight on' and felt worked pretty well from the off, and I am talking all manner of tackle, not just outright sports bikes, e.g. a Ducati ST3! That was surprisingly good on track!!
Another session to settle in might have made me change my mind a bit, but as I had to ride it to work the next day, I had answered my nagging question and wasn't getting the 'feedback' that I would want to push it much harder, I decided to play it safe and put the bike away after that session.
With good brakes and suspension setup I was happy with, I think it would be great fun for duffing up bigger bikes at smaller tracks at trackdays
But as it is I don't intend to take it again.
When all is said and done, I did buy it as a road bike and it is great for that, so although the above sounds a bit negative, I have no grumbles about the bike considering what it is, I also believe that with a bit of time and money thrown at it, to make it more as I would like, it could be made into a decent track tool. What I can say is that I always had some, but I have a new respect for the minitwins riders having ridden an SV on track myself now and realised as a stock bike/building block they are not all that!!! All I can say is that they must have fiddled/twiddled with a lot to do the times they do, or just be barking!!
I haven't given up on the bike and I'll change the fork oil for lighter still, as I want to soften the front further for the road anyway, but apart from that, I am not prepared to spend any money on the bike, coz, well it is my road bike (and I love it on the road). If I come across a cheap rear ZX10?? shock I might invest as this will help the 'balance' a bit perhaps. If I get/do that then I'd be interested in taking the bike along again, but until that point I have no further interest in a re-visit.
Well that is unless there is a SV.org trackday where it is lots of other SVs to play with, then I'd be up for that!!
<are you still awake?!?!>
So what was everyone elses first SV track experiance like?