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northwind · 31-07-06, 11:43 AM

Hornet brakes aren't that much better... Honda started fitting higher grade pads in, was it 2002? 2003? The last revision before the USD front anyway. Which is cheating

The OEM pads in teh SV were selected to stop beginners killing themselves, IMO, loads fo space for upgrades. Spend £30 on a set of EBC HH or similiar and the SV is a little better than the Hornet is stock. I think teh Hornet does have a better master cylinder, from memory, but the last one I rode had a Brembo fitted.

But the new Hornet front end is way, way better- that and the finish are the main reason it costs more than the SV despite having a steel frame and the engine that Jesus had in his bike

SVs, as standard, have a dynamite combination of reasonably powerful but unsophisticated brakes combined with an undersprung, underdamped front end. Also, those calipers need looking after.It's the divey front end that causes the most problems IMO- upgrading the front end gives big stopping improvements too. In fact, putting powerful calipers on a standard SV front end would be a mistake, it'd just make for even more dive- putting even basic upgrades like new springs and oil into the forks will slow you faster than GSXR calipers on standard springs, I'm sure.

31-07-06, 11:43 AM	#9
northwind Moderator Mega Poster Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In the garage where I belong Posts: 17,083	Hornet brakes aren't that much better... Honda started fitting higher grade pads in, was it 2002? 2003? The last revision before the USD front anyway. Which is cheating The OEM pads in teh SV were selected to stop beginners killing themselves, IMO, loads fo space for upgrades. Spend £30 on a set of EBC HH or similiar and the SV is a little better than the Hornet is stock. I think teh Hornet does have a better master cylinder, from memory, but the last one I rode had a Brembo fitted. But the new Hornet front end is way, way better- that and the finish are the main reason it costs more than the SV despite having a steel frame and the engine that Jesus had in his bike SVs, as standard, have a dynamite combination of reasonably powerful but unsophisticated brakes combined with an undersprung, underdamped front end. Also, those calipers need looking after.It's the divey front end that causes the most problems IMO- upgrading the front end gives big stopping improvements too. In fact, putting powerful calipers on a standard SV front end would be a mistake, it'd just make for even more dive- putting even basic upgrades like new springs and oil into the forks will slow you faster than GSXR calipers on standard springs, I'm sure. __________________ "We are the angry mob, we read the papers every day We like what we like, we hate what we hate But we're oh so easily swayed"