Why the focus on performance riding?

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by bluefishman

But to buy a new bike as in the sv and then have to improve it don't make sense to me.

But you dont have to improve it in stock form IMHO the SV is perfectly adequate, mine was certainly adequate enough to show a clean pair of heels to riders on much more exotic machinary.

If you've never ridden anything else you dont notice it. It was only when I got my GSXR and got off that back onto my SV, I realised just how big the difference is between the two, suspension and chassis wise, doesnt mean I ride the GSXR any faster than I did the SV though...

I'd agree with the OP for most people a respring and change of fork oil is perfectly adequate. But if you can sell your SV parts and do a GSXR swap for free or possibly make a profit on it, then why the hell not.

In the end I thought about spending my money on my SV and decided against it and bought my GSXR instead. So what the hell do I know !

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by martin15s

the biggest improvement on any bike is the quality of the rider....

Very true.

A very skilled rider can keep a completely underdamped bike dead flat going into a corner, perfectly matching the braking and cornering load to avoid pitching and wallowing around.

A perfect suspension setup will flatter a gibbon of a rider and let you get away with things which you would otherwise be eating tarmac for.

So the biggest improvement on any bike is the rider, the next biggest is the suspension!

[Bibio]

for many people the stock suspenders on an sv are fine. but by changing them to something better it turns a good bike into a great bike. for road use the sv650 is a cracking bike and very forgiving, but its tyring over long distances due to the constant see saw of the suspension (not to mention the blurred vision caused by the lack of control over rough surfaces). but changing the suspension you reduce the see saw motion buy a lot making the bike much more enjoyable to ride. one other thing that the SVs suffers from is a ridiculously low and awkward bar hight and by changing this you also make it more enjoyable. the braking performance is also greatly increased.

these are my views and i'm sticking to them

[yorkie_chris]

And just to point out, if you get a £1000 SV. Add a nice rear shock (£500) and some GSXR forks (free), it will handle a sight better than £1500 worth of GSXR. (which will be half-f***ed at that price with worn out suspension)

Firstly I have NEVER fitted just a can,system yes and obviously secondhand parts are cheaper than new equivalents and everybody has the knowledge to rebuild/overhaul them.NFL
Look at some of the questions asked on here by people-----not everybody has mechanical aptitude.
Those that have garages/tools and the know how can but some people don't even know which direction a sump plug turns to loosen.
You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

iv spent quite a bit on mine doing the usual gsxr swaps and i completely understand the OPs opinion. Like with other types of transport though, people just love to modify things and the little SV is a perfect candidate!
I probably could have bought a new GSXR 600 with the money iv spent on mine but i love the fact its not the norm and iv put my stamp on it. Its made me alot more confident with my riding whilst still being a 70hp twin, i know that with another 50hp and 2 more cylinders id end up getting myself into alot more trouble!!!

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Dicky Ticker

Firstly I have NEVER fitted just a can,system yes and obviously secondhand parts are cheaper than new equivalents and everybody has the knowledge to rebuild/overhaul them.NFL

Even paying to have the parts fitted works out as good value for money, way I add it up anyway.
Fact that learning the limitations of crap handling first too is also worth something!



Also just to answer the question in the title. "Why the focus of performance riding?"
Probably because performance riding is challenging and exciting. "I was out on the bike the other day and negotiated every hazard with the bike upright with no drama" makes a crap story down the pub

Sounds like same attitude as other mr-IAM in thread with his video of him riding slowly and like a d*ck!

Presumably the SV for £1000 was perfect and owned by a little old lady Lets work out an hourly rate for the time spent on this £1000 SV and cost of parts new or secondhand
Possibly a bit nearer£2500 and you can buy a decent GSXR for that

I am out of this one-------lets agree to disagree

Originally Posted by SVFreak

Any sv post 2003 has adjustable front preload. The standard bike is fine for anyone. If you want a GSXR front end buy a GSXR ..........

The standard SV front end is not fine for everyone. I'm not a racer, but even I can outride the usefulness of an SV's front end. It's universally accepted as awful and needs improving if you want to make swift progress.

I didn't want a Gixer, I wanted a 650 V-twin. I bought an SV, found that although I liked the engine, ergonomics and just about everything else, I hated the suspension, so I changed it to suit me.

People who make blanket statements that go along the lines of "they're fine for everyone" usually can't ride a rocking horse.