I'm sure there are some Honda gurus here that can speak to specifics, but calling the bikes that CEII and NH69 rode RC51s is a bit of a misnomer.
Agreed, but this bike didn't exactly set the world on fire even in race trim by comparison ...and the SV1000 they didn't even bother to think of using.
Being a vtwin sport bike nut, ive pretty much spent time on them all... Get a TLR and fit a good rear shock to it if you want a good handling, fast, fun comfy jap Vtwin That will give you a shit eating grin each time you ride them. The RC51 may have better manners out of the box. But still has a board for a seat and clumsy low speed handling and not without its own quirks too. The SV1000 is a limp wet noodle compares ro either of the above bikes and has an uninspiring power delivery. The TLS contains more laughs then a barrel of monkeys, but is a finicky beast that requires bulk work to turn into an awesome bike. gen 1 & 2 mille aprilias are an absolute hoot but first thing id do is replace the stator and the reg rec and starter solenoid with new aftermarket ones. As for dukes... id start at the 848/1098 and up years. Not as comfy, way hotter to ride around on and bit of a pig around town. The harley engines (m)buells are fun street bikes but proprietary hardware makes it hard to tweak them at times, the rotax powered ones are good fun track bikes and road bikes too, but engine reliability and front brake woes hobble them a fair bit on track KTM RC8 Is an awesome thing too, comfy, fast solid bike. Get the suspension dialled and remap the fueling and you got a fk off fast trackbike thats just as happy on the road. It would be my pick if i ever wanted to move away from the TLR & TLS i currently own. As track mules go, the 848, RC51 & TLR if you want Supersport levels. 1098/1198 or RC8 For superbike levels.
Inline 4's are faster and way easier to live with, but are just that little bit boring compared to a twin imo.
Not remotely the same. Other than coming from Honda that's about it. Remember Moto-ST? The sv1000 was pretty popular so I don't think it's quite useless on track. It won and beat the super duper dookatis and whatnot. The SV would be a much better street bike as well over an RC.
I had a gen1 Aprilia Mille and that thing was a hoot. Same for the tuono. Those frames were built for something like 6000 Nm torsional stiffness and the Rotax engine in those is a blast. Remove the snorkel in the airbox, pull pin 16 on the ecu. Voila. If i end up selling my pani, i will get an old mille again
I took my 2007 Tuono to the track. Power was underwhelming compared to my 2003 R1, but the handling was greant with just an aftermarket Ohlins in the back and RSVR Ohlins up front.
I'd actually recommend the 999 over the 848 and 1098. The handling (IMO) is much better out of the box and are the unloved step-child of Ducati superbikes. Most people stray from them because of the controversial headlight arrangement. The 848, 1098, and 1198 are a riot to ride but are an absolute handful/unforgiving on track at an accelerated pace without significant geometry work.
I had a Sv 1K when they first came out. There was a strong following (just not so much in the US). I did lots of work to make it more of a sport bike (ohlins rear shock, ohlins valve kit in the forks, M4 2 in to 1 Ti exhaust, fueling box, Gsxr rear sets, etc)....three years later and a lot invested I sold to a friend and bought a 05 CBR 1K....what a revelation.... Just sooo much better on all fronts. That said, I now have 07 Tuono Factory and that is the bike you should try before you buy if you want a twin. You can pick them up for a very reasonable price. Just find a 07 or later that was well looked after and you will be happy. DT
While I agree that 999s need less work than 848/1098/1198 generation to get the sweet Ducati handling, the newer bikes only need 2 or 3 parts to be great. And the engines are a large upgrade over their older counter parts for the most part. The 749 can't hold a candle to the 848 in engine department. The jump from 999 to 1098/1198 is even bigger. The newer generation really just needs adjustable or lower offset triples ($500), adj. ride height rod (848 doesn't come with one, $100). To be fair, 999s benefit from the same mods, but they also have the benefit of the adjustable headstock to reduce caster angle to 23.5* from 24.5* which is typically better depending on the track.
