Getting a track bike at 55

Make up your mind...thought you liked it there.

 

1. SV650
2. SV650
3. SV650

They go fast enough for a new rider, but not so fast that you’ll learn bad habits or highside into orbit, way cheaper to run than a 600, there are tons of parts for them, everyone understands them and there are a ton out there. For a newish track rider who’s already very experience with bikes, why look elsewhere. With an SV since they’re so common I feel like the BS and fiddling factor is extremely low.

Ride the piss out of it and when you want to upgrade you’ll probably sell it for 90% of what you bought it.

Either that or a ‘tard, mostly because they’re fucking dope.

2nd bike, Kramer GP2 so I can live vicariously through you.

 

Have you ridden any upright/streetfighter 1Ks? I'm your height (slightly younger but bigly fatter than you) and trying to ride a sportbike is an annoying PITA. My two bikes for the track (also street bikes) are a Street Triple (main) and an S1000XR (fun to open up on the straights).

If you're just looking to putz around and not trying to be the next great American racer (in which case starting on an SV would make sense), I think you'd be well served in looking at some upright 1Ks - something like a Super Duke, S1000XR, FZ1, etc. Have all the electronic goodies on them and you'll be able to get out of bed the next day. If you feel like splurging, I hear that Ducati may have a streetfighter that's worth looking at

Just my $0.02.

 

That’s a good point about his height. I’m the same height as you 2. I had an EX500 that my elbows would touch my knees and I could never properly hang off. That’s one reason I’m interested in a motard as a track bike. Something flickable that I can actually fit...

 

Track prepped, spanking new Tuono ftw.

 

Should I even ask about reliability? Pasta bikes worry me.

 

I have a 17 Factory Tuono with a few bits well within the OPs budget !

 

Street Triple.

 

You must have me confused with somebody else...

 

That generation ain't no slouch. My back-up bike is an '02 Mark Junge/Vesrah GSX-R750 sprint bike. People still think it's a 1000, but I gotta do my part to make them think that. It's hard work hanging with capable riders on newer 1000s, but there's a certain level of personal satisfaction when doing so...the other side of the argument guys on 600s use.
FWIW, I was 1-1.5 seconds a lap faster on the 'Zuk than I was on my Corse-engined Duc 996S. Long, self-serving story...I'll leave it at TL;DR.

 

Some bad news for me, I have always been under the impression that the track was open to bikes when there are no cars on the track (about half the time on any given member day). Found out today that is not the case. I am going to lobby for it but for now it would be 4-6 weekends a year. I think I'm still going to get a bike. I'm not getting any younger...

SuddenBraking, good point on the naked/street fighter ergos. I think I will have a chance to try some of those at the YCRS school. Super Duke might be pretty interesting too. Given the limited number of days I will have on the track, leaning more towards 1000.

 

Tuono!
Spring is a great track.

 

That's not the only track out west. If you can be bothered to travel 5-10 hours down the road from Spring Mountain, a good handful are available...and I don't mean good as in a full handful, I mean good as in a handful of good tracks. Don't limit yourself, you're not getting any younger...

 

With your budget and priorities, i would honestly look into custom suits, unless you have a very “off the rack” build.

Good boots, gloves, helmets are easy enough to identify and purchase.

before i even mention the bike, i would consider how you’re going to live while at the track. A comfortable and supportive bed in an air-conditioned trailer will vastly improve your riding experience at any age, but likely more in your 50’s and 60’s.

that’s not to say i am advocating a toy hauler - but a good camping pad (search Paco Pad) or high quality air mattress will be must-haves in a 6x10 enclosed trailer. Comfortable doesn’t have to be fancy.

as for the bike, get over the notion that electronics make a fast bike safer, and just plan to purchase a slower bike that isn’t actively trying to highside you as retribution for a right-wrist mistake.

anything fuel injected with good suspension setup will be enough to keep you learning and improving for at least 2 years. THEN you can buy whatever you want, and maybe actually start to exploit additional power and electronics. Maybe.

for my part, i honestly prefer the simplicity of vintage and/or SV style bikes... if i could afford the convenience of FI, i suppose that would be nice, but i smile bigger inside my helmet after cursing in the garage, messing with the bike.

 

i started on an EX500, and although mine was very stock, i think they provide some obstacles to learning.

i bought a race prepped Honda F2, and things that made little sense on the EX were almost telepathic on the F2 - and 1992 sport bike geometry wasn’t exactly cutting-edge.

racing an EX now would be fun, because you’d be riding around it’s limitations. I am not convinced it is an ideal teaching tool if the goal is to progress to a more modern bike.

man SV has much better chassis characteristics, and not a ton more power. They really do seem to be gems for learning.

i didn’t love the engine-braking if a twin when i had the EX. Anxious to see how i cope with it on an SV. But i have been racing XRs, and just chattering or locking the rear wheel in any hard braking zones, so that’s gotta help a little...

 

Personally I’d steer clear of a 1000 i4, they sound like fun but beat the crap out of your body and they can be such a handful they become not too fun. You can dial in all the rider aids etc to make them a lot tamer but you end up with basically a 750 that’s fast in a straight line. Reading through all these posts my suggestion would be a Tuono, Superduke or the like. Or find a built sv or fz 7. You will have a shocking amount of fun on one of those, I always had my doubts but there is a reason that class is always so stacked and it’s not just $ related.

 

“Fun” does not always equate to the fastest lap time.

this Tuono talk sounds to be the right direction.

 

How did you come to that conclusion? Seriously.

 

I mean, Aprilia did just announce the Tuono V4 X..........

 

I don't know how he came to that conclusion, but my 2003 R1 beats the crap out of me at tight tracks like Summit Point Shenandoah and it "only" has 140HP, so less than the current crop of 1000s. You are braking in more places and longer and harder. You have less time to "rest" on the straights. You have to put more effort into throttle control. When there are rises / drops you have to move your weight to hold the front end down. Sure modern electronics could help with the latter two, but at the sacrifice of drive.

My SV650 is more fun and I can rider longer and better because I am not as exhausted even when running nearly as fast lap times (faster at Shenny). NJMP Thunderbolt and NCBike are a bit like that too, but not as big of a difference at those tracks. Summit Main even less so. I am getting older and my fitness just isn't want it used to be (53yo).