[Rios929]

The good:

I got a used purple SV650 race bike in great condition from a girl racer from florida. Not that fond of the color, but I got to say I love the SV as a track bike. I think I'll be able to learn on it way better than I could on my 929. The bike is a lot of fun and has lots of goodies on it. Well, lot's of goodies to me, considering my 929 is stock.

The bad:

The bike was damaged by the shipping company. I'm pretty sure they dropped the crate from a forklift or something. The result was some pretty bad gashes to the tank and plastics and a bent clip-on. The shipper and I are in the process of filling claims, in hopes of getting reinbursed. If anyone has had this happen, please let me know if you have any advice.

The ugly:

I bit it in turn 3 at brainerd on my June 25th trackday. It was my first session on the bike and I was having loads of fun, but I guess I was riding a little to fast for my ability. I lowsided in turn 3 which is a decreasing radius turn. It was my first crash on pavement since I rode around on a dual purpose XL185S when I was 14. I have to say it was quite an experience. My adrenaline was definately pumping as I slid on the track and into the dirt. It seemed to happen in slow motion. I'm glad I wasn't hurt, and that I had a spare brake lever.

I was lucky enough that the event photographer was at that turn when I went down and he captured the whole thing. Here are the pics link

I think I'm not hanging off the bike enough into the turn, and when I adjusted the speed for the decreasing radius it was too much for the front end, and it lowsided. If anyone has some tips/critisisms after looking at the pics, please share.

[WetShrub]

Well if the first 2 pics are pre-crash then I would say you had some serious lean angle going on there.

Did you buy new race tires for it before the track day?

Do you know how many heat cycles on those old skins?

Did you mess with the suspension at all for your weight?


Just first guess I would say the rubber is old, lean angle too great, and improper suspension set up. Of course there could also be other things that are tough to tell from there like, were you trail braking too deep, etc.

You said it was your first session.... cold tires? Tire pressure, were you comfortable when you crashed or were you riding at your limit?

[maxib]

If it wasn't for bad luck, you'd have...

Sorry to see/hear this, Rios. Glad that you're okay.

Once you got the brake lever replaced, how did you like Brainerd?

[Rios929]

Originally Posted by WetShrub

Did you buy new race tires for it before the track day?

Do you know how many heat cycles on those old skins?

Did you mess with the suspension at all for your weight?

They were fairly new Diablo Supercorsas, but I don't know much about heatcycles. I am going to have to read up on that. I think she said she had only used them for a few sessions.

She said the bike was set up for 170lbs, and that is what I weigh. Suspension set up is another thing I definately have to get better at, I only have a very basic knowledge of the whole process.

I felt comfortable before the crash, but definately slowed down after the crash as I was a bit nervous. I think my lean angle was too much, and I have to hang off more.

Overall I liked brainerd, but It is much more intimidating than MAM. That straight would be down right scary on a liter bike . I definately want another go at it though.

[RRWANTR]

Well if you have to go down, turn 3 isn't the worse place to bin it at BIR. Glad you weren't hurt.

[WetShrub]

Okay, well yeah I'd say you were probably over-extending the Diablo Supercorsa limit. Next time try some Dragon Supercorsa DOT's or some Dragon Supercorsa Slicks. I run a Soft rear (SC2) and Supersoft front (SC1). However in your climate you might consider an SC0 front and SC1 rear. Don't know how warm it gets there. Here it gets in the 90's regularly during the summer. The DOT's and slicks are the same rubber and same number rating, just one has a cut tread and the other doesn't. If you don't have tire warmers, I'd suggest getting DOT's as they will heat up quicker. Even so, go a full lap before really pushing those tires. After they are up to temp. you are good to go.

It's possible that she had the bike set up properly but then again she may have known nothing about it and rode so slowly that she'd never know the difference. I see you have the stock forks on there. Have they been rebuilt? Race-tech? How about the shock? If not, then that could be the problem right there as SV suspension sucks as it comes stock. Most racers will replace the entire front end with a GSXR front end. Forks/wheel/everything. Then they will replace the rear wheel with a CBRF3 rear to maximize the 160 rear tire rubber. The list of mods go on and on but the suspension on the SV is the biggest downer. Make sure that's sorted out and you will do just fine.

I am 170lbs and my SV has a GSXR750 front end with an Ohlins's rear. I just bought it that way so I can't tell you a whole lot about why it was chosen but it seems to be working well. Some folks out here run with a Penske rear and some put a GSXR shock in there with limited results but anything is better than the stock suspension.

I'm sure tigerblade could give you some good advice too. Or if you want the guru of all guru's is Zoran. He resides in Cali and has a company devoted to the damn things. Twin Works Factory.

http://www.twinworksfactory.com/

He is on svrider.com as TWF as well. Knows everything there is to know about SV's. Great guy. He helped me out big time last race weekend. See the following thread:

Welp....new SV650 swing arm today

-Shrub

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Rios929

I think my lean angle was too much, and I have to hang off more.

Absolutely! From the pics, I'd say it was all down to that (too much lean angle, not enough hanging off).

Glad you weren't hurt!

[tigerblade]

I have to agree with the others. Looked like more lean angle than those tires could handle. Your knee is down (or close) but your torso is still over the top of the tank (I find my own body position like that quite a bit, and while it worked for Mick Doohan, I try to correct myself). Don't replace the front end with GXSR components if you want to race supersport. Just have the front sprung for your weight and add cartridge emulators. The SV is also sensitive to fork oil weights. I just have a Penske double-clicker on the rear and between that and my fork work, I'm very happy with the suspension on mine.

[WetShrub]

Ahh yes, I forgot about the rules out there. Stock forks, stock wheels, but can run the displacement up to 700cc's right? Don't have those rules here.

[ReaperAZ]

Wow, that shipping company did a number on that tank . Good to see you're ok, I like that last pic in the series, standing over it with your hand on your side. Most likely thinking, "How the F did that happen!?"

[SuperDave]

Those are awesome pictures! I wouldn't be saying that if you were hurt bad.

Man, you are lucky, it looked like you SMASHED shoulder in that one slide. Glad to hear you're OK.

That's too wild, it's almost like a video.

[tigerblade]

For CCS, Lightweight Supersport is liquid cooled up to 675cc but LW Superbike is up to 700cc. For Supersport you have to use OEM wheels and forks but can (and should!) change the internals.

[CBR929RE]

bastard shippers. glad you weren't hurt.

lean angle does look like the problem as others have said. keep the outside knee on the tank and slide the ass down off the seat and your knee should be on the ground no problem and you'll have plenty of angle left for the tires.

[Rios929]

Yeah, the bike has race tech built forks, although I don't know what spring rate. I'm guessing .8 or .85 because it feels very similar to our other sv with .85. The shock is a penske. I just need to get better at dialing the suspension if for me. I don't know how to use what I feel out on the track to dial in preload, sag, rebound, etc.

The racer I bought it from is third in her CCS championship, so she's probably faster than me.

whoops, I didn't realize there were two types of supercorsas, I guess It does have dragon supercorsa dots on there, Is there any way to tell if a tire is done heatcycle wise?

[tigerblade]

For the most part, sag should be the same no matter how you ride. Preload helps you get your sag right. Get that done first, then you can tweak the rebound and compression.

[WetShrub]

Originally Posted by Rios929

Yeah, the bike has race tech built forks, although I don't know what spring rate. I'm guessing .8 or .85 because it feels very similar to our other sv with .85. The shock is a penske. I just need to get better at dialing the suspension if for me. I don't know how to use what I feel out on the track to dial in preload, sag, rebound, etc.

The racer I bought it from is third in her CCS championship, so she's probably faster than me.

whoops, I didn't realize there were two types of supercorsas, I guess It does have dragon supercorsa dots on there, Is there any way to tell if a tire is done heatcycle wise?

Some race classes only have like 10 people in them. I've heard people say they got their first top 10 finish....out of 12 riders. The 650 twins race in Cali is 30-35 riders each race. It's all relative but she does sound like a decent racer.

Blueing of the rubber can be an indicator as the oils have gone from the rubber. However if they are the same tires that some one else had, I'd just ditch them. You never TRULY know how they have been treated unless you rode them yourself. One thing I never mess around with is tires.

[Zippy]

Regarding body position, butt was off, but torso was not. Only half the job was done. Come up to the turn with the butt already off. Then initiate the turn by pulling your torso off and down as well. You had too much lean angle. Drop your inside elbow to point towards the ground, dragging your torso WAY off the bike with it. That will get some lean angle back so you have something more to work with.

[figment]

Originally Posted by Zippy

Regarding body position, butt was off, but torso was not. Only half the job was done. Come up to the turn with the butt already off. Then initiate the turn by pulling your torso off and down as well. You had too much lean angle. Drop your inside elbow to point towards the ground, dragging your torso WAY off the bike with it. That will get some lean angle back so you have something more to work with.

+1

[HRC NICK 11]

Looks to me like you draged a hard part and levered the tires off the ground, but its hard to tell from pictures, if thats the case getting your body more to the inside to get the bike more upright would have helped.

You guys have all been spoiled with all these new high grip tires, I remember we used to drag the engine cases on our F2's with BT50 and dunlop 204's.

It took for ever to warm them and they slid all over the place.

Nice bike by the way, looks like they tried to set some thing on the crate.

[CBRVFR]

Sorry about your get-off, Rios, but glad you and the bike are OK.

When you "adjusted the speed for the decreasing radius turn" did you chop the throttle or attempt to trailbrake? Seems to me that even with a perfectly set-up bike, you'd be asking a lot of any sort of tires to significantly load the front with that kind of lean angle..

[Diesel954]

Yeah glad your ok. Could have had some of this like me when I lowsided.....

[Rios929]

Whoa! Haven't seen those pics in a while That was last June.

Here's the SV a couple paint-jobs later: http://www.momentumphoto.net/events/...M0401_1178.jpg