Track Day at Brands Hatch

[Avianblue]

Finally did my first track day yesterday - and a steep learning curve it was too!

Managed to completely over-cook Paddock Hill Bend on one of my first proper laps and nearly ran off! Mind you, the main reason for this was the dramatic way in which the SV stood up under braking. I'd read a couple of reviews saying the SV1000 was prone to this but I'd never experienced anything like this on the road!!!

Also managed to seriously lock up the back wheel by dropping down one gear too many going down Graham Hill. I was doing about 60 mph at the time and it was certainly a case of the tail wagging the dog because the whole bike had a fit and nearly spat me off! I must have left a swathe of rubber on the track about 30 meters long!

The stock tyres are now looking a bit sorry for themslves but they're certainly grippy and I got some nice lean angles out of it. For some reason I managed to ground-out the brake pedal - not the foot-peg mind you but the brake pedal itelf. Still not sure how! :o

All-in-all great fun - and time to book another session I think! Will post some photos when I get 'em.

Dave

[Timothy]

Originally posted by Avianblue@30th July 2003, 05:46 AM<br /><br /> Finally did my first track day yesterday - and a steep learning curve it was too!

Managed to completely over-cook Paddock Hill Bend on one of my first proper laps and nearly ran off! Mind you, the main reason for this was the dramatic way in which the SV stood up under braking. I'd read a couple of reviews saying the SV1000 was prone to this but I'd never experienced anything like this on the road!!!

Also managed to seriously lock up the back wheel by dropping down one gear too many going down Graham Hill. I was doing about 60 mph at the time and it was certainly a case of the tail wagging the dog because the whole bike had a fit and nearly spat me off! I must have left a swathe of rubber on the track about 30 meters long!

The stock tyres are now looking a bit sorry for themslves but they're certainly grippy and I got some nice lean angles out of it. For some reason I managed to ground-out the brake pedal - not the foot-peg mind you but the brake pedal itelf. Still not sure how! :o

All-in-all great fun - and time to book another session I think! Will post some photos when I get 'em.

Dave
I thought the slipper clutch was sposes to sort that?

[Avianblue]

Quite!! Guess it'll only tolerate so much!

Just shows how much I abused it! Think I must have put it down into 2nd at 60mph! :blink:

[BJAM]

Been looking in the manual and cannot see any references to a slipper clutch - still looking.

[Andy.SP1]

Don't think you'll find a referance to the Slipper Clutch.......it ain't got one......not a proper one anyway.....

So what's up though ban it into 2nd at 60, back end slides, just back it into the bend, smoke it comming out still in 2nd, Now thats a proper V2

[RibbonSpeakers]

Originally posted by Avianblue@30th July 2003, 05:46 AM<br /><br /> the dramatic way in which the SV stood up under braking.
Dave
How great is its tendency to standup under braking compared to other bikes? Thanks.
Jim R. Petaluma CA

[Avianblue]

Can't really say - I've never normally used much front brake in a corner before - for obvious reasons!! :D

I was probably doing about 70 mph and with not much lean going into the corner - I didn't grab a handful, just enough to slow down reasonably quickly. But the bike probably went from 20 degress to the vertical to 10 degrees within a second or so! Which was a bit disconcerting!

[Avianblue]

Oh yes, out in the lead where the SV belongs! :P

[BJAM]

Hope thats a legal visor :rolleyes: How come you could ride on the track on not have to tape up your lights?

[Avianblue]

Depends who's running the track-day.

At Brands I think they sweep the track if someone comes off on the track itself (as opposed to running off it which most people tend to do) so it doesn't make much difference if they're taped up or not....

Entirely legal. On the track. :lol:

[ReiL01]

I don't think the SV has a slipper clutch...I could be wrong (been known to happen quite often). If I downshift abruptly, the back tire will bark, and if I'm romping on it the rear will also bark when I upshift. I'm not talking about a barely there audible chirp, I'm talking about a nice loud "bark" of the tire like when you're in a car and you smash 2nd gear hard....as a matter of fact it sound ssimilar to a friends Mustang when he shifts hard into 2nd.
Perhaps I'm letting the clutch out too quickly ????????? :huh:

I do admit this is my first road bike, however I've owned 4 dirtbikes and have been riding since I was 8 so I'd like to think I'm not that much of a newbie. :whistle:

Neil

[BJAM]

I don't think the SV has a slipper clutch per se. There is no reference to this component in the manual and the clutch diagram doesn't show it either. Evidence from riding the bike would back up my thoughts as it is easy to change down and lock up the rear as ReiL has indicated. Any thoughts?

[BigThumpa]

It has a back-torque limiting device in the clutch. Just takes out the initial hit but isn't anything like a proper slipper clutch.

[andysv1k]

I agree, its a piece of piss soaked cake to lock up the back under braking, been doing it quite a bit recently.


Im so jealous that i havnt done a track day yet, done one in my kit car which was one of the best days of my life!

will have to make the effort and get the sv on the track, did you get insurance for the day, thats the thing that concerns me most.

Andy.

P.S did you notice? "the bike in front is a.................silver one!!" :lol:

[Avianblue]

No insurance I'm afraid!

You takes yer chances basically, although you can get insurance if you want it (costs an arm and a leg of course - £200 for the day?).