Greetings from Michigan

[dreadfalcon]

New member here on these forums. This will be the first motorcycle website I've ever joined. I've been riding for about 10 years. Love to ride every single day in the summer, if I have the time I'll ride for 8 hours in circles just for fun or take interstate trips. I absolutely love riding, it's somewhat of an obsession. I like night riding in a big city but I have a distinct uncomfortableness with deer and back roads, so I prefer daytime riding only since I live in a pretty rural-ish area.

I've spent years working on technique and learning new skills but it seems every year I always learn something new and become a better rider. Only ever been down once, and it was a heavy traffic freak scenario that couldn't really have been prevented IMO. I'm probably overdue for a good crash.

I currently ride a 1st gen SV650. Can't really explain why but I absolutely love the 1st generation SVs. This is the third 99-02 SV I've owned. Hands down they're the best bikes I've ridden. I guess I've never ridden a brand new Ducati but I've ridden everything from 250s to 1100 super sports and these little 650s suit me perfectly.

I'm currently in the process of painting it and working on it (new front rubber etc) (it's almost the beginning of the riding season here) and haven't really got my trousers off too much, but here's a crappy pic for now with the bike half apart. I'll have some better pics by next week hopefully.

http://i.imgur.com/DeMsGdD.jpg


I'm not sure who's bike this is, but this will be the ideal color scheme once I'm done with it.

http://i.imgur.com/GRqhBG1.jpg


Cheers and looking forward to meeting you all,
dreadfalcon

[RacinNinja]

Hi! SV's are great bikes!



So are Ninja's.....

[dreadfalcon]

that yours? looks great.

[HoneyBadgerRy]

I've never ridden a sv650, but them seem to be a forum favorite. I'm personally not a big 600 fan, but maybe that's because I've never been on a 650.

[csmith12]

Welcome!

[RacinNinja]

Originally Posted by dreadfalcon

that yours? looks great.

Yessir, 32,000 miles!

[dreadfalcon]

I think a lot of things just boil down to personal preference. People are crazy about their bikes, the same way some parents are crazy about their kids . It's pride. And everyone has a different riding style and preference.

Personally I think having ridden lots of different types of bikes the reason I love the SV is the V twin. Most sport bikes being inline 4s, it's nice to have a V twin motor with the suspension and lightweight body of a sport bike. I always ride in my powerband for safety reasons, and your powerband being a lot broader comes in handy. It comes in handy in the twisties too, you can ride the hell out of some curves on the SV. Most inline 4s including ninjas are going to be much faster in general with a higher top speed, , especially in a straightaway, but I mostly ride in the city anyways at speeds under 60mph, and the SV can do 0-60 in 3.5ish which ain't bad at all. It's all a matter of preference.

[dreadfalcon]

Originally Posted by RacinNinja

Yessir, 32,000 miles!

You put those all on yourself?
Love the Orange.
Also, what's that box under your exhaust by your belly pan? Noticed the k1 doesn't have that. That's where my oil filter is.
I rode a naked last year, forgot I had pics of that. I'd embed them but for some reason it makes the pics super massive.

http://i.imgur.com/OOYQlIu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VYsE7PG.jpg

The naked was fun, but I think the unrelenting winds may have damaged my shoulder and made my neck irreparably longer. 90 on the interstate with no fairings or windshield is kind of numbing. My new one has the full fairings with a Gsxr front end, so, that'll be nice.

[RacinNinja]

Originally Posted by dreadfalcon

You put those all on yourself?
Love the Orange.
Also, what's that box under your exhaust by your belly pan? Noticed the k1 doesn't have that. That's where my oil filter is.
I rode a naked last year, forgot I had pics of that. I'd embed them but for some reason it makes the pics super massive.

http://i.imgur.com/OOYQlIu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VYsE7PG.jpg

The naked was fun, but I think the unrelenting winds may have damaged my shoulder and made my neck irreparably longer. 90 on the interstate with no fairings or windshield is kind of numbing. My new one has the full fairings with a Gsxr front end, so, that'll be nice.

Oooohh....shiny! Always liked the pregen 650's tube frame. Wish it would have carried over to the 03+!

Well, it's a 1000, not a 650.... I cheated.

That is an oil cooler, actually. I don't think the 650's have em. My oil filter is right under it behind the chin fairing.

I've thought about the GSXR front end but for the 1000, it's kind of moot if you set up your suspension properly. It really benefits the 650's, though, because their suspension has no adjustment. The 1000's came with compression and rebound adjustments.

[verboten1]

Welcome from almost ohio!

Originally Posted by RacinNinja

So are Ninja's.....

[dreadfalcon]

Originally Posted by RacinNinja

Oooohh....shiny! Always liked the pregen 650's tube frame. Wish it would have carried over to the 03+!

Well, it's a 1000, not a 650.... I cheated.

That is an oil cooler, actually. I don't think the 650's have em. My oil filter is right under it behind the chin fairing.

I've thought about the GSXR front end but for the 1000, it's kind of moot if you set up your suspension properly. It really benefits the 650's, though, because their suspension has no adjustment. The 1000's came with compression and rebound adjustments.

Ah okay. To be honest I've never ridden the 1,000 I sometimes forget they exist. Riding the SV650 is better than sex to me, so, just extrapolating, the SV1000 must be about 25% better than sex than the 650 already was. I'm definitely jealous.

The only qualms I have with the GSXR forks and whatnot is the SV was much easier to work on. They definitely outperform the stock suspension.

[RacinNinja]

Originally Posted by dreadfalcon

Ah okay. To be honest I've never ridden the 1,000 I sometimes forget they exist. Riding the SV650 is better than sex to me, so, just extrapolating, the SV1000 must be about 25% better than sex than the 650 already was. I'm definitely jealous.

The only qualms I have with the GSXR forks and whatnot is the SV was much easier to work on. They definitely outperform the stock suspension.

120 HP and 75-76 ft lbs of torque sex. Torque curve starts about 3000 RPM and doesn't change much from there.

Definitely a riot!! Handles well too. One of the great things about a v-twin package is how skinny and light they are compared to a 4 cylinder. My frame and engine isn't a whole lot wider than my 180 series rear tire!

You made a good choice!

Oh, here's my Ninja for relevance, LOL!

[dreadfalcon]

120 HP is too manly for me. My throttle control is pretty nonexistent. The 650 is only I think 65 or 70HP? I'm a super aggressive rider. My problem with the 1100cc 135hp I had was that I almost died about 9 times in one season. Didn't go down but a lot of close calls.

Nice track bike. I'm strictly a street rider and I don't know the first thing about riding track but I'm trying to get into it this year. Just finished reading twist of the wrist 1 and 2 and learned a lot about track related things I didnt know and was interesting. Im always interested in expandng my abilities as a rider.

Would you recommend the ninja for street, or the ninja as opposed to any other 4 cyl? I kind of have a soft spot for the R6/R1, how would these bikes compare? To be honest I'm not sure why I'm on a ninja website lol I know next to nothing about them, or Kawasaki. I forget what random Google search led me here.

[RacinNinja]

Originally Posted by dreadfalcon

120 HP is too manly for me. My throttle control is pretty nonexistent. The 650 is only I think 65 or 70HP? I'm a super aggressive rider. My problem with the 1100cc 135hp I had was that I almost died about 9 times in one season. Didn't go down but a lot of close calls.

Nice track bike. I'm strictly a street rider and I don't know the first thing about riding track but I'm trying to get into it this year. Just finished reading twist of the wrist 1 and 2 and learned a lot about track related things I didnt know and was interesting. Im always interested in expandng my abilities as a rider.

Would you recommend the ninja for street, or the ninja as opposed to any other 4 cyl? I kind of have a soft spot for the R6/R1, how would these bikes compare? To be honest I'm not sure why I'm on a ninja website lol I know next to nothing about them, or Kawasaki. I forget what random Google search led me here.

I race an old 350cc single vintage bike. I love it!

I have seriously considered trading my SV1000 for a Ninja 300/KTM 390 for the street. I seem to almost have more fun on the slower bikes.

Highly recommend taking your SV to a track day or two to learn more skills. Try it, you might like it!

[dreadfalcon]

What sort of vintage bike? Friend of mine is obsessed with building and restoring old BSA bikes. He must have about 20 of them loafing around his garage. Oldest bike I've ridden was like a 79. They say you had to ride them completeky differently back in the day before modern suspensions and alloys and whatnot. Would be interesting to ride a real old one. I've personally always wanted one of those real old ww2 bikes with the sidecar on them, so I can go round in a bomber jacket and goggles with scarf around my neck asking people for directions like I'm lost.

[RacinNinja]

Originally Posted by dreadfalcon

What sort of vintage bike? Friend of mine is obsessed with building and restoring old BSA bikes. He must have about 20 of them loafing around his garage. Oldest bike I've ridden was like a 79. They say you had to ride them completeky differently back in the day before modern suspensions and alloys and whatnot. Would be interesting to ride a real old one. I've personally always wanted one of those real old ww2 bikes with the sidecar on them, so I can go round in a bomber jacket and goggles with scarf around my neck asking people for directions like I'm lost.

I will agree you have to be a special kind of nuts to ride them. It's a custom bike...but I have some old BSA's too....in pieces.

[dreadfalcon]

Wow, that thing is awesome. Very unique. Nailed it.

[DEFY]

welcome!!!

[CaliGrrl]

Welcome!

[snot]

Welcome

[Snake]

Hello and welcome!

[Abu_Mishary]

Welcome K!