A Question For You 650 Proddy Racers and Builders

Joshman

Joshman

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More and more I'm thinking about racing next year (2012) and I'm seriously considering 650 production (cuz production is a little cheaper and sounds like fun). I'm pretty sold on an SV650 as my proddy race bike of choice but I'm having trouble finding proddy 650's. So which of the below 3 is my best option?:

1) Buy a cheap SV and build my own race bike
2) Buy a non-production SV and "down-grade" the components to production
3) Wait for a proddy SV to go up for sale

Option 1 and 2 seem to me to be more expensive than option 3, but I wanted to get more opinions.

Thanks! :thumbup
 
ZIM

ZIM

Truth is Subjective
Wait for a proddy bike or skip it and run a setup SBK.

Be warned, 650 prod is not much slower than SBK. My cohort and I took a totally street legal bike and threw a lot of good parts at it. I rode the wheels off of that thing and watched the other 650 " prod-legal" bikes walk away from me on every straight. Very depressing. Nothing sucks more than being bumper to bumper through all the twisties only to loose 10 bike lengths on every straight.

I know, bitch moan moan...whatever!!:teeth
 
Lazerus

Lazerus

Pissant squid
Yeah, wait for one to go up for sale, especially since you have the luxury of time. Cheaper and easier. 2nd gen's seem to be the way to go for production, more HP with allowable prod mods... though kneedragon podiumed a 1st gen in proddy a couple times last year. Get one that's ready to go, less money, less headache
 
gyges_1

gyges_1

Redheaded Stepson of AFM
Yo Josh...

If you remember my yella SV from last year, that was a 2nd hand TWF bike I was able to score at a great price from a fellow racer (Ricky Ford). And it was about as blown out an SV as you could find.

I'd say if you're willing to be flexible on the build (Prod vs. Super) you will find something pretty solid on here, CL, afm or wera boards, even Zorans forum (http://twfracing.com/vbforums/index.php), the micapeak email list is also worth a subscribe. Avoid the SVrider forums, most dudes are total jokers.

I wouldn't get too hung up on the proddy thing. Since you can still race 650T, F4 and Open Twins (if you're willing to run towards the back) you can still get in a solid day of racing. The proddy race is nice since it's a small grid and you're only out there against other SVs and 650 Ninjas. However, once race is not worth passing up a solidly built SV.

I'd say ping megaspaz (Vince) and scotinexile (Alan).
About proddy bikes, Vince's is about as bone stock as you can get and still be legal. Alan has a few duckets into his but it's a straight up proddy bike.

That said I'm building a proddy bike if you want to buy it :twofinger

168478_496434688844_611198844_6093333_971949_n.jpg
 
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kneedragon2000

kneedragon2000

wait...wut?
yes, yes and yes.

WA WA WA Scott! JK :twofinger

I got my proddy bike for the same reasons as you are thinking. and while I love my proddy bike, a good deal is a good deal. SVs are fun and a good bike to race relatively less cheap :D

(PS-go with a 2nd gen if you go proddy)
 
Joshman

Joshman

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Hey Brad! I remember your yellow SV. That was a nice bike; sorry you had to let it go.

Thanks for the advice on where to look etc.. I'm worried about how much racing a non-proddy bike would cost me (especially for engine work).

Let me know when you're done building that bike and what you're thinking of selling it for. :thumbup

gyges_1 said:
Yo Josh...

If you remember my yella SV from last year, that was a 2nd hand TWF bike I was able to score at a great price from a fellow racer (Ricky Ford). And it was about as blown out an SV as you could find.

I'd say if you're willing to be flexible on the build (Prod vs. Super) you will find something pretty solid on here, CL, afm or wera boards, even Zorans forum (http://twfracing.com/vbforums/index.php), the micapeak email list is also worth a subscribe. Avoid the SVrider forums, most dudes are total jokers.

I wouldn't get too hung up on the proddy thing. Since you can still race 650T, F4 and Open Twins (if you're willing to run towards the back) you can still get in a solid day of racing. The proddy race is nice since it's a small grid and you're only out there against other SVs and 650 Ninjas. However, once race is not worth passing up a solidly built SV.

I'd say ping megaspaz (Vince) and scotinexile (Alan).
About proddy bikes, Vince's is about as bone stock as you can get and still be legal. Alan has a few duckets into his but it's a straight up proddy bike.

That said I'm building a proddy bike if you want to buy it :twofinger
Click to expand...
 
Joshman

Joshman

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So lets say I were to get a non-proddy/super bike for the 650 class. Would racing that be mush more expensive than a production version?

It's not that I'm broke or cheap, it's more that I want to have fun racing without sinking a ton of money into it.
 
Z3n

Z3n

Squid.
Joshman said:
Hey Brad! I remember your yellow SV. That was a nice bike; sorry you had to let it go.

Thanks for the advice on where to look etc.. I'm worried about how much racing a non-proddy bike would cost me (especially for engine work).

Let me know when you're done building that bike and what you're thinking of selling it for. :thumbup
Click to expand...

Don't bother building the engine. I had a Gen 1 with cams, flatslides, and a good exhaust and I didn't sacrifice anything in the straights to the other bikes out there. And it was dead reliable, day in, day out.

Joshman said:
So lets say I were to get a non-proddy/super bike for the 650 class. Would racing that be mush more expensive than a production version?

It's not that I'm broke or cheap, it's more that I want to have fun racing without sinking a ton of money into it.
Click to expand...

Potentially I'll be cheaper to race the non-proddy bike if it allows you to keep your tires in better shape with better front suspension. Either way, it's not a significant difference. Until you're fighting for the top 10, don't worry about a built engine or anything else, you'll make up more time improving the rider over improving the bike.
 
Lazerus

Lazerus

Pissant squid
I'll use last year to provide a data point

01 650 in good shape with sv cam swap, 01 gsxr front end, penske shock, m4 exhaust: $4,000

06 gsxr rear wheel setup : ~$600

Carrozerria front wheel :~$500

With that for 4 rounds I did well in clubman

Then flatslide carbs:~ $1000

Best 1 grand I've ever spent:)... did really well in clubman for remaining rounds


Spent about 2,000 on tires, but I wanted fresh ones every round.

If I'd found a bike with everthing I wanted already on it, I could have saved time and money.
 
kneedragon2000

kneedragon2000

wait...wut?
well you could go that route, like Rory

OR

you could buy one front and three rears like I did for the season... like I did. :twofinger

I think for your first season anything will be fine. honestly. once you see where you are in the pack and where you want to be you will assess what will make you faster, and if its the bike's deficiencies or you that is making your laptimes want for more. :teeth

I know my bike was fine, I did just a tune up for the season. its me that needs to make up the time to the front, not really the bike. Hopefully by the end of the season it will be the bike, and not me :|:laughing:ride
 
Z3n

Z3n

Squid.
To provide another pricepoint:

Bought an 00 SV650, 03 GSX-R Front end, Penske shock, BRG subframe/fairing stay, Brembo MC, Brembo Brakes. $2850
Cam swap: $125 used
Flatslides: $350 used
Ducati 916 plastics: ~$350 used

I bought fresh tires ever round. Finished 2nd in the Clubman races that I didn't mechanical out of or not sign up for because I thought I couldn't. (more than X seconds under the cutoff).

SVs are cheap.
 
gyges_1

gyges_1

Redheaded Stepson of AFM
kneedragon2000 said:
just buy one already and come join the party! :party
Click to expand...

This.

Find a well sorted bike from a solid seller that you would feel comfy on and can improve on. I started last season dead last on my SV and finished with Clubman podium. You will find it either way.

And your costs when its all said and done will be a wash.
Which is to say, more than you plan to spend!
 
kneedragon2000

kneedragon2000

wait...wut?
true, but the SV is the best way to get into it. plenty of spares, people and knowledge around the pits and a good range of experience on the grid so there is always someone to dice with - RORY!
 
TWF

TWF

training hard
There are two superbike set up sv's for sale on my forums :)
There is also one 1st gen which would be prod legal with fork swap.
 
Joshman

Joshman

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TWF said:
There are two superbike set up sv's for sale on my forums :)
There is also one 1st gen which would be prod legal with fork swap.
Click to expand...

Link? I wouldn't find it in the TWF forum. I'm not quite ready to buy just, but soon. I want to get a good idea of what's out there.
 
TWF

TWF

training hard
dsapsis said:
If you are talking metcalf's and Jonny's bikes they are a little burried on the second page
Click to expand...

It is Kevin Heiss bike and Forman's. Other stock one (none yellow) is on page 3 or so. And there is Kawi for weird people :)
 
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