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My last track adventure was with a ‘99 R1 at just under 140 Hp.  It was not the easiest to ride on the track because it liked to wheelie and light up the rear tire if I didn’t ‘manage’ the throttle well.  With the purchase of an SV650, that should not be a problem at a claimed 75Hp. 

I am going with an SV650 for a couple of reasons:

• So dirt cheap that its almost disposable
• Parts availability in the used market is excellent
• Twin thump
• Rave reviews about the SV for short tracks that are not built for hp
• Lightwieght and easy to ride
• I have a novice partner (we went in halfsies)

I would have liked an RS250 and it was a coin toss really.  I am just wanting a bike that I can walk away from and sell quickly if I want out.  The RS is a bargain at $4-5K, but has a very limited buyer.  The SV, on the other hand, can be gone in a day.

In addition, I do not know if I will like track days or not.  Last time (maybe due to the bike), I didn’t care for it much.  This bike allows me to test the waters on the cheap with the ease of my partner likely buying me out if I want to bail.  Should I choose to improve the equipment, an RS is likely in my future!

Heh - my wife was a little pissed last night.  I chose the ‘beg for forgiveness’ method versus ‘ask for permission’.  Hey - I had to act fast!.  Today - all is well.

I consider myself a mellow guy and rarely dig in, when my wife and I have a disagreement.  Motorcycles though are considered protected since they were BS (that would be “Before Stephanie”).  I have three BS hobbies that are non-negotiable:  hunting, fishing, and motorcycles.  I rarely have to manage the BS items, but every now and then I have to remind her what BS means.

She is an incredible wife and puts up with all my BS antics.  I knew this wouldn’t be a big deal, but tact is everything.  Now the most important thing I can do to keep all my BS intact is to not crash…errr…not get injured.  I think if I get hurt, I will have one less item of BS to deal with.