I had the opportunity to run my '98VTR against an '03 SV1000S at Road America on Tuesday, 7/6/10. Coming out of corners the SV would pull a couple of yards out on me (I suppose he could'a been on the throttle sooner) but from then to the end of RAs hugh front straight we run dead even. I'm geared -1/+2 and the speedo indicates 170+ but I'm sure that it's really closer to 155 mph actual.

NOTE: It is really quite startling to be book'n at 155 and have a ZX14 and ZX10 blast past at what looks like another 20 mph--yowser!

My longtime riding friend, AL, also rides a '98 VTR and he was duke'n it out with a guy on an '05 CBR1000RR. When the CBR was in the lead Al could not get by him but when AL was in the lead the CBR could not pass either. Sure, there are many choices out there that are faster than our beloved VTRs but when you ride well you can make life really miserable for the new stuff.

 

Yep, a great rider on a 250 can beat a poor one on a 1198.. Unless it was all straight line.

 

often the case, its the pilot not the bike that counts.

 

yea me and my buddy who has an 07 sv1000 ride together all the time...

bikes are power wise about the same, even in the 1/4 mile we pull about the same times....its after 240km/h that the sv starts to pull away.

he'll do an indicated 270 while i cant go faster than 260.

for a bike which is rated at 125hp vs VTR's 105, they seem to be dead even.

 

must remember too that later year SVs had a slightly hopped up engine (slighter higher compression, larger valves IIRC,...) which produced a bit more power than the initial edition

 

YTKinWI you need to talk to PWShadow two posts above this one Re: the thrill of outriding faster bikes. I'd much rather ride well than ride fast.

CR