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First - I'd listen to Eric, if anyone knows how to go fast it is him.
Second - (I somewhat object to LW bike skills being called rudimentary) I made the transition from my R1 to a SV based on advice from the faster guys, and I'm so glad I did. Like Eric said, you learn about corner speed because you HAVE to, and the ninja is only going to be more like that. I love the idea of the 300 class and if I can find a good bike I'll snatch one up and do it in addition to my LW races. If you were looking for an easier bike to race (to replace the 848,) I'd recommend the SV over and over. If you were looking to add a bike the 300 class would be at the top of my list, because there just aren't enough races in a weekend on it to make it your sole bike (IMHO)