Great NHMS track days with TTD

[davemon]

Thanks to the Tony's Track Day team! Had a great time at NHMS with the team and fired off a bunch of new personal bests on my SV650S. I'd been stuck at a plateau for a while so this was a satisfying accomplishment for me. I'm a continued customer of TTD because of how well Tony and team run their events, in the glow of yet another great track day I thought of some standouts from just this year alone.

Cool stuff:

- I know it's not NHMS, but I had a missing bolt at NYST the night I showed up and missed it on my check (rear brake line guide hoop), John Lin found it in tech and then directed me to his trailer where he found an extra bolt in like 30 seconds… done! Since I had tools a plenty but likely no such bolt this was a high relief and typical of the crew's general awesomeness for the customers.
- Mike Kurtz setting Alex and I up with new tires faster than we could remove and remount each end on the bike? Oh yeah…
- Joel Allen helped me crack the barrier that I reached to on my own. Having hired Joel/Pete/Ken for one-on-one days before I know them all well and I went to Joel knowing where I wasn't feeling comfortable and needed to improve. Did a quick lead follow and then talked with Joel afterward to take in how best to approach the change. Went out after that on my own and cracked previous best I set earlier and the later the best lap I've turned. I blame all of these guys in particular for my riding as well as I am, along with all the other instructors and control riders who have helped out.
- Had an issue with a weird ripping sort of thing on newer tire. Tony and Graham immediately jumped on this immediately to help me dial in the bike to cure this and also with how to change my riding style to help cure this as well. Mike was right on it too as soon as he got off track and confirmed the same . Problem seems solved as the weird ripped looking patches are wearing away now.

[Mr. Kurtz]

- Mike Kurtz setting Alex and I up with new tires faster than we could remove and remount each end on the bike? Oh yeah…

- Had an issue with a weird ripping sort of thing on newer tire. Tony and Graham immediately jumped on this immediately to help me dial in the bike to cure this and also with how to change my riding style to help cure this as well. Mike was right on it too as soon as he got off track and confirmed the same . Problem seems solved as the weird ripped looking patches are wearing away now.

All that time at the track has made me get faster at one thing at least; changing tires.

You were cooking, congrats on smashing that plateau and putting down some new best laps. Just don't come racing...we don't need any more fast SV guys out there!

[nt650hawk]

I think they will take that kind of blame all day long. Great to hear.

[Rada]

As always it is a pleasure to hang out with you Dave... I'm with Mike. You were really riding well out there and laying down some fast laps..

Nice work getting through a plateau.

[TTD]

Awesomeness!!!

[davemon]

Thanks Adam and Mike. @Adam- You're another of the crew that makes it as safe as can be and fun. I've been fighting inside my own brain to improve so i haven't bugged you guys lately. Went to Joel since I already knew his style and he already knew what I could do well and what I couldn't. Mike, you know I'm not coming racing so no worries about making me faster.

I really do want a track bike with selectable multi-level traction control and ABS, where both systems are designed at least partially for the track and I'm pretty sure that my next track bike will be of that sort now that there are finally 600s with all the goodies. When that day comes I'll miss my SV because there are always so many it's like having family out there. I've had mine since 2008 when I decided that falling down on my almost new R1200RT would make me sad... I've ridden a few other bikes for a session here and there and while I've liked some they almost always cost much more.

With my 100% stock motor/electronics I've had no issues yet although I wish the fueling were smoother, especially at lower rpms. Well, there was the "sludge protection" oil I put in that resulted in me needing a new clutch pack to stop the slipping but that was user error. The upgraded suspension is a must for me and going quick on an SV. It was so soft when I got it that I was on the bump stops and had very little confidence that I wouldn't slide out on a bump.

Dave