Well I raced a Commando and a SV650 for a few seasons. The Commando was in a Cro-moly frame with a good swingarm, works shocks, racetech cartridge forks and a four isolastic setup. Made around 80 hp at the crank and weighed roughly 300 lbs ready to race. It ran 130-650 race tires.
The SV had cams, flatslides and a two brothers exhaust with a Penski shock and race tech forks. It ran 150 radial slicks and weighed about the same as the Norton.
On a track where hosepower counted the Norton would outrun the SV on the straights. It was a good race.
However on a short track, such as Second Creek Raceway in Denver I could always turn better times on the SV due to higher corner speeds.
The SV could run with the open class bikes on a short track but I couldn't stay ahead of them because they could out-accelerate me from the corner just enough to take my line.
Trying to carry the SV's corner speed on the Norton would guarantee a nice slide on the asphalt. Did it more than a few times. Jim
A very valuable report to me Jim. Its the evidence I've been waiting to compare outside my own experience. I got good enough on SV650 while past Peel still in works to spank squids on more powerful 600's but did not know what would happen if I made race tires get loose, so it was the reason I decided to spend $3000 on Codes corner school to find out, which I did in spades. Then learned to do make front or rear slide out on SV650 in public
trying best to just make turns faster and not lose it. Really truly depressed me on wasting money buying- recovering an obsolete Commando. Then got Peel run in and now realize too flexy bouncy or too rigid springy both limit real fun in turns. BTW the inline 4's require a fight to hold down, while the Vtwins require a fight to fling up in time, both resist fast lean changes by a sudden head shake or front or rear skipping out at last instant. Ponder the fact that Ms Peel goes into sharpest turns at tire slipping throttle where everyone else is hard on brake and then just pours in more power the whole way around and out. I have to really work at speeds and leans and power to get Peel to break lose in time to pivot on CoG in time to sharpen up a radius under acceleration.
Anything less than peg scrapping no room for leg 10 mph turns at over 50-60 one after another staying in one lane is just easy relief relaxing modes to Ms Peel. I am so encouraged by your report I'm not a nut case remembering what Peel was like. Next Peel will be lifted at both ends for more lean angle, maybe 70' ? The further one can lean in grip the further it will hi side for ya under power launches. But that's phase 4 so not in video yet of bikes enjoying its fun advantages one after another with just enough let off between to catch breath to lock down for next G force pressure.
Note the inner rails missing d/t longer trucks clipping em down d/t the sharpness but leaves some head room for Peels far over close hugging leans, no way can the SV seen in foreground handle these places but tippy toe in 1st up to about 35 mph before fork jutter or skipping too lose to go faster. Brakes here just twist bike or throw it down. Peel had to twist sideways to slide both tires to edge of road to get fling up aimed in new line to get on around in 2nd
This is a run I did on Peel against angry mad squids a friend on SV650 pulled me aside to warn me how dangerous stupid they had gotten on a couple hours of working up toward the tough places. i got tired of following them holding back so much I took off first into this and was in almost legal cruise mode entering next town 25 miles away before they caught up and passed me w/o a smile or wave or nod : ) We all pulled up to stop sign as a group but they would not even look at me on Peel, so I got some gas and turned around and did it again
backwards which put my face over those rail posts flashing by inches away.
Hehe, the squids were huffing and puffing me just refreshed and tingling wonder how much harsher I could do it if brave enough d/t oncoming hazards. If ya have to work a bike to go hard and fast then I repeat ya don't know what ya missing out on on quaint obsolete isolastics with rump rod and helpers nor what really neutral handling means in lack of pilot attention or effort but holding on to throttle while bars pulling wrists like a water skier.