The SXV is a dedicated race bike that is targeted to racers... people who ride hard and expect to tear down their bikes regularly, irrespective of brand. That being said, the SXV 550 (far more so than the 450) has had some teething issues that have virtually all been addressed (e.g., bad case sealant) and the bike is much better in terms of reliability but being a race bike, requires effort to keep it in race winning form.
The people who own them and love them are serious racers/track day people who take it out and expect to be standing on a podium for cash (or pie).
For example: Zack Chapman rode the AB-1 Motorsports/ Interstate Cycle Aprilia 550 to a convincing 5.9 second win over the 650 and 1000 twins in the WERA Las Vegas National Lightweight Twins Superbike Expert Race! Not bad for a motard...
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