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Riff Raff
5th August 2005, 11:24
Okay for all those who have asked, here’s my review of the K5 SV650S.

I bought my bike from Wellington Motorcycles in February and got to know it on the ride back to Auckland. Having gone from a 250cc cruiser style bike, I found the transition to the SV surprisingly easy. Whilst it took a little while for me to get out of the habit of trying to corner like I was on a cruiser, once I had that sorted I had a blast.

Before buying, I tried the SV650 (naked version), but found the wind buffeting pretty harsh at speeds over 80kph. With the S model the combination of lower handlebars and a screen meant there was hardly any wind buffeting making for a much more comfortable ride.

Over a period of nine weeks I rode over 10,000km, through all weather conditions. For long distance travelling it is very comfortable :- the seat has enough padding to keep your rear end from going numb, and the peg positioning keeps your legs from cramping. Crawling through towns or roadworks is a bit hard on the wrists, but as soon as you’re on the open road it’s all good again. Adopting a racer style positioning for keeping up with the bigger bikes on the twisties works well, and is still comfortable for extended periods of riding.

Riding in the wet is no problem for the SV. I have ridden in torrential rain (with strong winds for added fun) from Auckland to Wellington and was surprised at how grippy the factory-standard tyres were in the wet. I was able to maintain the same speeds on most corners as I had been doing in dry conditions without the arse sliding out on me.

The SV has enough oomph to get you in trouble with the law. It's happiest cruising at the 117kph and over mark when you're in a 100kph zone, and on that lovely stretch between Te Kuiti and National Park (with those nice sweeping corners) it insists on being ridden at about 150kph. The fastest I've taken it up to is 190kph.

Before taking possession of my beast I had the standard exhaust replaced with a Scorpion muffler. I really don’t see the point in having a V-twin if you don’t have the sound. And by crikey it does sound lovely with the Scorpion.

Some Technical stuff
Engine: 90-degree 4-stroke V-twin, DOHC, liquid cooled, electronic fuel injected, 4 valves per cylinder
Bore x Stroke: 81.0 x 62.6.mm
Max power: 72 PS (53.0 Kw) @ 9,000 rpm
Max Torque: 64 Nm @ 7,200 rpm
Front Suspension: Conventional 41 mm telescopic, spring preload adjustable
Rear Suspension: Link type, spring preload adjustable
Front brake: Dual-piston calipers, 290 mm dual discs
Rear brake: Single-piston caliper, 220 mm disc
Front Tyre: 120/60 ZR17
Rear Tyre: 160/60 ZR17

Essential info for ladies of the shorter persuasion
Seat height: 800mm
Dry mass: 169kg

Crash Testing
A review wouldn’t be complete without a bit of crash testing, so at great personal risk I have some results for you:-
Dropping an SV or low speed crash on it will result in any sticky-out bits breaking off i.e. end of clutch lever, brake lever, gear lever – but don’t worry there’s enough left to ensure it is still rideable. Being half-faired means that there is rarely any damage to the fairing. The tank will remain unscratched and unbuckled. Wing mirrors may have a few scratches on them. End bar weights will be bent down at a 45 degree angle and will be a little bit scraped. Front indicator on the side it has dropped on will smash. But that’s it! So the bike is still rideable and costs less than your insurance excess to fix!!!

If the bike goes for a bit of a slide, then there will be a bit more damage obviously. I haven’t tried a high speed crash, and quite frankly I don’t want to. But if you enjoy dropping your bike, then an SV is the bike for you!!

So what’s my opinion?
I love my bike (despite recent unavoidable mishaps). It’s great fun to ride, handles well, sounds great and, you’ve gotta admit, is farkin sexy to look at!

zadok
5th August 2005, 11:34
Great review r.r. They sound like a nice bike. I know what you mean about the buffeting. The NTV50 I had for nearly 14 years was getting a bit tiresome in that regard. V-Twins do sound good too.

Eurygnomes
5th August 2005, 11:44
Hey Riff Raff, I'm really glad you wrote that review. I've been looking at mid-range bikes that I can get my mitts on when I'm in Europe (soon....eeek!) and this one looks like the one I'm gonna go for. Not sure whether I"ll be able to afford the K5 though... and yep...I'll be going from the GN250 to this too. From all the reviews I've read (and there are plenty out there) the riders all seem to think that it can be a good second bike for a learner.

And thanks for the crash testing too. Glad it wasn't too damaged. Yay for the SV650S! (am slightly scared that I now recognise the letters/numbers thing - when I first started I was like, huh?)

Riff Raff
5th August 2005, 12:43
Hey Riff Raff, I'm really glad you wrote that review. I've been looking at mid-range bikes that I can get my mitts on when I'm in Europe (soon....eeek!) and this one looks like the one I'm gonna go for.
Good onya girl - you will love it. They're such a user friendly bike and good for the transition towards a full sports bike.

chickenfunkstar
5th August 2005, 12:49
Good review.
They're nice bikes. (even the old ones :p )

Fryin Finn
5th August 2005, 13:52
I had a test ride on the SV and its brother the DL. Really nice bikes - a really willing engine it urged me at the speed limit to chop down the gears and go for it. They are high on the list for SRX replacement late next year or 2007 :yes:

White trash
5th August 2005, 15:59
Nice write up, pitty you missed the bit about them wanting to have wee rests all the time. Oh no, you didn't. Sorry.

My mistake.


Or yours.






Actually, I really enjoy riding the SV when I have the chance too, it's not over powered but more than enough to play silly buggers on should the mood take you. The front suspension and brakes leave a little to be desired for spirited riding, but all in all, she's a good package.

swanman
5th August 2005, 18:00
Nice review. I rode ZAPF's when he had one and I thought it was a good bike (bit slow though). A good bike to have after getting off a 250.

Zapf
9th August 2005, 20:04
Nice review. I rode ZAPF's when he had one and I thought it was a good bike (bit slow though). A good bike to have after getting off a 250.

Yes... it was very nice of you to swap bikes with me, and what a blast that R1 was... however upon swapping back to the SV, I got to understand the performance difference between R1 and SV was more than a mile..

but don't let me put you off... I love the SV they are great... and I even toured the mainland on one earlier this year.

Hitcher
9th August 2005, 20:23
If it rides as well as its big sister, the SV1000, then it's not a bad package for a 650.