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!
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!