SV650 / 1000's

[wari]

These bikes have been a success story (in NZ at least) for Suzuki ... plus there are quite a few members now who own one of these bikes.

Anyone out there prepared to give an owner review?

Might turn this into a poll acshually ... whatdya think about haveing a thread dedicated to bike reviews written by KBers only ? None of that cut and paste wordy shit.


:sunny:

[jrandom]

A review forum sounds like an excellent idea.

For that matter I'd like to hear from a KBer about the SV650 (SpankMe...?) Don't think I'll be affording an SV thou for the next bike but I can probably stump up for the 650, particularly if I can find the nekkid older carbed model going cheap - the big question is whether it'll keep me happy until it wears out, me being a chunky (read: fat) bastard and wanting something that won't wheeze under the strain and that I won't have to ditch in another couple years time, or whether I should find a secondhand Bindit 12, or buy me mate's XJR... ahhhh... so many hard choices. The SV650 does have a bit of a reputation overseas as chickwheels.

And I don't like the look of the old SV 'S' fairings, and I don't particularly like the new ones either. The naked models in both generations have been dead sexy, though.

[Andrew]

That would be cool.
Maybe I can escape Rosco and get a proper job riding/reviewing bikes for Kiwi Biker?!

[boris]

I have an SV650S,it goes ok, sour wrists after too long in the saddle,poor turning circle,rear shock not up to NZ roads, (near wear i live), not good on gravel roads , .It's the 1st bike after ten plus years off bikes.Had a GB500tt before (still have it but it is stuffed)i wanted an BMW GS650 or Yamaha SZR660 but the SV was $5000 cheaper than the BMW and the Yamaha wasn't imported into NZ.I didn't want a four pot bike it had to a single or a twin.

[bluninja]

I have a 2001 SV650 and it's a real fun bike, dead easy to ride and unthreatening. It's also a breeze for those vertically challenged riders. Bad side is I'm the wrong side of 110 kgs so the suspension takes a hammering and high speed cornering used to have the pegs straight down.

I got the front resprung and race tech vlavle emulators to improve the damping. At the rear I got an ohlins fully adjustable shock. I also advanced the ignition 4 degrees which improved the torque and gave a few more horsepower. On the road it's dead easy to ride and lots of fun, but the bum goes numb pretty soon.

On the racetrack it's also fun, very flickable, and reasonable stopping power. The torque is fantastic and really shoots you out of the corner.

It's also pretty robust and doesn't take much damage in a slide with or without crahsbungs. Only things that go are levers, bars, and the exhaust gets a good scrape.

If anyone is after a race/road bike then the SV will probably up for sale after this weekend.

TTFN

[Firefight]

That would be cool.
Maybe I can escape Rosco and get a proper job riding/reviewing bikes for Kiwi Biker?!


You may as well start now, its obvious that you arn't doing any bloody study.

Just remember the Study :Police: are watching.

Firefight :wacko:

[Jackrat]

Yeah top idea,I would like to see a few owner impressions rather than magizine tests,A bit of REAL life info' for a change.

[Yamahamaman]

These bikes have been a success story (in NZ at least) for Suzuki ... plus there are quite a few members now who own one of these bikes. :whistle:Is that "one each" or do they own one on a cummunal type arrangement :Oops:

[Draco]

A review from Kiwi riders with first hand experience of different bikes sounds like a great idea. Magazine write ups are all very well but we know that our crap roads here present a challenge for bikes suspension/tyres etc. I was seriously looking at an SV before i bought the CBR (as i am vertically challenged) and still might consider it next so this kind of feedback is really helpful. As for it being a chickbike??? I'd like to see you tell the guys i know with them that they're riding a chickbike. Ouch, could be messy!! Less of the sexism thanx M8! :brick:

[marty]

that won't wheeze under the strain and that I won't have to ditch in another couple years time, or whether I should find a secondhand Bindit 12, or buy me mate's XJR... ahhhh... so many hard choices. The SV650 does have a bit of a reputation overseas as chickwheels.
on saturday morning i rode a brand new remus piped sv1000 immediatley followed by a new bandit 1200 with kerker pipe. the sv thumped me in the back of the head with sound and torque, and felt like a much smaller bike to ride thru the twisties than it obviously was - coming off the RS i was impressed.

the bandit on the other hand felt like a bus. plenty of front wheel pulling power, but vague as a vague thing through the same corners. sitting way to upright for me, a bit like a vfr800 really.

for the same money, i'm getting an SV

[SpankMe]

i'm getting an SV
Well done that man. :niceone:

[marty]

cheers spankme. if you can put a new topic under the general forums tag - 'Bike Reviews', then people can start a thread about their bike and model, and it can be added to with time, from them or anyone else. i found it really useful to read reviews searched on google (found the SV forum site the best -even though they're all biased) but there is nothing in TLOTLWC like that yet.

[Jackrat]

That chick bike thing is a bit of humor to be sure.
I read an article in a pommy bike mag resently were the owner of an SV650 was told he was riding a girls bike,The poor buggers doing the put downs were at a track day,So this guys jumps on his girls bike an whips all their butts. :bleh:
As the ex owner of a sportster I used to get that from big block riders all the time.Until that is, We hit the twistys,Yeeeeehaaaa.Better a chicks bike than a tractor I reckon.I defie the average rider of a 1000 to stay with a good rider on a SV650, I know were I would put my money.
Girls bike,Only a real wanker would come up with that <_< :laugh:

[marty]

That chick bike thing is a bit of humor to be sure.
I read an article in a pommy bike mag resently were the owner of an SV650 was told he was riding a girls bike,The poor buggers doing the put downs were at a track day,So this guys jumps on his girls bike an whips all their butts. :bleh:
As the ex owner of a sportster I used to get that from big block riders all the time.Until that is, We hit the twistys,Yeeeeehaaaa.Better a chicks bike than a tractor I reckon.I defie the average rider of a 1000 to stay with a good rider on a SV650, I know were I would put my money.
Girls bike,Only a real wanker would come up with that <_< :laugh:

i saw a ducati 400ss at one of the Hn bike shops this week. my first though was 'great bike for a girl', but a smaller guy would be great. i rode a gsxr400, and i'm 6'1, and no-one ever accused THAT of being a girls bike

[wkid_one]

I have always said the bike mags have it wrong. They hire ex-racers/aspiring racers/or just plain racers to test bikes that the jo-average plublic ride. They then fang a bike around roads and tracks at 11/10th's and then complain that this bike pushes a bit in the front, and that bike trams a little in the corner. However - what they don't say is that they were pulling 100mph around a corner - scraping the leading edge of the pipe and the pegs - a corner which no one but a racer could ever carry that speed.

I think more people would actually listen to, and respect the reviews if bike mags hired NORMAL riders. Ie: those that actually buy and ride the bike from a retail store......

I am all for 'rider reviews'...........hell, if I listened to everyone I would have never had bought the R1 (twitchy, flighty, wheel happy, too aggressive) - however it was simply a dream to ride. Nice rider position, wicked fuel injection mapping, flickable etc etc.

I rode nearly ALL the large bore bikes before I bought it - and too be honest - there is next to no difference between them in my opinion - the 954, R1, GSXR, Mille, 999, MV, SP2, SV1K, etc etc - it just comes down to personal preference (looks, experience, brand preference). The fact is - I could never ride the bikes to the point at which their failings become evident (or an issue), so to me, they are all great bikes. I bought the R1 because it was the sexiest looking bike (IMHO) and the right price. As for the SV1K - well - if I was going to stay twin - that was the one.....

It is a shit load of bike for the price.......in fact - I think it is the best 'bang for your buck' if you are buying new hands down.

[Jackrat]

i saw a ducati 400ss at one of the Hn bike shops this week. my first though was 'great bike for a girl', but a smaller guy would be great. i rode a gsxr400, and i'm 6'1, and no-one ever accused THAT of being a girls bike

Hmmm,Yeah I know what you mean.It is of course one thing to consider that a given bike would be good for somebody,But another all togeather to turn it into a put down.Us kiwis have a habit of going for HP-over say lighter good handling bikes.Not that I would know much about good handling on what I'm riding now days :o
The old XS is more like(Maximim feed back)Kind'a thing.
Polite way of saying,Handles like a slippery brick.
Lots'a fun but :D

[marty]

i actually had a girl in mind when i saw the duke 400, she's only 5'2 53kgs. i showed it to her (the bike that is..), and then she saw an rf400, then an sv650 - she liked the rf, but LOVED the 650. go figure. she thought the duke would be too much maintennance, and the rf looked too sci-fi. (she has a boat, fishes, and shoots things too)

[wkid_one]

(she has a boat, fishes, and shoots things too)
She's a hard road finding the perfect woman, but

[jrandom]

the sv thumped me in the back of the head with sound and torque, and felt like a much smaller bike to ride thru the twisties than it obviously was ... bandit on the other hand felt like a bus

Well there ya go, looks like I need an SV thou. Hope I can find an unfaired one going cheap next year :love:

Those type of comments are an example of why we need a dedicated bike review forum, IMO. Feedback from other riders will always be particularly important for folk coming onto their full license and trying to decide what gives the best bang-for-buck.

[gav]

I have always said the bike mags have it wrong. They hire ex-racers/aspiring racers/or just plain racers to test bikes that the jo-average plublic ride. They then fang a bike around roads and tracks at 11/10th's and then complain that this bike pushes a bit in the front, and that bike trams a little in the corner. However - what they don't say is that they were pulling 100mph around a corner - scraping the leading edge of the pipe and the pegs - a corner which no one but a racer could ever carry that speed.

I think more people would actually listen to, and respect the reviews if bike mags hired NORMAL riders. Ie: those that actually buy and ride the bike from a retail store......

I am all for 'rider reviews'...........hell, if I listened to everyone I would have never had bought the R1 (twitchy, flighty, wheel happy, too aggressive) - however it was simply a dream to ride. Nice rider position, wicked fuel injection mapping, flickable etc etc.

I rode nearly ALL the large bore bikes before I bought it - and too be honest - there is next to no difference between them in my opinion - the 954, R1, GSXR, Mille, 999, MV, SP2, SV1K, etc etc - it just comes down to personal preference (looks, experience, brand preference). The fact is - I could never ride the bikes to the point at which their failings become evident (or an issue), so to me, they are all great bikes. I bought the R1 because it was the sexiest looking bike (IMHO) and the right price. As for the SV1K - well - if I was going to stay twin - that was the one.....

It is a shit load of bike for the price.......in fact - I think it is the best 'bang for your buck' if you are buying new hands down.
Yeah, but the test would be pretty boring if everyone rode at 6/10ths and said "yip, can't find anything wrong with it" what would you buy then? just on looks? colour? race results? I know what youre saying but how many people are put off buying say a R1, coz some tester dude says the front end isn't quite right and wants to tuck at high speed?
Gotta say that a brand new SV650 for under $10K gotta be a bargain!

[franco]

Re SV650 for under 10K ? Couldn't agree more, what a bargain. I picked mine up yesterday, and took it for a blat up through the rimataka's today (beautiful weather too).

Turned out to be a bit of a Suzuki meet, at one stage we were all exclusively suzooks sitting up on the hill, quietly enjoying the sunshine. By chance there was another SV650S K3 Copper already up there, and not long after I arrived (on my nekid SV650 Silver) a Blue SV1000S turned up. I took the chance to snap a family photo (uploaded to the gallery, keyword=franco).

There was also a TLR1000, a TLS1000, a GSX1200 and a really old GS(?) which had a great time hunting down a porche before coming back to join us. A couple of Ducat's came in, then left after 5 mins. I think we unintentionally intimidated them (nah just kidding :lol: )

I know that there are other SV forums out there (like Spankme's excellent SV1000 site, and the UK based SV650.ORG one). But I would really like to hear from other kiwi SV riders in *this* forum. Howdya rate yer rides (of the two wheeled variety :sly: ) ?

[marty]

OMG. rode a hayabusa yeterday. i think i'm in love. someone please tell me why i shouldn't buy it.

[SpankMe]

How well does a bike that bike handle the twisties?

[marty]

obviously not like the RS, but FUCK ME IT'S FAST and comfortable

[wkid_one]

OMG. rode a hayabusa yeterday. i think i'm in love. someone please tell me why i shouldn't buy it.
Need you ask......

[750Y]

OMG. rode a hayabusa yeterday. i think i'm in love. someone please tell me why i shouldn't buy it.

did it feel like a sportsbike or a 'bus'? I like 'em too because of how 'real-worldy' they seem(by that i mean that my impression is that they'd be a fantastic allrounder as opposed to a racebike style bike). do you think they could be ridden in the twistys quite fast still? they intrigue me also. I like the black one, it looks pretty nice. I'm sure brian bernard raced one in NZ so they can't be that bad surely?

[marty]

it rode better (by a mile) than a bandit, but not as nimble as the aprilia falco that i rode just before it. it was a flowing type of ride, more than a 'drop it into the corner' type. arm wrenching smile inducing mind blowing accelleration though.

[750Y]

it was a flowing type of ride
hmmmm... sounds nice(currently entertaining myself with ideas for the next bike) will put it on the testride list.

[duckman]

Not wanting to hyjack this thread but I've been testing some TL1000R's as a replacement for my 750SS and they ride beautifully. Only trouble is the damn bike shops wont give me enough for my bike.

Maybe I should test a 'Busa for a giggle. They seem like such bloody big bikes tho'.
Did it stop well ?? Turn alright in the 50kmh areas?? :)

[wkid_one]

Not wanting to hyjack this thread but I've been testing some TL1000R's as a replacement for my 750SS and they ride beautifully. Only trouble is the damn bike shops wont give me enough for my bike.

Maybe I should test a 'Busa for a giggle. They seem like such bloody big bikes tho'.
Did it stop well ?? Turn alright in the 50kmh areas?? :)
Only problem with the whole TL range is they have an insane desire to want to stand up in the corners.....and hate change of input once on line

[wkid_one]

it rode better (by a mile) than a bandit, but not as nimble as the aprilia falco that i rode just before it. it was a flowing type of ride, more than a 'drop it into the corner' type. arm wrenching smile inducing mind blowing accelleration though.
The only issue - is one doesn't really have the quality of roads or open-mindedness of police to truely enjoy the bikes capabilities.

[duckman]

Yea good point Wickid - And they eat three tyres for breakfast :eek5:

[wkid_one]

Yea good point Wickid - And they eat three tyres for breakfast :eek5:
Blame that on the stupid rotary damped suspension

[marty]

The only issue - is one doesn't really have the quality of roads or open-mindedness of police to truely enjoy the bikes capabilities.


the RS suffers from that too though, as i'm sure any bike over 2 horsepower would

[marty]

Not wanting to hyjack this thread but I've been testing some TL1000R's as a replacement for my 750SS and they ride beautifully. Only trouble is the damn bike shops wont give me enough for my bike.

Maybe I should test a 'Busa for a giggle. They seem like such bloody big bikes tho'.
Did it stop well ?? Turn alright in the 50kmh areas?? :)


i'm taking one for a lengthy ride on friday, with a pillion for giggles, so i'll let you know. and yes they are big. i'm 6'2 so i fit em ok. i'll start a 'busa thread for it, maybe Spankme can start a bike test folder for it to go into.....

oh and there was an issue with headsets cracking on the TL's - from guys dropping them too hard out of wheelstands i think. i rode a TL-R, it was MUCH nicer than the TL - a bit dearer too though - i'm picking it's much the same with the VTR and SP2

[wkid_one]

i'm taking one for a lengthy ride on friday, with a pillion for giggles, so i'll let you know. and yes they are big. i'm 6'2 so i fit em ok. i'll start a 'busa thread for it, maybe Spankme can start a bike test folder for it to go into.....

oh and there was an issue with headsets cracking on the TL's - from guys dropping them too hard out of wheelstands i think. i rode a TL-R, it was MUCH nicer than the TL - a bit dearer too though - i'm picking it's much the same with the VTR and SP2
VTR is VERY VERY different to the TL - by miles....more of a sports tourer than the TL.......but yes the SP2 is HEAPS dearer than VTR. VTR and SP2 can't be compared - completely different bikes

Didn't have issues with head cracking.....surprising free of generic issues actually.

[marty]

well there you go then. i was just commenting from what i had seen and been told, when i saw a TL fork/headset arrangement sitting on the floor at a suzuki dealer, having broken off on touchdown......

i hadn't looked at the VTR/SP comparison - was a guess more than anything. they're probably as different as a falco/rsv.

hey WTF do i know.....???????

[toads]

excellent idea, this way any potential buyer can check out practical advice regarding bikes they are looking at or drooling over, I know that I spent 20 years thinking a certain bike was my dream bike, only to finally get one and hate it!!, nothing beats experience.

[hoogeroo]

Hi all,
Well, got one of them a few weeks ago, naked and all, and it's a blast to ride in the twisties and can even be used to commute, very comfy with the upright riding position. It's just that your head gets torn off when you open her up. Ah well, who needs a head. :done:

[Sensei]

How well does a bike that bike handle the twisties?

I have chased a Busha up to 280k on my GSXR1000 & went through some very tight corner's & couldn't believe a bike that big would do it but DID . So thumb's up to their handling & Speed
SENSEI

[snozymotto]

I bought a SV1000S a few months ago and it is a good fun bike to ride! It is almost a bit of a dark horse in the power stakes, it doesnt feel overly powerfull when you get used to it (because of the wide power range) but you get suprised when you look down at the speedo sometimes, but I do like to play!! I think that if you are looking for a big cc bike that is easy and forgiving to ride you are pretty hard pushed to find a bike with so many features for so little price ($13k on special new). I would recommend this bike to anyone and if I had to do it again I would. The only bad things about this bike is that you get a sore bum after a few hours, but its nothing a few more K's and maybe a sheepskin cover for really long trips wont fix!

[snozymotto]

I put a set of Neptune mufflers on my bike as well and it sounds awesome now. The guy from nuptune mufflers was a great help

[moko]

[QUOTE=Jackrat]That chick bike thing is a bit of humor to be sure.
I read an article in a pommy bike mag resently were the owner of an SV650 was told he was riding a girls bike,The poor buggers doing the put downs were at a track day,So this guys jumps on his girls bike an whips all their butts. :bleh:
[/QUOTE

Exactly right mate BUT I think that once again the Brit sense of humour dosnt translate well.To "foreigners" it might well sound like we`re spoiling for a fight,needlessly trashing each other e.t.c but over here the rider of the "girls bike" would be giving as good as he got and laughing along at the digs with everyone else.O.K. so we`re weird.Similar story,RIDE mag put Jamie Whitham on a CB500(Honda commuter bike that`s a real blast if you can ride as opposed to twist a throttle) against their top test-rider(way better than the average rider)on the latest Fireblade around Brands Hatch.Only place the Blade pulled away was on the straights and it puts out over twice the b.h.p. and has top-spec suspension e.t.c.

[Zed]

I have chased a Busha up to 280k on my GSXR1000 & went through some very tight corner's & couldn't believe a bike that big would do it but DID . So thumb's up to their handling & Speed
SENSEIThumbs up to the *rider* more than the bike for the skills demonstrated I reckon! :Punk:

[moko]

Well to be honest I didn`t notice the bike review section that was already there had gone.I`m sure Bob had a write-up in there about his SV,and a couple of others as well.

[Uncle B]

I've owned my SV1000s for 18months now and had no problems with it at all.
I've done a heap of mods to make her go a bit better and look sharper.
21,000kms later and it still gives me a "thrill". Like snozymotto said...just as you get used to it, it gives you a surprise.
Great bang for your buck. :2thumbsup