ER6F vs SV650s

[Renegade]

Hi guys looking for a little help here, its time to trade in the Hyo and get someting a lil bigger but not to big, the hyo has been great but i dont want another one after owning the gt250r, ive had a look around and want some thing at least '06', im still a chicken really so dont want a full on race bike although the zx636 had my attention.

i commute daily and so want something easy to ride that will still go hard enough to make me grin (pretty easy)on the back roads and ride for hours, i like the look of the ER6F as i prefer faired bikes, the SV650 has a great rep im told but i find it looks half finished with the fairing it has.

im open to any suggestions on different types of bikes that are around that 600cc mark and newish, sport/tourers, il google them to see what they look like i guess

cheers.

[Renegade]

did these photos attach?

[VasalineWarrior]

Hard to go past an SV. If you dont lke the looks you could always put on a bellypan or full fairing. There arent really any other learner friendly step ups but as they say a throttle works both ways. mAybe a (cough) Honda cbr 600 pre 2003 as these are cheap thanks to superceding RR model and go well but not as full on as modern 600's

[The Pastor]

Your master commands that you give him your bike.

[skelstar]

I think the ER is hideous looking (but that don't matter), SV nekids are pretty cool if you 'make it yours'....Hornet is pretty damn user/commuter friendly, and has the power-ish of a 600 SuperSports and the torque of a litre sports-bike ;)

[Mental Trousers]

Get an ER cos they're different (but not so different your average cop could pick it out of a group). Or you could get an SV and be annonymous.

[phantom]

I am very happy with my ER6F and like the looks Skel ( but of course I am an ex Honda rider )

[Matt]

Give 'em a go and see what you think - a FZ6S could also be an option? I preferred the ER6 to the SV, although they're not dissimilar to ride...

Matt

[limbimtimwim]

Although perhaps lacking in the fun department, the Hornet 919 is a great bike.

Don't be intimidated by the 919ccs of engine, it's 919 very easy to use cubic centimeters of engine.

Also consider the Kawasaki Z750. It's a more involving ride than the hornet. It's just had an update.
<img src="http://kawasaki.co.nz/media/gallerywindow/ZR750L7F_1.jpg">

I agree the ER looks pants in real life.

Don't do what I do, ride them all and see what you think.

[Simon A]

I love the ER6 but I didn't really ride any others so can't compare it :/
As far as the looks go, I think the headlight are is pretty ugly so I'm thinking of making a few changes ;) maybe some twin round lights.

[Renegade]

Your master commands that you give him your bike.

of course master...:weep:

[Renegade]

I am very happy with my ER6F and like the looks Skel ( but of course I am an ex Honda rider )

tell me more about yourE6F experiance so far...

[Renegade]

Give 'em a go and see what you think - a FZ6S could also be an option? I preferred the ER6 to the SV, although they're not dissimilar to ride...

Matt

what were the pros and cons between the whenyou rode them and how do you find you ER6 so far??

[Renegade]

I love the ER6 but I didn't really ride any others so can't compare it :/
As far as the looks go, I think the headlight are is pretty ugly so I'm thinking of making a few changes ;) maybe some twin round lights.

how are you finding the ER6 so far??

[Spyked]

Mate, the best part of buying your next bike is doing exactly what a few others have suggested. Ride everything you can get your hands on.

[Pwalo]

Do as everyone has suggested and try both. I'm very happy with my SV, but I've pretty well ridden Suzukis since the '70s.

Bob has had both bikes, and given them a write up in the reviews section.

Neither bike seems to have any vices or known problems. You'd probably find the SV closer to the GT250R as far a riding position etc goes, but with a wee bit more grunt.

[Bnonn]

FZ6 ftw \o/

[HenryDorsetCase]

Although perhaps lacking in the fun department, the Hornet 919 is a great bike.


I have a lot of fun on my Hornet 919 thank you very much.

[skelstar]

I have a lot of fun on my Hornet 919 thank you very much.

Ask him what his next bike is going to be and it'll all become clear. I think some people don't know what fun is 2BH.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Ask him what his next bike is going to be and it'll all become clear. I think some people don't know what fun is 2BH.

an ER6 is about 10 or 11k, and and SV650 is about the same. I used to own an SV650 and it was only a "meh" bike: i dont understand why people rave about them really. It also needed two grand spent on the suspension, and exhaust mods and a power commander....

Sure, the Hornet needed the same money spent (at least on the suspension) but a MUCH better bike resulted for the same money, IMO:

this dude should buy that one advertised on here: $9k asking price with quite a bit of fruit: fork springs to suit his weight, cheap Ohlins shock (cheap being a relative term.... but for a street bike you only need the basic one at $1200, not the full fruit job at $1600) and you could do 50000 km starting tomorrow without a worry

[Pwalo]

Ask him what his next bike is going to be and it'll all become clear. I think some people don't know what fun is 2BH.

But what's you're next bike going to be??

[FROSTY]

If its between those two Id pick the kwakka. Outof the box it handles better and being a parallel twin its easier to work on.
You have a power of other options though.

[skelstar]

this dude should buy that one advertised on here: $9k asking price...
Or mine at $7.5k ;)

[Bend-it]

yeah, I went from a 250 to my current RF, and it didn't bite my head off like people warned me... It's all in the right wrist.

I guess what I'm saying is to not necessarily restrict yourself needlessly. :)

[Hitcher]

It's not a two-horse race. Suzuki makes two other bikes in the class you're considering: the GSF650 and the GSR600. Both are simply brilliant bikes. Mrs H recently bought a GSF650 and loves it to bits. As a value-for-money package, it's hard to beat.

[Renegade]

thanks for the ideas, i have sat on the hornet 919,got the feeling it was a very modern old school style bike, nice but not my style, the gsf650 looks very simalar to the sv650 i thought, the cbr600 appear to be a very sport orientated bike, i like them a lot but i was trying to stay away from the pure sport bikes, they'll just scare me :)

any other suggestions??

[Zapf]

thanks for the ideas, i have sat on the hornet 919,got the feeling it was a very modern old school style bike, nice but not my style, the gsf650 looks very simalar to the sv650 i thought, the cbr600 appear to be a very sport orientated bike, i like them a lot but i was trying to stay away from the pure sport bikes, they'll just scare me :)

any other suggestions??

Sitting and riding is very different thou. The Hornet has nicer finish and overall a better bike than the SV650S ( I have had both), both the SV and Hornet are friendly. In terms of performance the Hornet has more from the 919cc engine. It has more torque than the SV & better top end (the 650 when reved feels like it wants to fall apart) In then handling department, the Hornet has better suspension from factory. In weight wise the Hornet is easier to handle and feels lighter than the SV (even when the SV is lighter by a good 20kg).

In the paparas, I was on a Hornet and Keystone was on a SV650S and we where having fun playing tag. And I find the hornet quite capable of strafing the SV from behind.

In the city, the Hornet will be a much better bike than a SV650S.

Any questions... feel free to ask.

[Bnonn]

Dude, check out the Yamaha FZ6. It sounds like exactly what you're looking for. There is a semi-faired, and a naked version. I'm gonna get a rep for pimping the old Fizzers, but they really are excellent bikes, and as all-rounders which can do anything well, at a reasonable price, they just cannot be beaten. My friend has a Hornet and I would take the FZ6 over it any day.

See http://www.sportbikes.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=69 for more info.

[86GSXR]

I have a friend looking for a new bike, and as she doesn't have a full license yet, I was asked to pillion her for a test ride on the ER6F.

Well, I must say I really liked the look of it. To ride, it was extremely comfortable with a good upright seating position and wide handlebars, making maneouvering a breeze. From all accounts the pillion seat is very comfortable as well.

The instruments and controls are set out nicely, and there was very little wind buffeting. In the wet, the fairing and windscreen did the job nicely.

Being a 600 twin, there was plenty enough pull and torque and it was surprisingly quick and nimble with no surprises through the mid and upper ranges. It has quite a nice engine note as well. The exhaust system itself is a rather nifty design which shows off the line of the rest of the bike well.

I'd say it would make a good around town machine and not too bad as a medium distance tourer either. I hear they are selling very well with very little negative feedback. And being a Kawasaki they'd be reliable.

It's pretty simply put together and all components look pretty easy to get at. There were a couple of slightly ugly welds on the muffler, but I guess that is reflected in the price range which was $11700.

That was my impression, and as others have said, check em all out. Hope this helps. Whatever you end up getting, enjoy. Cheers.

[Zapf]

Dude, check out the Yamaha FZ6. It sounds like exactly what you're looking for. There is a semi-faired, and a naked version. I'm gonna get a rep for pimping the old Fizzers, but they really are excellent bikes, and as all-rounders which can do anything well, at a reasonable price, they just cannot be beaten. My friend has a Hornet and I would take the FZ6 over it any day.

See http://www.sportbikes.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=69 for more info.

someone who had one on KB ages ago suggested they are a bit down on mid range torque. What are your thoughts?

[Hitcher]

What are your thoughts?

Yamaha has just given the FZ6 a major working over to address the first model's deficiencies, particularly its engine performance. It may pay to wait until the latest model arrives.

[phantom]

it strikes me they are a perfect "step-up" bike. They handle very predictably, go plenty fast enough without scaring the sh*t out of you and seem to fit someone like me who is a bit lacking in the leg length department ( who needs to walk anyway ). I must admit one of the first thing that attracted me is the fact that they were a bit different and if it wasn't the ER6F it would have been an SV650 but they are terribly common :dodge: The underslung muffler looks like it has been made out of recycled tin cans, cut out with tin snips then welded by students in a remedial welding class but the rest of it looks well put together and nothing has fallen off yet ( including me )

[avgas]

er6n or sv650s
i would chose the er6n (not the f - me no like)
voted nicest bike or somefink

[cowboyz]

I will put my vote in for the ER6F. Dont like the N version at all but the F is a nice looking bike. Mouse brought one last year and gave me a turn on it through the gorge. Really easy to get the feeling of the bike very quickly. At the time I was riding a GSX600F and the power felt about the same. Maybe lacking a little at the upper end of the scale but for touring/commuting it is a very capable bike.

[Renegade]

ok il google the fz6, heard a er6f with a twin brothers pipe on you tube and thought it sounded choice, there were others on there as well but that sounded the best of the lot.

thanks for the feed back so far

[86GSXR]

The underslung muffler looks like it has been made out of recycled tin cans, cut out with tin snips then welded by students in a remedial welding class but the rest of it looks well put together and nothing has fallen off yet ( including me )


ok il google the fz6, heard a er6f with a twin brothers pipe on you tube and thought it sounded choice, there were others on there as well but that sounded the best of the lot.

thanks for the feed back so far

Phantom's right about the muffler and an aftermarket one would fix this problem nicely.

[phantom]

davereid has put a Leo Vince exhaust on his and last I heard he was pleased with it

[Bnonn]

someone who had one on KB ages ago suggested they are a bit down on mid range torque. What are your thoughts?
It's a fair enough comment if you are concerned about having a lot of mid-range torque. The engine is a retuned R6, and so it's very peaky. It is very docile (read: gutless) until 7k rpm, but I would consider this a bonus since it means that city riding is easy, and a relatively inexperienced rider will not find the power unmanageable. Above 8k rpm the engine is a totally different beast; it turns into a howling monster and pulls hard all the way to the redline. The 2007 version of the FZ6 has been remapped for a stronger midrange, but you will still find it weak compared to a V4. It's a peaky I4—that's just the nature of that kind of engine. If you want a lot of midrange grunt then the FZ6 is definitely not the bike for you; but neither is any midsized I4.


Yamaha has just given the FZ6 a major working over to address the first model's deficiencies, particularly its engine performance. It may pay to wait until the latest model arrives.
This is the 2007 model; I thought it was available in New Zealand already, but I could be wrong.

[avgas]

has anyone tried to make a er6n Bonneville lookalike yet?