Deciding between a CBR600 and an SV650

[steelestring]

So does that mean you should consider another kawa?

hmmmm zx10 aye

[Morcs]

I hate it when people talk about torquey bikes such as twins and refer to IL4s as not being torquey - Horsepower is a product of torque x engine speed. A bike with more hp has more torque. :P

The Honda is a well made, reliable bike.
The suzuki is a suzuki and its budget was tighter.

Youd be better off comparing the sv1000 to a cbr600. Even then a 4 is better. Lighter, shorter wheelbase, smoother etc..

[mister.koz]

So does that mean you should consider another kawa?

hmmmm zx10 aye

Green is good, i am a self-proclaimed kwaka nut but hey once again everyone's got their own preference.

I got lots of mates who are happy on their twin sv's, firestorms, hysungs, aprillia, dukati's and even tripple trumpy's and they wouldn't trade them for anything

[xxcbr69xx]

Yep CBR600F3 is the pick of that bunch, one of the best allrounders of all time!

[steelestring]

Green is good, i am a self-proclaimed kwaka nut but hey once again everyone's got their own preference.

I got lots of mates who are happy on their twin sv's, firestorms, hysungs, aprillia, dukati's and even tripple trumpy's and they wouldn't trade them for anything

I did find myself falling in love with unrealeone's rsv on saturday
Comfy as hell and that intoxicating thunder that you feel in your chest is amazing!! I think the a big plus about the twins is how narrow the bike is also... it just feels lean and mean

[erik]

I hate it when people talk about torquey bikes such as twins and refer to IL4s as not being torquey - Horsepower is a product of torque x engine speed. A bike with more hp has more torque. :P
...

Not true, it's possible for an engine to produce low torque over its rev range, but high power at high revs compared to an engine that produced heaps of torque at lower revs but couldn't rev very high.

[Wiki Drifter]

Never ridden a cbr600f, but I've test ridden the SV650s and ER-6F (07 & 09 models). So this is my useless comparison between the two:

SV pros:

-Light weight
-Good handling
-Nice sound
-Cheaper

SV cons:

-Can't think of any serious ones, quite impressed with the SV.

ER (09) pros:

-Good handling
-Engine felt more torquey than the SV
-Has fuel gauge but hate the digital rev counter
-Very upright seating, so will be less tiring than the SV for long rides?*

ER cons:

-Weak brakes
-Heavier compared to SV, although both are light bikes.
-Several thousand $ more expensive than the SV.
*Seat padding made out of wood. This seem to be the case on all the Kawas I've ridden 6R, 10R, Z-1000...

Overall I thought the SV650s was better than the ER. Instead of the naked the SV, you can have a look at the SV650s which all have screens. Just test ride both the CBR and SV and choose your favourite.

Someone mentioned the TRX850, definitely an under-rated bike, rides a lot better than it looks.

[Muppet]

How do I find the SV? Usually I just open the garage and there it is.....(sorry, couldn't resist that...)

Seriously. I do enjoy the SVS. I have put race tech emulators and springs in the front to good effect. I have yet to do the rear but maybe one day. I have put a Two Brothers slipon on as well to make it sound more like a V twin and less like a sewing machine. Oh and Michelin PR2's made a dramatic difference to handling as well.

More powerful bikes? In fact, bikes I rode in the past probably had LESS power despite being rated "powerful" bikes in their day. Standards change...The V-Twin power spread is wide and very well behaved. The Two Bros can probably widens it a little as well but the OEM can is fine too. I have not ridden an IL4 in many many years...no experience of a modern litre IL4. Overall I would say that the power to weight ratio is fine. It can certainly kick you up the arse if you ask it to.

Generally get 350km+ on a tank of gas. I have kept fuel records from new and can get anything from 58 - 64 mpg in old money (20 - 25 km/l). Depends on how you control your right wrist...I run it on Gull Force 10. You ought, in theory, to get even more mpg from a non ethanol blend. The Two Bros can increases fuel consumption a little (about 2 km/l)

Frame is excellent - cornering stability is tops compared with what I used to ride. No flex at all. As someone has said, hit a bump mid corner? No big deal. Have run through a diesel spill (small) with only a little sidestep as a result. Same with scattered loose metal on the corner - some sidestep but no dramatic stuff. Keep your nerve and it behaves very politely. Ridden (very carefully I might add) through road ice with no ill effects. Very nimble bike, light, flickable and responsive. Hard to break the grip with available power - you can wrap it on without fear. Unless the road is totally slippery I suppose but I have never tried that anyway.

I can commute comfortably on it and I have ridden it from Hamiltron, round Lake Taupo and back (465km) in six and a half hours without major discomfort. And I am old as buggery to boot.

I too have heard that the 650 is a "better" bike than the thou whatever that means. Not ridden a thou so can't say, but it was originally designed as the 650 so I daresay the package was originally the 650 so maybe better overall balance etc.

I've had this bike 17 months now and still think it's pretty cool to ride. As all the reviews say, it is totally fun to ride. Specially if you do the mods to the suspension.

Hey thanks for that, what you've said is very helpful, the tank range is quite impressive, I used to own a cbr600fm and took a ride on a 99 sv650 and liked it quite a bit. The larger bikes I've owned are often too much for the road, whereas the mid range jobs are brilliant. Hmmmmm...................

[mister.koz]

Not true, it's possible for an engine to produce low torque over its rev range, but high power at high revs compared to an engine that produced heaps of torque at lower revs but couldn't rev very high.

Torque vs horsepower is irrelevant, my IL4's got plenty of torque down low and enough hp to lift the front at slow, quick, silly and stupid speeds.

Its the feel. Search for torque vs hp in the threads, there's some really good stuff in here that both proves and disproves allot of things.

Its the feeling, not the stats.

[BigOne]

Ive never had a small/medium IL4, but I did have a SV650 K2 naked for 5yrs, and it rocked. I did the forks and it had an Ohlins rear, and there was almost nothing could match it on hills and twisties, but it could keep up with the bigger bikes pretty well too.
The engine was just huge fun, better torque than an IL4 down low, but bloody willing if I wanted to absolutely thrash it, too. With good tyres I could use WOT out of corners, without fear of it un-hooking. With a worked over suspension, they are hard to beat. We have a SV thou in the family too, but I preferred the 650. I ride a 1400 now, but I miss the banana.

[bounce]

just adding 2 cents regarding the old zx6r you rode. worn tyres that are out of round or badly setup suspension will both make the bike feel diabolical in the corners. I have ridden my own zx with incorrect setup suspension wise and cannot believe how bad it can be. Maybe try another bike before writing off sportsbikes, you may find another that feels spot on for you.
good luck with your decision.

[slofox]

Hard to break the grip with available power - you can wrap it on without fear. Unless the road is totally slippery I suppose but I have never tried that anyway.

Well...correction to that. I did just that this morning - wrapped it on on a wet road - while on a shiny patch in fact. And yes, the grip did break briefly. But, once again, no drama. A little flick of the tail and it bit back in and away we went without mishap. Very forgiving machine.

[slofox]

just adding 2 cents regarding the old zx6r you rode. worn tyres that are out of round or badly setup suspension will both make the bike feel diabolical in the corners. I have ridden my own zx with incorrect setup suspension wise and cannot believe how bad it can be. Maybe try another bike before writing off sportsbikes, you may find another that feels spot on for you.
good luck with your decision.

Agree with this - especially the tyre bit - had the same experience on the SVS just prior to putting new ones on.

[wysper]

Ive never had a small/medium IL4, but I did have a SV650 K2 naked for 5yrs, and it rocked. I did the forks and it had an Ohlins rear, and there was almost nothing could match it on hills and twisties, but it could keep up with the bigger bikes pretty well too.
The engine was just huge fun, better torque than an IL4 down low, but bloody willing if I wanted to absolutely thrash it, too. With good tyres I could use WOT out of corners, without fear of it un-hooking. With a worked over suspension, they are hard to beat. We have a SV thou in the family too, but I preferred the 650. I ride a 1400 now, but I miss the banana.

Funny you should say that, I am on a SV650, came with in a gnats whisker of buying a GSX1400 yesterday before realising I couldn't really afford it. I tried a VTR1000 but prefered the 650. So now will probably keep the SV for another couple of years. I will do the suspension and pimp it a little. I love it.

[BigOne]

Funny you should say that, I am on a SV650, came with in a gnats whisker of buying a GSX1400 yesterday before realising I couldn't really afford it. I tried a VTR1000 but prefered the 650. So now will probably keep the SV for another couple of years. I will do the suspension and pimp it a little. I love it.

Hi Wysper,
I'd still have the 650 nekid if I hadn't hi sided it on the Hill, and trashed it. Hot tar.
There is sooo much you can do with the 650. Send the forks to Robert Taylor, for emulators, and get a decent rear shock. Ohlins ARE the best, but there are lots of good options that are cheaper.
If you want, PM me, and jack up a time for a good yack. Check out SoCalSVRider, and SVDown Under, both worth a good long trawl.
I have some stuff left over that you'd find useful, too, jets, crash bobbins, a rad guard, etc. I even did a front end swap from a SRAD GSX1000. I have the full Manual, too. Could cut it to a CD for ya.
Save the 14 for later. You'll like that, too.