SV650 / 1000's

**Jackrat** · 18th January 2004, 14:52

Originally Posted by marty

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

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

**marty** · 18th January 2004, 17:20

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** · 18th January 2004, 19:18

Originally Posted by marty

(she has a boat, fishes, and shoots things too)

She's a hard road finding the perfect woman, but

**jrandom** · 19th January 2004, 09:03

Originally Posted by marty

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

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** · 24th January 2004, 12:01

Originally Posted by 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.

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** · 24th January 2004, 20:31

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

)

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** · 25th January 2004, 09:34

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

**SpankMe** · 25th January 2004, 09:55

How well does a bike that bike handle the twisties?

**marty** · 26th January 2004, 18:56

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

**wkid_one** · 26th January 2004, 20:05

Originally Posted by marty

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** · 27th January 2004, 15:18

Originally Posted by marty

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** · 27th January 2004, 20:40

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** · 28th January 2004, 15:08

Originally Posted by marty

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** · 28th January 2004, 15:38

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** · 28th January 2004, 16:32

Originally Posted by 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??

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