Which bike would cost more to run? SV1000S or CBR1100XX

**Zapf** · 29th December 2005, 15:32

SV1000S Vs CBR1100XX

Which bike would cost more to run?

Which bike would be more fun? (in your books)

Which bike would handle better? (out of the box)

And can owners please post their tank range until reserve light comes on? thanks

**froggyfrenchman** · 29th December 2005, 15:33

my vote goes to the sv1000s, coz twins are much more fun in my books. Just my opinion! dont want to be attacked by hoards of inline4 owners!

**Lou Girardin** · 29th December 2005, 16:12

The Bird is 30+ kilos heavier than the SV for starters, Then it is a Honda, so that may create some gender confusion.

**Drunken Monkey** · 29th December 2005, 16:33

bloody hell, looking for another bike already, F. ?

**manuboy** · 29th December 2005, 16:49

Somebody else will be able to tell you about the CBR, but the SV gets serviced at 6K intervals. Nothing special required - standard oil / filter and general checks. Think 6k was the same for the VTR and the K4 so maybe thats standard. SV will probably be harder on chains / sprockets, but easier on brakes considering weight.

Nothings gone wrong with the SV at all so far apart from almost every bolt / screw vibrating loose but preride checks sort that - they're pretty strong ol donks.

They tell me twins can chew more rubber (grip / slip / regrip cycle of a twin). Depends on your riding style, my z6 rear did almost 8k last time, this time a couple more tracks days will have it rooted in 5k i reckon. But mates on I4's have rooted good rubber WAY quicker than that.

Fun? Totally objective call. SV carries a pillion averagly, tours averagely, is a hoot on twisties (ridden properly), gets round ruapuna okay (not as "okay" as a GSXR or similar obviously). Most SV reviews called it a "fun" machine. 110 HP and around 189kg dry lets you have enough fun i reckon.

Suspension is the only part of the handling that will let you down seriously but for my money the SV would take the CBR to peices come track day.

You can hustle it as hard as you like an apart from the suspension it'll generally cope. Sure bet guys like SVS and those racing them have ditched stock suspension or at least replaced fork springs / oil?

p.s out of the box the SV needs heaps a heap of front preload, and a bit of rear (i'm 81kg). it's shit otherwise. dropping the forks 4mm apparently helps stability / turn in heaps as well.

**Mr Skid** · 29th December 2005, 18:26

So to clarify:

You're considering buying a SV, after owning a SV and selling it because the suspension wasn't good enough, only to be replaced with a GSXR750, which turns in too quick, to be replaced with a CB900 which is too vibey? And one of the potential solutions is to replace your inline 4 with a V-twin to resolve vibration issues?

Are you ever going to be satisfied?

**pritch** · 29th December 2005, 18:53

Strange question(s) really.

One of those bikes offers a lot of bang for the buck but is still a budget bike. The other is a "flagship" model of the manufacturer of the most reliable bikes on the planet.

Hard to compare on any objective basis, but this is all about subjective decisions anyway. You pays yer money and you takes yer choice.

Have fun deciding.

Then buy the Honda :-)

**Zapf** · 29th December 2005, 19:21

Originally Posted by Mr Skid

So to clarify:

You're considering buying a SV, after owning a SV and selling it because the suspension wasn't good enough, only to be replaced with a GSXR750, which turns in too quick, to be replaced with a CB900 which is too vibey? And one of the potential solutions is to replace your inline 4 with a V-twin to resolve vibration issues?

Are you ever going to be satisfied?

well yes. what I should hav done is kept the SV and got nice suspension for it. The 750 had much better suspension.... althou try as I may I havent managed to bungie 2 givi pannier boxes onto it, seeing Givi didn't make racks for the GSXR. CB900 which I was hoping to be a do it all is vibey... which will be fixed soon enough. There is good vibes and bad vibes, the SV have more good ones

yea I am a hard man to please.

**Biff** · 30th December 2005, 00:00

My CBR1100XX

Does over 300 K's on a tank when ridden 50% fast road 50% communting.
Service intervals 6K after initial 1K and 6K checks n oils.
Average MPG around 40mpg.

Performance
It's a missile, and can out accelerate many a 'pure' sports bike off the mark (with a competent pilot at the helm), and it'll keep on going and going until you're into the 180 - 200Kmph mark, then the R1s and such like catch and put a good lead on you. Final top speed reported to be circa 286K on restricted machines and over and above 300K reported on some bike other bike forums I lurk about. But it'll do it in such a way that you wouldn't notice the speed this thing is doing, because it's so well natured. Neutral even to someone looking for a true sports bike feel.

It's a very happy speedy cruiser, and as docile as a stoned koala around town.

Handling
It loves fast sweeping corners. You can plant it into a sweeper and it sits there like no other bike I've ridden. Lovely, predictable. But it's a bit of a handful in tighter sections, and you'll find faster 600cc + bikes and riders soon catching you up . It's not that you can't get the Bird around them easily, it's just that the physics involved in getting a 220+Kg machine around tighter curves is starting to work against you. Know what I mean?

Nothing's adjustable on the front. Recommend you place a spacer above the rear shock (if there isn't one there already), as this makes a significant improvement to the bikes handling on tighter sections.

Fun
Hell yeah it's fun. But it's not a sports bike. The power is progressive and predictable throughout the bikes power range. If a Gixxer, R1, ZX** are Ferraris, then a Bird is a Bentley Turbo thingy. Just as fast, if not faster to a point, and in relative comfort, until the road best suits a machine with a thoroughbred racing pedigree.

It's a Honda. Ghey some scrotally challenged people may say. I say quality.

And you don't get piles like sports bike riders do. They all do, they're just too embarrassed to admit it.

The SV and the Bird are different machines. A serious test ride of both should help me thinks. Horses for courses etc.

**Jantar** · 30th December 2005, 00:57

Originally Posted by pritch008

Strange question(s) really.

One of those bikes offers a lot of bang for the buck but is still a budget bike. The other is a "flagship" model of the manufacturer of the most reliable bikes on the planet.

Two errors in your post:

1/ I know the Blackbird has been reduced in price, but its hardly a budget bike.

2/ The SV is not Suzuki's "flagship" model.

**The Stranger:Me** · 30th December 2005, 02:50

The blackbirds are variously quoted at between 2.4 and 2.8 seconds for 0-100 so yeah pretty quick and rock steady at 255kph and still pulling like a freight train.

At the trackday at Taupo I was probably one of the ones being complained about when guys on the lighter bikes could get me on the twisties but I could generally hose them on the straits.
I also noted that many of the bikes which did take me on the twisties I caught easy enough on the sweeper. Wasn't game to take many of them on the sweeper though cause of all the crap on the track, so it kinda bares out what you say.

**loosebruce** · 30th December 2005, 15:07

Pfft SV buy a TLS ya pussy

(er i know of one for sale soon)

In my experiance twins are thristy as fuck and kill tyres in less than 2000km (could be just me though) but then again the GSXR1000 was not as thirsty and killed tyres just as quick, but the GSXR would pull the front up in 3rd at 170kph rather happily, and the brakes well......... god knows why you would want to buy a bird

whats wrong with the 750 eh?

I'd prolly buy the SV over a Bird, i'm not big on 2 up stuff which the bird would be the bizzo for, and from what i've heard and seen the birds a bit of handful for stupid shit, where as the SV would still be aight for stupid shit, you owned a new 650 just think of that with 50 odd more hp and a little bit more weight.

**VasalineWarrior** · 30th December 2005, 23:39

If your thinking of ditching the Gixer for another SV, how about lending it to me for a bit? For research purposes of course.....

**inlinefour** · 31st December 2005, 01:54

Originally Posted by Zapf

SV1000S Vs CBR1100XX

Which bike would cost more to run?

Which bike would be more fun? (in your books)

Which bike would handle better? (out of the box)

And can owners please post their tank range until reserve light comes on? thanks

Unless someone is going to give me a ride on both and I go the same route on both, then I'll never truely know. besides, I don't trust everything I read in a magazine or on the web.

**Dafe** · 31st December 2005, 05:57

Originally Posted by Mr Skid

So to clarify:

You're considering buying a SV, after owning a SV and selling it because the suspension wasn't good enough, only to be replaced with a GSXR750, which turns in too quick, to be replaced with a CB900 which is too vibey? And one of the potential solutions is to replace your inline 4 with a V-twin to resolve vibration issues?

Are you ever going to be satisfied?

A few people on the SV1000S Portal have put Ohlins suspension on their SV1000S. Maybe you should have tried that?
I rooted the steering head bearings on my SV - Thanks to learning to wheelie and many a heavy landing.
The suspension however tweaked up really nicely for the track - Very impressive.
As for the rest of the bike - Just awesome! Power and handling were good.
However, In saying that....... I couldn't get too much more out of my SV after a year, hence the Gixxer thou which is just right for me - I love it!

Those 6K servicing schedules are a suzuki schedule, not an SV schedule!