SV650 or similar?

[Gizzit]

i like the naked version..sister's boyfriend has got one and had a test go on it..cool bike mate..i have a hornet however and ofcourse am biased abt it..beautiful bike...not sure of weight difference in comparision to the cb1300 while slow riding bt im 5'6 and proly not the strongest bt i have no trouble moving it at slow speeds..however it does weigh 194kg's and its a little annoying for me when i have to move it while stationary..then again im small built..other than that trust me when i say their awesome bikes..nothing bad to say abt them..and on the topic of grunt..there's plenty of it..heaps down low and grunty as fark through mid range..being a detuned 919 engine it doesnt have the top end of a sports bike but then again yer looking for torque and the hornet has alllloooootttttt of it....hope this helps..

Interesting you say that the Hornet has lots of grunt low down, as I was in my local Honda agent today discussing the 900, and he said I would find them quite rev hungry to get them going .... ?? Guess it depends what you are used too. And yes I'm sure the Hornet wouldn't be too much of a problem weight wise, and they aren't a particular big bike for a 900.
I'm looking forward to trying one ..... and the ER6 bikes. Maybe a Z750 too !!
Thanks for your input.

[discotex]

Interesting you say that the Hornet has lots of grunt low down, as I was in my local Honda agent today discussing the 900, and he said I would find them quite rev hungry to get them going .... ?? Guess it depends what you are used too. And yes I'm sure the Hornet wouldn't be too much of a problem weight wise, and they aren't a particular big bike for a 900.
I'm looking forward to trying one ..... and the ER6 bikes. Maybe a Z750 too !!
Thanks for your input.

Make sure you test ride the Z750 on the type of roads you ride on. I found the suspension/chassis total crap apart from on the motorway. Felt like it was trying to break my back as soon as the road had bumps. It's all soft and plush then goes rock hard on the bumps.

That was an '05 model but the reviews I've read suggest the new model is similar.

Pity as the engine is nice and torquey yet still revs pretty well. Would make an awesome commuting fun bike (suspect you'd spend a lot of time on one wheel or the other )

Aftermarket rear shock is probably all it would need to sort it now that I think about it.

[nallac]

[QUOTE=Gizzit;1732124]Interesting you say that the Hornet has lots of grunt low down, as I was in my local Honda agent today discussing the 900, and he said I would find them quite rev hungry to get them going .... QUOTE]

peak torque's at 6500rpm so its got good down low get up and go
more than enough to get in trouble with mr

sure is fun bouncing of the rev limiter as well

[zeocen]

Riding the Hornet 900, I found it extremely smooth and not revvy at all? It would take off without any complaint, it's great.

I don't think you would like the Z750, assuming you are buying new, I've heard (non confirmed) that their suspension has been somewhat downgraded and seem a bit hard to turn on corners now. But definitely try it anyway! You might like it.

It sounds like you would really like the ER6N with stock bars.. no I'm not trying to convert you... honest !

[FROSTY:Me]

Ive been lucky enough to ride a fair few mid sized bikes.
In FACTORY setup I'd look at an ER6 for the riding position and OK suspension setup.
If I had the money you're talking about Id concider a VFR800 -fairing and slightly less sporty riding position

[carver]

fuck the zed...
the sv didnt do it for me...
the ER is one of my fav all time bikes, a true "do anything" bike

easy to ride fast too, good on gas, nice torque, and good at wheelstands (thats one thing the SV does better)

[carver]

Interesting you say that the Hornet has lots of grunt low down, as I was in my local Honda agent today discussing the 900, and he said I would find them quite rev hungry to get them going .... ?? Guess it depends what you are used too. And yes I'm sure the Hornet wouldn't be too much of a problem weight wise, and they aren't a particular big bike for a 900.
I'm looking forward to trying one ..... and the ER6 bikes. Maybe a Z750 too !!
Thanks for your input.

oh, i rode the hornet when i owned the ER6

the hornet is shit....compared to the ER
because of...

baggy suspension
weighty feel to it
ponderous handling
its not very quick

[Les]

Thanks for that Les. Yes I like the idea of sitting up rather than having to be bent over the bike as per most sports bikes.
I imagine if the seat is uncomfortable, you can always replace it. McDonalds Motor Trimmers in Tauranga do a really good job.
Well I'm 5'10" (179cm?) so the SV shouldn't be too tall for me. My DR, even lowered is still a little bit on the high side, but no problem as it is light.
Do you get good gas/milage out it ?
Any known issues with the bike ? Anything especially to look out for ?
Thanks.

Yeah I reckon that a replacement seat is the go if you're gonna spend a lot of time on long rides, etc. I'm 5'11" and I find the seat height fine although wouldn't want the seat any wider because on flat ground I still can't get my feet totally flat on the ground. From '04 onwards I think that the seat was narrowed up a bit to fix this.

As far as gas mileage, I've just worked out that its about 18km/l or 52 mpg that I get with general "play" riding and a bit better on a long trip, which I think is not too bad. Mindyou, mine got a lot harder on gas after I fitted an aftermarket can and got it remapped. Goes and sounds better tho..!

The only known issues that I'm aware of is little detail things. I've had mine since new and got bad lower triple-clamp corrosion after a year or so which I thought was shocking since I live in Canterbury. Got it fixed under warranty but they did a shit job and ended up redoing it myself. The swingarm bushes are known to slog out after a bit. Not serious to fix. I'd also make sure that a full top-end service, ie. valve clearance shims, has been done as per the book.

Check out svdownunder.com and have a browse thru the forums to see what other owners are dealing with.

The SV continuously impresses me with how it can handle most types of riding no problem. The most reliable and versatile road bike I've ever had. I've not had anywhere near the issues with it that mates have had with other bikes of the same vintage, etc. Buy one! I've never regretted it.

[StormRider]

I was looking for the exact same thing, and finally got an SV650. It is similar in performance to ER6 but I felt the ER was a bit more upright for me. SV is more crouched and very comfortable to drive. I am very new to biking so i guess can't say much about performance and other things, but it handles very well.
i am only 5' 8" and it feels good and i thoroughly enjoying it so far........

[Bend-it]

.... SV is more crouched and very comfortable to drive. ....

Drive?!?! Drive!??! Go wash your mouth out before coming back to the keyboard!

Pffft drive indeed...

[Gizzit]

I was looking for the exact same thing, and finally got an SV650. It is similar in performance to ER6 but I felt the ER was a bit more upright for me. SV is more crouched and very comfortable to drive. I am very new to biking so i guess can't say much about performance and other things, but it handles very well.
i am only 5' 8" and it feels good and i thoroughly enjoying it so far........

Hi there,
Thanks for your input. I have heard/read that the SV and the ER6 bikes are very similar in performance too. My preference is to ride something that IS more "sit up", rather than leaning forward. Certainly leaning forward putting more weight over the bars adds to more precise control maybe, and more feel, but it probably depends on how aggressive you intend to ride. I want a bike I can ride quickly sometimes when I find some good twisty roads, and cruise more sedately when I feel like it. Both bike are very good. However, I haven't ridden the ER6. I rode an SV the other day, which was quite good, but I'm also looking outside those two bikes before I make any choices.

It's good to get everyone's ideas and views, and I have picked up more information about suitable bikes from listening to other peoples views. More so about the bikes ... that wouldn't suit me, so eliminating bikes that really won't be right for me. That saves time with trying the suitable bikes. But .....
Basically ..... you just have to ride em!
Cheers,

[Gizzit]

After dropping off my DR650SE at the Auckland airport today to it's new owner, I test rode a second hand Hornet 900, an SV650, an ER6F, and a GSXF650.
No contest for me. While all the others were excellent bikes .... the Hornet fitted/suited me best, so I bought a new red one from Cyclespot in Takapuna this afternoon and road it home to Whg on dry roads, and in the sun!
Really nice bike, and I enjoyed the ride.
I'll post a picture shortly.

Thanks for all the input people.
Cheers,
Grant.

[discotex]

No contest for me. While all the others were excellent bikes .... the Hornet fitted/suited me best

Funny how that happens eh. I rode all the 600cc sports bikes (plus a few others) and the CBR just fit best.

Love my red Honda and I bet you'll love yours just as much

[Gizzit]

Funny how that happens eh. I rode all the 600cc sports bikes (plus a few others) and the CBR just fit best.

Love my red Honda and I bet you'll love yours just as much

Good bikes Honda's. I can see a Rider seat being installed though! I have yet to find a really good stock seat. So, ... I'll be off to McDonald's Motor trimmers in Tauranga again soon to get another bike seat done. Also probably a small screen.
Obviously if you did 600K today, you find the seat on your bike ok. Thats a real nice ride. I've been around that loop a couple of times in the past.