Anyone here with an SV650 Gladius?

[rock_rebel]

I was looking at one of these at a Suzuki dealership on Friday. The price seems kind of steep for a 650. They wanted $8700 plus sales tax+freight. It's a lovely bike, but how well does it ride compared to a GS500?

[ohgood]

I was looking at one of these at a Suzuki dealership on Friday. The price seems kind of steep for a 650. They wanted $8700 plus sales tax+freight. It's a lovely bike, but how well does it ride compared to a GS500?

That price is 4 used, fuel injected jap bikes around here. No way id pay that.

[BaltimoreGS]

If you are used to a GS, the SV is a good upgrade.  If you have owned a proper sport bike, the SV feels cheap and un-refined.  The SV has twice the power but still suffers from having cheap suspension components like a GS (true of all of Suzuki's lower end bikes).  Used ones can be found fairly cheap in my area.  $1,500-3,000 for first generations, $3,000+ for second generations.  Never owned a Gladius so I can't speak for them.  I still have a 2006 SV in my stable but it has been over a year since I rode it.  Just not a particularly thrilling bike to me but it does everything well over all like a GS.  GSXR front end swaps are popular to improve the handling.  Lots of info at svrider.com.  Like I said, if you are used to a GS it is a great upgrade; just don't expect it to be a true sport bike.  Another good step up is a Katana or a GSX650F.

-Jessie

[tt_four]

A 2012 Triumph Street Triple is listed at $8899 on Triumph's website.... http://www.triumphmotorcycles.com/motorcycles/range/roadsters/street-triple/2012/street-triple/4768

While I'm sure the Gladius is a fine bike, and I've always kinda liked them, there's no way in hell I'd pay that kinda money when there are other options out there in the same price range that would absolutely stomp all over that bike. This thing is basically a naked sportbike, and nothing like a recycled motor in a second grade frame with a cheap suspension and a million steel parts that'll rust within a few years.

[The Buddha]

Yea TT_four the right.
Get sv proper or ninja 650 atleast parallel twin. Gladius is ghey and trash.
Cool.
Buddha.

[jdoorn14]

A 2012 Triumph Street Triple is listed at $8899 on Triumph's website.... http://www.triumphmotorcycles.com/motorcycles/range/roadsters/street-triple/2012/street-triple/4768

Given the choice between the Street Triple or the Gladius, I choose the former. I have heard better things in general about the street triple.

[dougdoberman]

and nothing like a recycled motor in a second grade frame with a cheap suspension and a million steel parts that'll rust within a few years.

So, not like a GS500 then?

[The Buddha]

and nothing like a recycled motor in a second grade frame with a cheap suspension and a million steel parts that'll rust within a few years.

So, not like a GS500 then?

A GS was created out of well ... nothing else, it took a 5 yr old motor in 89 and put it in a really really well made frame albeit steel - but rememebr there is no aluminum framed bike within 2 X of its 89 introduction price. If I recall, 2999 was its price in 89, the closest was the honda hawk which in 90 and 91 was sold for a scarcely believable 4g after they cut its price 1500 for the 88-89's (correct me if I am off guys I am not sure at all after the info came to me very much second hand in 94-95).
Anyway so a gheydius is nothing like a GS.
Cool.
Buddha.

[tt_four]

So, not like a GS500 then?

haha, nothing like it, but at the same time I bought the GS for $1500, I wouldn't be spending $8k on anything like it. Even my Triumph Speed Four was only $6400 new, and even that 2003 bike would still eat any gladius/sv650/ninja 650 you could throw at it. Triumph makes the best naked 600s hands down. I'd happily ride an SV650 if I had one though.

[The Buddha]

BTW can you guys remember in 2008 who Time magazine's person of the year was ?

It was the rather infamous "You".

However reading the article (I have since stopped doing that so dont ask me unless it was in a cartoon) they said that a large number of people were blogging and that was changing a buch of crap ...

So in 2009 suzuki introduces the Ghe ghe ghe ghe gheydius. So what happens ... people go to see it in person and every single person that saw it said one of these 3-4 ... steel frame trash, why would I buy this over an SV, and the plastic covers over everything is looking rather tacky and they all collectively said - the ad campaing for it was ghey, and the name was super ghey.

Right there suzuki should have saved themselves the grief of making a few 100,000 of em ... and stuck to the sv.

BTW I also feel suzuki missed a golden opportunity in making a parallel twin in place of the SV. They should have made a larger GS and an even larger GS ... all twins, a 750 || twin and a 1000 || twin. The SV should never have been made, and better yet if they had done it in 1996/7 they could have effectively pre-empted the ninja 650 and heck then they could have well made em with steel frames and we wont have cared. They had a huge captive audience in the GS500's

The TL came first, to get in the 750 supersport/bike then the subsequent bad rap it got for the twitchy handling etc etc, they had to kill the TL name etc etc. However they may have never had that rotary shock if the motor had been a parallel. Everything is easier on a parallel twin, easier to make 2 cam shaft instead of 4, 1 cct instead of 2, 1 header instead of 2, 1 cyl head not 2, 1 cyl casting not 2 ... so on.

Cool.
Buddha.

[SAFE-T]

I have never seen one outside of a dealer showroom ~ I think that says all you need to know

[rock_rebel]

Haha, well I think I will pass on that bike, though the red one looks kinda nice.

I've only ever seen one in the showroom too, never on the road. It does look fairly well built though, but maybe that's just me.

$8K is way too much for that bike. I would only buy my bikes used anyway, because I'd hate to drop a brand new one.

[tt_four]

Haha, well I think I will pass on that bike, though the red one looks kinda nice.

I've only ever seen one in the showroom too, never on the road. It does look fairly well built though, but maybe that's just me.

I think they're definitely good looking bikes, they remind me of mini MV Agusta Brutales.

Buddha, talk them up all you want but V-twins are still just cooler than parallel twins. Despite shortcomings, no ninja 650 will ever be as cool as a buell, TL, ducati, or MT01. Just not gonna happen.

[The Buddha]

Haha, well I think I will pass on that bike, though the red one looks kinda nice.

I've only ever seen one in the showroom too, never on the road. It does look fairly well built though, but maybe that's just me.

I think they're definitely good looking bikes, they remind me of mini MA Agusta Brutales.

Buddha, talk them up all you want but V-twins are still just cooler than parallel twins. Despite shortcomings, no ninja 650 will ever be as cool as a buell, TL, ducati, or MT01. Just not gonna happen.

I see your harley and MT01 and I raise you an xs650, a GR650 and a couple of euro specials, a TRX 850/900 and a laverda ghost.
Duc - sorry cant compete with 1200 cc of moto GP bred italian inspiration.
Then Buell - cant argue with the gas in frame and oil in swingarm ideas.
TL - sadly that is the weakest link in the Vtwin performance genre. Was made to run with the duc 998/999 and sadly its rap got ahead of it and crushed it and relegated it to touring duty as the sv1000.

Lets back up here - The good V-twins are great inspite of of the V-ness of their twin. And comparable technology/evolution/market parallel twins will not only out perform V twins they will also be cheaper to maintain and easier to work on.

Dont take the high points of Vtwin design and compare it to a throwaway parallel twin. As in, dont compare a GS500 to a NSR500 just cos they are both 500 cc.

Cool.
Buddha.

[gsJack]

Gladius is a SFV650

[SAFE-T]

Wish the TRX850 had been available in North America.

[The Buddha]

Wish the TRX850 had been available in North America.

Yes it would have been cool. They then made a 900 version of it. I wonder if the bloody thing made any $ for yamaha, cos even in europe it was a small sale number bike. I actually think they need to sell bikes in US to make any $$ cos we're the only ones who buy bikes and let em sit and never ride em. Then we fix em, and again sit em.
Cool.
Buddha.

[mister]

Z750 was selling 6,000 units a year in Europe.

Japan has a lot of Japan-only bikes.

I think once they have their economies of scale worked out they need few sales to turn a profit on manufacturing. But making money back on r&d from only one model is less likely.

Michael

[The Buddha]

z750 is in the us too.
I'm not sure how many it was selling here.
Cool.
Buddha.

[Kijona]

Don't have the Gladius but I do have an SV650S. First generation. Apart from a few carburetor hiccups and being finicky (not nearly as much as the GS) to start sometimes, it's a great bike. Compared to the older generation GS's, the SV feels like a finely tuned instrument.

True that the suspension could be considered "soft" but it's not awful. The great thing is it weighs about the same as the GS but has more power, bigger seat, much more intuitive tank design (to service all you have to do is remove two 5mm (or might be 6mm) hex bolts, lift the tank (it's on a hinge) and install the included tank prop rod. No need to remove any petcocks, fuel lines, or anything. Also, being liquid cool affords better cold starts. The carburetors feel a lot more refined on the SV versus the GS.