News:

Registration Issues: email manjul.bose at gmail for support - seems there is a issue that we're still trying to fix

Main Menu

So Suzuki is putting the SV650 back into production...

Started by Iarn, April 14, 2016, 10:54:35 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Iarn

http://www.suzukicycles.com/Product%20Lines/Cycles/Products/SV650/2017/SV650.aspx

I think it looks great and I'm itching to give it a test ride. I'm personally excited to own one of these new models some day.

I've read around that lots of SV faithfuls have some misgivings about it in regards to a change in frame material and the failure of the Gladius (crappier redesigned SV650).

What do y'all think?

Daeouse

Could be good. . . not that I have money for such things. LOL
Jon "MotoSquirrel"
2009 Yamaha V-Star 950
My Blog!

Watcher

Looks like the same chassis as the Gladius, just not as ugly.

As long as the powerplant is solid, I think people will buy it.  Naked standards are on the rise, suzuki needs a good competing machine for the CB500 and FZ-07.
"The point of a journey is not to arrive..."

-Neil Peart

The Buddha

I am sorry, Steel frame swap bait and switch on the SV doomed it.

They can try to cover it up in as much tacky plastic as they please .... or leave it un plasticked - we don't care, this is a bike we will need to buy only if its pennies on the dollar after it has a few spots of rust, y'know like the standard GS.

Cool.
Buddha.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I run a business based on other people's junk.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Daeouse

Quote from: The Buddha on April 15, 2016, 09:24:19 AM
I am sorry, Steel frame swap bait and switch on the SV doomed it.

They can try to cover it up in as much tacky plastic as they please .... or leave it un plasticked - we don't care, this is a bike we will need to buy only if its pennies on the dollar after it has a few spots of rust, y'know like the standard GS.

Cool.
Buddha.

What happened with the SV? :confused:
Was there some damning event? I'm new to the Suzuki game, so I'm not sure I've heard the story behind the ire. . .
Jon "MotoSquirrel"
2009 Yamaha V-Star 950
My Blog!

Iarn

Quote from: Daeouse on April 15, 2016, 11:16:21 AM
What happened with the SV? :confused:
Was there some damning event? I'm new to the Suzuki game, so I'm not sure I've heard the story behind the ire. . .

Well, the SV650 is arguably one of the most loved motorcycle models among Suzuki fans and even outside the brand. Supposed to be the most versatile bike, just the right amount of power, practicality, fun factor... all that. Suzuki practically had the monopoly on the naked standard game. That is, until they stopped production of the SV650 in 2008 and replaced it with that ugly piece of junk the Gladius. Similar design at heart, but lots of cut corners (to save money I guess), ugly fairings... didn't have the same soul. Then Yamaha and Honda came in to fill the vacuum with the CB500 and FZ-07 and at this point I'm sure Suzuki feels like they shot themselves in the foot taking the SV off the market. They've been missing a lot of revenue not offering an everyman's naked standard.

Now they're trying to reintroduce the SV again, but it may be too little too late for them. They've been off the market for a long time now, the FZ-07 is insanely popular and they've pissed off a lot of die hard SV fans. So that's the gist of it.

Quote from: The Buddha on April 15, 2016, 09:24:19 AM
I am sorry, Steel frame swap bait and switch on the SV doomed it.

They can try to cover it up in as much tacky plastic as they please .... or leave it un plasticked - we don't care, this is a bike we will need to buy only if its pennies on the dollar after it has a few spots of rust, y'know like the standard GS.

Cool.
Buddha.

So what's the rub with the steel frame? You might always see people complaining about that, but I don't understand it. It's the same weight, so why are people so against the steel frame, if you don't mind my asking?

Honestly, I might be one of those folks to take the bullet to test out one of these newer generations of SVs. 60mpg, a naked V-twin, awesome looks (in my opinion), respectable power and some upgraded tech with the times... Yeah, this bike looks sweeeeeeeeeet.  O0

Daeouse

Quote from: Iarn on April 15, 2016, 03:12:07 PM
Quote from: Daeouse on April 15, 2016, 11:16:21 AM
What happened with the SV? :confused:
Was there some damning event? I'm new to the Suzuki game, so I'm not sure I've heard the story behind the ire. . .

Well, the SV650 is arguably one of the most loved motorcycle models among Suzuki fans and even outside the brand. Supposed to be the most versatile bike, just the right amount of power, practicality, fun factor... all that. Suzuki practically had the monopoly on the naked standard game. That is, until they stopped production of the SV650 in 2008 and replaced it with that ugly piece of junk the Gladius. Similar design at heart, but lots of cut corners (to save money I guess), ugly fairings... didn't have the same soul. Then Yamaha and Honda came in to fill the vacuum with the CB500 and FZ-07 and at this point I'm sure Suzuki feels like they shot themselves in the foot taking the SV off the market. They've been missing a lot of revenue not offering an everyman's naked standard.

Now they're trying to reintroduce the SV again, but it may be too little too late for them. They've been off the market for a long time now, the FZ-07 is insanely popular and they've pissed off a lot of die hard SV fans. So that's the gist of it.

And I learn something new! Thanks! :thumb: :cool:
Jon "MotoSquirrel"
2009 Yamaha V-Star 950
My Blog!

Big Rich

There are pros and cons to each frame construction.

Anybody with a welder can fix a steel frame..... but it will rust out eventually. Aluminum will last for damn near ever.
83 GR650 (riding / rolling project)

It's opener there in the wide open air...

The Buddha

Yes and a aluminum bike left outside will look better and better as the time wears on it. In spite of their retarded black powdercoating on the later SV's.
And if it starts to look like crap, like you left it @ a construction site and it got slathered with concrete ... you can always polish it. Like my POS Ozone Bicycle, which after polishing, starts to look like its handmade Murrican bike from the early 90's sold @ bike shop not POS chinese Crap from 2009 sold @ REI.

Cool.
Buddha.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I run a business based on other people's junk.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Kijona

Being a former SV650 owner, I must say I am highly disappointed by the swap to the steel frame. No matter what way you slice it, aluminum is better. Sure it may be the same weight, but steel is more prone to cracking, rusting, etc.. The characteristics of aluminum are far better suited for the frame of...well...anything that needs to hold together.

I would not trust a steel-framed bike after it's been down - even just a drop on its side - after more than 2-3 years. I know that sounds like paranoia, but I've never seen an aluminum weld break before. I've seen plenty of steel welds break. I can understand a steel frame on a budget bike (like the GS), but for the SV? Unacceptable.

To me, the SV died in 2003 when they first went to fuel injection. Yes it's more controllable and efficient and all that stuff, but having ridden both, the first-generation dual Mikuni was far superior in both power delivery and overall smoothness. I've ridden several of the fuel injected models, two of which were professionally tuned with a P/C module...still not as good.

/soapbox

Iarn

No problem with soapboxes, that is kinda why I made the thread. Ha.

If you were to remove the SV650 label from the bike and look at it objectively. What would you have to say about it, then?

Kijona

Quote from: Iarn on April 17, 2016, 08:18:58 PM
No problem with soapboxes, that is kinda why I made the thread. Ha.

If you were to remove the SV650 label from the bike and look at it objectively. What would you have to say about it, then?

Huh, interesting question. Well, I'd say it's a remake of the Gladius. I think the fact that they're trying to market it as a "new SV650" is what's bothering me and other people. It's an insult to the name and what it used to be.

Kijona

If I could find this exact bike I would pay damn near anything for it:



The blue "S" is somewhat rare, and one with the optional lower-fairing is super rare. The lower-fairing in general is rare. I had a silver one just like that. Sold it to a friend because I needed a car. Friend wrecked it within a week. Sigh...

Rallyfan

I commute. My next bike will be fuel injected, and have a full fairing.

Whether it's going to be a Suzuki is up to Suzuki at this point... I'd not buy the naked new SV though, it's not reasonable for me without a fairing.

Kijona

Quote from: Rallyfan on April 18, 2016, 12:21:46 AM
I commute. My next bike will be fuel injected, and have a full fairing.

Whether it's going to be a Suzuki is up to Suzuki at this point... I'd not buy the naked new SV though, it's not reasonable for me without a fairing.

GSX650F?

cWj

.
#15
.

The Buddha

The bait and switch was in the fact that it was called an SV650F.

And I am a bicyclist too, there is no reason to want steel over aluminum in all but the hardest core velodrome bikes.
Where there is no suspension, steel gives a little and lessens those bone jarring bumps. They also can make the steel super super super thin wall so it can be lighter than aluminum. Cos you try to do that with aluminum even 3X as thick, it will crack when you get on it.

On a bike with suspension it makes no positive difference. The differences are all negative for steel.
The Gladius was heavier than the SV. So they really didn't try to even make it "the Japanese ducati" besides, there was a Japanese SV already. It was the SV.

Sadly, I think the SV was killed by people on forums - like this one and the SV forums. This is 2016, if the forums decide they don't like it, it will have a outsized impact.
To build a successful bike - GS or SV or anything - they need to listed to forumers. Not just this one, all of them. You cant buy that kind of customer feedback for millions of $$$$ ... that can keep them from fixing what aint broken while ignoring what was broken.

Cool.
Buddha.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I run a business based on other people's junk.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Rallyfan


Quote from: Kijona on April 18, 2016, 03:06:11 AM
Quote from: Rallyfan on April 18, 2016, 12:21:46 AM
I commute. My next bike will be fuel injected, and have a full fairing.

Whether it's going to be a Suzuki is up to Suzuki at this point... I'd not buy the naked new SV though, it's not reasonable for me without a fairing.

GSX650F?

Something like that, maybe. A CB750F would be nice but it doesn't exist.

cWj

.
#18
.

Iarn

Well, to be fair, I don't think anyone literally thinks the Gladius is an SV650, you can see that from people's reactions to it. What people mean when they say that it's a crappier SV is in the spiritual sense, especially in the US, where many people talk like this.

They took the SV650 off the market and in its place came the SFV650. It is the spiritual successor to the SV whether you like it or not. They are similar in a lot of ways.

Now, adding insult to injury (in a lot of people's minds) they've taken the spiritual successor to the SV650, the SFV650, and turn it into the SV650. They did it again, but in reverse!

If I may use nerd nomenclature; instead of using resurrect spell on the SV650 they used raised zombie instead and now it looks like an abomination to a lot of people. I think that's what The Buddha and others are upset about and that's what they mean by "bait and switch".

I do commend you on your wanting to ride the bike before taking a dump on it, though. I was reading on some other forums and MANY posters were saying, "Oh, the 2017 SV650 is 15 pounds more than the FZ-07. The FZ-07 is CLEARLY the superior bike based on these metrics alone!" It was really a sad read. Judging two similar bikes on weight alone.  :nono:

SMF spam blocked by CleanTalk