I am looking at possibly buying an SV650 but have a couple of questions. First, how is the SV going to sit as compared to the GS, will it be more comfortable, will my legs have more room than on the GS? Second, I know there are some sites for the SV similar to this one but cant remember the addresses, could someone please tell me them? Thanks.

www.svrider.com

sv650's are awesome bikes, i wish i had bought one, i was supposed to, but then things just changed, oh well,

i don't think an sv650 would feel much heavier than your bike, but it would be a little taller, and wider, and you'd have more leg room, but yeah, svrider.com is a good site, there's also sv650.org, which is from europe, but it's the same bike either way

I just rode an sv this weekend. An sv650S actually. Felt more upright than my bike (mine has Suburban bars though). Steering felt heavier and bike felt heavier, carrying its weight higher up than GS, vibey but not buzzy like GS which gave me a false sense of speed (felt slower than I was when I looked down at speedo). Seat at tank feels much narrower but no noticable extra or lack of legroom to pegs. Nice bike but a little unimpressed given the general hype. I may not upgrade to an SV after riding it. I'm going to look at some other types of bikes, maybe inline 4's. SV didnt have lots of noticable torque like I expected from a v-twin. Maybe I was expecting literbike performance, dont know...but I was expecting more. Good overall bike though. I can see why the GS is a better bike to learn on though.

Check out my thread titled, "I Crashed" for more info (I didnt crash though).

The SV is a good bike, easy to ride for sure but for my money I prefer a 4 cyl bike.  A 2 or 3 yr old low mileage zx6/R6/gsxr600/cbr600 after learning to ride on a GS would be acceptable and around the same price ad an SV650.  And despite them being a couple years old the parts/performance/build quality is far superior.  Just my opinion.

Depends on 2 things - (1) do you want a inline or a v-twin, and (2) a standard or a sportbike?

The SV is taller than a GS by about 1.5-2 inches. You can lower the SV's seat by getting a Suzuki gel seat and that brings it down an inch. Its about the same weight as an SV. But the SV has a higher center of gravity because its a v-twin and feels a bit more top heavy. But its really just as nimble (in fact, more nimble in really tight twisties) than most 600-750 inline superbikes. The stock seat is slimmer, but is not as comfortable for long rides. Many change to an aftermarket Suzuki gel, Corbin or Sargent seat. Overall, the standard SV has a GS500E easy riding position with higher bars. The SVS has a more aggressive riding position, but not as bad as a GSXR or R6.

Up side is that the SV has a wonderful frame and engine. Good brakes. Very good lifespan (lots of owners are approaching 40K with no problems what so ever. No known major defects. The SV does have more torque than inline 600s in the 3K - 7K rpm range. Comparable to an inline 750cc interms of torque. Nice part is that you don't have to whip it to get mid-range power. If you want more torque then the SV is your bike. If you want more top speed and like to whip a bike in the 9K - 12K+ range, then go for a sporty inline (e.g., GSXR, etc.). I've accurately clocked my SV (via bicycle speedometer) at 121 mph. The SV goes super fast from 0-105, then slows down till 121. Of  course, the speedometer is aggressive and reads 128 when you're actually doing 121 with stock gearing. I believe most inline 600 sportbikes go 130 - 145. If you're not racing, when are you really going to be able to use that top-end power? An SV will out race most inlines in 0-60 because of its mid-range torque and you don't have to do it by redlining the engine. I have to admit that inlines are more smoother, no v-twin buzz, and on the track when your spinning 11K, its nice to have another 1-2K of rpms to go.

Downside of an SV is that its got crappy suspension. Front goes down like a cheap hooker. Many owners who are more experienced riders replace the oil and springs. Plenty of aftermarket suspension components. If you get a 2-3 year old inline (say GSXR 600), you can get a better race bike, with way better suspension and stronger braking. And with the number of new rivals in the "standard" 600 inline category (e.g. FZ6), it'll be a pretty competative year.

an SV and Kawi ZR-7 have practically identical torque/power curves. The SV is lighter than the ZR though. by a fair amount. The SV suffers from the same malady as the GS - rotten front suspension. A quick $100 will fix that good enough though.

Get a Hagon shock ($330) for your GS/SV/ZR and you will be very happily impressed and you won't be shelling out $600+ for a fancy Fox/Penske/WP. I mean these fancy shocks are nice but for street work they are total overkill.

Thanks for all the great info everybody, keep it coming.  One thing about the suspention though is that it will probly seem much better than the GS's.  My main problems with the GS are not having enough leg room, power, and other little nick nac stuff. I will have to ride a SV to really see if its what I want. I would probley get a regular SV not the SVS based on, price, insurance, and the way it will sit, Im hoping to upgrade for $1400 to $1800. How do you think insurance would be on an SV?

QuoteA 2 or 3 yr old low mileage zx6/R6/gsxr600/cbr600 after learning to ride on a GS would be acceptable and around the same price ad an SV650.

I'm totally in agreement here.  And here's a little supporting information from the last Motorcyclist issue.  It had an article about the 50 Best Used bikes, separated into classes.  The two top listed Middleweight Sportbikes were:

The two best:

Quote
1995-2002 Kawasaki ZX-6R (~$4440 for 1998 model):
...The ZX-6R is a superb all-arounder, and a great buy... The best bets are the 1998 models, thanks to a host of second-generation upgrades...
Sore Spots: Problematic cam-chain tensioner...on high mileage bikes; rattling might mean bent valves; stearing head bearings; fragile wheel paint.

1997-2003 Suzuki GSX-R600 (~$4590 for 1998 model):
...one of the most confidence-inspiring sportbikes ever...the engine is remarkably tough when well cared for...The 1998 model was blessed with various engine upgrades (larger airbox, revised exhaust system, different cam timing and reshaped ports).  Ferreting out a clean, well-maintained example can be tough though... give a thorough examination before buying.  Hammered steering stops mean it's had a hard life, so keep looking.
Sore Spots: faulty fuel-tank gasket; worn contacts in starter housing can cause ignition failure; check for regular cam-tensioner adjustments after 10,000 miles.

The Best of the Rest:

Quote
2001 CBR600F4i ($6005):
"more confidence inspiring than your college girlfriend, pathologically forgiving F4i is by far the best introduction to the world of super-sport bikes.

1996 Yamaha YZF750 ($3690):
Sharp handling, 120hp.  (FAST!)

1997 Yamaha YZF600R ($3805):
...Virtually identical (to the) tough-to-beat, scythe-like in the twisties 2003 model.

1998 Suzuki GSX-R750 ($5320):
A sportbike legend, with big power and compact chasis.  1998 is the first year for fuel injection and a new, close ratio gearbox.

shep_bannister: Yup, those are all very nice, super sportbikes. Excellent power, cornering & handling. I've had the pleasure of some fast riding on both a GSX-R750 and CBF F4 and I have to admit that the suspension-chasis dynamics are all superb. More than I can fully handle. Too bad they (the entire genre of sportbikes) don't come with a more upright standard position for my ol' bad back.

sprint_9: Insurance depends on your location. I pay $570/year for full coverage incl. uninsured motorist and theft in CA w/ no claims or tickets. Usual route to fix the soft front-end completely depends on your riding style and experience. Riding - 1) City, freeway, some twisties, 2) city, freeway, lots of twisties and track 3) track only. Experience - 1) newbie with less than 15K miles, 2) intermediate can drag a knee, 3) experienced/racer.

If you answered 1:
Stock might be enough, its still a bit better than a stock GS500E. Or, if you're over 160lbs, get the appropriate front oil and springs. Stock spring rate is .7kg/mm with crap 5-wt oil. Change the oil to 15 - 20wt and replace the springs to match your weight $200-250. This gets rid of some of the front end looseness.

If you answered 2:
Get appropriate oil & springs and determine if you want RaceTech valve emulators. Name says it all. It mimics the properties of good quality valve forks on GSXRs, CBRs, etc. + another $250 to above. Gives extra stiffness but way better high-speed compression and rebound damping.

For the rear, a cheap solution is to replace the stock shock with a GSXR rear shock (only certain years work, 97-99 600 & 750 GSXRs) with a revalve job and new springs. This is what Zoran and other AFM racers did back in 2000 when the SV came out and didn't have Penske or Ohlins aftermarket products. Roughly $200 if you can find a used GSXR shock on eBay ($60).  Fox shocks are similar in quality, simpler to install but cost $475. Or spend lotsa cash on a Penske or Ohlins rear (overkill IMHO).

If you answered 3:
The AFM racers usually do a GSXR front-end swap (forks, brakes, tire, etc.). I also hear that and F2, F3, VFR front ends also work. Not an easy fix and requires some expertise and know-how. Also spend lotsa cash on a Penske or Ohlins rear.

Overall advise - first deal with the front end, then mess with the back. I'm 170lbs, #2 in the answer scheme w/ no trackdays. I've got .75 springs, 20wt oil and RaceTech valve emulators in the front and a GXSR rear shock. If I could spend $2K on suspension, I might think of a GSXR front end swap and a Penske rear shock just for 'pose' factor. I don't think I'll ever be good enough for that big of an upgrade unless I use the bike for track use only.

If you want more answers, go to www.svrider.com. HTH, sorry for the long winded response but I wanted you to know the facts - Ravi

There is a good forum at www.socalsvriders.com

I may be biased, but I think that the SV is a great bike.  My bf got an SV650s not too long ago.  The bike is really fast & a lot of fun.  There are a lot of cheap & easy mods that you can do to make it lighter & look better.

Quote from: rinthiranThe SVS has a more aggressive riding position, but not as bad as a GSXR or R6.

Wrong - 2003/2004 SVs models have same ergos as Suzuki's GSXr 600.  This is lower than the first generation SVs.

QuoteThe SV goes super fast from 0-105, then slows down till 121. Of  course, the speedometer is aggressive and reads 128 when you're actually doing 121 with stock gearing. I believe most inline 600 sportbikes go 130 - 145. If you're not racing, when are you really going to be able to use that top-end power? An SV will out race most inlines in 0-60 because of its mid-range torque and you don't have to do it by redlining the engine.

While the SV is faster than the GS500, it does not go "super fast" to 100 when compared to any current I-4 supersuport bike.  The SV will get beat by any SS600 in a 0-60 or quarter mile test.  A GSXr 600 will get to 60mph in about 2.5 seconds, a SV650 will take a little under 4 seconds to get to 60mph.  That's an incredible difference - the GSXr600 (and CBR600rr, R6 and Ninja600r) is faster to 60 than any street legal production car.

The only speed-test the SV650 wins is the top-gear roll on test.  But, if you were going 45-75 on a SS600 bike, you would go faster in 2nd gear than 6th gear.  I own a SV and am happy with the performance, but I know that an equal rider on a race replica will go much faster in most situations.

fuzzymemory: Sorry, my experience is with the SV99-02 models, you're right, the 03-04 seem to have the same ergos as other sportbikes. Uh, you mean you don't like my "super fast" technical terminology   I predict speed by the grin on my face.

Ok, you got me at my speed #; here's stats from Motorcycle Consumer News for 2002 models:

Bandit 600S 0-60 4.05sec, 0-100 10.92, 1/4mile 12.30@106mph
SV650 0-60: 0-60 3.76sec, 0-100 10.75, 1/4mile 12.04@107mph
GSX-R600 0-60 3.02sec, 0-100 6.53, 1/4mile 10.60@128mph
GSX-R1000 0-60 2.95sec, 0-100 5.58, 1/4mile 9.99@142mph
CBR F4i 0-60: 2.85sec, 0-100 6.61sec, 1/4mile 10.59@128mph

You were right that the I4s are faster, I'm smoking abit too much fumes from my veetwin. Its amazing how fast some of these bikes are, I mean, a 1/4mile at 142 is "ludicrously fast" (another technical term from watching too much Spaceballs).  

Quote from: rinthiran
SV650 0-60: 0-60 3.76sec, 0-100 10.75, 1/4mile 12.04@107mph
GSX-R600 0-60 3.02sec, 0-100 6.53, 1/4mile 10.60@128mph
CBR F4i 0-60: 2.85sec, 0-100 6.61sec, 1/4mile 10.59@128mph

Not a prob - as you can see with the stats you posted, a SV is much faster than most cars on the road so you can call it fast and not be wrong.  But it's no match for modern i4 bikes.  The GSXr600 is faster to 60, and takes only half the time as the SV650 to get from 60-100.  Thats why I cringe when folks spend over 6k on a SV, then throw 2k into suspension mods to get what is esentially a 8k GSXr 600 suspension w/o the engine and modern parts to back it up.  Just trade up to a GSXr at that point if you are looking for pure speed.  I'm planning on doing some light front-end mods (fork oil and maybe springs) and have a GSXr shock waiting to be put on (50 shipped during the winter off ebay).  I'm not looking to go faster, just add comfort & stability to my ride.  If/when I get hit by the speed bug, I'll save up for a GSXr.

BTW, go down a front sprocket tooth in a GSXr and see just how much faster they get  I've seen some folks take more than a half-second of their quarter mile times just from this mod (Motorcyclist or Cycle World recently did the #s for this mod on a GSXr 750 and it was about 9% faster in the 1/4 mile)

Fuzzy Memory, does the SV have ample torque and HP, atleast enought I wont get bored with it? That is one reason I want to upgrade, but I dont want a full blown rocket, just a sport bike like the SV.

The SV has more than enough power unless you are a serious squid. There are a lot of the I4 riders that have no idea how to go around a corner, they just rely on the power to squirt them out. The SV has a nice linear torque curve that lets you roll on the power early, and it's a nimble bike that lets you carry corner speed. Lots of fun on a curvy road!

Sweet, it sounds exactly like what I want.  I guess the only thing left to do is to test drive one, to see if its what I want, and to buy one.  

Hey everyone. I haven't been posting lately here 'cause...Well, I finally got an SV.
I loved my little GS but I wanted something faster, a little more power. I wanted the great handling though for in-city that you don't get with a super-sport and let me just say that I LOVE MY BIKE!!!!!! It's an '01, red, very cute. It's got an S-style fairing on it now but that will come off next spring. I love the naked look.
I'm sure the rush of a GSX-R on the freeway would put a serious perma-grin on my face but trying to negociate the suck-*ss traffic in Seattle on one, well...
The SV handles like a dream and it's light and doesn't feel like a scary step up from my GS at all...And the boys all stare.
No question, it's a wonderful next bike.     :lol:

Quote from: Fly NenaIt's an '01, red, very cute. :lol:

Awww darnit, you just ruined it for all us guys.  We can't be seen on a cute bike!    :mrgreen:





...the metallic red is an awesome color for sure...

Aren't you already riding a GS?