Quote from: Pelikan on January 28, 2011, 12:29:59 AM
I read that comparison a little while back.  Liked it.  The GSX650 would be awesome if it didn't weigh 540lbs  .

1st: No-one can understand The Buddha. He speaks/writes his own language. So when he bags quality control, pay it no mind. 

2nd: Without riding one, you cannot say how un-awesome it is based on its weight. For example... the Z750 weights More than the Z1000 - and yet - when you ride this Heavy Beast (compared to the thou and certainly to the GS500) you do not feel the weight at all. Do NOT get caught up in the weight of a bike. Sure the GSX650 weighs about as much as a Suzuki Bandit 1250. But that doesn't mean the bike doesn't go like the clappers or feel totally rad too ride.

Remember, to a person coming off a 700pound cruiser, the GSX650 is a featherweight. That's why it is so meaningless. Just go ride the thing and decide for yourself. Cause seriously, unless you're pushing the dang thing up hill, you will not notice the weight. You'll notice different handling, but you won't ride down the highway thinking, man this thing rides heavy in a straight line.

Michael

just go ride one, the quality is there. pick whichever RIDES the way u want and ditch the motomags.
reviews are not all they're supposed to be.

What ... suzuki has quality control ... really, really ... where ? I'd like to see it.

OK well, not much worse than the other jap manufacturers. However what suzuki is soundly and much more than other japs guilty of is being entirely insensitive to their target market.
The story is this. The gladius was announced and its web site built and they were @ the bike shows. The instant it hit the market, the sv boards all dumped on the steel frame, the plasticky crap faux chrome covers and how crappy they looked and just trashed the overall quality of the bike, the poor welds and the fact that it will rust if exposed to the elements.
Then there was the absolute Ghey fruity azzed website with tacky graphics and just plain over done everything. People dumped on that too.
Suzuki ignored all that. They were trying to replace the sv650 with that trash. Seriously ... that's like replacing your foot with some wooden peg.

Seriously these days no one buys anything without googling it. Not even a pack of gum.

They draw bikes sitting in a corner office on the other side of the world after having taken the train with 15 million others and they have done it for 25 years. Sadly they dont know what the riding public want. They are bean counters with a drafting degree.

Anyway, Gladius is  POS, no where near the sv IMHO, the sv will work and hold up pretty good ... and its quality control is actually excellent. I've split a pair of 1000's and put em back together, really nice, not light and chintzy like the GSXR, nice and heavy duty. The 1000, the 650 is a bit lighter for running gear, but good nonetheless. The Gladius is what I will buy when a rusty one shows up in my hood for 200 bucks. Dont laugh, I have found a ER650 for 500 already and its only got 10% of its exposed surface rusty.
Cool.
Buddha.

Buddha's hated the gladius since the day it came out. There was no chance you were ever gonna hear anything good about that bike out of him haha

I don't totally agree, I actually like the looks of the Gladius...the colour choices are a little questionable, but the overall look of the bike is nice...but it is just too small of a bike...I know they are trying to make it more accessable to beginner riders and hoping to bring in more women...but some beginner riders are taller than 5'8 and weigh in over 200lbs...and why put such a small fuel tank on it...right bean counter thingy again...lower the curb weight...

We are just lucky that they are selling these types of bikes here, since they are a niche market bike...if you look at sales charts, North Americans buy either fully fared sport bikes or chrome monster cruisers...I'm almost surprised they bother with any other style of bike...for us anyway...

I would buy the Gladius if I didn't look so rediculous on it...that's why I like the MT-01 so much...similar riding position and style (if over the top in many areas...1700cc engine??), but it has a better seat height for a taller rider and high quality components...but again with the silly little fuel tank??...

I'm glad we are getting these niche bike choices...Versys, ER-6n, Gladius, FZ8, etc...since they really appeal to me, but they don't really sell that well...hopefully they also bring the GSR750 over...I haven't seen one yet, but the internet chatter is pretty good...

As for build quality, you get what you pay for...you want a nice Gladius with good welds, go buy a Ducati Monster...but you will pay...you want a fun cheap bike the looks good and sounds pretty decent...get a Gladius, but you may want to save for a paint job...pink bike? or sky blue...hmmm...pay a shop a few hundred to make it look good...

Later.

They must have targeted riders who like rust and plasticky faux covers who like looking Gheeeey and making a lot of gas stops I guess.

I actually dont agree its a niche market, the sv 650 sold extrordinarily well. It was intended to slowly replace the sv, like if the gladius had sold to 1/2 the num,mbers of the sv, by now, the sv would ahve been toast. In retrospect dropping the sv1000 just seems stupid if you ask me. The DL 1000 is still being made, which means they have to keep making the 1000 motor, and the sv650 isn't going away, cos the gladius is a flop, so the sv's aluminum frame is still being made. So they have nearly all the pieces for the sv1K but no sv1K.

Well, I dont hate the gladius really, I hate suzuki for pulling the switch and hope we wont notice. Y'know, the sv was so great, but this one is just the same thing, you guys should get this. I just like pointing out the thing will rust, that's all.

BTW The ninja 650 I dont trash much at all, they're not pulling a switcharoo. Its just a steel framed bike, nothing more, nothing less.

Cool.
Buddha.

my brand new 2009 GS500F has large areas of metal not painted

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/1994/pc290019v.jpg
this is one of the areas its the front fairing stay (this pic is huge so ill just put a link)

iam waiting on Suzuki to ring me back with replacement parts, but iam not sure what they are going to do about the frame.

The SV did/does sell, but it is the SV650S that is the sales success, not so much the naked version...they don't even import the naked one anymore.  I think the last year for it in Canada was 2009, and probably before that in the States...

It's not the bike itself, it's the look of the bike that sells it...the Ninja 650R is prime example...naked version ER-6n, doesn't sell nearly as well, even though it is cheaper and the same bike except for the headlight and faring...

Later.

the gsx650F felt pretty light! But I didnt "ride" it so 

Mary

Quote from: madjak30 on January 28, 2011, 11:18:27 AM
The SV did/does sell, but it is the SV650S that is the sales success, not so much the naked version...they don't even import the naked one anymore.  I think the last year for it in Canada was 2009, and probably before that in the States...

It's not the bike itself, it's the look of the bike that sells it...the Ninja 650R is prime example...naked version ER-6n, doesn't sell nearly as well, even though it is cheaper and the same bike except for the headlight and faring...

Later.

xlar8: WTF ... yikes.

Madjak: Naked sv didn't sell much, so they decided it was the aluminum frame and the plastic that looked like plastic as well as people that looked like they could be straight that was to blame I guess.

I guess the gladius addressed all 3.

Cool.
Buddha.

Man, did someone piss in your Corn Flakes this morning??

All I'm saying is the Gladius isn't selling like they hoped, and if they put a faring on it similar to what they did to the GS500 to create the GS500F it would sell more...

I prefer the naked bikes, but I'm apparently out of touch with what sells...

They have a black version out now that is much nicer than the lame light blue one or the pink one that came out originally...but it is still a physically small bike...

Later.

Quote from: Toogoofy317 on January 28, 2011, 11:28:41 AM
the gsx650F felt pretty light! But I didnt "ride" it so 

Mary

I test rode a GSX650F. Rides pretty much like the GS500 with a little more power and quieter engine (4 cyl.vs.2). It is 100 pounds heavier. I couldn't justify twice the money for it so that's when I bought Junior. 2 GS500's are better than one GSX650F.