As a 22 year old who has always been into biking i decided to do my full test last september. I passed 2nd time (had trouble with a u turn in the wet on 1st!) and set about looking for my first 'big' bike.
On a budget of about £2500 i had a fair few choices - the insurance companies managed to cut these choices down to 3 or 4 for me!
In the end it came down to a choice between a 51 reg SV650S for £2400 or a R reg Yamaha Thundercat for £2300. I rode both and for me, the SV won hands down - so i bought it!
As a first bike, you dont have to worry about squeezing the brakes too hard and locking wheels (although they are good enough to feel safe) as its a V twin. This was my first V twin and i was impressed how easy it was to ride, barely any power was needed to pull away and the low down torque was unbelievable! It was easy to throw around roundabouts and take tight junctions on too - handy when you are used to the big handlebars of a CB500!
Once i got used to the bike, i found it a real pleasure to ride, soon came an Akrapovic full race system and a full fairing to boot. The bike sounded amazing and turned alot of heads too. One thing still bugged me though, everytime i parked next to a GSXR or a blade or even ZX6R's i turned into the green eyed monster! Yes, it looked good - it just didnt look as big and sporty as the others, the big gap behind the front wheel and the small fairing made it look so small next to the others.
In fairness, i had showed up alot of bigger bikes around the twisties, and some even on the straights once i was used to riding it. I just wanted something that looked a little nicer.
So i sold the SV and bought an 05 reg GSXR600. To be honest, 2 months on and i miss the SV!!! The gixxer is a superb bike, the looks are to die for, as is the power and the handling, but its just not as easy to ride as the SV. The gixxer takes alot of concentration to ride and i have to rely on the brakes alot more as there is no compression braking compared to the SV.
In summary - BUY AN SV! If it is your first bike, return to biking or you want something for occasional use that you will enjoy, it is the bike for you!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
I have had many bikes most were forgettable this Suzuki sounds interesting.
COOOEEE 11.04.2006 11:12
Start an album of all your bikes because by the time you reach 40 the album will be full. My sons are just a bit older than you and change their bikes all the time it makes it hard to keep up with Lol. Fionaxx
A middleweight V-twin bike, the Suzuki SV650 is nimble, versatile and incredibly popular ... more
with new riders. Maisto have introduced a highly detailed and officially licensed model of the Suzuki SV650. Featuring high detailing, full suspension, working kic...
Postage & Packaging: £3.25 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Performance, purchase price, cheap insurance, resale value. Disadvantages: May want a bigger bike after awhile. Cheesy-looking rear bumper.
matthewaggie 02.03.2009 (02.03.2009)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Suzuki SV650
very helpful by (50%):
helpful by (50%):
