Friday 2/10/09 - Suzuki SV650S

[urbanfireblade]

I been riding 15 yrs, last 7 yrs ive had vfr750's, cbr900 fireblade for 5yrs, a Kawasaki gpz500 i have right now as well as my current '02 Suzuki Bandit 1200 which i'm trading in for a brand new Suzuki SV650s. Pick it up in 2 days. Sv is a lovely bike even for experienced riders, deceptively fast on the test ride, very linear torque curve, it doesn't feel flat then peak like inline engines, its just constant torque! Had to ride the same road after on my gpz500 to compare and sv was way quicker.

[warder105]

Oh it's so gorgeous. I keep hearing good for beginners good for beginners. But is that only for a day 1 noobie? I'm wondering how I'm going to like it, I've been riding a 2001 ninja 250 for two years, and I'm looking for a bike with more power,more weight (250 gets danced around too much by highway winds), better height (my legs are long) and more comfortable suspension( L.A. streets bully my ninjette).

[armouredsqwirlz]

All and all, would this be a perfect beginners bike or should I start smaller?

[plehdehgame]

i'm debating between the ninja 650r and the sv650, i like the leaning forward of the sv cause i sat on one... i never sat on the ninja 650r. BUT which bike is more user-friendly considering it will be my first bike? In terms of looks i love the sv look but the ninja is also good looking as well so it's kinda hard to decide. Performance is not an issue both are the same cc's and i probably wont have the skills or talent to bring these bikes to their maximum potential anyways!! Thanks in advance

[seb23490]

would you say the CBR600F is on par with the sv650 in terms of power, forgivingness and feel?

I have just passed my test and was looking to buy an sv650. but also like the cbr600F. for some reason I have it in my mind that although its not the RR, the CBR-F would still be too big a step fr a new rider.

[motorcycleluke]

@seb23490 Both great bikes!! Difference in te handling etc not too great, most difference is style of engine, whether you prefer the torque of a twin, or the bhp of an inline four bro!

[Dawson2708]

great vid ive just gone a got one of these myself my first bike and cant wait to get out on it... keep up the great video's mate

[TheARMAProductions]

When i had just passed my test the instructor advised me to get this bike over the CBR 600 RR. i ignored him and went for the CBR. There's no such thing as a perfect bike for beginner riders. it's all about how sensible you are. All I would say is don't even think about starting off on the 1000 CC bikes as they are monsters to master. Easy to ride like all modern sports bikes but the torque on them is sick and I'm still not 100% confident of thrashing it after 2 years

[motorcycleluke]

@TheARMAProductions Exactly! If you had gone smaller and worked up, you would have that confidence! Its kind of like buying a ferrari for a first car, get a banger, then you get used to the way it handles etc etc!!!

Hell I know its tempting to get a huge sports bike, but everyone I know agrees, start small, youll be a better rider!

[TheARMAProductions]

@motorcycleluke This is somewhat correct. I had dropped the CBR 600RR a couple of times and got into a few near misses/little scrapes and it was because of my inexperience (even tho the accidents were legally the other cars fault). The issue I had was that I started (legally anyway) when I were 26 and so didn't want a small bike as I knew I'd be wanting to jump up. Allot depends on you as a person. If you can keep a level head you'll be ok but most cannot on modern sports bikes :)

[TheARMAProductions]

@motorcycleluke So yes...starting small and working your way up is definitely best if you have the time mate. A big problem isn't even the bike itself...it's learning how other cars/bikes/pedestrians behave and can behave. The faster the bike (i.e. the more torqy the bike) the faster you'll be going and this is the killer when your new to thr raods as you won't have the time to react to new situations as you come across them. As a bike courier in London I see all kinds of madness lol

[asmith929]

Hey Luke you did a great review on this sv650s its definitely one of the bikes im looking at! But do you think you could do a review on a fz6 fazer if you can still get your hands on one? Its basically between those two for me.

Thanks!

[bassistmatt]

wise choice sir, once you get a taste for the v twin.......

[synawat]

great video great bike

[hateutubepolicy]

Good video ! . IS the fron fork hard enough ? Many people say that for my weight ( 250lb) its to soft. I woned sv1000s but they dont make them no more and i want a brand new bike. I hope 650 is fast enough :)

[Tophairybutt]

The late model SV650s is very much like a dependable version of an old school Ducati.

[22luigino]

do you think adding a steering damper would beneficial. or are they requried for riders who tend to push a bikes limits incase of "tank slapping"

[harrycallaghan22]

Really informative vid. I was thinkin of gettin one of these bikes & will now definitely take one out for a test ride. cheers.

[EmpireM8]

Hi Luke!!

Great Video as always , Do you think the bike would be too much to handle for a 17year old? Ive just passed my A2 Course so im restricted to 33BHP , But whats your opinion on it? Ive just like converted to Gears from automatic.

Thanks again!!

[motorcycleluke]

@EmpireM8 It would be worth a test drive mate, also have a look at the bandit, hornet, fz6 and kr6, all nice allternative inline fours! Good luck, and ride safe bro!

[con3legend]

is this a good bike for a begginer rider. im turning 18 soon and i want to get a motorcycle. i have no riding experince and i am going to start working on getting my license but i was woundering is this a good bike to start off on or should i look into a 250cc or 500cc

[motorcycleluke]

@con3legend This would be pretty spot on to be fair!! Its a twin, so different to an inline four, and some people dont like that lumpier feel!

Look at the Bandit, and Hornet as well, smoother for beginners, just avoid anything too sporty till youve had a year or so experince, trust me these bikes will be just as fast!

[everybodywazzup]

@con3legend I'm in the EXACT same boat, except that I just turned 18. I also have no riding experience, but I have a neighbor that races motorcycles professionally and he recommended the SV650 to me as a beginner bike that wont disappoint. The more research I have done, the truer I find this to be. I do believe the SV650 is the perfect beginner bike for someone who still wants power. Also, it's one of the most customizable bikes on the market and is very easy and inexpensive to maintain!

[fleawannabe87]

@con3legend Count yourself lucky! Here in the UK if we have no experience and wanna get on a bike at your age, you need to do CBT swan around on L Plates for a bit till you feel good enough to do some training, then you're stuck to maximum 33bhp for two years. I've got 4 years riding experience and i' m only just getting my first bike over 600cc

[02wheels]

i wish i had a job like that. LOL

[Davori]

Very informative, thanks :)

[starwarsfanforlife]

Dude nice video...I am telling my daughter this would make a great first bike for her...and she really wants the sporty look and i want her to get used to a bike before she gets a bigger one. We will have to go look at them!

[Kingcole1230]

@starwarsfanforlife you should also consider the gs500f, assorted small cylinder ninjas, or the other 250s... sv650 has a significant amount of horsepower, so if she has riding experience should play a factor in the choice.

[bonertown15]

I love the video but does your camera have a anti-shake feature you could turn on? All the shaking making it hard to watch. Otherwise, cool stuff. SV's rule.

[MBenvo]

you need to stop saying "yeah" or "yes" every two seconds. This video had good information but was incredibly irritating to watch..

[motorcycleluke]

@MBenvo Okay - sorry about that mate!

You dont have to watch! Im trying my best, but you cant keep everyone happy huh!

[theoriginaldimi]

@MBenvo damn I wish I didn't read your comment after just 10 secs of watching the vid lol

[ThaBR33D]

if you take the grab rail off will it leave holes or are the bolts under the seat/cowl?

[RYN0375]

he says "yeah" waaaaaayy too much :P

[ThaBR33D]

1:08 probably the most hideous fairing in the world. Thank god they put on a more sporty one.

[mongrelchild]

@ThaBR33D It's not that offensive in person, trust me

[brianlittrelluk]

I have A 2008 Model and Just Cleaned the downpipe with brasso metal polish Come Up Like New

[4673rb]

Great video. I just purchased a 08 sv650 with only 2k miles. i love the bike!!! one question though... did they stop making the sv650s?

[LtGlenn]

I wonder why these guys are both British but the bike is in miles per hour?

[daryl1991]

@LtGlenn Possibly because British speed limits are in miles per hour?

[LtGlenn]

@daryl1991 well it wasn't when i visited there in 2005. i would be really suprized if they changed it but whatevs.

[TomBetteridge13]

@LtGlenn  England has allways been mph.....

[LtGlenn]

@TomBetteridge13 yup you're right. i was wrong, i was only there when i was like 14 so i guess i just assumed for some reason.

[motorcycleluke]

Great bike! Im doing thw Bandit 650 now as well - mayeb wait till you see what I say about that!!

[gaznos]

Have you never watched one of luke's blogs?

Very nice vid, iv just passed my full test after mumbling on a cbf 125

Think this is the bike for me!

[bagbag1978]

@gaznos I love mine, I bought the exact same bike after my DAS. Black ,red seat, seat cowl, etc.

Love it to bits, but they do need a "Hamicad" tail tidy, just finishes the bike off!

[MrRogue09]

you say yep/yes/yaya and ya a lot.

nice videos, keep em coming man.

[BoldMorin]

Love the video's keep em coming :P