Every now and then you think, hmmm, so is it time to change my bike for another one with more Power! I was on a rideout the other night with some blokes and they were leaving me behind, partly a factor of me not going fast on roads I don’t know, and partly because I seldom really wack the throtttle open hard at higher speeds.
Well Today I was coming back from Bluewater Shopping centre after not being able to find something for the wife and I opened the throttle fully to the stop. I was in 3rd gear at the time and was rather surprised to find the front wheel coming up!!! Wacked it into 4th and nailed it again, wheel goes all light and the numbers go up fast - well into silly nappy changing speeds territory. So I braked smoothly, tipped into the corner and scrubbed off more of that chicken strip…
Morale is that I am still going to be Mr Slow on the rideouts as I have a healthy sense of presevation, but hoots anon, my bike can shift if I want it too! More than enough power for real roads riding and still way to fast for me!
I agree - it’s easy to forget just how much power and agility a bike has, especially if you use it to commute on.
Staying with the flow of traffic, on congested roads, you might give it the odd squirt to get out of a “situation” (or just for giggles), but usually there just isn’t the space, time or right road-condition to do anything more.
That’s why I’ve vowed to keep my SV650 for as long as I possibly can. I know the bike is way better than I am, and will be for ages. If and when my ability surpasses that of the bike (trackdays beckon), I plan to upgrade it - new suspension, maybe, or other tweaks here and there.
I don’t want to just go and buy a litre bike, say, just because there’s a bit of a flat area around 9,000rpm. It seems many people seem to fixate on that sort of thing, then simply go and buy a new bike without fully exploiting the one they have.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I just want to be sure I’ve got absolutely everything out of my SV that it’s possible to get.
i know that feeling, unfortunetly my SV6 was wrote off, but i had been planning an upgrade:D
i had begun to outgrow my SV6, i loved it to bits! it had taught me alot, KD, how to keep up with bigger more powerfull bikes, how to ride but without stacks of power-ie use the gears! many things!
But buying a liter bike was good move for me, gears are longer, more torque…i do liek teh extra power, the thou makes the 650 feel like a 125 now, i ride my mates SV6’s occasionally and they feel so light and and not very powerfull really, probabaly the massive difrence in torque!!
nail it from 2nd and it gets to well in to three figures very quickly, i dont think i really need more power, recently i rode some sports IL4’s, im think if i was to get one i would get a 750 or 1000, for the torque not for the power, also for the handling. 600’s feel a bit ‘fluffy’ power wise!
hmmmm…i want one, thats th thing i have yet to ride a well set up vee-with quality suspension, SV’s are great bikes…but they are built to a budget…th K4 GIXXA front end…ohlins rear shock and dymag wheels sounds applealing:D;)
I notice the odd power delivery while on my ZX6R vs my old Bandit 600 - **** all low down but once you get past 6000 revs it tries to pull yer fookin arms off ! Even managed an unintended power wheelie today.
That’s the fun of the ninja - it’s all about caning the tits off it , and I love 'em.
My ZX9 makes over 20hp more than the SV thou, and about the same torque - but it’s where the torque lives that is the difference and again, I’d rather an IL4 because I like to cane bikes.
1000cc is good for the road…Great for cruising without worrying about gear changes.
Can get frightening for faster riding round twisties where something like a new shape R6 may be just as fun.
That same R6 would be crap for cruising though as it makes most of the power up the rev range where you need midrange for most cruising and town riding.
Wacked it into 4th and nailed it again, wheel goes all light and the numbers go up fast - well into silly nappy changing speeds territory. So I braked smoothly, tipped into the corner and scrubbed off more of that chicken strip…
