It seems that almost everyone I talk to hates the SV650. Maybe I’m just talking to the wrong people? Reviews seem to be generally positive, I saw one filtering past me today and it looked pretty agile in traffic, it doesn’t seem to be desperately slow…what is it about the SV that makes people say “no, don’t get that” when I suggest it for my first bike?
Yes you are talking to the wrong people, its a great bike.
My first bike was an sv650 and i’d agree that there is nothing wrong with them, especially as a first bike. They’re a good all rounder, the twin engine is good around town and has a decent amount of power unless riding 2 up. Also its more about how you ride it as opposed to the bike itself. A guy who used to be on here was convinced i’d had a load of engine work done coz my sv was so much faster then his :laugh:
+1 here too…SV650 first bike…Cracking bike
there’s not much to hate. its an mid-range cruiser that is also handy as a base for club racing.
had two sv650 over the years…i’d still contemplate another
flannel, they rock, you wanna see mine!
I’d stop talking them.
Great bike I went from nothing straight to a k3 model. I learnt the hard way and made afew mistakes but learnt so much from it. Loads of mods it didn’t need and a track day under my belt.
Get one stick an end can on it and have fun. Anything goes wrong it’s cheap to repair thanks to say many spares floating about.
SVs are brilliant bikes. It was between that and my Suzie 
The SV650 is a very capable bike and an excellent first big bike. Twins are easier to get to grips with than inline 4s in my opinion. The riding position is relaxed and the LED tail lights are pretty distingtive too. Plus there are loads of bits available for them.
There used to be V twin rideouts on here but then it rained and that unit was dispanded.
as long as you adjust the suspensions (they tend to be a little too bouncy) to your weight they’re good bikes Simon.
i had the old version (carb one) and really loved it. brakes were not really up to standard but being a vtwin you suppose to use the engine breaking most of the time.
Indeed. From what I’ve read, I’d probably need to change the suspension entirely because I’m not 11 stone :-). We’ll see, I’ll make sure to sit on one!
Squids?
I have an ER6f which is pretty much Kawasaki’s twin cylinder equal to the Suzuki’s SV.
Great low down power for start & stop city use. Also it will gallop up and over 100mph no problem.
MCN had this to say …
“The Suzuki SV650 is a straightforward middleweight V-twin all-rounder which proves you don’t have to be boring to be practical. The SV650 is versatile, affordable, a doddle to ride (making it popular with inexperienced riders) and yet is a hoot to muck about on. A budget initial price coupled with low running costs and cheap insurance makes the Suzuki SV650 a top-value package.”
Sounds as if your talking to the wrong people or because it’s not a sports bike it is seen in a lesser light. With it’s 645cc liquid cooled V twin engine producing almost 70 bhp and a top speed in excess of 120 mph it sounds like a fairly decent first big bike to hone your newly acquired skills on. Add to that mix it falls into insurance 9, so it’ll be as cheap as chips to insure, you should get 50+ mpg depending on how you ride it, and with the upright riding position it all adds up to be a fairly decent commuter to boot.
Get yourself a decent 14mm security padlock and chain too, I’m thinking it could be popular with the light fingered crew.
Read more of what MCN had to say here MCN inter webby linky
A selection of decent security products here PJB Security inter webby linky
The SV is a really tidy bike - good looking, good handling, reliable, well designed with a nice v-twin motor that sounds great with an after market pipe.
It’s nice and light and manouverable which makes it good around town - and it will nearly hit 130 mph which is plenty fast enough.
The half fairing is very good if you do a lot of motorway.
It competes easily with other bikes in it’s class - so it all boils down to personal taste.
What’s not to like? It’s a really good, competent motorcycle.
You DONT have to change the susspension just have it set to your weight. At most it’ll need new fork springs and oil but that’s if your over 16 stone.
^^^ Comes with a full fairing too.
Your a week late . I just turned an sv650 round . A mate ended up buying it . As mentioned the suspension is the weak link . Set of stiffer springs in the forks makes a huge improvement .
Agreed that the SV does have a budget suspension but that can be changed to give a cracking ride…
Its rubbish! It has the most stoopid rear lights!
