A great choice for newer riders or those looking for a decent middleweight... one fly in the ointment is the lack of traction control (which is a con I failed to mention is my summary, sorry) but otherwise an impressive bike that can be both sensible and a bit silly! Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:50 First impressions 2:01 Pointless comparison to my old Honda Bros! 2:44 Wet weight is surprising (220Kg/440lbs) 3:17 Slightly snatchy throttle at low speeds 4:28 Low RPM assist and Easy Start 5:11 Had to test the horn! 5:35 A little look at the instruments 6:24 Feet are down flat (32" leg and 5'7"/170cm) 6:39 Walkaround 10:17 Suspension at slower speed 10:52 Riding position, rear brake and controls 12:18 So far so good 12:46 Lets get the revs up 13:32 Mid range pull test 13:50 It's no Aprilia 660 but still capable at speed 14:40 Also a great choice as a sensible bike! 15:02 Doesn't feel small or breathless like a smaller bike can 15:27 Round the bends 16:48 Vibration 17:07 Wind noise and wind blast 17:31 Cons and Pros 18:53 Second date?
No need for traction control in the SV 650, unless you are used to have it on other(s) bike(s) If you haven't had TC before you won't need it in this case
@@RRRRefuelRideRace and not even in the vet from my experience of course, be extra gentle on the throttle and you're set. That being said I am in the tropic so our cold temperatures are never as cold as yours there in Europe :)
Really good review, very fair. I have put 26,000 miles on the 2018 version of this bike so it's fair to say I love it. I've been riding for 40 years and as much as the Ducati 950SS or Monster or Aprilia 660 have huge kerb appeal the truth is this is all the bike I need. The claimed fuel consumption is genuine, it's actually easy to get 80mpg with a steady throttle and short shifting. Even thrashing it will return 60mpg unless you're really silly in which case expect 50ish. The seat is every bit as awful as your first impression though a £50 gel seat on top will sort it. I eventually bought the alternative seat from the SV650X and it's much better. Fuelling on the Euro 4 model is perfect so it sounds as if it's suffered a bit from Euro 5. The ultimate version would be the 2019 one as it has the 4 pot calliper upgrade, which, as you rightly, say provides superb braking but it still has the Euro 4 engine.
Hi Andrew, thanks for your thoughts and apologies for the slow response! These bikes seem to be a bit of a middleweight gem and quite underrated (certainly by me before I rode it anyway!) just because they have been around in the market for so long in one guise or another. I've got no real need for one since I already have my little Honda but that doesn't stop me wanting one!
I am a new-ish rider, 1 year and 5,000 kms of experience. I'm head over heels with mine. Glad you had a good first date, and I agree with all your observations. In a sentence, I describe the SV650 as a bootcamp for new riders, and that's not a bad thing.
Have this bike. It is a do it all bike with a classic look and nice V2 engine. The front brakes are a bit better than the ones on the first version of this 3rd gen SV. Otherwise I agree with the most that Rikky mentioned. Anyways... fot the money... you cannot get better, I think. Can check my test ride of this bike. Just drop by. :)
Very good review. Have 2 faster 900's, but my new '23 SV650 is as fun to ride as either. The brakes surprised me. They're excellent. I have no complaints, except the seat, which I'll deal with soon. All in all, I'm itchin' to put some miles on this little gem.
im a rider with over 30 years experience and in that time ive had a lot of different bikes. my 2019 sv650 is my daily workhorse. never missed a beat (apart from the gear indicator telling me its in a different gear). i service it myself and its good enough for the road.
Your spot-on about the seat . I have the x model what an absolute peach of an engine and gearbox . great economy and it gets a move on .a bit of a bargain. A very honest review
Yep, yet another honest "you will never need anything more"-bike. When it came out it almost seemed the be am intentional evolution of the Pantah which Ducati itself should have built. I actually contemplated buying a second hand one recently until I found that Honda Hawk special of which I sent you some pics. The low weight of that Honda is a real plus as far as I am concerned, although the 20 + horsepower for only 20 kg more weight make the Suzuki the better performer. by the way: When the SV came out it's soft front forks where a typical source of complaints so in that respect it has very consciously been firmed up. Would you want to exchange the Hawk for one?
Would I exchange the Hawk/Bros for one? That's an interesting question! Lets put it this way, I was thinking of spending a £1.5k - £2k on getting the engine tuned on my bike but after riding the SV I realise that nothing I can do to get close to overall performance of the Suzuki package. I've no plans to sell the Bros but on the other hand I don't think I'll be planning large modifications to it anymore and I think it may remain firmly a bike from another era. But... I might change my mind again at some point!
Good descriptive review there Rikky sounds ta be a good bike , have you tried the 660 Tiger yet interested to hear your thoughts on that one as on any bikes really always a good watch . : )
Glad you enjoyed the video Mal! No Triumphs on the horizon yet I'm sorry to say. I am working with Completely Motorbikes and they do have a Triumph franchise but it's in North Wales ☹
I just bought it as a second bike for commuting to work. My other bike is R1200GS. Before this I owned Duke 690R. SV650 may not be the best bike out there but it is a perfect bike for my needs. I'm gonna keep it for a long long time.
I have a 21 model,the seat isn't the best but I stuck with it ,took just over a 1000miles and seat feels better .still not good for long journeys backside use to ache after a hour but can manage about 2hrs now. I ain't a big guy only 10 stone and 5'6 . Love the bike though
In 5"6 bit heavier than you I got the bagster seat for mine with the sv logo in my bike colours too it really enhanced my. Bike so meany comments on my seat.how nice it goes with bike.
Plenty of information Ricky as always. Nice review on this iconic bike. It’s a bit of a heave off the side stand but surprisingly nimble. Thanks for uploading!
I bought a SV650 in 1999, the first year they made them. It’s easily one of my favorites of all the bikes I’ve owned. I recently bought a 2003 SV1000. Enjoying the larger displacement, especially on the highway/freeway.
I had it and it was ok , I got bored after 12 months and got a street triple . My problem with the sv650 was the styling , I think they could of made it a bit more aggressive looking and less Thomas the tankish, it just looks really boring , and the round headlight makes it look all happy and harmless
IV got the 2022 model ABS.you say you be surprised if get the 68/9 mpg out of it IV had 73.6 mpg out of mine.if you drive like a nob you won't but you don't need to drive like a nun either.
forgot to say this is my first bike, no experience with dirt bikes either. 2 weeks in and I have yet to stall but pls buy protection for yourself and the bike because you WILL fall
Nice review. I've always liked the SV650 even though it's definitely in need of a refresh. Also the front forks are preload adjustable & you can actually make some noticeable improvements if you play around but it's still quite limited obviously.
Thanks Rage Rider 👍 Now from what I can find, only the current "X" model has front preload and indeed I didn't see any adjusters on the fork tops of this model. But yeah the bike would benefit with an update - I was surprised to find it didn't have traction control for example. Still more enjoyable to ride than I expected though!
@@RikkyTang I think you're right Ricky. I was sure Suzuki were claiming to have added the adjustable front forks to the standard model the year after the X got them but there's no adjusters on yours & they are definitely different to the X fork tops. Apologies I stand corrected! Unfortunately their website is out of date & doesn't gave the correct kerb weight, power, torque or chassis specs so fairly useless. As for TC, I just wouldn't bother for a bike like this tbh, it's an unecessary expense it doesn't need. They should spend the money on saving a bit of weight & adjustable front forks lol.
@@ragerider6283 Yes I had to research several sites for the info as the Suzuki website is a bit bare! I do think TC has a place in a bike like this though; I think many years ago as a younger inexperienced guy riding in all weathers, TC could have saved me from several accidents! I wonder if the market could support an SV650-R with some lighter parts, more electronics and better suspension but at less than the cost of the Aprilias and the Yamaha R7 🤔
@@RikkyTang I get your point about TC for new riders & it needs an update so you never now but not really Suzuki style on their budget bikes like this but this is a very old platform & things have moved on. Speaking of which, there's a new updated parallel twin version of the SV (minus the V) due out later this year to supercede this version so a cheap TC system could be on the cards. As for an R version, it's entirely possible as there's a void in the Suzuki line up where the GSXR600 used to be so it's possible as the new engine will presumably spawn multiple versions such as naked, adventure & road sport etc.
@@ragerider6283 That's a great point about the upcoming parallel twin and it will become the basis or various models for the next 20 years... or until we can't ride petrol bikes anymore!
I am trying to think back to the feeling from each bike... this is a bit of cop-out but the bikes felt quite similar! Both were on the firm side and the damping was good, but not a top-quality feel. Out of the two I think the XSR felt a little sportier/firmer. By comparison, you can tell the Aprilia 660 range has better suspension than the XSR or SV but you do have to pay a lot extra to get it.
Hey Rikki. I'm thinking of buying a 2022 SV650. Does your SV have a loud clutch chatter? I had a 2006 SV1000S that developed a loud clutch chatter after about 20K miles.
I'm sorry to say that this bike was only on loan to me for a couple of hours and so I can't comment on clutch chatter apart from saying there was no problem in the time I rode the bike. The SV 650 engine has been around in one form or another for over 20 years now and as far as I know has been one of the more reliable engines to come out of Japan. So I think on balance an SV650 will be a sound choice 👍
@@RikkyTang Thank you for your reply. I think the SV650 would be perfect me nowadays. Here in Hawaii, on Oahu, it's getting really over saturated with people. I don't think I'll miss the power my SV1000s had. Sometimes more power isn't better. 👍
I had a 2018 SV650 and there is absolutely no clutch chatter. Unless I personally messed up. But that bike was flawless, no noise, no chatter, no problems, ever. I put 10k miles on it. Loved it !
I am one inch shorter than you and I can tell you that you can ride pretty much any motorbike out there from a little scooter to a BMW S1000RR. The only things that could be tricky are bikes with big suspension travel & tall seat heights like true off-road/enduro machines or big ADV's like the BMW GSA. Pretty much anything else will be fine
Another quality, honest and down to earth review Ricky. I ride a BMWR1250R. I also use it to ride to work (unless it is chucking it down with rain). Lovely bike, superb torque and handling. However, if I had been sensible, and just wanted a nice bike to ride to work, with more than enough power to cope with the traffic, I would have bought this. It does the job on the road, just like a Citroen C1 does exactly the same job on the road as a Ferrari.
Hmm good question! Both bikes are surprisingly fun to ride and feel like they have a good character. They both handle well too. The 750 weighs about 15kg more if this is important. The 750 sounds great if you like the inline 4 sound and using higher revs in your riding. The sv has good midrange pull. Hope this helps!
I currently ride a 2009 gs500f but was considering upgrading. I sat on the sv650 and the gsxs750 at the dealership. I didn't ride either but the 750 somehow felt higher quality just sitting on it. Not sure how either would be to ride.
@@korazon3spinado I had a 2018 SV650.. First streetbike I ever bought. Loved it !!! GREAT bike, that thing was bulletproof and gave me NO problems whatsoever. Put about 10,000 miles on it, but I recently traded it in w/ a dirtbike that I didn't ride much at all. But now I ride a 2022 Z900RS Cafe. Love it so far, but man...that SV650 was a damn good bike. And I will never forget the sound it makes. Nothing sounds like that V-Twin engine ! If you buy it, put the Yoshimura pipe on it, and ur good to go.
