When I was purchasing my first ever motorcycle, I knew it was going to be between the Suzuki SV650 or the Yamaha MT-07. In this video, I take a beautiful drive up the Colorado Rocky Mountains and explain why I went with the Suzuki SV650.
This has got to be one of the most chilled out rides I've seen for a while. Dude's just going 45 mph, never touches the brakes, 4th gear the whole time, getting passed uphill by a 20 year old Civic...just doesn't care 😅
Great video! I had a similar situation in 2008. I went to a dealership to look at a Kawasaki 650 and the salesman talked me out of it and said I should get the SV650. This month marks 15 years and over 120,000 miles on it with nothing done but general maintenance.
I'm returning to riding after 40 years without a bike. At 70+ I don't have many riding years left, so I want a bike that I can ride without regular visits to the shop. I've been leaning towards the sv650 and I want to thank you for the information as to it's reliability because that just about convinces me. And it is a beautiful looking bike! Good luck and be safe brother.
I've owned my gen 1 sv650 for nearly 21 years now. It's my fair weather toy really and it still looks like a 2 year old bike as It's garaged and I take good care of it. The only thing I had to do to it in all those years apart from tyres, filter, oil etc is I gave the brake calipers an overhaul and put new brake seals in last year. I'll never sell it because it's just so much fun and I would buy another one tomorrow if something happened to mine.
I've had my SV for 3 years and it's a fantastic bike. I'm not a new rider. This is the forth bike I've owned. I couldn't agree more when you said this is the kind of bike you keep. The round headlight gives it that classic and timeless styling that you never get tired of. Congratulations and welcome to the SV family.
The 650 is probably one of Suzuki’s sweetest motors they’ve ever made…..smooth and fun to run thru the gears. And aside from a valve check on occasion , it’s also indestructible
Totally agree. Plus it has character to burn and it gives you everything you ask of it and keeps coming back for more. Definitely one of the motorcycling world's great engines.
I already did my research between the 3 bikes, Z650, SV650 and the MT-07 and came to the same conclusion as yours. And then i stumbled on your channel. Nice riding and stay safe ;)
At 47 I've thought about getting a bike off and on for years. So I've been looking around at videos before I go shopping, as soon as I saw the SV I knew that's what I wanted. Style, dependability, right size, really looking forward to finally taking that step.
Absolutely loved this video, very informative and fair comparisons. The SV is cheaper to insure too for whatever reason so that’s another plus point. Enjoyed the drive up the mountain with you, felt like I was on this bike. I love the all black colour too, my favourite. Thank you 👍
Great review of your decision making and a fine choice of bike. I'm helping a friend getting into biking and this is something he should try next. As I get older and the arthritis gets worse, I may come back down to one of these as they are light and easy to handle.
I would be wary of asking a salesman 'which would you buy' because you're kind of asking 'which do you want to sell me?'. If they have a better margin on an SV650 then they might favour that bike, servicing is also a bit more work on the SV than the MT07 because a V-Twin is just more complex. That said I do agree with his reasoning on the SV, I'd just recommend thinking about the motivation of people you're asking these questions and whether that could sway their answers.
Bought my 2005 a couple of years back now and have had more fun on it than any other bike I’ve owned even litre bikes,chuckable instant grunt and pure pleasure to rip around the uk roads 😊
I'm just about to purchase the SVX 2019! Would love to hear your opinion about it after owning it for a while. Is it a commuter for you or just a weekend bike?
Great choice man. I had an FZ-07 and loved it but upgraded to a bigger bike with better components, but I'm finding it less less fun overall. Going to downsize back to a middleweight naked and try the SV this time because I love V-twins.
You made the smartest choice I'm now sold on getting a new sv. The way you described it is exactly why I chose the sv out of any new bike up to the 8k range that is
Guess I’m a little late seeing your video, but nice review! I’m down in Lakewood, CO and went to Cheyenne Motorsports as well! Great place/ great people!
Really can't wait to pass my mod 1 and mod 2 to get one of these awesome bikes I even got a list of parts waiting to be purchased on eBay 🤣 Great info bro ride safe love from the UK
If you want a rock solid bike that you won’t outgrow, and is reliable and has great looks and performance than the GSX-S 750 is worth looking at. By far the most underrated and overachieving bike on the market.
OK, the professor in me can't help it. I agree with your comment. So far, I have only observed people using "then" where "than" was required. Your comment is the first that I've seen where "than" was used where a comma and "then" was needed. 😉
@@papatorr3669 It's not the professor in you as much as your ego and need to be in control. Generally speaking if the point comes across well enough, then there's no real need to correct peoples grammar.
@@francoisnel5253 Francois Francois! Let my ego be damned! And may my need to control be limited to riding my motorcycle. When I was growing up back then in the '60s most people were well spoken, way better than today. English is a second language to me! And if a dummy like me can learn the difference, it can't be that difficult. And of course "then there's no real need to correct peoples (sic) language." 😏 But thank you for reminding me of an old proverb then, more important than my ego or need to control : Correct a wise man and he will be wiser still. Correct a fool and he will rebuke you! 😁
@@papatorr3669seriously.... what I really want to say will get my comment deleted. No one one fkn cares about grammar in chat except people like you that most people can't stand
Great video about the two bikes because I was in the same decision making between the MT-07 and SV 650. It's going to be at least a year until I try to get it but now I know...Im older 58 but I jog, do bodyweight exercise, and some kettlebells, so my health is very good and getting older I guess some people think that a 70, 75, yr old man problem dangerous but I think your physical health has a whole lot to do with driving, riding a motorcycle.
I owned a 2006 cbr600rr, and my brother owned a 2001 sv650s. The sv650 was definitely better for the street. Under 100mph, both motorcycles had similar performance. The sv650 was better under 30mph because of torque. Also the bike is thinner between your legs, a 4 cylinder (or even parallel twin like mt07) has a lot of width to it. Its good Suzuki is still making it after all these years, almost the perfect combination. If youre looking for an older one, try to get fuel injection.
First bike I got was in 2020. A kawi ZR-7. I liked the naked style but, not the inline 4 so much. I like the bark of the V-twin and the SV650 just looks good.
I own a 2023 sv650 and I also checked the YamahaMT07, but I was sure about the decision...so I bought the Suzuki....what an engine & what a sound! Very very happy with this bike 🙂
I put a "airhawk cruiser r large" seat pad on my sv650, wayyyyy better. I bought and returned 8 popular seat pads, and this was the best. I put 30 mm risers on, this is the max without changing clutch & throttle cables. And I lowered it a bit with soupys adjustable lowering links. I'm 5'6. I got a nelson rig sport tail bag. It looks great.
Yeah, same. The looks was the tiebreaker for me. Love the classic big headlight look. The MT-07 is a mean looking machine, but its face looks like a rejected decepticon.
All those plastic bits and overdone surfaces make keeping a mto7 presentable look impossible….it’s as if Yamaha gave up trying to style it and just plastic’ed it up instead
You have to remember though, that the earlier SV 650s (I owned a first gen) were about 40 pounds lighter because of the all aluminum frame. It would lay down into a curve more easily and naturally than my Hawk GT which is saying a lot. I have yet to test ride thr new SV, but I'm looking forward to it. I still own the Hawk GT which is a blue '88.
I’m in the same predicament as yourself. Basically narrowed down to those 3 bikes myself. Being checking out RU-vid videos trying to make a decision. Also helpful since you also live in CO.
Same choice here for basically the same reasons, this bike is La Gioconda of Suzuki. They have been working on her, improving and polishing every since detail since over 20 years.
Great review. If you can get over the look of the SFV650 Gladius. Then you might as well look at them too. The Gladius is "only" 140 parts apart from the latest SV650. Pretty much the same bike for significantly less money since they were not well received in North America. Besides the look, the Gladius does not have as many after market parts as the SV650. Otherwise, most of what Jeremy said also applies to the Gladius.
thanks for your video. I have an SV650, I bought it because of the sound. Nothing sounds as good as a VTwin. and now vtwins are even more rare. get it while you can.
They sure look great and remind me of Yamaha 2-stroke 250/350's from the 80's & 90's. The SV is known to seize the engine though during prolonged wheelies, some issues with the engine position and oil starvation or something. Also some has said it's more difficult to work on than the MT07 due to engine position, and other simply maintenance issues and more plugs or something, think the SV has 2 plugs per cylinder or something. The Suzuki GS500E for example been used as delivery bike throughout the world and shows it's reliability. Didn't realize the MT07 is that much taller. I'm on a XT 660 Z and under 5f10, just about get one foot on the ground on the ball, but my years of experience helps at least for that. Not ideal if you're going on uneven ground though. The SV sure is a bike you can keep for a long time, enjoy. Currently consider selling mine (single cyl) for either on of the models you mentioned.
I never realized the SV650 had a more aggressive riding position compared to MT07 until recently. I really thought they were the same. Never knew the SV650 sat shorter (most Suzuki's do) than MT07. I have a 32" inseam and lemme tell ya, R6 had me on my toes most of the time. Backing out of parking spaces especially uphill was always sketchy.
@@HeyAddieImTojo Did that a lot!! But the problem is sometimes even a few degrees of incline makes all the difference and it is hard to tell when you're parked up.
Great video fella, I had an MT07 Before my 2020 SV650, all I can say is the SV is more of a Riders bike.. I love it to bits.. The MT was more of a toy.....
My first bike was a 2014/15 ? FZ07 absolutely loved that bike. And I always recommend the SV for a first bike because you can get one used fire cheap and they are so close. That bike turned into an addiction lol😅
What’s up man?! This is Jason Savage, the painter from Day Automotive. Your video just randomly popped up in my recommended’s. I didn’t realize you moved out there. You still doing body work? I’m still painting. Shorkey in Irwin. Nice job on the video by the way. You’re a natural
I bought a very lightly used low mileage 2021 Yamaha MT-09 about a year ago, love that bike. I have a friend that has a 2012 V-Strom 650. After talking to him about it at length, after a solid 8 months of research, I bought a brand new 2023 SV650 about a week ago. I've only ridden my MT-09 once since I got the SV650. I've got in 11 rides on the SV650 since i bought it. I'm afraid I love the SV650 more than my MT-09...
I have a 2019 z400 as my first bike that I have had for over a year and I’m thinking about getting the sv650 as my next bike. The only think I’m worried about is it being heavier than my z400, as pretty much every bike is heavier than my z and I feel like the z is heavy enough for me being a 5’2” 120 pb woman lol. Thanks for the video though, this was super informative!
I'm in the same boat though the Z400 is my 4th bike - I bought it because all my previous bikes were a lot heavier, particularly topheavy (I have a VStrom 650). Having a low center of gravity on a light bike is very good fun. I think the SV650 will probably ride as good as a 440 pound bike can, it's lower than many.
Love the video. I own a 21 MT03 and for a long time i was MT07 all the way when i upgrade. Maybe this year. But i think im switching to SV650. It looks a bit better overall and from what i see looks more fun to ride with that Vtwin. I wish it had a bigger rear tire like the MT07 which makes it look meaner. But I'll get over it. Congrats on the bike!
If you go with the SV650 then replace the rear tire with a 170 width rear instead of the stock 160. The 3rd gen SV has a 5" rear wheel width instead of the 4.5" on the earlier bikes but they kept the same tire size/ because the tire is stretched to fit the wider week it looks small and makes the handling of the bike feel like the front and rear are trying to follow two different lines in a corner. Switching to a 170 rear will absolutely transform the handling in every regard and it looks better too.
Agree! SV all day...90 degree V-twin, timeless style, heirloom quality compared to Yammie, HUGE aftermarket support, stone reliable, FUN and inexpensive.
I currently have a Yamaha MT03 and am thinking about my next bike. I really want a Ducati 797 Monster but I don’t like that it doesn’t have a gear indicator. For the price you pay I think it should. The Suzuki SV650 has very similar characteristics such as the trellis frame which I love. Suzuki is cheaper and seems to have nicer tech. But man the Monster looks so good! And comes with brembos. Tough choice.
Ducati’s are Italian so reliablility is a joke but they are beautiful. Anything Japanese will run for a very long time. If reliability is important to you, skip the Italians. Just my 2 cents.
Hello there, despite that some say that Suzuki will retire the old trusty SV, this bike is still going strong. I just bought the 2023 model, the blue one with bronze frame and wheels. I'm just curious - did you break in the engine at yours for the first 1000 miles, as the manual recommends? Not more than 5000 rpm in the first 500 miles? And was your bike responding well during the breaking in period? Did you notice anything unusual, any jerkiness, clanging noises when shifting up and down other than the usual normal sounds? Hope you're doing well and still have your SV650 and I would really appreciate a reply from you with your experience for the first 1K miles. Best regards my friend and ride safe.
My name is Pedro and was taken to your video simply because it mentioned SV650. I've owned many bikes including Hondas VFR800 VTEC and now own an NC700DCT. There is one bike I miss with all my heart and that was my old 1999 carburetor SV650S. I clocked 45 000km on an already old SV and God knows why I sold that bike. You might never have to ever buy another bike again, enjoy and particularly the fact that here in South Africa we can't buy SV650s anymore, at least its not easy anyway.
As a rule faired sporty bikes have clip on bars, and naked bikes have taller handlebars. I have two standard (naked) SV650's, one carbs, one fuel injected. But I plan to swap one for an SV650S with handlebars! Wind protection and not uncomfortable.
Hi Jeremy , great summary. I am making the same decision in the UK over these two bikes. Looked at several others as well but at 5' 6" , the seat height is a strong factor. This became clear when I sat on the SV650. Felt like I was sitting IN it , rather than perched ON TOP of it. Your points about reliability , being a V Twin etc are also helping me decide. But then came the new Trident 660 and all it's rave reviews. I'm going to check it out but it's SV650 so far. The Trident is another £700 in the UK but has more tech and is a triple of course. Not purchasing for a few months so I have time to decide. Thanks again for a great video.
Nothing wrong with the Trident either. Problem is, I bought the new SV 650 for 1200€ less than the Triumph (1020£ according to google as of right now). So... Yeah. If there was something I didn't like about the SV, I could've easily changed it (say a new seat, new headlight, yadda yadda...) and that would still cost less than the Triumph. And tbh, I feel like those bikes aren't fairly priced. I mean, more than 7k pound for a bike ? You can buy a car with that !
The trident is worth the extra, imo. The inline 3 is a smoother, faster accelerating motor that sounds good as hell, too. Vtwins, to me, vibrate way more than I like. I have never ridden a vtwin that I liked as much as anything inline
@@shayna2830 how much more does it vibrate than the MT , my MT has been declared a write off so the SV650 is one bike i'm considering next but i don't want it if it's gonna make my hands go numb
Great video Jeremy. Good comparison between the Suzuki SV650 and the MT07! I too purchased a Suzuki SV650 after owning 2 Hondas (250R and a CB400 Super 4 hyper VTECH revo) and absolutely love it. I've owned it 2 years now and put about 9,000 on the clock. Great scenery.
Depends on your riding experience and what sort of riding you'll be doing. Beginners with 0 riding experience, I would go for either Honda or the restricted SV650. It would be more forgiving and you can definitely learn to ride and still have fun on the lower powered machine with less risk. The Suziki SV650 where I am from here in Australia has the Learner Approved one which has it's power restricted to about 47 hp versus the unrestricted 75 hp. If you have some riding experience and are looking to progress to your first 'big bike' the unrestricted SV650 is your bike. The SV is a very fun and versatile bike. It can be set up to do many things well. Daily commuter - perfect for lane splitting, weekend twisties and back country lanes - the SV is in it's perfect habitat. With some luggage racks and a comfy seat (or a sheep skin rug or air hawk cushion) it can be set up as a very capable long distance tourer although not a good bike to do this riding 2 up. Makes a very good track bike with a few modifications. The naked SV is also very, very reliable and the engine is a peach. It has been in production for over 20 years so they have had time to iron out any issues. Plus, it's a V-twin with all of the fun characteristics you get from a V twin engine. Put a nice exhaust on it to here it's beautidul rich tones. Plenty of torque and it is delivered linearly acrose the power band. The bike is not intimidating below say 5k revs. Once you go over 5k it turns into a monster. That's why some beginner riders can ride the full powered version provided they don't twist the throttle too hard! 😂Hope that helps you come to a decision if you haven't done so all ready.
I too couldnt decide between those 3. Ended up buying a 2010 honda cb400 due to it having a bigger fuel tank. 18L for honda vs 14.5litre for the suzuki. I get close to 400km to a tank. Also that vtec noise is addictive lol.
Hey Jeremy! I know it wasnt an option last year, but what do you think about the Triumph Trident 660? It looks classier than the yamaha but also light and technologically advanced. I got that over the MT-07 at the end and I really like it, but some say the MT007 is a more fun bike. It's interesting you choose the suzuki tho. I only considered the yamaha and the honda CB650R but the yamaha had me waiting for the bike for months and so I found the trident and went with it. The Z650 looks one of the worst options in this category to me so no wonder you ditched that. Also the Rocky mountains look soo nice I wish I could ride there once in my life! Great video!
Nice bike and video! Beautiful country side! Selling my Yamaha 1700 RoadStar (a beast and heavy)... want to get a mid-naked standard. The SV seems like a really nice choice! Btw, what vlog camera mount and sound set up do you use?
It's an awesome bike, I absolutely love it. As for the camera set up on my helmet, I bought this mount from a Canadian based company called Ride Tech Moto. They design a curved mount that fits right on my Shoei RF1200 helmet. If you have a flat surfaced helmet, you could really use any mount you want. And for the audio, I bought my mic and everything from a company called Purple Panda on Amazon. Look into it, it's a great mic especially for motovlog and it's not too expensive either.
Tip for you: When you are rendering videos, upscale to 2K from 1080p, so youtube will trigger vp9 codec for your video. Now is avc1 (right click on the video > stats for nerds). That codec is trash, especially for a videos of this type. I know cuz Im a rider too ;). Lot less pixelated and overall quality of your videos will be better.
Would you say that this is a good bike to go touring on? I know that you can go touring on any bike that you choose but my current bike just struggles when riding 2 up for a long distances, and being a pretty short rider at 5'6'' I don't really wanna go with a middleweight adventure bike because of the seat height, I'm coming off of a 500cc 40-ish hp Vulcan and I don't want to jump into the bigger 1000cc+ bikes, so I'm looking at the middleweights as an upgrade and the thing that you said about the SV being heavier than the MT makes me think it will be more planted and stable on the highway going long trips.
Ya the SV would be a great touring bike. A lot of people say the seat gets uncomfortable after several hours but you can always get a better seat for it. There are some RU-vid videos out there as well that show people touring for days on the SV. So yes, the SV would be a rock solid touring bike. It's got plenty of power to do anything you want. It's such an all around awesome bike.
This looks a like a really good middle weight bike. I'd choose it over a mt07. That being said I really wish they had a 900-950cc option. That would really ultimate.
Awesome video, am in the market for a entry level motorcycle ....I like the SV650 a lot....I will be commuting pretty much on the highways most of the time (33 miles one way every day) how does it stand up to ...can u share your thoughts....also can u please share how much of MPG will you be getting on this with a sensible ride of 65-70 mph on highways .....thanks in advance..
Hey raaja08 thanks for the comment. My commute is the same. 25 Miles one way. I take the backroads most of the time where the speed limit is 65 mph. But I take it on the highway very often and it's outstanding. The performance on this bike is amazing. It does real solid at 80/85mph and trust me it can handle even higher speeds if that's what you want. My solid average speed though is around 65mph and I get easily 60 miles to the gallon. I wouldn't call it an entry level bike, it has power for sure, especially if you're a new rider. An experienced rider will still love this bike, I promise. It's a beautiful bike and I love it so much. I hope this helps... Let me know if you have any more questions.
i live in brazil, here the mt-07 costs R$ 42.000 + shipping (about 8000 usd), and the sv 650 left the market at the cost of R$ 28.000 (about 5300 usd). Thats a huge price difference, and still the mt 07 is more popular (that's why the sv 650 left the market in 2019, unfortunately).
eu tenho a mt 07 e adoro , mas por essa diferença de preço eu iria pra a sv650 sem pensar muito ,. , e se fosse a 650x , ainda melhor , muito estilosa e no fundo nao sao assim tao diferentes a mt 07 e sv 650 ,.. !
Haha I wish they would cut a check. I consider it a naked bike. It's got sport characteristics for sure but its a much more comfortable ride than a sport bike. But it's a great choice. You're going to love this bike!
I wonder if u would. Have been able to get the mt 07 up to 70ish mph if that would changed your mind. I just find the character of the yamaha and the lightness of the front end in 1st and 2nd gear so much fun
elas ate sao identicas sim, mas em track day a mt 07 ira ser melhor , sua ciclista permite entrar e sair das curva muito bem ,....e potente e disponivel motor ,.. mas concordo, pelo preço é exelente pra se iniciar nestas cc ,..+ de 500 cc
I've got a VStrom 650 and a Z400. Looking to bump up the Z400 in the next year or two. The SV650 is looking good. I keep looking at nicer and nicer bikes even up to the MT09, Triumph Tiger 660 Sport, even the Tracer 9. In the end I keep coming back to maybe I just stay with something simple. Used SV650s are still very cheap, < $5000 and I think I will probably go that way.
@@county_bear9509 Honestly, I've kind of swung around, I think my next bike is going to be an Royal Enfield INT650. I don't care about going fast and it seems like a beautiful bike to just cruise around on.
I'am 6.2 tall and 260 pounds heavy, which would be better for me the Sv650 or the new mt07 2021 model, i read somewhere that the sv is a 10% bigger bike.
im 5.9 and I can flat foot both. I hear the xsr is better for taller riders than both of these due to its ergos, where the legs are sitting. I have the mt as a lesson bike and it's comfy but felt it when I had a 2 hour road lesson instead of 1.5 hours, I was getting a little cramped in the legs at the 2 hr mark.
The MT07 is a little taller, the SV sits a little lower but I know a lot of tall guys who ride the SV and love it. Just go test ride them both out and see which one is more comfortable for you. You cannot go wrong with either bike
Very well done video kudo's to you. A couple of things struck me big time. I am guessing by your riding and how you spoke your not a YSM (young stupid male) and it was nice to see someone ride sane. Second your in Colorado I would respectfully suggest you get some gear jacket at a minimum. Those bambi's love to come out of nowhere in the mountains. Well done Sir!!
