View Full Version : Old Vs New
Hi, first post on the forums, I did a quick search for a similar thread but couldn't find one!
Basically I'm in the market for a first bike and I've taken quite a shine to the sv650, currently looking at two at midlands superbike centre both the unfaired, one is the old shape the other is the new! So, what are the main differences, are there any things on either I should be particularly aware of, and is one superior to the toher particularly, asides from in price?
Thanks for your help!
Both much the same, one will be carbed and one will be Fuel injection.......
Fuel injection has its advantages over carbed and thats the only difference.
The rest is down to which shape you prefer and thats the whole other discussion.
What are the advantages of fuel injection to carb? I read on wikipedia (not that I trust it, obviously) that the older carb model gets better mpg?
On the shape front there's not too much in it with the unfaired!
SoulKiss
08-05-08, 01:07 PM
Have a read HERE (http://www.sv650.org/model_history_files/suzuki_sv650_model_history.htm)
Biker Biggles
08-05-08, 06:19 PM
For a first bike Id go for an older cheaper one(not from a dealer at their prices)and keep it for a year or two to gain confidence and experience.You will probably drop it a couple of times but it wont be the financially grim affair that doing the same on an expensive newer one would be.Get a good old curvy and it will see you fine and cost very little.
richwill68
08-05-08, 08:34 PM
For a first bike Id go for an older cheaper one(not from a dealer at their prices)and keep it for a year or two to gain confidence and experience.You will probably drop it a couple of times but it wont be the financially grim affair that doing the same on an expensive newer one would be.Get a good old curvy and it will see you fine and cost very little.
+1 Good advice!;)
I am being swung a bit by the faired version actually, there seem to be loads more available nearer to where I am. Main reason I'm looking for a dealer is for some form of warranty because I really don't know what I'm looking at, not an experienced mechanic unfortunately. It's defiantely gotta be reliable whichever shape it is as it's gonna be my commuter down the motorway every day.
yorkie_chris
08-05-08, 10:23 PM
Both much the same, one will be carbed and one will be Fuel injection.......
Fuel injection has its advantages over carbed and thats the only difference.
The rest is down to which shape you prefer and thats the whole other discussion.
And vice versa. More wiring to rot ;-) Carbs can be repaired .. etc etc.
Find a mechanically minded mate and buy one for decent money, personally I'd go for a salvage bike, catC or D doesn't matter, you're likely to bin it at some point so might as well let someone else have done it first. Less painful that way.
heh heh, nice to hear a lot of confidence in my riding skills guys ;)
I've heard talk of crash bungs as well, worth investing in?
yorkie_chris
08-05-08, 10:31 PM
Nothing personal, I have no confidence in my own riding skills either.
Yes, crashbungs are a really good idea, don't do what I did and rag the radiator in half....
Turns out naked bike radiators are really rare... wonder why?
lol, don't worry I won't take offence I'm aware I'll be a new rider to bigger bikes and I fully intend to be bloody careful, quite possibly get some more training like bike plus or IAM stuff as well.
Where would you go for crash bungs? anywhere reccomended?
Sorry about the n00bish questions guys but if I get an SV you'll be hearing even more of them ;)
yorkie_chris
08-05-08, 10:47 PM
Motosliders.
And vice versa. More wiring to rot ;-) Carbs can be repaired .. etc etc.
And just how many SV Fi systems have you seen that require strip downs as often as curvy carbs, or have rotten wiring? None I'll bet.
Not to mention curvy carb icing, which the Fi models don't suffer from.
You know why I never bought an SV before I could find a cheap enough pointy...I thought it looked misshapen and out of proportion. The design is awful. I'm glad I waited to buy a pointy because I think I'd have been seriously disappointed with a curvy.
Must admit if I buy a faired I'll be looking for the pointy, guess it's down to personal taste on the shape if nothing else, angular does it for me on vehicles!
Matt Prince
09-05-08, 02:47 AM
Hi and welcome and you have made a good choice going for the SV.
My only piece of advice is to definitely go for the FAIRED model as it is so much more practical. You will then own a bike on which you can do everything on.
I owned a naked CB 500 for 3 years - great bike but sold it eventually because every time I went down a motorway I'd have my neck wrenched off at speed. Had one scary journey to Bournemouth in high winds which almost wrenched me off a couple of times. I went and bought a faired SV that same afternoon.
Have done everything on it including some long trips to Europe - the fairing works well for me - I'm 6 ft and find the standard screen great.
Incidentally, had the curvy model which was brilliant and ultra reliable. Have traded in for Fazer 1000 now (with half fairing!)
Good luck in your choice
lukemillar
09-05-08, 05:26 AM
Debate has come up a few times - To be honest there isn't much difference except....
Pointy has a clock; a curvy doesn't! Also, the majority of curvy's won't have fork preload adjusters as they only got added on the last curvy model before the pointies took over. Then again l'll bet 90% of SV owners don't touch them anyway!
Hi Toby:D
Is it Midlands Superbikes in Market Harborough you're looking at? If so, the quality of bikes they have in really varies. Some are pretty good, but some are very tatty.
Just remember, newer doesn't always mean better. An older, well-cared for bike is better than a newer one which has been abused.
Yeah that's the place lissa, and you're definately right about a big variation on quality there. I'm going round some more local dealers in derby today (pidcocks and bob minion) to look at a couple of the faired pointy ones!
Matt, I was loving the naked one but I'm seriously considering the faired because you're not the first person to tell me how much better the faired is for riding speed/distance etc. I did my DAS training on a cb500 in some really ****e weather over this winter and I was wrestling to stay on it at 70 in strong winds!
I'll keep you all updated on what I decide on :)
Also don't be scared by a bike with a high mileage, just cus the miles are high if its been riden well and cared for it will run better then a bike thats never been out. Engines need to be used, after all if its been sat for a year how do you know that they bothered to change the oil before it was last used. So a old curvy with 10-30k on the clocks is nothing, even 30k on a 99 plate is only just over a 3000 miles a year.
yorkie_chris
09-05-08, 08:52 AM
Also don't be scared by a bike with a high mileage, just cus the miles are high if its been riden well and cared for it will run better then a bike thats never been out.
+1
petevtwin650
09-05-08, 09:26 AM
You really outa see this bike Toby. Still under manufacturers warranty I believe.
http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=108613
Not to mention curvy carb icing, which the Fi models don't suffer from.
Can you tell me any more about the carb icing problem? That's not one I've come accross yet on the sv sites I've looked at? Does it happen often, what are the symptoms, throttle stuck open/closed? likely to happen much in UK winter weather?
Can you tell me any more about the carb icing problem? That's not one I've come accross yet on the sv sites I've looked at? Does it happen often, what are the symptoms, throttle stuck open/closed? likely to happen much in UK winter weather?
I have a Fi model, so can't tell you what it feels like because mine doesn't ever suffer from it.
+1
+2. I sold my old K3 naked with 29000 miles on the clock and it was lovely.
Alpinestarhero
09-05-08, 11:31 AM
Best thing about FI will be winter starting; no faffing about waiting for the bike to get to a point of warmness where it idles properly.
Mind you, in saying that, I used shell V-power all winter, and had very little problem winter-running
Matt
yorkie_chris
09-05-08, 11:32 AM
Can you tell me any more about the carb icing problem? That's not one I've come accross yet on the sv sites I've looked at? Does it happen often, what are the symptoms, throttle stuck open/closed? likely to happen much in UK winter weather?
Carb ice happens in cold, damp weather. You open the throttle and IME it will pull, then go totally flat, no power at all. Then it will kick in again.
You will normally find that carb iceing happens in temps of about 3-5 C when there is moisture in the air, fog and mist make it much worse. Basicly the air is sucked into the bike and it freezes in the carbs starving the bike of the air it needs for combustion, so you loose power. There are tricks to get round it...
1. Check the carb heaters are working, details are are the Haynes manual on how to do this.
2. Put in the tank some Silkoline Pro FST fuel addative, desgined specificly to combat carb icing, though its rather pricey.
3. fill up with 'Super' unleaded fuel, this seems to help reduce the icing that you get.
4. Or last, when you get icing up, stop, wait about 2 minutes for the engine heat to get around your carbs again and just set off on your journey.
Most of the time I just ignored the icing I got, but then I had a GT750 which was awfull for it so the SV's carb icing seems rather mild.
Well I've put down a deposit on an 06 plate red sv650s, paying ?3195 it has 7000 miles on it and a couple months left of the manufacturers warranty, it's gorgeous, now I've got that horrible wait til wednesday when I can pick it up! Roll on wednesday!
Could have a 3 grand 06 plate mentioned above... with 3500 on the clocks...
Any advise I offer is probably rubbish, so best be ignored. . ;)
j/k
I was seriously considering having a look at that bike mentioned above earlier, but I went to the dealer where this bike I've put a deposit on is, it's a very smart bike and I've got p/x on my scooter which is the main reason I went for it, as I needed to sell the scoot before I got the bike, but couldn't be bothered to mess about selling the scoot privately. I'm sure I could have had a slightly better deal but I'm happy with what I'm getting!
So, you may be seeing a bit more of me on here :)
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