Fizzy Fish
04-11-09, 12:13 PM
So with my bike in for a service, I am currently the keeper of a Gladius for a couple of days. Mercifully the bike shop gave me an all black one rather than any of the other colour options. Not sure it’s quite my thing, but actually looks fairly good in the flesh, and at least it isn’t bland in terms of styling.
Anyway with it being a rare quiet-ish day at work, I thought I’d share some thoughts about what it’s like...
Positives:
It does what it says on the tin, and is a capable and easy to ride bike, perfect for newer riders or use as a cost-effective commuter bike. And judging by robhull's recent post http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=141633&highlight=gladius it is also capable of quite a bit more.
The fuelling is impeccable, and it has smooth power delivery for a twin. It also has a decent bit of go if you give it a handful, and it’s nice to have the instant twin punch off the lights as well :D
In true Suzuki fashion, the gearbox is faultless and the clutch isn’t too heavy either.
The bike is well balanced, the upright position gives good visibility, turning circle is good, and it’s nice to have decent mirrors again! The seat is lowish and wideish, so at 5’6’’ I can get both feet down flat. It’s fairly comfortable too.
The brakes are reasonably good, though not great. I noticed quite a difference vs. the Gixxer, but that’s not entirely surprising, and part of that might be that I need to give them a bit more of a tug that I would dare to do on mine. Either way, a forgiving but effective braking system is well suited to the Gladius.
Overall it is flexible and very easy to ride, so works well for its main market. If you’re after a first big bike, and like the looks, it’s a pretty good option.
But...
IMHO it’s not really very inspiring, and I think it lacks some of the character and involvement of the SV. It isn’t a power thing – my DRZ has half the h.p. of the Gladius, but I find it more fun and engaging. Maybe it’s the noise (or rather lack of), especially with the standard can and whatever catalytic/euro-emissions-y gubbins they put in these days. Reckon a change of can would definitely help.
It also has an odd riding position - well either that or I am a funny shape (which is quite possible). I have a crick in my neck after riding the 20-odd miles to work, and that’s coming from someone who regularly does long distances on a supersports bike!
The Gladius seems to have less road presence than the sports bikes/larger & louder naked bikes (e.g. SuperDuke) that I’ve ridden, but is definitely higher in the pecking order than scooters and my DRZ400SM, so probably sits somewhere in the middle on that front.
I do miss the clip on bars and narrowness of the Gixxer when squeezing through city gaps, though I’ll admit that there was an element of caution with it being roads and a bike that I barely know, plus the knowledge of a £750 excess!
We’ll see how it goes on the free-for–all commute home anyway...
Anyway with it being a rare quiet-ish day at work, I thought I’d share some thoughts about what it’s like...
Positives:
It does what it says on the tin, and is a capable and easy to ride bike, perfect for newer riders or use as a cost-effective commuter bike. And judging by robhull's recent post http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=141633&highlight=gladius it is also capable of quite a bit more.
The fuelling is impeccable, and it has smooth power delivery for a twin. It also has a decent bit of go if you give it a handful, and it’s nice to have the instant twin punch off the lights as well :D
In true Suzuki fashion, the gearbox is faultless and the clutch isn’t too heavy either.
The bike is well balanced, the upright position gives good visibility, turning circle is good, and it’s nice to have decent mirrors again! The seat is lowish and wideish, so at 5’6’’ I can get both feet down flat. It’s fairly comfortable too.
The brakes are reasonably good, though not great. I noticed quite a difference vs. the Gixxer, but that’s not entirely surprising, and part of that might be that I need to give them a bit more of a tug that I would dare to do on mine. Either way, a forgiving but effective braking system is well suited to the Gladius.
Overall it is flexible and very easy to ride, so works well for its main market. If you’re after a first big bike, and like the looks, it’s a pretty good option.
But...
IMHO it’s not really very inspiring, and I think it lacks some of the character and involvement of the SV. It isn’t a power thing – my DRZ has half the h.p. of the Gladius, but I find it more fun and engaging. Maybe it’s the noise (or rather lack of), especially with the standard can and whatever catalytic/euro-emissions-y gubbins they put in these days. Reckon a change of can would definitely help.
It also has an odd riding position - well either that or I am a funny shape (which is quite possible). I have a crick in my neck after riding the 20-odd miles to work, and that’s coming from someone who regularly does long distances on a supersports bike!
The Gladius seems to have less road presence than the sports bikes/larger & louder naked bikes (e.g. SuperDuke) that I’ve ridden, but is definitely higher in the pecking order than scooters and my DRZ400SM, so probably sits somewhere in the middle on that front.
I do miss the clip on bars and narrowness of the Gixxer when squeezing through city gaps, though I’ll admit that there was an element of caution with it being roads and a bike that I barely know, plus the knowledge of a £750 excess!
We’ll see how it goes on the free-for–all commute home anyway...