The Idle Biker
19-11-11, 09:09 PM
http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd400/IdleBiker/sv650/675Triple.jpg
I test rode this today. I've been meaning to take the opportunity all summer but something always went awry and I had to cancel a couple of times.
I can't pretend to have a really informed opinion based on long term riding experience, but this a flaming good bike and half isn't it?!
The engine is just phenominal. 1st gear is soooo long and smooth, I thought I was in 2nd and 3rd driving around town. The 2nd and 3rd gears are ridiculously fast I got genuinely gobsmacked. I looked down at 88 in 2nd and 112 in 3rd and it wasn't even near the 15,000 redline.
I only had just under an hour and mixed it up with small towns, country lanes and a fast A road (A3), and I only got into 5th and 6th when I was poodling back to the shop, I just wanted to make sure they were there!
The quickshifter was a revelation to me, how good is that piece of kit, smooth and accurate, although I did manage to get it into neutral going from 1st to 2nd inadvertently because I was being a bit soft with it.
I loved the engine breaking which reminded me of the SV although it's not as quite as strong as the twin.
The brakes coupled with the engine breaking were outstanding to me, if you ride this bike you've got to get stomp grips unless you want to leave imprints of your manhood or ladyhood in the base of the tank.
You could commute on this thing if you wanted, the steering is perfect and although the gears are long it's also really torquey and you don't have to worry about keeping the revs up or anything like that, it's super flexible.
I liked the riding position for the road but I felt it would take a while for me to get used to, for a track-bike. For me it was perched high and I felt like I was too far forward and too close to the bars and if anything I wanted the bars lower. I sat on a GSXR 600 when I got off the 675 and that was much better for me. A bit lower and sitting more in the bike, than on it.
The chassis? I didn't have a hope of really finding out how good it was, even if I was a good enough rider. I was too worried about dropping it to go even moderately fast on roundabouts or bends.
Keep on working, keep on dreaming. I couldn't justify spending £8.5k or £10k to buy the R version to buy a new one but but is there a better bike out there for the money?
I test rode this today. I've been meaning to take the opportunity all summer but something always went awry and I had to cancel a couple of times.
I can't pretend to have a really informed opinion based on long term riding experience, but this a flaming good bike and half isn't it?!
The engine is just phenominal. 1st gear is soooo long and smooth, I thought I was in 2nd and 3rd driving around town. The 2nd and 3rd gears are ridiculously fast I got genuinely gobsmacked. I looked down at 88 in 2nd and 112 in 3rd and it wasn't even near the 15,000 redline.
I only had just under an hour and mixed it up with small towns, country lanes and a fast A road (A3), and I only got into 5th and 6th when I was poodling back to the shop, I just wanted to make sure they were there!
The quickshifter was a revelation to me, how good is that piece of kit, smooth and accurate, although I did manage to get it into neutral going from 1st to 2nd inadvertently because I was being a bit soft with it.
I loved the engine breaking which reminded me of the SV although it's not as quite as strong as the twin.
The brakes coupled with the engine breaking were outstanding to me, if you ride this bike you've got to get stomp grips unless you want to leave imprints of your manhood or ladyhood in the base of the tank.
You could commute on this thing if you wanted, the steering is perfect and although the gears are long it's also really torquey and you don't have to worry about keeping the revs up or anything like that, it's super flexible.
I liked the riding position for the road but I felt it would take a while for me to get used to, for a track-bike. For me it was perched high and I felt like I was too far forward and too close to the bars and if anything I wanted the bars lower. I sat on a GSXR 600 when I got off the 675 and that was much better for me. A bit lower and sitting more in the bike, than on it.
The chassis? I didn't have a hope of really finding out how good it was, even if I was a good enough rider. I was too worried about dropping it to go even moderately fast on roundabouts or bends.
Keep on working, keep on dreaming. I couldn't justify spending £8.5k or £10k to buy the R version to buy a new one but but is there a better bike out there for the money?