New bike this year? Im unsure :(.

[otaylor38]

Hello everyone!

Im stuck with a dilemma, and i was rather hoping the kind people on the forum could help.

Iv had my 2001 sv650s for about 2 years now. It got me through my restriction (ended may last year) and its been nothing but brilliant.

However, as im quite young, i fancy playing the field abit more before settling down. What should i have next? Youd have thought this would be easy, but im a fussy bugger.

My criteria is:

1. No inline fours. Iv ridden em n hate the lack of grunt.
2. I would like a something with plenty of loa end grunt., but not a bike thats gonna try and kill me. (Eg. Tl1000)
3. Faster than the sv obviously. (I love the bike to bits, but it doesnt give me that 'woooooaaahh' when i open it up at speed.
4. Something abit better for long journeys but not too big as i like how agile the sv is in the corners.
5. Reliable.

What do we think? Am i being too fussy?

At the moment im thinking vfr800fi. (Decent low miler if i can find one) or an sv1000. Maybe a vtr1000 if the tank range wasnt so bad. I know it got bigger in 2001, but they seem to be really rare after that.

Can you think of anything else? Any suggestions would be brilliant.

Budget around £3000 by the time iv saved up (new job) and sold my curvy after that.

Cheers in advance

[carelesschucca]

Why no IL4's they don't have a lack of grunt you just need to ride them differently. Have a look at one of the 636 kwaks in your price range or one of the GSXR750s. You may be pleasantly surprised. I always thought that I'd never want an IL4 when I had the sv, then got a test ride on the gixer found that top end scream and thought Oh yeah I could love this but I quite often ride like a c@ck.

Thing is what do you really cherish? Is it handling (a bike that is tight and predictable through the corners) or are you looking at outright stomp out of the bends, from what you say I'm guessing its stomp.

All in I'd say try things you may end up liking something you never thought you would.

[carelesschucca]

How about something like this? I know its an IL4 but give it a try you never know.

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/mcn/bikes-for-sale/searchresults/detail/kawasaki/zx-6r/2003/_/R-NXGN-3067337ZTE

Well within budget giving you money left over to fettle. To your liking.

[Griff-SV]

Aprillia RSV Mille?

[dkid]

Why no IL4's they don't have a lack of grunt you just need to ride them differently.


^this.

[Matt-EUC]

+2

[maviczap]

Vrfr800

[Matt-EUC]

Gsxr 750 and take one of the plugs out.

[fizzwheel]

Moved to Bike Talk

[SIII]

Point 5. - rules RSV1000 out !

Spent the last year unsure which bike to replace SV with, went for Gixxer 750.

Never ridden but thought 600 gutless and the 1000 was soooo fast, only used half the rev's and the front was getting light. Plus i knew I didn't want to pay for all the rear tyre's I would rip thru' enjoying that rush of the 1000. Looked at the Mille, but so many stories of high maintenance and poor parts supply, just put me off plus the mpg looked pretty frightening.

Would have loved to buy another v-twin but nothing there till Suzuki put the new DL1000 lump into an SV frame with USD forks !!!!

Buy what you like the look of and try get test rides. If you don't turn around and look back - you bought the wrong bike.

Just use the force.

[otaylor38]

Cheers for all your replies :).

I ruled out il4's because i rode my mates zzr600. They might of improved since then and it is 1994, but it just seemed dead. Going for a medium fast overtake, i opened it up like i would the sv And nothing really happened. I found myself changing down so much. It probably is my riding style, but i dont want to have to rev that much to get anywhere, it doesnt suit me. I did roll on the throttle in 3rd to see what happens. I thought i was missing about 70bhp until it hit about 8000rpm, then all the horses came back thick and fast.

Maybe a 750 would suit me better. I hear theyre more torquey lower down, like a 1000 without the top end?

How does the vfr's v4 compare to that? Iv never ridden one but always liked em.

Stomp? Yeah i like stomp. Something that will just go, whatever the revs. Not too big though as i do like my corners to. However i am aware that i will lose the agility of the sv, which ever i go for. Can chuck that around where ever and it goes. Time to try something new though i think. Maybe. Haha.

Cheers again

[Trev B]

I think what you are looking for is the perfect bike,it don't exist,you will get a thousand different answer from a thousand different people,I've had quit a few in the last 45 years and each was brilliant simply because you have to take each one for what it is,I've had singles,twins turbo twins,four and six cylinders all cc from 125 to 1000, and not one has been a let down,that doesn't mean they didn't have their faults,but what ever you choose,ENJOY IT for what it is!!!

[otaylor38]

I feared somebody might say that mate! And even more so, i believe your right!

Ill most likely keep it for a few years then get another anyway, whatever i choose. So its not the end of the world is it. Im not stuck with it for life haha

[fizzwheel]

Going for a medium fast overtake, i opened it up like i would the sv And nothing really happened. I found myself changing down so much. It probably is my riding style,

And that's why it felt dead. If you ride an IL4 like an SV you don't get into area of the rev counter where you it makes its power.

I've a K5 GSXR 750 and it does deliver power from lower down the rev range, but its not "twin like" to ride. It'll start to pull from 4000rpm, but it really gets into its stride at around 7000rpm, which is about IIRC the SV starts to run out of puff.

By discounting IL4's you are IMHO massively limiting your choice of bikes. I'd got a test ride something more modern that a ZZR600 and see how you get on.

Your other choice is a 3 Pot Triumph, but I don't know if you'd get a Daytona 955 on your budget. But its worth considering. I've no personal experience of them, but there a few on here that have and rate them highly.

[SIII]

If ZZR600 is your only IL4 - go test ride more, I had a go on my pals, and it is so opposite to the SV in the way it delivers power. If all IL4's were like that, there is no way I would have gone for one.

Only V4 i had a shot on was a VFR1200, boy that was ballistic, every gear it pulled like a train, but can't say it felt a great deal different to an IL4 1000. The GSXR1000 was just the same, every gear even low down. Was doing 30 in 6th, twist and go - it had that much torque.

The GSXR600 was, as i said gutless low down, worse than the ZZR, didn't even get going to up in the rev range - way too much like hard work after the SV's low grunt - no likey.

[ethariel]

Not an inline 4, lots of grunt, fairly good engine brakeing, tope end of 140+ and cruises at 100 on an errr test track once your neck muscles build up a bit

Well if your knees are ok and your back is fine then why not look at a Triumph Speed Triple (not the street!) as it ticks the above boxes well.

[otaylor38]

Cheers people!

Hmm i feel a few test rides in order. You guys have persuaded me not to rule out an il4 justbecause of one bike iv ridden. I shall see what i can do ;).

Id love a triumph speed triple. Iv ridden an 11 plate street triple and that was nice enough. The thing that hit me the most though was 1. How upright i was, that would take some getting used to 2. How responsive it is compared to my curvy sv.

I was under the impression i couldnt get a half decent speed triple for less than the 5 grand mark, i shall certainly have a good look around ebay and autotrader tonight. Hopefully fall inlove with something and thatll help me save in the meantime! Haha.

I bet the vfr1200 was good to ride yeah, bit big for me though haha, and i think theyre pig ugly to be honest haha.

Cheers again :).

[PyroUK]

Haha, glad you took on board the comments mate, if my only taste of an il4 was a zzr600 (which I have ridden) I wouldn't go near em! Had a go a a few others, bandit, old and new, xj6 and r6.
glad I rode the others as before I said I would never get a il4, now I'm thinking of which one to get!

Someone already mentioned the 636 kwaks, def a good option. Mate at work has one and we went out for a ride one lunch and it fecking flies!! We only had about 45 mins so it was a spirited ride. It has the top end of a 600 but those extra cc's really help with the torque so it pulls for overtakes and corner exits very well! Hoping he doesn't sell it before the weather picks up so I can give it a go, may even make me get over my hatred of kwak.

You got many dealers around near you? Best bet is go and get tests with them good luck in the search :)

[otaylor38]

Thats why i thought id ask you guys. Quite abit of experience between you isnt there haha.

Hmm iv heard nothing but good things about the 636. Is build quality an issue on the new kwaks though? Iv not had any experience with them at all, so i really dont know.

Not immediately close to me no, but chesterfield is not too far away and theres lots around there. Its a good excuse for a bloody good day out trying bikes i reckon. Im getting pretty good at blagging test drives and pretending im interested in that exact one haha. Im already being harassed by skoda to buy another new one cos i felt like thrashing one of theres a month ago haha.

I bet the suspension will be pretty good on a 636 too. Hmm.

[PyroUK]

Haha!

Not sure about the new ones, my mates is a 2002 I think, I'll ask him about it tomorrow but it will be a bit off. Whilst he isn't strictly a fair weather rider he doesn't ride that often so it's got pretty low mileage for the age.

Another consideration may be and I apologise as I don't know the values so may be out if budget, a Daytona 675. I have recently fallen in love with them.

TonyK has a new one and his grin would put the joker to shame when he gets off it. Seems very small and light too. He let me sit on it once and it felt thinner than my pointy plus there are a lot more horses!

[otaylor38]

I love the daytona 675, but unfortunately they are out of my budget. I hada. Sit on one in a showroom, it definitely made the sv seem alot less cramped haha.

Hmm 130 bhp arent they? Shorter stroke than the street triple i rode too i think, apparently they pick up like a rocket.

I can always dream eh :).

[Matt-EUC]

You could get a rocket.

[otaylor38]

Not sure its covered under my licence mate, and besides, i hear they arent very good in the corners :(.

[DJ123]

1. No inline fours. Iv ridden em n hate the lack of grunt.
2. I would like a something with plenty of loa end grunt., but not a bike thats gonna try and kill me. (Eg. Tl1000)
3. Faster than the sv obviously. (I love the bike to bits, but it doesnt give me that 'woooooaaahh' when i open it up at speed.
4. Something abit better for long journeys but not too big as i like how agile the sv is in the corners.
5. Reliable.





Try riding a triple, a bigger V-Twin & also try out a parallel twin.
All engines have different characteristics depending how they are tuned by the factory.
Define faster-quicker acceleration, higher top end, better gearing?
Better in all aspects: fuel economy, range, seat comfort, wind protection, fairing?
Reliable, every bike is depending on how its been looked after and serviced correctly.


I jumped ship to an F800ST & haven't looked back since. Great engine, gearbox, brakes & build quality. Plus the fact it is comfortable, practical (when I need it to be) longer service intervals (6,000 miles) & belt drive=no maintenance. It is (in my opinion) a much better bike than the SV in every way. It is just as agile & more refined. They can be picked up for £3k in good nick.

[Mikey360]

Honda VTR1000 Firestorm??
Cheap to buy, could have some fun upgrading the suspension (better than an SV but still no CBR!)
Honda reliability, real grunty engine!
I think they're a similar riding position to an SV?

The only reason I didn't get one after my first SV650 was the insurance was just out of my budget (insurance group 14) so went with the speed four instead.

Well worth looking into me thinks :-)

[Matt-EUC]

He specified a bike that wouldn't try and kill him.

[Mikey360]

Taming the beast is half the fun ;-)

[Mikey360]

Plus they're only 97bhp, its not super super fast!

[otaylor38]

Quicker acceleration really. Im not too fussed about top end as i rarely go above 100 as i value my licence, so all of these have a higher top end than id ever reach tbh.

Hmm f800st you say, ill take a look. Cheers :).

Hmm only thing that puts me off the firestorm is the tank capacity. I know it got better in 2001 but still not too good and they seem rare post 2001.

Iv got soo much deciding to do, and i love it hsha.

Cheers

[Mikey360]

Hmm only thing that puts me off the firestorm is the tank capacity. I know it got better in 2001 but still not too good and they seem rare post 2001.

Cheers

Done your research then! :p

Could always go for one of the other many suggested bikes and change the sprockets?
More teeth on the rear and less teeth on the front = More acceleration for less top end speed and loads more wheelie fun!!!!! :smt041

[otaylor38]

Yeah haha. Id like one, cos of honda built quality and reliability, but 80 ile refills is simply not enough.

Ooo never thought of that! Thats a good idea! Aslong itll happily cruise at 90 it doesnt really matter after that. Thats food for thought! Cheers

[PyroUK]

Ooo never thought of that! Thats a good idea! Aslong itll happily cruise at 70 it doesnt really matter after that. Thats food for thought! Cheers


Fixed that for you ;-)

[Matt-EUC]

Fairly sure he was talking kilometres ;)

[otaylor38]

Pretty sure that was a typo. Woops ;) haha.