AL7 opinions. day to day/touring/etc

[ocatoro]

Hi there, I'm considering an AL7 for my next bike and just wondering about current owners opinions of them in general.

I'll be stepping down from just over 100bhp, have you done this? will the world end?

I used to get more miles in, but have got in the habit of using the car too often lately. what's the sv like day to day? handling/comfort, economy, maintenance?

also touring... have you toured on it? comfort over distance? bike happy with it? etc

:smt117

thanks for the help/advice

[ocatoro]

Cheers, some useful info there.

Has anyone had issues with the nikasil liners? When BMW used them, engines were a matter of when, not if.

[SV650rules]

If you are going to tour and spend a long time in the saddle you will need to get the seat modified as it is thinly padded and after a couple of hours your b*m cheeks let you know they are not happy.

The AL7 is quick off the mark and a respectable 3.2 seconds to 60 mph (final drive is 46/15 so lower than previous models), it is no slouch and 6 speed box is a joy. The clutch actuator is now rack and pinion rather
than a helix and ball bearings (and is hidden well away from dirt and water).

The dash is very informative and more like you get in a car with digital speed readout, engine temp, fuel gauge, miles to go, couple of trips, a clock, rev counter (bar type) and gear indicator. I find it easy to read with good contrast (contrast / brightness is adjustable). ABS brakes are good news (don't think you can buy it in UK without ABS since new rules came in a year or so ago).

I fitted an MRA screen to mine but it made wind noise in helmet horrendous, so I chopped 3" off the upturned lip, noise is better but still not as good as without the screen (may take screen off this year).

Economy is absolutely great, I have had low 80's out of mine, and getting anywhere in the 70's is no sweat.

I find the suspension fine for my 13.5 stone weight, and riding position is pretty comfortable for me at 5' 8".

The engine is evolution rather than revolution since 1999, so is a well proven power unit.

For me the standard exhaust has a nice note and I would not want it any louder.

Like Seeker I don't do touring but if I did I think I would be the weak link rather than the bike, which I think is a great balance of power, economy and fun. Even 76 horses can get you into trouble with the law very quickly, and our national speed limit is 70 mph and the AL7 will get you there pretty quickly. I have been out on runs with bigger more powerful bikes and never felt at a disadvantage and AL7 handling is pretty damn good at normal road speeds.

[SV650rules]

Well, this is embarassing. I mentioned the nikasil bores because I read it on a forum or should I say, I thought I read it. I can find no reference to it anywhere - I do find reference to resin coated piston skirts and L shaped rings but nothing on cylinder lining - so I was wrong (sorry).

The AL7 has only been out for about 3 years and nobody on this site or the USA site have reported any mechanical issues yet.

The liners are SCEM (Suzuki Composite Electrochemical Material) which is similar to nikasil but modified, the problem with nikasil was that the sulphur in petrol degraded it, ( https://www.torquecars.com/bmw/nikasil-issue.php ) this is not the case with SCEM and fuel is low sulphur these days anyway (The high sulphur content was attributed to 'supermarket fuel' ). Suzuki use SCEM in all their racing engines and is very durable.

The resin coated piston skirts are undoubtedly Molybdenum Disulphide resin, which Honda has been using in their car engines for many years now to reduce friction between piston skirt and the bore.

[ocatoro]

Excellent, I was pretty sold anyway on the sv, with the other contender being the cbr600f in 2011-13 flavour... But I prefer the look of the sv and despite enjoying the massive fairing on my zzr, all my other bikes have been naked and I enjoyed them hugely as well. I had also considered the 2009- xj6n but I've always had a thing about yamaha (for no reason at all, mind) and I'm not keen on the silly alien headlamps, and the large exhaust box under the belly seems to rot horrendously (though the 1000-2000 saved on purchase price would pay for an exhaust replacement I guess)

Just need to sell up now and find an AL7 then :)

[SV650rules]

You will get to love the off beat V twin sound (more like a heartbeat than a scream) - it was the sound that attracted me to SV to start with - good luck with finding an AL7

[Talking Heads]

Seat suits me fine, I've ridden for periods of up to five hours with no discomfort whatsoever so it could be OK for you but probably only for solo touring....
....the pillion arrangements are somewhat spartan.
For me the big let down from a touring standpoint would be the complete absence of anything resembling a functioning mudguard at either front or rear.
Utterly hopeless, back of jacket filthy in light rain.
For touring probably better to go with a V-strom, but they're just so damn fugly (imo)

Regarding the 75bhp, its easily enough.
Many moons ago I went from a 75bhp GS850G to a 130bhp ZG1300A1 and as a general all round tourer the GS850G was the better bike.
Horsepower alone does not necessarily a good bike make. ;)

[R1ffR4ff]

I'll just add a general thing about V-Twins and another reason why I love them,"Engine Braking".And the SV650 has some of the best IMHO.

Once you incorporate the use of engine braking whilst riding it's sheer joy to me on some of the TT roads we have up-t-North here in Yorkshire.

Riding isn't always about acceleration and top-speeds to me.It's the whole kit and caboodle.Setting myself up for sweeping bends and throttling off with next to no use of brakes and no loss of traction
or even coming down into tight Twisties combining brakes and engine braking is superb :)

My 10 Penn'th.

[ocatoro]

Seat suits me fine, I've ridden for periods of up to five hours with no discomfort whatsoever so it could be OK for you but probably only for solo touring....
....the pillion arrangements are somewhat spartan.
For me the big let down from a touring standpoint would be the complete absence of anything resembling a functioning mudguard at either front or rear.
Utterly hopeless, back of jacket filthy in light rain.
For touring probably better to go with a V-strom, but they're just so damn fugly (imo)

Regarding the 75bhp, its easily enough.
Many moons ago I went from a 75bhp GS850G to a 130bhp ZG1300A1 and as a general all round tourer the GS850G was the better bike.
Horsepower alone does not necessarily a good bike make. ;)

Good to know. Would only be 1-up touring anyway.

V Strom type stuff is far too tall for me, and not really to my taste either

Quite right on horsepower, but having previously sold this bike and gone to a cb400 superfour with 53hp and that was a bit lost over distance and I felt the loss. So much so I bought my zzr back a year later. 75 is middle ground... So should be fine. 100 is a lot anyway. You don't really need to go that quick... Plus on a naked, even less enjoyable

[ocatoro]

I'll just add a general thing about V-Twins and another reason why I love them,"Engine Braking".And the SV650 has some of the best IMHO.

Once you incorporate the use of engine braking whilst riding it's sheer joy to me on some of the TT roads we have up-t-North here in Yorkshire.

Riding isn't always about acceleration and top-speeds to me.It's the whole kit and caboodle.Setting myself up for sweeping bends and throttling off with next to no use of brakes and no loss of traction
or even coming down into tight Twisties combining brakes and engine braking is superb :)

My 10 Penn'th.

This :salut:

[SV650rules]

I'll just add a general thing about V-Twins and another reason why I love them,"Engine Braking".And the SV650 has some of the best IMHO.

Once you incorporate the use of engine braking whilst riding it's sheer joy to me on some of the TT roads we have up-t-North here in Yorkshire.

Riding isn't always about acceleration and top-speeds to me.It's the whole kit and caboodle.Setting myself up for sweeping bends and throttling off with next to no use of brakes and no loss of traction
or even coming down into tight Twisties combining brakes and engine braking is superb :)

My 10 Penn'th.

I was very impressed with engine braking when I first rode my AL7, and still am :D I was so impressed I was coming up short to junctions and islands without the use of brakes and had to adjust to shutting off later to compensate for speed dropping off so quickly - bit of a learning curve but very satisfying. I think the SV engine is superb, and sounds luvverleeee. I love the narrowness of the bike as well (another benefit of 'V' twin), I can get both feet flat down with confidence and I am not the most long-legged bloke in the world. One other thing that surprised me as well was the lack of vibration of the engine from tickover to red line - an amazing feat of engineering by Suzuki.

[R1ffR4ff]

I was very impressed with engine braking when I first rode my AL7, and still am :D I was so impressed I was coming up short to junctions and islands without the use of brakes and had to adjust to shutting off later to compensate for speed dropping off so quickly - bit of a learning curve but very satisfying. I think the SV engine is superb, and sounds luvverleeee. I love the narrowness of the bike as well (another benefit of 'V' twin), I can get both feet flat down with confidence and I am not the most long-legged bloke in the world. One other thing that surprised me as well was the lack of vibration of the engine from tickover to red line - an amazing feat of engineering by Suzuki.

As you know mine is a pretty early 1999 Curvy/Carby version.Once I'd dialled in a carb Balance and added some slightly larger diameter Gel grips I've ridden well over 200 miles in a day with no ,"Tinglies" :)

One thing I have noticed on my SV is around 7,000/8,000 revs there seems to be a nice power boost.Is this normal?If it isn't I don't care as I love it when overtaking a line of traffic on Dual Carriageways or Motorways.

[SVSte]

I have had 3 SV's but the best so far is the AL7 super smooth I have put a Givi Screen on makes a lot of difference and Rear Hugger, same as other people great on the B roads and just as good on the motorway, Economy is great. and you can flat foot it. I have took the rear spring load to number 5 instead of 3 and makes a load of difference for my riding style.

[Craig380]

Some really good comments here.

The engine and slimness makes the bike, in my view. The engine is tireless, it will sing along at any sane speed (and quite a bit more than that) with plenty of easily-accessible grunt in hand.

[R1ffR4ff]

Some really good comments here.

The engine and slimness makes the bike, in my view. The engine is tireless, it will sing along at any sane speed (and quite a bit more than that) with plenty of easily-accessible grunt in hand.

Totally +10 :salut:

Even when I ride over the N Yorkshire Moors to Whitby,some of my favourite roads,the steep up-and-down gradients are nothing to the SV650 engine.It just effortlessly eats them up and purrs.


https://i.imgur.com/vzLXLyv.jpg

IIRC the SV650 engine was designed as a Motorcycle engine and not taken from other vehicles as some Motorcycle engines have been.I think this shows in it's solid performance :)

[Craig380]

I was born & raised in Hull, so I know those roads well :D