sv650 or sv650s?

[ckc]

hi to all

i'm looking to buy a new bike. at this point i'm very much leaning towards an sv(with close second the fz6). what i cant decide is between the sv650 or the sv650s.
i've riden both and i like both. however i found the sv a bit better on the performance side and the s a bit better in handling . is the naked suposed to perform better than the s? or could it maybe have been the individual bike i rode?
any other differences that the two bikes have?
any help will be much appreciated
cheers

[John Burt]

The naked ius lower geared so probably feels a little livlier, easy just change the gearing to naked spec - loads about it all on here. IMHO go for the faired model.

[SPeeeeDY]

could the un faired feel faster due to the extra wind blast???

[Ken McCulloch]

could the un faired feel faster due to the extra wind blast??? Possible, yes but I think the most important thing is that it has a lower final drive ratio (sprocket sizes). I had a naked for a year and enjoyed it a lot. It's probably one of the best bikes you'll find for urban roads but still OK for longer distances. I did 250 mile days on mine a few times with no problems other than a numb bum.

[Steve W]

The riding position is a bit different... more upright on the naked bike. Having read (sad git) a number of the threads on SV650 vs SV650S on this site it seems to me it's probably mainly down to (a) which you most like the look of and (b) what you're going to use the bike for. The faired version is better for motorway blasts and the naked for town riding.

Personally can't quite undertsand why some people prefer the look of the faired version (or who think yellow's the best colour) but it takes all sorts...

[chris SVK3]

It depends on what you want it for? If your using it for commuting (A roads, in town) then the naked would suit you better but if your mainly on motorways and twisty's the faired version would be better due the riding position and screen. I personnally got the the faired version as I tend to do all of the above which with 46T rear sprocket has the same pull as the naked. Trust me I spent a 300miles on a motorway on a naked bike, that wind blast does your head in.

[OldBoy]

I wanted to go for the faired version but found the bars too far a streach for my shortarse hieght of 5'-6", need to use the bike for commuting and country laining. Have found a Givi A602 screen takes care of the windblast and seems to help with the stability at speed. Perhaps it reduces the turbulence. I would imagine this is why you found the S version better handling than the naked one.
Did consider the FZ6 but had the offer of a ex demo naked K3 for £3500 with 450 on the clock and with the cheaper insurance it was an offer I could'nt refuse.
Not to sure of the look of the bike but I chose it on preformance/cost.
Being an old fart it would need to look like a cafe racer to look good :lol:

[Valman]

I haven't used the unfaired version so can't comment on it but I use the faired version to commute into Central London and have had no problems. I was given a new ER-5 a few weeks ago as a courtesy bike for the day while mine was getting serviced and it felt so awkward and I hated not having a screen to block out the bad weather from in front of me, so I suppose it depends on what you've been using before as well.

[Stig]

I used to comute from Newbury to London every day on my naked and had no problems with wind. But then I am hard as nails. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Ken McCulloch]

Being an old fart it would need to look like a cafe racer to look good :lol:

Now you're talking! I considered cafe-racering my SV (clipons, rearsets, seat hump) but decided the VFR was a more gentlemanly way to go. There is just enough room under the seat for a fine briar pipe and a pouch of 'old underpants' hand-rubbed.

[Ken McCulloch]

I used to comute from Newbury to London every day on my naked and had no problems with wind.
Must be the quality of beer you have been consuming then?

[ckc]

thanx for your replies

i'm going to go ride both bikes next week sometime one after the other and see how they both feel again
also i've got to check colour availability
i like blue and i cant even see one from up close coz no dealer in the whole of sydney has one-they say they're waiting-plenty of silver and yellow of both models
something else i like about the s is the dual front lights-do they illuminate a lot better than the naked? are they adjustable?
i will be doing mostly city riding but occasional freeway as well. however there are more speed cameras here than macers and i'm thinking that maybe the naked will keep me from losing my lisence

thanx again for your feedback
cheers

[Stig]

If you like twin lights then you could aways get twin headlights for the naked as well