New member from California
 

Hey there..

New member on this forum... considering buying a SV650 as a second bike. I currently have a 2007 Honda CBR600rr which I ride mostly canyons on weekends. I may need to start commuting on my motorcycle this summer, so I want to get a bike that will be more comfortable and practical for a one hour commute each way. I've owned the 600rr for about six months, but have had about 5 bikes in the last three years. Hopefully you guys can share the in's and out's with me so I can make an educated decision on one of these machines soon!

Josh

Re: New member from California
 

Welcome from across the pond!

Re: New member from California
 

Hello and welcome. How far is your commute ?.
AND before anyone else asks do you have a spare room / couch haha

Re: New member from California
 

Hallo Josh and welcome along.

SV650 makes a good all rounder, should be fine for commuting. Well, as long as it's a curvy S model anyway. :p

Re: New member from California
 

Welcome. I wish we had some California weather here!

The SV is quite common in the US, so parts should be easy to come by and insurance is probably relatively cheap.

I would say it would be a good choice for a commuting bike. The engine has lots of low down torque allowing you to be lazy with the gears, and is powerful enough without being a gas guzzler.

What model would be best depends on what riding position you prefer and whether you want a naked or faired bike. If you want an upright riding position, but faired, then the SV might not be the best option.

Re: New member from California
 

Welcome! :D

Good to get members from all over. If you are loooking for any local rideouts you might want to check out the SVRider forum which I believe is based over there.

Re: New member from California
 

Thanks for the responses so far guys!

1. yes, I know this is based over in the UK, but I joined up SVRider as well

2. I'm probably looking for the regular SV (not the SV650S) mostly for ease of maintenance and not needing to remove the fairings every couple months to work on the bike

3. my commute is about 65-70 miles each way, so I would be putting at least 2,500 miles per month on this bike.. which leads me back to # 2 and why I want a bike easy to work on (frequent oil changes, etc.)

4. Since I already have the 600rr, I get plenty of low, tucked riding position. So a more upright style street bars will make my commute much more comfortable riding this thing back and forth to work.

5. No you cannot live on my couch haha

Re: New member from California
 

Also, I have narrowed it down to the second generation SV (2003+) since I would prefer fuel injection and I like the newer stylings

Well done on narrowing it down to a pointy (2003 on) model. The only thing I would warn you about for commuting is the seat, budget for an aftermarket replacement or a gel insert or get some iron buttocks.

Re: New member from California
 

Yep Ralph's right, 65-70 miles each way, invest in a gel pad. The seat is the only real let down in the SV for the price.