MCN_LiamM

Took delivery of the restricted Suzuki Gladius earlier this afternoon which I'll be testing for a couple of weeks.

So far I've only been able to ride it round the office car park, but the engine is smoother than my SV. The looks are growing on me.

The seat seems to be narrower and the whole bike feels smaller and lighter - not that the SV is heavy anyway.

I'll update this tomorrow when I've had a bit more time on the bike.

---UPDATE---

After riding the Gladius the four miles home last night and coming in to work on the longer route this morning I can say I'm thoroughly impressed.

First impressions of a bike rarely change, and despite the fact I only rode the bike round the car park for my first impressions they remain the same.

After my initial ride round the car park I knew the Gladys was smaller, but I didn't take much notice.
The bars are narrower and the seat's lower and narrower. The SV isn't a big bike in any sense (not to me at 6"1' anyway), but the Gladius feels really small by comparison.

The bars feel quite close to your chest compared to the SV, something which I'm still tyring to get used to.

Once on the move the V-twin is noticably smoother than the SV. That slight lumpiness in the lower end of the rev range on the SV has now totally gone and the snatchiness you get from a V-twin when you wind the throttle on has been smoothened out - presumably to make it less intimidating for learners.

In my opinion, just like the old SV, the suspension lets it down slightly and the brakes feel weak, with no initial bite.

Instead of Dunlop D220s the Gladius gets Dunlop Qualifiers as standard, which make a whole world of difference. They give more feedback and feel and so much more confidence.

Don't get me wrong I love the SV and still do - which is why I bought one. The SV is really good and the Gladius is really really good.