Buying First SV650?

Get a mondeo!

Less likely to come off in the winter!

Failing that my 2004 pointy has never done me much wrong, apart from a minor green connector issue last week which was easily rectified enjoy!!

I have a pointy K3 and love it to bits, never had a problem with it. Ya can't whack the SV.

[keith_d]

I have a pointy, well actually on loan to a mate at the moment, but they're a great first bike. Here's my personal thoughts, which will probably be corrected by people who know a whole lot more than I do.

Performance - pretty good. Lots of mid-range power and small enough to filter through traffic easily. Suspension is a bit budget, but for the first year or two that's fine.

Engine - good, but doesn't like oil starvation (long wheelies or poor maintenance). Get one that's well maintained and it will outlast the rest of the bike.

Frame - pretty good on the whole. Look out for crash damage (cracks) behind the headset.

Nuts and bolts - all made from lithium alloy, they dissolve on contact with water. OK, it's not quite that bad but they do corrode a bit.

Brakes - sometimes need a bit of tlc. Put sintered pads on the front and regular pads on the back and they work fine.

Electrics - sounds like you've already heard all the stories.

Originally Posted by keith_d

I have a pointy, well actually on loan to a mate at the moment, but they're a great first bike. Here's my personal thoughts, which will probably be corrected by people who know a whole lot more than I do.

Performance - pretty good. Lots of mid-range power and small enough to filter through traffic easily. Suspension is a bit budget, but for the first year or two that's fine.

Engine - good, but doesn't like oil starvation (long wheelies or poor maintenance). Get one that's well maintained and it will outlast the rest of the bike.

Frame - pretty good on the whole. Look out for crash damage (cracks) behind the headset.

Nuts and bolts - all made from lithium alloy, they dissolve on contact with water. OK, it's not quite that bad but they do corrode a bit.

Brakes - sometimes need a bit of tlc. Put sintered pads on the front and regular pads on the back and they work fine.

Electrics - sounds like you've already heard all the stories.

+1 for the Nuts and bolts. Mine are made from what appears to be cheese.

[jambo]

I have rideen quite a few SVs, and now own a small selection.

Corrosion is probably the most important thing to look for on a 2nd hand bike. Fork stanctions, bolts, engine cases, sub-frames, petrol tanks. All can be a pain or expense to fix. The younger bikes that have spent less time in a salt bath look fresher, but the finish isn't significantly diffrent on any year.

The Curvy / Pointy / Gladius debate rolls on, but is almost entirely irellivent. Buy the freshest / nicest bike you can for your budget. They're all pretty much the same. The only thing I'd say is that the K3 is probably not a good shout if you're short, as it's the tallest SV650 due to a different subframe.

Most of the SV specific failings are unfortunately tricky to spot just by looking a bike over, none of them are particularly difficult to fix.


Look for one that Stretchie & Pete haven't filled up with diesel, Squirrel hunter hasn't starved of oil, and none of our more enthusiastic members have crashed with too much vigor.

Jambo

[andrewsmith]

Originally Posted by jambo

Look for one that Stretchie & Pete haven't filled up with diesel, Squirrel hunter hasn't starved of oil, and none of our more enthusiastic members have crashed with too much vigor.

And one thats spent any time in the garage of Doom, may be a little errrrm warm

i have now owned 5 sv650,s and 1 thou, best bikes i,ve ridden i love them curvy,s and pointys, first thing you need to do when you get one is spray the entire bike matt black

Originally Posted by Journeyman

Hi,

I'm new to biking and am looking to get a second hand SV650 for my first proper bike (currently riding an NSR125 to get through my licence) so need some advice on the most common faults to watch out for when buying one. I've done a couple of searches on this forum already and through your obviously high knowledge base, (does flattery help here?!! ) seen that the reg/rec, wiring loom under the seat, and speedo are areas which I need to pay attention to; but having dealt with a myriad of faults on my NSR due to ridiculously negligent previous owner(s) I'm really keen to know as much as possible ahead of time as to what I need to watch out for - so that I don't get ripped off again.

I'm erring towards an early pointy, but could be converted to a curvy if they're less prone to (expensive) faults.

Thanks,

if you want a sv get one, but if you want a fast reliable well handleing bike buy something else!

[mister c]

Originally Posted by suzukigt380paul

if you want a sv get one, but if you want a fast reliable well handleing bike buy something else!

Is 0-60 in 3.5 secs, 130mph not quick enough for you?
Suspension can be sorted for about £100 & I'll bet a pound to a penny there are people on here that will kick someones a$$ on a larger (faster) bike round the twisties

Originally Posted by mister c

Is 0-60 in 3.5 secs, 130mph not quick enough for you?
Suspension can be sorted for about £100 & I'll bet a pound to a penny there are people on here that will kick someones a$$ on a larger (faster) bike round the twisties

theres always some one who can ride faster with a lesser bike, i can loose my mate on his 130hp speed triple on a bike with 36hp, but i beg to differ that a sv will do 130mph with 69hp,the truth being it will do a little over 120mph fully faired,and acording to those in the know on this site to make it handle and stop well you need usd forks and brakes of as gsx or similar and the rear shock of some thing else,not my words but as reported on here at least every week,over to you