First Bike, Seems like a wrong choice...Any advice please?

Originally Posted by Milky Bar Kid

You were pretty comfortable though. The OP isn't, like I wasn't. You are more likely to drop the bike at slow speed when starting out, like I did with the bandit. Whilst doing the slow speed stuff in a car park won't help you learn to corner, it will help you to become smooth using all of the controls.

Slow speed control is majorly important...hence spending a lot of time on it when learning??

I wasn't majorly comfortable on my bike for at least a month or two, and I know that the slow handling is very important, but for me to get comfortable with a bike the slow car park stuff wasn't massively beneficial.

Once you've got reasonable clutch control I see no point in delaying getting out on the roads. Delaying things usually makes people even more anxious about doing it.

But he can't get out on the road anyway???

I wouldn't delay things to go practice in a car park, just do it whenever it's convenient. My instructor told me he does it with every new bike he gets, to learn all the bike's features etc in a controlled environment. Seems like sound advice to me.

Originally Posted by Milky Bar Kid

But he can't get out on the road anyway???

I was talking about post passing his test. Surely he's not doing his test on the SV? No point learning the behaviour of two bikes at the same time.

Were you petrified of your Sv when you first went out? I was and speaking from experience, a couple of hours in a car park, on a couple of evenings, will do a huge amount for confidence in your own ability. I did that on advice of some of the more experienced riders on here and it made a huge difference to my ability. Once I then got out on the road I was able to come to a junction and turn right, instead of freaking and just taking the easier left hand turn.

[fastdruid]

One thing to mention is that is illegal to ride in a publicly accessible place without insurance. Yes its sensible and hurting no one but if the police pop by you could be in for the bike being seized, 6 points on your license and a hefty fine.

Druid

Hi,

I was in exactly same position as you last Nov mate so not what yu thinking.

Bought a 99 SV650s, for what I believe was a bargan price about a month before doing DAS.

Had only really ridden 125cc's before that, but never owned bike b4 the sv and the first time was out on a 600, on XJ600 and was totally bricking myself.

To newbies like ourselves, it does seem massive, and any none biker friends will tell you that!

If you can get youself a car park or somewhere (Not a public road) practice your clutch control, and all the stuff on Mod1, ( think I clocked up about 30 miles doing cirles, without getting oota 2nd gear!)

You'll soon get used to the size and weight and feel much more comfortable. Remember its all about clutch control, and the throttle works both ways!

I've done 2000 miles on it since end Novemeber, despite this ****ty weather this winter has been.

I'm still learning every minute whilst riding it, and still taking it easy out there!

You'll get tons of advice from folks on here and I got a lot of good tips from MCN forum

Just remember this

1 in 3 drivers, won't even know you are there!

Ride as if you are invisible and Everyone is out to kill you!

You need to go slow, to go fast!

Good luck with your Mod1 next week.

Originally Posted by thulfi

I actually found the 500 much easier to ride than those suzuki GS125's we had to cbt on.

+1
The SV is more steady on the road, more confident under braking, with more power to help you 'make progress'. In general, more confidence inspiring than the 125's.

On my direct access course I felt uncomfortable on the 125's and that only really passed once we switched to the 500's. Enjoy!!

Airbornesnake - like others here I started on a 125 and thought I was the bee's knees. Then they let me loose on a 500, and I felt it was huge, far too powerful, how could I ever control this beast, and yet within 15 mins I knew I never wanted to go back to a 125. On passing I bought a SV650S, it was so different to the 500 in every way that I thought I'd never get the hang of it, riding it the 36 miles back from the shop in Stafford to home in Shrewsbury was nerve-wracking. And in no time I loved it. No you haven't done the wrong thing, as Drew says in 6 months time you'll look back and laugh.

[Grant66]

After the 125 on the CBT, next day on an ER5. 500cc of big bike felt huge, after the short ride around the test centre (about an hour) doing stop starts and slow speed control you start to notice how much easier the bigger bike is to control. Its even more noticeable out on the road.

Bought my SV a the weekend after passing my test. Still haven't lost that sensation of 'this is fast' (yes I know it isn't compared to a sports bike), spend a week in the cage and the SV feels like a ferrari in comparison.