Ready for a noob question? Here you go!

Hello everyone. Loving the website. This is my first post.

I have 2.5k to spend on a bike and I'm sure it will be an SV. I am torn, however, between the naked and the faired version. I know the faired is sportier, has clip-ons and looks a little better (in my opinion) but I am sure there are knowledgeable people here who can give me some pros/cons about my dilemma and maybe even help me decide.

Over to you!

[fizzwheel]

What do you think you're likely to use the bike for ?

If your doing a lot of fast motorway / dual carriageway get a faired bike it'll be much more comfortable in the long run.

Naked has a different gearing making it accelerate a bit quicker but a lower top speed. Naked is a more upright riding position. Faired is better for motorways/touring. Faired parts are more common than naked parts.

So as Fizz said, depends what you want it for. I have a naked but due to wanting to go on holiday with it etc I wish I had fairings now.

My old naked SV was fine on private roads up to say 85mph. If you plan to cruise at anything more you really need something with a screen. I usually go out on long runs with 3 mates...a 600 gsxr, cbr600rr, and a naked 600 bandit. If the sport guys go for high speeds, and I try to keep up the lack of screen was a pain...literally! However, they were the ones wanting to stop all the time with back pains! And when it came to the twisty stuff, the wide bars and riding position of the SV and bandit, meant we left the sports bike boys behind!

I bought the naked SV650 because I once had a faired Ducati Pantah. Riding down unlit unknown country roads and finding the road has disappeared is not fun. Naked bikes take the headlight beam with the bars, faired bikes allow you to see where you'll end up if it all goes wrong (not terribly useful). Having said that, I bought my SV650 for commuting down country lanes where you can rarely go over 60mph - I wouldn't want to go all that far at > 70mph. The upright position is kind on my back...

You spent any money on buying leathers/helmets etc?

Originally Posted by gettin2dizzy

You spent any money on buying leathers/helmets etc?

Aaargh! My old helmet turned out not to fit any more due to a lack of padding (rotted helmet foam and rather less hair than I had eighteen years ago). Then I saw that gloves now have armour to protect the fragile bits of hands, and I needed a serious lock and a tank bag. I dropped the bike at 1mph starting to turn right on a gravelly corner when I couldn't stop it tipping because my old (leather-soled) boots slipped, so that meant boots with grippy soles. Then it rained, and reminded me that leathers aren't waterproof, so that meant trousers and jacket...

[tigersaw]

For me the faired was so uncomfortable on the wrists and back it was the reason it had to go. I now ride a ER6F which is a bazillion times more comfortable. If I can get a go on a naked SV sometime and it's as comfy as the Kwak, I'll be returning to the SV - I miss that engine

I was afraid of the commited riding position pains and aches so I chose the naked one. Wrong choice, as the naked is good only in town or very tight b-roads. On every other terrain the faired is a better bike as I've found out by converting the naked riding position to the faired ones by using custom handlebar and rearsets

[Biker Biggles]

A naked one with a small bolt on screen keeps a surprising amount of windblast at bay.Nakeds are slightly cheaper to buy and insure,and doing any work on the bike tends to be easier and quicker as everything is much more accessable.Choices choices.