First post and question.

First of hello all, second of sorry if this is in the wrong place, admins feel free to move it about.

Im currently the owner of a 03 CBR600RR, however with the purchase of a house and the planning of mini me's, I simply can't afford the stupid insurance and running costs. I used to ride a Hornet 6 which is in a similar bracket to the SV650S, so common sense was a step back in price, as totally giving up bikes was just a huge no no!!!!.

Now my big love with my RR is its handling, the engine's nothing to great with a huge flat spot. From reviews I've read the SV out handles the hornet, so im moving in the direction of a SV.

What I really want to know from you guys is are they any good??, has anyone toke a step backward in performance like this and been satified, I dont mean to degrqade the SV in any way, but a out out sports bike will be more on edge, hence the stupid budget to run it.

I know we're likely to have a bias, but the general consensus is that they are a very good bike for the money (to buy, insure and run). A good all rounder, more fun than the stats suggest and if you fancy it a bit sportier, £500 worth of suspension upgrades will leave you with a bike that handles very nicely indeed.

[Lissa]

We downgraded. We had a Daytona 1200 and a Falco before the SV, and we've had more fun, grins and good times on the SV.

Admittedly, we've spent a fair bit upgrading the SV suspension to handle us being two-up all the time, but it takes everything we throw at it.

As you may have guessed, the suspension and brakes and everything will be slightly worse than the CBR600RR from what I have heard. But it is a really great engine and certainly great value for money. Best bet is to test ride both a hornet and an sv and see which you prefer, it'll probably come down to engine charateristics and ride position. Handling wise the sv is very chuckable but the suspension is not great. If you get a hornet you will probably just miss your RR, but the SV is a different beast, and a lot of fun in a different way so it might not make you feel too bad about getting rid of your sportsbike.

And welcome to the forum!

[northwind]

Originally Posted by Warthog

As you may have guessed, the suspension and brakes and everything will be slightly worse than the CBR600RR from what I have heard.

A LOT worse tbh. But, not neccesarily a problem.

I'd honestly say you have to test ride one, after the RR the SV might feel like riding a mattress. But, on the other hand some people (me) actually prefer a less good bike. Handling on the road can be a bit of a weird matter of taste. I really disliked the RR I rode for the fact it made me feel like an idiot every time I went round a corner, as it yawned and rolled around at about 1/10 of its capabilities. If I do the same corner at the same speed on a standard SV, I still get round but it's so much more entertaining and satisfying to me. Others would hate the way the SV feels.

It does handle quite differently to the Hornet, I'm not sure it's better, just different. The Hornet has better components tho. The SV rides a bit more like a sports bike, flick rather than chuck is how I think of it.

Is a CBR600F of some sort an option? Much less engine and focus but more in line with what you're used to I suppose.

I went from an '05 SV to an '03 RR and the difference was HUGE! The RR was far superior to the SV, it felt a lot more planted and solid and inspired confidence..

Are you insured FC? Have you thought of going TPFT?

Originally Posted by Warthog

but the SV is a different beast

And it makes a MUCH nicer sound with race cans on!
(V-Twin engine and all...)

Also to add, I own an SV and regularly swap bikes on rides out with my mates with an R6 (same category as the 600RR) and although I enjoy it for it's top end insane-ness, I'd pick the SV any day as a day in, day out bike as it's much more enjoyable and easy to ride.

And although the standard suspension leads much to be desired, once you're used to the routine of "lean so far, wait for suspension to settle, lean some more..." you'll be able to corner as fast as you would've done on the RR!

I use to have an pointy SV, cracking bike. I moved to a Gixer thou just over 10K miles and 15 months ago but supplemented it with a Yamaha MT-03 660 single for the 40 mile commute to work on the twisties, that has got less than 1/3rd the power of the gixer but still has equal grins per ride. You can still have a lot of fun on a lower power bike and as has been said already, spirited riding on a lesser quality suspended bike will add something to the ride, you have to put more into it which for me anyway adds to the enjoyment.

Cheers for the advice guys.

I've gone the other way. Had an SV. Now got an RR. To get the best out of the RR it has to be wound up. Once it's in the sweet spot you are doing silly speed. With the SV you can have just as much fun at legal (ish) speeds. The suspension will need an upgrade and the brakes will need fettling to get the best out of it. Not necessary (I never did anything to mine), but going from an RR to an SV it makes sense.

I never had too much problem keeping up with SS600's on my SV on the twisties and I'm not a riding God despite what others say about me on this forum....ahem....It is only on the straights you will lose out.