Advice on buying an SV?

Hiya,

New to the forum, so hello all
Im looking to buy a SV so have been pointed over this way by a few folk.

Is there anything in particular I should be looking out for, like little (or big) things that can go wrong or are common faults etc when looking for a new one - well new to me one! I will be looking to spend around £1000-£1500 ish.

Thanks in advance guys!

[hindle8907]

dont buy a pre k3 ..... Because they are ugly.
they call them curvys.

[andrewsmith]

your best best is get the next issue of ride out on the 21/4
8 page feature on the bike

Will look out for the mag, cheers. What reg does K3 start from? There probably the ones I have been looking at lol..
So whats the difference between curvy's and pointy's? (can you tell im kinda new to SV's? lol )

[andrewsmith]

mite be a few very late plate 52's but rule of thumb 03 and 53.

Curvies except the late 1's were carbs and the pointies are generally more refined. best to look at this!!
At your budget ur looking about a 2000 to 01 curvy naked

Cheers for that Andy. Will have a look in the mag when that comes out too,

Best get some piccies of mine and stick it onto eblag and raise the bike fund money up a tad more, see exactly how much I got to play around with then!

Prefer either naked or bikini fairing anyway - not really into fully faired bikes.

[keith_d]

I'm not an expert, but here's my quick summary:

Curvy:

Oval frame tubes
Carburettors
Built until 2001, so getting on a bit. Look for a well maintained one

Pointy:

Angular frame tubes
Injection
Built from 2002 onwards so complete mixed bag.

Both:

Engines are generally reliable unless the owner has been doing wheelies or running without oil (check for damaged steering bearings and engine rattles.)
Suspension is definitely budget and may have been upgraded with varying degrees of success (ride it and see)
Brakes are mostly good, but can stick (check for uneven wear on pads and damaged disks)
Exhausts are frequently upgraded, usually with slip-on cans. (check it's legal for road use)

Most of the remaining parts are made of Suzuki's patented rust attracting cheese...

Chain maintenance is pretty basic stuff, so if the chain is rusty and covered in crap walk away because they've probably neglected all the rest of the maintenance too. Clean, well lubed and running like a dream with a reasonable service history and even an old curvy will see you right.

Keith.

Cheers, what sort of price roughly do pointy's start at?

Last question - promise lol

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by keith_d

Curvy:

Oval frame tubes
Carburettors
Built until 2001, so getting on a bit. Look for a well maintained one

Pointy:

Angular frame tubes
Injection
Built from 2002 onwards so complete mixed bag.

Pointy = Fugly

Curvy = The way they should be

Pointy = Fugly

Curvy = The way they should be

Not that your biased in anyway..!!



Must admit I'm an old fashioned type of gal and like a bike to look like a bike and not like a piece of Tupperware (duck and cover )