back to biking, 650 or 1000?
 

Hi Guys,

27 years old and only experience with biking was for a year at 18-19 (8-9 years ago)

Had a sv650s, first model which was restricted.

Due to being restricted it was powerless and very poor to ride as you couldn't corner corectly (no engine braking or acceleration mid corner meaning change gears mid corner or going in too hot and having to knock speed of!)

Basically I am comming back to biking and have been looking at various bikes. My aim is mainly some shorts tourning type trips, the odd ride-out at the weekend but need something fun, cheap and able to tkae some soft paniers etc.

I've looked at fazers, cbr6's vfr800's abd also naked bikes with bikini fairings like the kwack z750.

I then got the idea of the sv and due to cost this seems like a good option. Is the 650 enough of a bike or should I go for the sv1000s?

I am 6ft 3 and 200lbs (15.5stone).

price isn't an issue so again do I go second hand or new?

I've spent about 2 weeks looking at various things ont he net for tunning as I love the sound of vtwins. Whats the do's and don'ts when considering an sv. I've heard the front forks are soft, suspension is poor sometimes and that a new exhaust and screen are recommended for longer distance riding


phew that will do for now!! So any help in deciding what I should do along with experiences of other sv riders would be appreciated.

all advice welcome, cheers:smt039

Re: back to biking, 650 or 1000?
 

Grab yourself a 650. More than enough for the road. I've had faster bikes, but I keep coming back to the SV. All you need is uprated fork springs and heavier oil in the forks, anything else is a bonus!

Re: back to biking, 650 or 1000?
 

not sure what 650 would be like being that tall. have a blast on both. if money is no option for bike/insurance i would prob go to the 1000 just because i could but 650 would be a better learning platform to get your ability back up.

Re: back to biking, 650 or 1000?
 

I know far too many peeps that have restricted Svs that don't have any issues with handling etc. In fact theres a certain YC who is still up Scotland getting his knee down on his restrcited SV. You say you only had one for a year, and it was a few years back, so why not try again. My black SV came with it jacked up,as the previous owner had similar height and weight to you, and he racked up the miles on it. I had to take it all off as it was too tall for me. With the right suspension upgrades the SV is a cracking bike. I personally would n't go for a 100o just yet. I'd get back into biking with soemthing a little more forgiving like an SV650;)
I have 2 Svs, both set up completely differently, with two differemt riding styles, you can get a lot out of them, the list is endless

Re: back to biking, 650 or 1000?
 

I'd definately go for a 650 rather than a 1000 with that amount of experience.
The engines are very robust so long as they aren't starved of oil and as you're replacing the suspension (one of the first serious things to go wrong on higher mileage bikes) there shouldn't be any problems with a 2nd hand bike. So my advice would be to buy a fairly low mileage second hand bike for £3000 then spend the rest of your budget sorting the suspension (could even consider getting one with a ride height adjuster if you find the bike cramped) and, if you like the vtwin noise an end can, aftermarket air filter and remap. You should end up with a very capable, fun and nice sounding bike for under £4000. I'm 6'2" and have no real problems with the size of the SV, regularly ride 400 miles + in a day with no problems. Most of the double bubble screens can be had cheaply and make a fair bit of difference to the ride comfort at higher speeds.

Re: back to biking, 650 or 1000?
 

Go for the SV650, it beats the SV1000 hands down!

Re: back to biking, 650 or 1000?
 

1000.

Why?

Louder and faster top end.

But that's just me.:p

Re: back to biking, 650 or 1000?
 

Buy my 650! K3, low mileage, nice bike. PM if you fancy it.

I don't think you'd get anything extra out of a 1000 as you're relatively new to biking. (An extra can to risk damaging too!)
:)

Re: back to biking, 650 or 1000?
 

750.

Re: back to biking, 650 or 1000?
 

650 to start with. A 1000 is a bit of a beast for a first bike back! ;)