Pre K3 or Post K3

[SoulKiss]

Hi there.

(Some content of this posting has been posted in another Forum on this site - apologies for any Deja Vu)

New member here, and a new rider (well to be exact, CBT for less than a week)

Have a Direct Access course booked with a test on the 9th.

Have been recommended a SV650 as a good 1st bike.

I prefer the looks of a K3 - I like the flipped up tail and the LED lights, yet the models before this revision appeal more to my wallet

Is there much of a difference between the two bikes when riding?

Would a Carb'd engine be better for a newbie than the Injected? Does that change the performance characteristics.

One of the reasons I like the look of the SV650 is its low seat-height as I have short legs, is the body shape much different that one or the other would be better for me.

Thanks for any info

David

Riding wise they don't differ all that much. As a first bike it'll be on it's side at least a few times, so cheap as possible would be the way to go. Go with the curvey, in fact there are a few bargains to be had on the .org. Check the for sale section.

If you like the look of a K3+ the get that, otherwise you'll only live to regret it and will kick yourself for not spending the extra.

Riding wise, I don't believe there is any difference between them. I had a K3 as my first bike straight after the DAS course and I would say they are absolutely fine as a first bike.

I would say, if you prefer the look of the pointy SV (pre K3 are called curvy and K3 + are called pointy) I would say go for that.

If you don't mind a personal question, how short are your legs? I'm 5'1" so I had a bit of a struggle lowering the bike but the K3 is actually the taller of all the SVs, if you are going for a pointie I would suggest a K4 onwards and there are many ways of lowering an SV so I wouldn't worry too much about having it low enough.

Good luck with the DAS course!

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by lukemillar

If you like the look of a K3+ the get that, otherwise you'll only live to regret it and will kick yourself for not spending the extra.

Good point, but my thinking is like that of Razor.

Get a £1500 one now, drop it a few times, not kick myself too much for having done it.

Trade it in in a year or so for a nice shiny minty new one.

Seems to me (going by prices of 2nd hand bikes) that any SV650S will hold its value, as long as its not too badly handled - ie dropped.

One other quick question while I think about it - does the fairing on th 650S really make much difference when on the motorway than the unfaired 650?

David

K3+ has fuel injection, which means no carb icing. Something to consider if you're planning on riding all year round.

Get a K3+.

They look much better!

Plus in a year you may want something different.

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by Kate

Riding wise, I don't believe there is any difference between them. I had a K3 as my first bike straight after the DAS course and I would say they are absolutely fine as a first bike.

I would say, if you prefer the look of the pointy SV (pre K3 are called curvy and K3 + are called pointy) I would say go for that.

Ahhh makes sense of some of the postings here......

Originally Posted by Kate

If you don't mind a personal question, how short are your legs? I'm 5'1" so I had a bit of a struggle lowering the bike but the K3 is actually the taller of all the SVs, if you are going for a pointie I would suggest a K4 onwards and there are many ways of lowering an SV so I wouldn't worry too much about having it low enough.

Dont mind at all - 29.5" inside leg (as demarked by a "S" by most Jeans manufacturers).

Originally Posted by Kate

Good luck with the DAS course!

Thanks - really looking forwards to it, tho some of my prep plans have been buggered up by work - due to major problems I was not able to go hire a 125 for a week or so to get more road practice and now its a bit late (would be tricky to get the hire bike back to the hire place when I am on the course).

Still I think I have managed to work out what I did wrong with the bits of my CBT that I was unhappy about. (and have stopped cursing the Instructor for taking us on a "Take the 4th Exit" trip around the Magic Roundabout that is Elephant and Castle..... At 3:30pm, on a Tuesday :P

Thanks again to all who have posted, and another question that occurs - much difference as a Passenger between the Pointy and Curvey?

David

29.5"? you'll be fine, mine is 26/27" and I needed to lower the SV quite a lot just so I could touch the ground on tiptoes.

If you are going to be using the bike all year round then I would recommend the pointy as Flamin_Squirrel has mentioned, the curvie's do suffer more in winter from carb icing etc.

As for motorway work, you really do need a fairing for that. Occasional motorway work isn't so bad on a naked bike but if you are going on the motorway a lot I would definitely recommend a faired bike.

DAS is fun! I had never ridden before in my life before doing my CBT and then jumped right onto a big bike. Admittedly, I did kinda damage the bike a bit but hey, thats why you don't do it on your own bike

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by Kate

DAS is fun! I had never ridden before in my life before doing my CBT and then jumped right onto a big bike. Admittedly, I did kinda damage the bike a bit but hey, thats why you don't do it on your own bike

Ditto here. 1st time on a bike was 8 days ago, for my 1st CBT - didn't get through it as I took a little while to make the transition from car controls to bike, so went back again on Tuesday last and got it then.

So looking forwards to more time on CG125's then up onto CB500's (what Metropolis in London use for training bikes) then hopefully onwards and upwards to a SV..

So looks like my shopping list is for a Faired Pointy !!!!

I know where there is a gorgeous black one, I just have to justify the extra couple of hundred quid that it will cost more than a less impressive pointy.

I am sure that in the next day or two I could probably do that......

Now, how do I hide this http://forums.sv650.org/viewtopic.php?t=42250 till after I get my test out of the way.................

David