SV 650 vs 1000

Putting them side by side, what are the pros & cons of owning a thou over a 650?

650=Usable and very economical, cheap ins
1000= Requires respect,not so economical,more expensive to insure and maintain[Back tyre]


It depends what your use for the bike is-----pleasure,yes def more fun factor from the thou but if commuting is principle use my preference would be 650

the 650 is more nimble on its feet and you can chuck it around easily, i found the thou demands abit more respect in the fast corners where as you cant change lines as easy as if you were on the 650. the insurance is higher on the thou but not a massive amount, its only going to cost about the same as your modern ss600. My main + sofar on the thou is how it doesn't sound like its going to explode around high revs you can be easily speeding without really knowing it. i really need to ride it more to add more tho this thread tho.

The main pro and con of a thou is its faster - more of a pro if you treat it with respect.

I have been through this arguement with myself a few times. I would like to get a thou after having a curvy for a year and now a pointy for nearly a year. I have had no problems with the bikes and find the shape/configuration/styling perfect for what i want.
The thou has always had very good reviews from the press.

Having never ridden one the advantages I would like are:
+ being able to sit in the outside lane of the motorway without 8000+rpm for hours.
+ The ability to experiment with the power
+ Not be out gunned on rideouts, you can keep up on the 650 but at one point silly speeds are always reached just to emphasize a 650 suffers at the top end.
+ Noise with two proper pipes
+ Still very similar in size and weight to the 650 (esp with lighter cans)
+ Improved standard suspension
+ Can still get advice etc.. off this forum
+ Should still be economical if ridden sensibly
+ Ace value for money

Downsides
- I will still struggle to get to the back brake lever
- Improved suspension still gets slated from some people
- difficult TomTom mounting
- how thirsty can it be? range and cost considerations
- will resale be difficult as people on here seem to struggle to sell them
- tyre wear will probably be an issue (same with all big bikes)
- not as forgiving at the 650, i can give mine full power from the lights, out of bends etc and get past bigger bikes that a struggling to balance throttle and grip.
- Not a new triumph tiger

So although I have been tempted few times and have the money waiting if I find one cheap enough I am unsure whether to make the change.

never ridden a 650, i bought my sv1000 as my first big bike so im a little 'blinkered' by it. fuel wise i think its decent on a run out, but then it all depends how throttle happy you are, the most ive had out of a full tank is 175mile until the light stayed on (1L left)

Handling wise i have never ridden in to anywhere near what its capable
Also i dont think its mega mega heavy for a 1000c, i think its approx 186kg according to specs ive seen

Rob - if you are fancying a try on a 1000 then you could have a little go on mine

175 from a tank is good mileage coddy, i dont think i ever got that from my 650.

[mattSV]

Rob

I went from a curvy 650 to a thou.

The thou has much better brakes (ex-GSXR750), better suspension and at 150 mph is only doing 9300 revs . It also likes to lift its front wheel off the throttle in first and second, and occasionally third aswell

It needs a bit more muscle to chuck it round compared to the 650 however I have found it a lot more planted and settled once it is in a corner.

Insurance is not too bad - I am 36 with 5 years NCB and pay less than £300 fully comp. I got around 3000 from the stock dunlop and around 4000 from a Z6 rear - I do quite a bit of riding two up and fairly quick so they do get a bit of a hammering

Coddy wrote:-

the most ive had out of a full tank is 175mile

My light comes on at between 80-90 when I am commuting, however on a run I usuallty get around 130-140

Originally Posted by mattSV

I got around 3000 from the stock dunlop

what is the stock dunlop that the sv1000 comes with from new? ive got pilot powers on mine.

I ran a thou sv for a year before my old man bought it off me. Bought a ZX9R with the intent on selling it on, and ended up liking it too much... I sold his Bandit 600, and he bought the thou off me.
Both bikes sit in the same garage so I get access to both of them

Pro's - You can adjust the suspension
100mph is only 5.5k revs in top gear
It's a great comfy sports tourer (with gel seat....)
It's an easy 50+ mpg if you take it easy. Start playing with the power and get 38 to 42mpg
Brakes are excellent (ex GSXR 750)
It sounds evil with the baffles out (I used Scorpion road/race cans)
Secondhand they're cheap as hell - a seriuously underrated bike for not a lot of dosh!!
It accelerates like hell into triple digits. 0 - 60 is like 3.6 seconds or something. 0 to 100 is
like 7 seconds

Cons - It eats rear tyres for breakfast
Rider's seat is a bit hard - find a touring seat (Corbin)
You don't notice that you're speeding (It cruises at 125mph all day....)
It takes more effort to set it up for corners
It's small tank only gets you 145 miles max before you have to start pushing


Insurance wise it's a group 15 so get a quote or two first. My insurance didn't jump that much compared to my old curvy 650. Get a shot on one and you'll be converted in no time...