Would you buy a SV650R?

Suzuki are mass producers, I don't see them doing anything to the SV range unless market forces dictate they should. I see them doing more to the GSR 600 to keep pace with the new Hornet more than upgrading the SV.

Historically Suzuki run models longer than most, Bandits for example, they evolve but they keep the core design as long as people are still buying them.
Suzukis also seem to be modified more than most other bikes, which for a lot of people is as much fun as riding them.

deffo just get a gixxer unless they did a production street fighter nice n naked and jacked up at the rear, high level cans oh and it would have to be a pointy and not a bubble bike

Would I like to buy it and would I buy it are two seperate things. Yes, I would like to buy it, slightly more ponies, better suspension, yes definitely. But would I buy it, probably not. For the same reason I didn't buy a gixxer rather than the SV. Cost, and all round ability.

The SV as it is fills the role of budget capable jack of all trades, turn it into a "race" bike with a race bike cost and characteristics and it begins too look weak compared to gixxers who are going to be better in most every way at the "race" aspect, and meanwhile it's lost it's budget and all round abilities.

Seems the middleweight twin category is always going to be classified by the words "value for money", "newbie friendly", "characterful", and "all round capable". The Kwak ER6, the Aprillia Shiver and to a degree the Street Triple (ok, so it's a twin and a half) all kinda fit in the same mould. If you want a race rep middleweight you have plenty of IL4 SS600s to choose from, if you want a race rep twin you move up to the litre+ bracket and you have Dukes, Aprillias and SP2s to choose from.

i was looking at a yammy divvy before i got my SV so you can see i didnt get it to race
what i found appealing was the insurance group 9 i think i dont rekon it would last long if word got out that there was a r version

I dont want an SV-R. If i want a fast bike, I'll buy a second hand GSXR600. Much cheaper than a proposed SV-R

I would like to make some upgrades to my SV though; front fork internals, better brakes, better rear shock (think mine might be starting to show its 23000 mile age now), just to make it cope a bit better with all the bumps and stuff, specialy when I'm two-up with a loaded topbox

Actualy, If i wanted a fast v-twin, I'd get a ducati 748 or a honda SP2

mmmm

Matt

i would think price is a big reason why people go for SV's anyway

Originally Posted by SmudgeK3

i would think price is a big reason why people go for SV's anyway

Spot on. People want a fun bike thats easy to ride, can hold its own against other bikes, looks cool, cheap to insure, cheap to get parts for, cheap to run.

The SV fits that bill, and is the reason why suzuki have only done one major update of the bike because the formula works so incredibly well

Matt

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by Daimo

I suppose if you want more "umph" from an SV, you have to just go to the thousand..

I still see these Thou's all around, and they just look so good, if only the suspension/brakes were a bit better.

Indeed, I've not ridden a thou, but I cant see it being that bad, It has brakes off of a K3 GSXR750 and the front end from that bike to. So there should be plenty of stopping power and suspension to tweak so IMHO I cant see why it shoudlnt handle as long as its setup properly.

kwak said he was gonna go back to a 650 cos the handeling just wasnt there on the thou

[northwind]

Already got one thanks

But, it seems to be a common question, and as's been said upgrading the stock forks and shock wouldn't have to have a huge impact on price, since Suzuki already have suitable parts in the range- stick SV thou forks on, with a bit of a tweak, instant win. But that sort of thing only makes sense on a large scale, and then people say that you're taking sales from the GSXR. I'd disagree myself, they'd still be very different bikes, and since at the moment the SV takes sales from the Bandit and GSXR anyway, it's probably not such a big deal. Suzuki are pretty much the masters of market overlap.

But then, we're talking about a company that after nearly 10 years is still putting underweight springs and oil in the SV, to the extent that probably 9/10 of all SV riders would benefit from a change, so expecting a whole new suspension rig rather than 2 parts being replaced and 2 parts being amended, is a bit much praps.

I've always thought there's a market for a dealer-special SV650R, or small run specials just like the TT GSXR or "cafe racer" thou. But then, they're so easy to make that they'd be competing with, well, you. But every time I see an SV review which says "Great engine, fun chassis, suspension's pish" I cringe, since basically every SV review since it was launched says the same thing, and it'd cost Suzuki practically nothing to sort. 10% stiffer springs, slightly stiffer oil, one short R&D project and a massive manufacturing-cost-free improvement. Like, duh.

I reckon Triumph and Aprilia, and Honda, can show the way here, great middleweight bikes which aren't just the budget option. Every other manufacturer's got to be looking at the street triple and thinking, for Suzuki maybe the closest equivalent is the SV...