SV 650 or Bandit?

Suspension's apparently better on the blandit, but I've never really noticed TBH, apart from some crazy road

ive had both, well....my gsf was a 400 but similar id imagine.

its down to personal preference really, have you ridden them both?, the engines are different so it would probably come down to which one feels "right" for you, the lovely v twin sv650 or the inline 4 gsf, as well as the riding position etc.

personally (as with most on here probably as its an sv site!) id say the sv650 every time, but i think you really need to test ride both, as they are both good bikes and as said will do what you ask of them.

but on a weekend jolly, and everyday commuting, the sv wins for me every time.

Originally Posted by Dangerous Dave

None of us can answer this question for you, only a test ride will determine which bike suits you and your needs best. A bike is a personal preference, what may suit you may not suit me.

From what you have listed in your original post both bikes will fit into that category perfectly.

Could be hard getting a test ride of either at 17 though, no?

Originally Posted by joshmac

Could be hard getting a test ride of either at 17 though, no?

can have a pop on mine if he wants!

but yea could be difficult

Originally Posted by joshmac

Could be hard getting a test ride of either at 17 though, no?

Aye, it would. Personally I would post the same question up on a Bandit forum to get as much info as possiblym, the opinions on here are going to biased just as much as on any Bandit forum.

Now at 17 you are obviously going to be on a restricted licence, from this point of view I would say the SV650 is the better one to go for as the bhp is only restricted and not the torque (which is a V-twins best assest). The SV is also lighter, another benefit for a newbie, but the Bandit is more rugged, will come out better after a few drops, and will also be cheaper to repair.

[heros]

Both great bikes (i had a sv650 naked before some bint wrote it off) and now have a naked bandit 650. I find it very good and tbh not as boring as people seem to make them out. I find the bandit more comfortable for my 50 mile daily commute to work and much more manageable on big open roads than the sv. The bandit is alot heavier than the sv tho just to warn you Bro seems to be of the same opinion (still has his sv but seems to like the bandit more now hes had a go) all really depends on what kind of riding your looking to do.

Originally Posted by Dappa D

can have a pop on mine if he wants!

but yea could be difficult

220 miles just for a test ride?
Hmmm

Originally Posted by NickWilde123

These are the main two of my options due to insurance ( tpft being the cheapest at £660)

Firstly, welcome to the .Org.

Secondly, this may sound stupid but have you tried a fully comp quote at the cheapest place? I only had to pay an extra £40 to go fully comp on my machine...it's crazy!

i have been told by friends i have that had Bandits that they are very front heavy due to the inline 4 and the V twin seems a good answer to that problem. what is the performance of the bike like when restricted??

fully comp at my age!! if i was dreaming maybe it would be at the very least £1000 and to get that i would be lucky

Originally Posted by NickWilde123

i have been told by friends i have that had Bandits that they are very front heavy due to the inline 4 and the V twin seems a good answer to that problem. what is the performance of the bike like when restricted??

I can only speak of a restricted SV, but that'll still get to 60 in ~6secs, top end will be around 100mph. Coming up from scooters, that'll seem fast a fook initially. I would assume that a 33bhp SV will be quicker off the line than a 33bhp blandit due to the torque...

Flickable, torquey and growls with an aftermarket can What more could you want