Just how quick is an SV650?

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

Nope but you can power slide one, which is just as much fun. Lift off oversteer is quite amusing as well.

one word



capri

The SV is fun to 80-90mph or so, after that there's no real go, although it will indicate 130+ easily enough, but that's not very fast really.
I've driven fast cars too, something with power will destroy an SV in a "roll on" at 70 or so because that's where the acceleration curve begins to level off. It's obvious, the SV might have an excellent power to weight ratio compared with most cars, but that ratio is very much weight dependant. Once drag becomes an issue 70bhp is insufficient.
The curve is very steep initially, though. In 2nd and 3rd gear, punching out of corners it's really lively in the same way a low power Caterham can be, only much more so. Its quarter mile time is only good because of how well it goes through the first few gears. Response is where a bike excels, though. They just want to react instantly to everything, again like a 7, only more so.

I love driving cars, even slow ones, and always will, but a bike is something completely different in so many ways. It's for that reason you should get one, and an SV will do fine, but if you want something to destroy your friends' powerful cars at 3 figure speeds, I'm afraid you need something more potent, probably with an R in its name.

[yorkie_chris]

If you just want to eat cars in a straight line then something like EXUP thou is cheap speed.

early busa will pretty much kill anything there a beast though not for the faint of heart.

Mine is quicker than the cheese head in the Mercedes at the lights earlier this evening who thought his fifty grand V8 could tear away into the dust.
I even slowed up about 1/4 mile ahead so he could catch up, then gave him a nice wave and went off home smirking all the way.

One thing you do find on a bike is idiots in cars trying for drag races at traffic lights. I'm now using the Monster 900 more than the SV as she's not well.

I've had all sorts try to race me from corsas with 4 chavved up kids in to Evos. The bike will crucify anything up to around 90-100mph. Then due to being a naked it loses out. However I'm not interested in losing my licence so 100mph is quick enough for me as a rule.

I know it's childish but embarrasing some 18 year old in a cap and tracksuit whilst he's trying to show his mates how pwerful his 1.2 litre Clio is makes me smile every time the front wheel lifts

yeah, my rs125 held its own against a BMW 3, not bad really lol

Originally Posted by fastdruid

I once struggled to pass a Ford Puma[1] flat out on my SV.

I've bounced the SV off the limiter in top before (139mph) but that was downhill tight in behind a faster bike. In the real world probably 125-135 flat out.

Druid

[1] I think it was 1.7 at least, the 1.4 tops out on an unrestricted autobahn at a gps indicated 118 (130ish on the clock).

The Puma 1.7 was a great little car, and I would seriously think about buying another one. Cars and bikes are different (you don't say!) and there are superb examples of each that don't have to cost the earth to buy or run. I loved the SV, but am currently so enjoying the Street Triple that it makes me look forward to every ride.

Car wise, I never thought that diesel cars could be exciting, but an Alpina D3 has changed my opinion there! 'Only' 200 bhp but 350 ftlbs of torque gives amazing grunt with superb handling on Alpina tweaked suspension and returning 45 mpg even when pushing hard. Boring? - no way

[fastdruid]

Originally Posted by Steelman

The Puma 1.7 was a great little car, and I would seriously think about buying another one. Cars and bikes are different (you don't say!) and there are superb examples of each that don't have to cost the earth to buy or run. I loved the SV, but am currently so enjoying the Street Triple that it makes me look forward to every ride.

Very much enjoyed the Puma while we had it (~5 years!), the RX-8 (231 of course) we replaced it with is a totally different beasty, it demands respect while the Puma you could just take liberties! First car I drove that taught me you could have fun in a small car that wasn't super quick. If we have to cut back would quite happily get another one to replace the RX-8

Back rather on topic though my wife was worried that getting the RX-8 would make her bike (Honda RVF400R (NC35), very similar 0-60, 0-100 and top speed to the SV) feel slow. She says she needn't have worried, the bike still seems bl**dy quick!

Druid

Originally Posted by pencil shavings

one word
capri

Old Volvo E340, 1.8l petrol engine. Great laugh poking the go pedal mid corner, due to the rear wheel drive & weight of a tank.