New to biking about to purchase an SV650!

Hi all,

I joined this site following a recomendation from a friend. I'm fairly new to biking, have my DAS in two weeks and passed my CBT last year. I don't think passing will be a problem!

Embarrasingly I currently have a 2002 Honda cityfly 125, which I got to do my CBT. It's horrfyingly boring, and being 6ft 4 and 16 stone it tops out at about 55mph, and I can get quicker acceleration from my Cannondale push bike . It taught me about about the basics though and it was fun rebuilding it and servicing it etc, but i'm more than up for moving on to something else.

After much deliberation i've decided to go for the SV650, really want a street triple but if I dropped a new one of those i'd have to go and put my head in the oven.

I'm looking for a 2004 and newer in black preferably. I have about 3k put away for a bike and I'm just looking to increase my confidence and ability in a safe a way as possible really and i've heard from many people that the SV is the best bike to do that.

I have a couple of noob questions for you.

1) Any guys of similar size to me? How do you find the bike?

2) I can't decide to go with faired or unfaired, I prefer the look of naked bikes. Any thoughts on differences in handling or recomendations?

3) I'd also like to get involved in ride outs or meet like minded people to learn from etc! Anyone groups Hampshire way or anything?

4) What should I be looking for in terms of the best after market add ons, e.g what do you think I could get for my money?


Sorry for all the questions, but your help or opinions would be much appreciated.


Cheers,

Buckley

[Viney]

Originally Posted by Buckley

Hi all,

I joined this site following a recomendation from a friend. I'm fairly new to biking, have my DAS in two weeks and passed my CBT last year. I don't think passing will be a problem!

Embarrasingly I currently have a 2002 Honda cityfly 125, which I got to do my CBT. It's horrfyingly boring, and being 6ft 4 and 16 stone it tops out at about 55mph, and I can get quicker acceleration from my Cannondale push bike . It taught me about about the basics though and it was fun rebuilding it and servicing it etc, but i'm more than up for moving on to something else.

After much deliberation i've decided to go for the SV650, really want a street triple but if I dropped a new one of those i'd have to go and put my head in the oven.

I'm looking for a 2004 and newer in black preferably. I have about 3k put away for a bike and I'm just looking to increase my confidence and ability in a safe a way as possible really and i've heard from many people that the SV is the best bike to do that.

I have a couple of noob questions for you.

1) Any guys of similar size to me? How do you find the bike?

Im of similar size and find the bike alright. However, on long journeys my knees give me some grief. I do have an S though and never ridden a naked version and i think the peg placment is slightly different than the S model. I have had my bike for 8 years and would still sturggle to get rid of it.

2) I can't decide to go with faired or unfaired, I prefer the look of naked bikes. Any thoughts on differences in handling or recomendations?

Depends on the kind of riding you do. If a lot of motorway, then maybe an S but the riding position at 6'4" may be a bit cramped. The nakid is more up right, but your neck muscles will soon grow

3) I'd also like to get involved in ride outs or meet like minded people to learn from etc! Anyone groups Hampshire way or anything?

Check out the regional groups. The southwest surfers are down your way and cover a large area.

4) What should I be looking for in terms of the best after market add ons, e.g what do you think I could get for my money?

Most bikes would have had a can fitted to make it a little louder etc, but all mods are down to personal taste and there are a few, from cosmetic to peformance etc. Just buy a bike thats in your price range that you like, then mod it to your taste if you cant find one thats got any bits. Bit if you can find one thats had its front suspension sorted, then your part the way there. Not matter what mods are on the bike, its going to feel a whole lot better than the 125 you have been riding.


Sorry for all the questions, but your help or opinions would be much appreciated.


Cheers,

Buckley

Welcome to the site. Answers above

welcome Buckley,

good choice of bike as your first "big bike"

but please....do not critasise the mighty cityfly...i had one as my first bike too and i loved it!! (are you selling yours?)

someone with far more knowleadge will be along shortly no doubt to answer the questions, im a fat shortarse so couldnt compare, although if your doing a lot of miles / commuting the faired may be better for ya as it helps keep a bit of the wind and/or rain off.

as for add ons..IMO th basics would be - fender extenda - to protect the front of the engine like front plug/rad etc

an aftermarket (louder) exhaust - for safety / greater presence as cars etc can hear you.

and a hugger to protect the rear shock.

anything else is personal pref like mini indis, tail tidy, seat cowl etc etc.

Thanks mate.

As for what sort of riding i'll be doing, i'm afraid i'm one of the commuting masses and travel by train the majority of the time.

The bike will be used purely at weekends for fun, maybe a bit of city riding.

Thanks for the advice about the S, i'm leaning towards the unfaired version at the moment. I'll obviously see if I can try both before I buy.

As for the 125 I can't wait to get rid of the bloody thing, I should have just gone and done the DAS straight away but I was trying to be sensible. I'm convinced that the crap brakes, poor handling on the 125 and getting overtaken constantly makes it far more dangerous than a bigger bike would have been for me anyway! We live and learn.

Cheers,

Buckley.

Hi an welcome to the madhouse...

Plenty of people in your area... check out other areas of the forum. Good luck with your course.

how much you want for the cityfly? (if its the silver one?) good luck on the das

Hi Dappa

Yes I am selling it, apologies for slagging it off ha. It's pretty mint and I think you'd struggle to find one in better condition for it's age 13.5k miles, Regularly serviced and I keep it in the house (oh the joys of being newly single).

Despite my previous venting for a 125cc it's a good bike, well better than the CG and chinese imports!

Give us a PM if you are interested.

Cheers,

Buckley.

pmd

[jamesterror]

Originally Posted by Buckley

As for the 125 I can't wait to get rid of the bloody thing, I should have just gone and done the DAS straight away but I was trying to be sensible. I'm convinced that the crap brakes, poor handling on the 125 and getting overtaken constantly makes it far more dangerous than a bigger bike would have been for me anyway! We live and learn.

I'm 17 and I was considering going down the route you have done (but with RAS), doing my CBT, getting a 125 and then doing my Restricted Access a few months on so I'm use to roads / handling of the bike.

After much consideration, my live and learn lesson will be start at the deep end, bearing my mind that the parents will let me keep a bike in the garage!

I understand what you mean a bout being overtaken strangly, as my instructor gets it into my head, if you have a less powerful bike such as a 125 you've gotta get use to this, and blips past me a few times a night, but its all good fun trying to catch up.

I think going start to a 650 from pretty much lessons on a 125 is a gamble, but I'm fairly confident, and actually incredibly caucious considering what people think of "younger ones", and as you say, we live and learn.

Well,

I think it comes down to the individual with these things really. I'm abit older 24, have driven cars for years and played around with bikes when I was a nipper. So in retrospect this route was perhaps the wrong one for me.

I had a close friend die after he did the DAS and went straight out a get a cbr600, and a family friend I was close too also lost his life on an R1. So i've kind of taken the slow and cautious route out of respect for them really. Earning my stripes as it where! I don't really have an ego about these things, having been endlessly mocked everytime I sat on the cityfly by friends quickly got rid of that, ha!

At the end of the day it comes down to attitude and minimising risk! The police riders handbook is a great little book and gives some good tips. The best one being ride as if you are invisible to other motorists!

I think the test is being extended in March (swerve test, low speed course) so get in whilst you can mate.

Good luck with it.