I
own a 2000 Suzuki SV650 (naked). It is the first bike I've ever
owned, but not the first bike I ever rode. I bought it used
last May '02 with 4300 miles on it, and I've managed to put
5400 miles on this year. So here is my personal experience with
the SV650. (Your Mileage My Vary)
I
love my SV650, but I would not recommend it as a first bike.
It is quick, pulls hard from 3000 rpm up to 9500 rpm, and I
have had it up to 110 mph (indicated) with my 5'10", 240
lbs (with gear ) frame in the saddle. It might go a little faster,
but I ran out of nerve and straight road. You can ride around
in town in third or fourth gear, and sixth gear is only used
if you want to go 80 mph or more. It points where you ask it,
and is a more capable bike than I am a rider. It has a comfortable
riding position that won't hurt your back, neck, or wrists.
It is all around fun to ride, and I have averaged 45 mpg since
I got it.
So
why wouldn't I recommend it as a first bike? As I said above,
it is quick and you can get yourself into trouble in a big hurry.
If your a light-weight, unlike yours truly, it will wheely in
the first three gears. I has a good bit of engine braking so
throttle control needs to be smooth or you can get pretty jerky.
If you spend much time riding on highways or interstates, the
wind blast without a wind screen can get tiring. The front suspension
is soft and if pushed hard into corners or across rough pavement
the forks will bottom out, which can be more than annoying.
Finally the seat is too hard for me to ride more than 90 miles
without getting butt burn.
In
the end, you need to make up your own mind. I bought my SV650
with the intention of it becoming my wife's "move up"
bike. She of course had other ideas and has ended up with a
BMW R850R (nice bike, even for short people). I'm going to ride
my SV650 until next fall, when I hope to have 20K miles on it
and be ready for a Yamaha FZ1. You'll notice that my choice
of next bike is bigger, more powerful, and has a mini-fairing
and wind screen. These are all things that for me, the SV650
falls short on.
HoosierBiker
[return
to the top]
Rider
Review: 2000 Suzuki SV650