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New Rider ForumsJust joining the motorcyclist hobbie? Looking to get some information about a first bike? Or have some newbie questions. Are you new to the website?
I've been lurking on here and many boards for many years. I've taken the MSF in 2003 but never got my license. I just took it again this year and got my license. I probably only have less than 20 miles riding, and am about to buy my first bike.
My friend is coming back from Iraq in mid September and giving me a stellar deal on his 05 SV650. This deal is like so good I can't pass it up. I really wanted to start with a 250/500 (which is what I've been riding lately - my friends), but I can't pass up this deal.
Any suggestions or comments regarding this matter? I don't know what to do. I'm not strapped for cash, but I can't afford 2 bikes. I'm finally financial stable and responsible to be able to buy a bike and pay for the added insurance expenses.
i looked at the SV as my first, but bought the 650r instead. wish now that I would have gotten the SV with hindsight being what it is and all...sounds like a good deal you are getting on the SV. just keep in mind that it has more power and torque than the ninja you are accustomed to riding.
welcome to the party! (typical greeting)
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" I was thinking of the mortal words of Socrates who said, 'I drank what?'"
don't pass it up. It is a lot more forgiving than a SS bike but like anything it could still bite. It has a healthy amount of low-midrange grunt, but the torque curve is linear so there are no real surprises. Very fun bike. Make sure your buddy hasnt done long wheelies on it, the SV's are notorious for oil starvation issues, I just had to have my engine rebuilt not too long ago. I still stand by my thinking that the SV650 has the perfect motor for street use. I think you will like it. V-twins are either loved or hated.
I'd say the SV is on the marginal side of being a beginner bike. It's a much better bike to start on than a supersport but it still is a 450 pound bike and it makes 65 horses--not exactly beginner territory.
On the street it goes about as fast as you dare. It's not like a Ninja 250 or a DR350 where you're stuck at full throttle all the time just keeping up with other riders on turn exits.
Adding to what ChrisP says V-twins are somewhat of an acquired taste. Some people like the high reving fours and others like the tractor-like v-twins.
The SV is my first bike too...I love. Alot of folks here would say you need to start smaller but make your own mind up. I think you'd be hard pressedto find an SV rider who wishes he had something else dollar for dollar.
I was going to do a writeup between the Ninja 500 and the SV650 as first bikes to give new riders some thoughts about starting on 650 versus the 500. I took a top-rated safety riding course in Canada, bought a 500 shortly after, rode the 500 for 500KM (300 miles), found a hot deal on an SV and bought it. I’ve ridden that SV for 100 miles and this writeup will summarize my 400 miles riding experience to you. I know that I have little (to none) experience in riding, but I think my points are valid from a new rider’s perspective. I am 5’ 5” and 125 pounds wet and have an inseam height of 29”. Yeah I’m small and short. So here goes…
The Ninja 500 felt heavy when I first got it. But the seat gave me confidence that I can manage the bike when stopped. The suspension is soft and comfortable allowing you to take the wrong riding path, hit bumps, and not accidentally blip the throttle, which easily happens when you have a death grip on the controls as a new rider. The riding position is excellent because you are sitting upright enough to not need your knees to hug the gas tank to keep you upright. While riding, the bike is gentle and willing. It is very stable and easily leans over when you try to counter-steer. It really helped me learn to counter-steer and get over the mental challenge of accepting counter-steering. It did not take me long to really start leaning into my turns as I got my confidence really quickly. Now let’s talk about power delivery. From idle all the way up to 5500 rpms, the bike gives smooth power delivery, is torquey, and gets you up to speed fast. You can abruptly twist the throttle or use it like an on/off switch and the bike will not do a wheelie on you. But the first time I hit past 5500 rpms, the bike’s torque really kicked in and I wasn’t expecting it. My left hand came off the handle bars momentarily and it scared the hell out of me. When I tried it the second time, I almost let go again. So that taught me the proper technique to grip the handlebars without giving it a death grip. Needless to say, this not so little 500 is fucking fast. I had a big smile on my face. In order to shift my bike into gears though, I found that I had to contort my foot in weird angles to get under the shifter. Then for downshifting, I was always depressing on both the shifter and the side stand. Kawi placed the sidestand in a stupid location and hitting it always pissed me off.
Summary: The Ninja 500 is plenty powerful, lots of fun, easy to handle, extremely forgiving, and is good riding height for a newbie.
Then I moved onto the SV650. My first impression of the bike was “wow, it’s smooth”. It’s like riding a ’69 GTO versus a modern day Acura (can you say “refined”?). The first time I took the bike out, I was amazed at how smooth the throttle controls were compared to the 500. I’m not sure if it’s because of the mechanics of the controls itself being better designed. The bike felt a little bit lighter than the 500. The suspension is harder, but still forgiving. When I hit the bumps, the tendency to blip the throttle is more pronounced because of the smoother controls. What doesn’t help is that the riding position is very aggressive compared to the 500 forcing me to have a death grip on the controls. I’ve been consciously forcing myself to keep upright using my knees, but sometimes I forget. So I’ve been heaving lots of sore backs and very very achy shoulders and palms. I need to fix my riding position soon. The riding height itself is very high. It feels like you’re sitting above cars and it’s a good feeling because you can see more. The side mirrors are also better than the little 500, allowing you to see more behind you. Note that seeing “more” behind is subjective on sportbikes. You can barely see much to begin with. This bike is also willing and able in the turns, but it prefers to stay upright a bit more. Now to the power delivery. I found the throttle can be quite “twitchy”. Very minor inputs can make the bike lurch forward so you have to be extremely careful during turns not to play too much with the throttle. It also feels like if you use the throttle like an on/off switch, the bike will do a wheelie on you. There’s so much power in the bike. However, when compared to the Ninja, you don’t get a power surge at an arbitrary rpm like the 500 (i.e. 5500 rpms). The power is all there from idle on. But because I learned how to grip the bike somewhat properly, the power from the 650 didn’t scare me or surprise me. Had I not started on the 500, I think there was a potential for me to have “lost it” while accelerating hard. The gear shifter is in a much better position (for me) on this bike. It’s more natural to my riding position, though mis-shifts seem to happen more frequently on the 650. I think I just need more miles to get it figured out. Also it is too easy to speed on the 650. You’re just riding at what you feel is a good speed, but when you look down, you’re riding 60mph on a 35mph road. The 500 was always obedient because you felt as fast as you were going. The smoothness of the 650 can be deceiving.
Summary: The SV650 is more than a handful of power. Maybe too much for a newbie like me. The bike itself though is so very smooth and refined. But I had not dropped the 500 at all while riding and the first day I took my 650 out, I dropped it at a stop. The bike just leaned over and I couldn’t stop it. Had I given at least another 2000 miles more on the 500, I think I wouldn’t have done that. Plus the bike feels topside heavier than the 500.
So there you go … my initial impressions of two bikes from a newbie rider with no experience. I know that I’m in no way qualified enough to even recommend which bike is better, but I gave you a very honest account of my feelings on these bikes as a rider with no riding experience. Too many times, I’ve read reviews of guys who have been on a 250/500 for 6000+ miles and then transitioned over to 650 or SS and give their reviews. By then, they’re pretty competent riders. This way, I can show you from a newbie perspective how both bikes felt to me. Hope this is helpful for you. Feel free to ask me anymore questions about the bikes.
The SV650S is my first bike, and this is my first post ;)
The bike is amazingly forgiving, with an aluminum frame its light (385 lbs) and the geometry is quite stable. Low speed maneovering using the same techniques learned in the MSF course have proven to actually work well! The clutch is super easy to work, and the bike just won't stall unless you do something ridiculous. Its easy to feel confident on the bike.
The only thing that wasn't immediately "easy" was throttle control, as the bike has a lot of torque, and a lot of engine braking. So the occasional lurch as I train my brain to be smoother on the controls. Probably good that it doesn't have more than 70HP (65ish at my altitude).. but with the torquey motor and light weight that is loads to have lots of fun at legal speeds.
As far as comfort goes, you really have to sit on the bike to know if it suits your bodytype or not. I'm quite tall (6'2), and it seems comfortable to me, but a shorter person might feel more leaned forward than they would like. The S version is basically a sportbike riding position, but slightly more relaxed than most supersports.
If you're getting a steal of a deal, I wouldn't hesitate to go for the SV. Just my biased opinion of course! (we all seem to promote "what I did", but I'm very happy and think I found the perfect bike... for me)
Financially, I am getting a steal on this bike. I was with my friend when he first got it and have watched him improve as a rider everytime I saw him ride it. I know the ins and outs of that bike from watch him work on it every week or so.
Physically, I'm 5'8" with a 30" inseam so I'm pretty close to flat footing it, but not all the way. I don't consider myself an aggressive rider, so I don't think I'd purposely flip that WOT. However, I am concerned when the first close call was to happen if I'd be ready. With my limited riding experience all together, I can't even say I'm comfortable on the 250 yet. The two things I am scared of are stopping (especially 1 footed if I can't flat foot the bike) and accidently flipping that throttle too quickly.
Truthfully, I'm leaning on the 650.... Man, if he came back just a few months later, I'd get myself a 250/500 and learn.. but this deal is too good.
Eddie
Oh, on a side note: I have maybe 10 friends that all started (except this friend) on 600 SS and I've seen every one of them go down the first year (a statistic), so I'm trying to avoid that. I've always advocated to people start small and now it looks like I'm not going to. I know it has nothing to do with me, but after seeing my friend learn well on a 650, I think I could too, but I'm not 100% sure that would happen. (FYI He had the bike for 1 year, rode 10,000+ miles and then winterized it and went to Iraq. Now he's getting a gsxr1k or 750). I wish I had a way to get some more seat time in before mid-September...
I started and currently riding an SV650s. In my opinion, it is not a bad starter bike, BUT I think it has damaged my learning curve. I think I would have learned more, faster on a smaller bike, I also bought it brand new. Between a new bike, and having never been on a bike (except MSF), I was scared of the bike. I was scared to damage it, I was scared of the power, and that is why I think my learning curve was damaged. You can learn on it and you can learn to ride it like it is meant to be ridden, but it might take longer.
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"The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who do not do anything about it."
(Albert Einstein)
Knee-leesta
LEO-leesta
"It is not how these officers died that made them heroes, it is how they lived." by Vivian Eney (survivor). Engraved on the National Police Memorial Wall.
Today the winds in NY were strong. I spent much of the day on the bike. For some reason the first half of the riding day I was fighting the tide. But as the day progressed I got more and more comfortable, was leaning into the turns correctly, and my speeds were breaking records for stretches of roads that have been intimidating me. I'm saying this because I was conscious all day of what a benefit it was to have the little Ninja under my butt rather than the FZ6 I want. It's more tolerant of my weaknesses.
But you know that. Is there any way you can continue to ride the 250 for the rest of this season even after buying the SV?
SV650 for first bike?
(typical greeting)
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