Capability of 650 vtwin(SV or Ninja) vs 600 (gixxer or cbr)

[SukUhDi]

I am a new to riding and am thinking of what kinda bike to buy. I live in tahoe so most of my riding would be on hills, i was wondering if a 650 would be better for this kind of riding. Ive heard when on a 600 you have to hit 8k rpm's to make it up a decent hill, and if you hit sand rev'n that high your f#*%&ed. Thinking a 650 would have more torque to let me cruise up with lesser rpm plus the 650 plus comes with the "sportbike shape". Do you think the 650 would still be able to keep up with a 600 on freeways and such. and would you get thrown of at high speeds since it has less of a forward lean than the 600. And is the top speed anywhere close to a gixxer or cbr?
just some questions i had before i made up my mind -Kody

[Ozy]

8k to climb a hill? where do you live? in Peru?

[kevin_stevens]

Yes, a twin will handle the height and grades as or more comfortably. I'd think those bikes would be a good choice for riding around Tahoe. Yes, it can keep up with anything up to 100mph. I hope you're kidding about being "thrown off at high speeds." And no, the top speed is somewhat less due to the lesser power and aerodynamics. Say 130mph vs 150mph. If that's an issue for you, you probably shouldn't be posting in the new riders forums...

KeS

[Dontrunmeover]

I lived in Reno for 20 years. A 650 would be just great for Tahoe.

[RayOSV]

Originally Posted by Ozy

8k to climb a hill? where do you live? in Peru?

Almost. Base elevation is about 6,000 feet and goes up from there over passes.

An sv650 would be a blast to ride around Tahoe.

Welcome to SBN, BTW.

As always, start with MSF.

[johnny_boy02]

I just bought a SV650 yesterday and it hauls my fat 250 pound ass from 0 to 90 pretty fucking fast. Go with the SV, after only 100 miles I can tell it is going to be a great first bike for me and prob anyone.

[jim schmidt]

You'll want to make sure you get a fuel-injected bike because of the elevations. After that twins are the choice for lots of hills. I think both the Ninja and the SV are now fuel injected, but it wasn't always so for the SV.

[RayOSV]

Originally Posted by jim schmidt

You'll want to make sure you get a fuel-injected bike because of the elevations. After that twins are the choice for lots of hills. I think both the Ninja and the SV are now fuel injected, but it wasn't always so for the SV.

Good point. 2nd gen sv ('03 - ) has FI.

[kevin_stevens]

Originally Posted by jim schmidt

You'll want to make sure you get a fuel-injected bike because of the elevations. After that twins are the choice for lots of hills. I think both the Ninja and the SV are now fuel injected, but it wasn't always so for the SV.

BTW for the original poster, the reason he says that is that fuel-injected bikes can more easily have their fuel-air mixture adjusted to compensate for the thinner air. Some do it automatically, others require an aftermarket ECU or tuner like a Power Commander, but in any case it's usually simpler to accomplish than rejetting a carbureted bike.

KeS

[RayOSV]

One more point about 650's. The Suzuki sv650 is a v-twin engine while the Kawasaki Ninja 650 is a parallel twin like the 500. Very different animals. I'd go with the sv over the Ninja 650, but I'm biased.

[nuppal]

If you are worried about top speed get the Turbo Busa with a twin 50 shot of NOS. Should take care of that for ya.

[Royal Tiger]

Why must everyone under the age of 25 call the squidmobile a "gixxer"? Is that the way to know you have achieved full squidness?

[SukUhDi]

Originally Posted by kevin_stevens

BTW for the original poster, the reason he says that is that fuel-injected bikes can more easily have their fuel-air mixture adjusted to compensate for the thinner air. Some do it automatically, others require an aftermarket ECU or tuner like a Power Commander, but in any case it's usually simpler to accomplish than rejetting a carbureted bike.



KeS

Is having a fuel injected bike really a big difference, because buying an earlier bike (without the FI) would save me a lot of money, plus they get 10-15 more mpg ive read. By the way Thank you for all your posts they really helped.

[kevin_stevens]

It's not huge. You'll need to rejet for the altitude, but that a one-time deal and you can pay the dealer or a shop to do it. It's just more convenient with FI. I used to have to rejet and synch four carbs on my GS750 twice a year when I spent the summers in Houston and went to school in Santa Fe. *That* was a pain.

KeS

[donkeyman]

I don't think getting an FI bike will make that big a difference, but FI has a lot less headaches. Carburetor bikes are temperamental and can be a pain in the ass.