MattIf you see an SV650 up close, you’ll quickly see that it is not half cruiser. It is full on street bike.
The seat is moderately high, and the handlebars are fairly low, it puts you into a forward lean.
The idea that it is half cruiser probably stems from the fact that it has a V twin engine. But these days, that engine design is being used in a lot of bikes that want lots of low down torque. Honda’s RC51 race bike is a V-twin. Ducati’s 1098S super bike is a V-twin. There is nothing “cruiser” about any of those bikes.
Depending on your definition, there are two types of bike athat are “half cruiser half sport bike”. On one hand you have sport touring bikes (Honda VFR800) that are sport bikes first and foremost, but have made concessions to long distance comfort (slightly more upright seating position, less painful seat).
Or then there are power cruisers (V-max) which are cruisers that have really powerful engines and suspension meant for highspeed cornering.
Power cruisers are a huge no no for anyone but experienced riders. They have huge power, huge weight, and a riding position that is not ideal for bike control.
Sport tourers are also pretty poor starting bikes because they tend to be heavy (one of the lightest, the Katana 600, is 475 pounds, 150 pounds more than a Ninja 250).
If you want all day comfort, without plenty of power, look into upright street bikes like the GS500 and Ninja 250/500.
stepping up to the 650s (which are usually twin engines, making htem easier to ride than the 600cc 4 cylinder bikes) the Versys is also a good bike, but heavier than the others.
Pros of a cruiser:
Comfortable for longer periods of time, stylish
Cons of a cruiser:
Heavier than a street (usually)
Less cornering ability (great on the highways, not as good in the twisty back roads)
People think you wanted to buy a harley but could only afford an X
Pros of an Street bike (not a supersport):
Good body position for bike control, comfortable for relatively long periods of time
Good cornering ability
Stylish
ligher wieght (usually)
Cons of a streetbike:
Not as comfortable on the highways
people think you are irresponsible, riding a crotch rocket
The question of cruiser or street bike should be, what do you want to do with it?
If your goal is travelling all over, a cruiser is probably a better choice
If your goal is to hit the back roads and enjoy the Gs, a street bike is probably a better choice
Does that mean some street and sport riders don’t ride long distances? No, they do.
Does that mean some cruiser riders don’t attack the corners with a wild smile? No, they do.
As always, go with the bike that makes you smile – just don’t buy a big bike thinking a small one won’t be good enough. I just put 200 miles on my ZZR-250 this past weekend. I attacked the twisties, I got lost in the back roads of no where, and I cruised along the freeways and the highways. Bikes are a lot more versitile than the salesmen will lead you to believe.
