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gs500 vs sv650
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November 21, 2009 at 6:35 pm #3576Bob HarleyParticipant
This is not a new topic, a quick web search finds this question appearing over and over again on many forums. But many of the questions degenerate into “Is a 650 safe for a beginner” which inevitably leads to:
1) No, get a 250 or 500. Learn basic skills first safely.
2) Yes, I did it and love my 650! Just be careful at first.
3) You already know what you want, take an MSF and ride safely.I currently ride a Suzuki S40, but want to move to a sportier bike. I’d like more objective information on the bikes themselves. I already know that a gs500 will cost less than a sv650 and still be about as fast as my sports car.
1) How does the gs500 compare to the sv650 in handling, both at speed (like freeway) and in cornering?
2) Braking, the gs500 comes with a single front disc. Is the sv’s dual front disc. outright superior?
3) Maintence of air cooled engine vs water cooled? Are the costs about the same? The gs appear to be more simplistic but it’s maintence intervals for valve adjustments appear to come more often? Is this a hassle or a non-issue?
4) Is the power difference dramatic, like “OMG!” Or is it more like, “OH! That feels good!”
thanks.
November 21, 2009 at 7:26 pm #23454briderdtParticipant…so I can’t make comparisons based on the riding characteristics, or even maintenance.
But there are going to be differences. The GS500 is going to be much like the SV650 (NOT the SV650s) as far as riding position, but with the fairing. If that’s important to you (either wanting that position or wanting the fairing), then the choice is pretty clear.
Coming from the S40, the either one is going to behave at the throttle in a much more predictable manner than an I-4 engine. Brakes… Your S40 has a single front disk as well, I think. It hauls the bike down just fine, right? Well, the dual front disks on the SV do it as well, just with two fingers. Is that superior? Maybe.
For power… Are you planning on pulling stumps with the bike? If not, then either one is going to have “enough” power. I doubt you’d fine either one anemic on the road.
So if having the more upright position of the SV650/GS500 is important (as opposed to the SV650s), AND having the fairing is important, than the GS500 is the way to go.
Hope that helps.
November 22, 2009 at 2:30 am #23468JtownJJAParticipantI have a 2004 GS500F and I really like it a lot. However, I’ve never riden the SV650 so I can’t speak to it or how the GS500F compares to it. Also, this the first and only bike I’ve ever owned, so really, I have nothing to compare it to.
I will say that I’ve never felt a lack of power. It goes fine on the freeway at 65-70 mph. It handles very easily. Turning is simple. Breaking is very responsive. However, I’m guessing that you would get these same comments from someone with an SV650 as well.
I would like to mention that to me, the GS500F does feel more sporty in it’s riding position than some on here have commented. I’m not real tall (about 5’5″ or so) and I’m leaning foward slightly most of the time. When the wind gets really rough, I do lean forward quite a bit in a more agressive position, which is sometimes fun. It gives you a taste of what the supersport bikes must feel like, yet you don’t have to stay in that position. I would venture to say that you probably can do this a bit with the SV650 as well if you wanted to.
I guess the best thing to do would be to try them both out if you can. At least go sit on each of them. With your experience on the S40, I can’t imagine you having problems with riding the SV650 from a power standpoint. It may come down to your preferences in how they look. Oh, and I would also guess that the gas mileage would be better on the GS500F, if that is a concern for you.November 22, 2009 at 3:57 am #23471briderdtParticipantThat would depend on how the bike is ridden (either one). On the SVRider.com forum, most riders get less than 50 mpg. I actually find that very surprising. Lowest I’ve gotten is 53 mpg, and that was when I first started riding and was mainly in lower gears.
I’m not a speed demon, nor a granny on the throttle. But unless I’m on the highway, I cruise along at about 3500 rpm, roughly. In July, I’d catalogued every fill-up, and had averaged over 60 mpg (including those early low- to mid-50’s mpg tanks). I haven’t calculated the mileage since then, but I’ve still got every fill-up written down.
Oh, and my bike is a 2005 that had 4200 miles in the odo when I bought it. It just turned over 10100 today (I’ve been off the bike for over a month due to weather and kid duty).
November 22, 2009 at 6:29 pm #23475Gary856Participant1) How does the gs500 compare to the sv650 in handling, both at speed (like freeway) and in cornering?
I’d say they handle about the same, except the GS is about 2 inches lower, which feels more compact and more nimble to me. The seat and the front end of the SV are noticeable taller.
2) Braking, the gs500 comes with a single front disc. Is the sv’s dual front disc. outright superior?
Don’t feel much difference in normal use. No problem with either. I’m normally very gentle with braking so I really don’t come close to using the full capability of the brakes often. Did a few panic braking practices but not enough.
3) Maintence of air cooled engine vs water cooled? Are the costs about the same? The gs appear to be more simplistic but it’s maintence intervals for valve adjustments appear to come more often? Is this a hassle or a non-issue?
I didn’t like the GS’s very short valve clearance inspection/adjustment intervals – only 3k miles per the manual. Going to a shop for a valve adjustment would cost close to $200 per visit. But on gstwin.com I’ve read people say that the valve clearance tends to stabilize after a while so you don’t have to follow the 3k intervals strictly. Many GS owners seem to DIY w/ valve adjustment; that is a little daunting, but I’m curious enough to want to give it a shot.
4) Is the power difference dramatic, like “OMG!” Or is it more like, “OH! That feels good!”
The power difference is significant and immediately obvious. The GS feels like a peppy 4-cylinder car. The SV feels like a muscle car. If you could have only one bike, I can see most people choosing the SV over the GS based on power alone. However, when the road gets technical (narrow and twisty), the much softer power delivery of the GS becomes an advantage and allows a bigger margin of error. The much stronger and taller/bigger SV feels like it’s just one small throttle mistake away from disaster on a very technical road. On those roads I can ride the GS harder, faster, feel more in control and have more fun.
I’ve averaged 55.7 mpg on the GS over 4,800 miles, 50.7 mpg on the SV over 1,300 miles.
November 22, 2009 at 6:45 pm #23482Bob HarleyParticipantI’d like to thanks the comments so far, especially gary856 who has ridden both. I’m surprised that handling and braking for the bikes are comparable. I honestly thought that the bigger tires and dual discs of the sv would be a significant advantage. I’m sure a professional reviewer would want to split hairs here (to play on these assumptions and encourge the bigger is better syndrome), so I’m assuming this is more of a “by the seat of my pants” feel. This make a good reason to consider the gs500, and relieves some of my concerns about overall performance of the smaller bike.
As for the valves, the 3000 mile adj. intervals don’t bother me as this is going to be a weekend toy. But since I’m gonna be looking at used bikes, what are the tell tale signs of a gs500 that hasn’t had the valve adjustments done in a timely manner (if ever)???
Is it like a car with loud valve clatter at start up or does it hide until you take the bike out and open it up? I am assuming this is a mechanical lifter design (as opposed to hydralic lifters that require less freqent maint.).
As for the power difference, I think I can really understand that analogy. I can see how the gs500 would feel much safer, especially as a beginner to this type of bike, in negotiating multiple turns back to back. I figure that I could easily get used to the throttle of the bigger bike, but this makes a nice frame of reference that I can relate too.
I’ve got another question, how about saddle comfort? Having sat on both bikes, the gs feels like it has a broader lower seat, even though by measurements the seat height of both bikes should be the same. Does the gs have a softer rear shock that sinks down under weight or is the body geometry reaching for the handlebars create this feeling?
Thanks, keeps the info coming.
November 22, 2009 at 7:18 pm #23483megaspazParticipantQuote:The much stronger and taller/bigger SV feels like it’s just one small throttle mistake away from disaster on a very technical road. On those roads I can ride the GS harder, faster, feel more in control and have more fun.eh. bzzzt. wrong. that is all.
November 22, 2009 at 9:39 pm #23486Gary856ParticipantProfessional reviewers ride the bikes to the limit of their capabilities so they can tell you which bike is better when pushed to the limits. I ride a brisk (to me) but conservative pace on streets that’s well below the capability of either bike, and at that level the two bikes’ handling and braking have a very similar feel.
I don’t know how a out-of-adjustment valve feels like. I think it would go out of spec so gradually so an average person would not detect it by feel. Also not sure if it’s only a problem only at the upper rpm range, but I thought I read somewhere when it’s grossly out of adjustment the valve can get “burned”. I have to do some research on gstwin.com on this. When buying a used bike I would just ask the seller about the maintenance history. Ask some questions and you’d get a feel if the seller is a straight player or playing games. The guy I bought my GS from did valve adjustments himself and kept notes of the measurements.
Visually the GS is lower than the SV. I just went out to my garage to measure the seat heights. I placed a level on top of the seats to make sure I was measuring to the right height. With no weight on the bikes, the GS’s seat height (at the lowest point) is 30 in, and the SV’s seat height is 31.5 in. I’m 6′ w/ 32″ inseam. When I sit on them, I can flat-foot both bikes, but my knees are bent more on the GS, and on the SV my legs are almost straight.
I don’t want to mislead anybody into thinking I’m saying these two bikes feel almost the same “overall”. They’re not. The GS, being an older design and air-cooled, feels almost crude in comparison to the SV. The SV, with liquid cooling and fuel injection, feels much more grown up and polished. It’s just that I paid $1750 for the GS and $3900 for the SV, and the big price difference affects my frame of reference when judging these two bikes against each other. The SV is a better bike overall, but bang/fun-for-the-buck-wise, I feel the GS is ahead.
November 23, 2009 at 3:19 am #23489Bob HarleyParticipantSo suzuki’s website says gs500 seat is 31.1 and the sv’s seat is 31.5. Based on sitting on the bikes, 30 in. sounds more like it.
I completely understand that you don’t want to mislead anyone on the performance of the bikes. I am not planning on track racing my bike, I just wanted a real world perspective on daily riding.
Furthermore, your purchase price of the two bikes illustrates why I am so interested in the gs. The opportunity to have a good sporty bike for 1/2 the price of a 650 is very tempting. I’ve been seeing gs500E priced from 1600 to 1900, gs500F at 2300 to 3300, and sv650 priced at 3500 to 4800.
As for the valves, I was also thinking about posting that question to gstwins.com also, but yes basic buyer skills will save me a world to disappointments. So maybe it’s not really an issue anyways…
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