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SV-650 laid over
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February 20, 2009 at 5:01 am #2551ridesyetiParticipant
I’m looking at a used SV-650 as my first bike. I’m attracted to that bike since it sounds like its relatively newbie friendly and I won’t likely out grow it. One used bike I am considering turns out to have been laid over enough that owner is having it re-painted. I’m wondering if I have friend familiar with bikes look at it and it seems sound, will the bike be ok? Or will it be a lemon? What should we watch out for?
Ridesyeti
February 20, 2009 at 7:05 am #16618nau_lax21Participantyou might be getting yourself into some trouble with this one. The big deal breaker is the frame, id have it professionally looked at, and if theres ANY damage to the frame… walk away from that bike! that can be extremely dangerous to ride with a damaged frame. otherwise, if youre getting a hell of a deal on it, it might be worth it. if you do have problems down the line, things can get expensive.
but if your buddy is mechanically good with bikes and he thinks its all good, and there is NO frame damage, go for it.
others on this forum will tell you that the sv650 might be a little too powerful for a first bike. others say its great for a quick learner.
also, since you both know that this bike has seen some ugly days, use that as a bargaining point if you are going to go ahead and buy it.
best of luck!
February 20, 2009 at 1:20 pm #16621MattParticipantAs a general rule stay away from new bikes with new paint.
If the bike was simply “laid down” (negligible speed or standing drop) then one wouldn’t expect it would need a new full paint job – just the small area that hit ground would need repainting (the gas tank on a Naked, the panel that hit the gorund on a S model).
While it is possible that this bike is just fine, the risk that there are bigger hidden issues (frame being the big one, but other possible issues including engine exist) are just too great for your first bike. Your first bike should be something that just works, so you can concentrate on riding and having fun, not dropping loads of cash on it and wondering what is going to break next.
For the money I’m sure you can get a smaller displacement bike in much better shape. And if the guy is asking less for it than a 250, then just walk away – that’s a sign he’s just trying to dump the bike on someone else.
Don’t worry about “out growing” a smaller bike. They are plenty fun, and you’ll learn on them faster than you would on a bigger bike. Plus if it is in good shape, a 250cc bike will sell so fast it won’t be a problem (I sold my 250 in two days in the middle of winter).
The 500s (Ninja and GS) are a lot more bike than people give them credit for. They are definitely worth your consideration.Remeber: If the deal seems to good to be true, then it is.
February 20, 2009 at 1:22 pm #16622ridesyetiParticipantI’m on the fence whether to spend the dough on a sv650 (the only 650 I’d consider as a beginner based on comments on this website) or a ninja 500. I have a ton of hard experience riding road bicycles and mountain bikes. I’ve ridden relatively fast and extremely slow on both. I know i have balance on two wheels. So would the sv650 be ok if I start off with the class and respect the throttle and breaks?
One thing that perturbs me is the idea that every beginner drops their bike. The SVs seem to cost about $1500 to $2000 more in my area. The thought of droping a nice bike kinda sucks.
Ridesyeti
February 20, 2009 at 1:46 pm #16624briderdtParticipantNot on the bike buying end (wasn’t looking at a bike that had been dropped), but some one with a lot of road bicycling experience (I raced for many years), and starting out on an SV650s.
Respect the throttle. Definitely. I did some easy riding on mine before I took the MSF class. Parking lot stuff mostly. But the throttle really surprised me. A couple things helped with that (besides just gaining some experience with it) which I can go into if you get one of these bikes. Even after I did take the class, the difference in the throttle (the on/off feeling) took some acclimatization.
But the advantage one has from a lot of road bicycling experience is already having a lot of the “road radar” already built-in. It’s more automatic, so you don’t really worry about that part and can concentrate more on the mechanics of riding. I think you’ll probably pick it up pretty quickly.
Looking back, though, would I have rather picked a different bike? Maybe. I had myself down to 3 bikes that I was choosing from (SV650, Ninja 650, or FZ6), and chose those for fuel injection. After having ridden a carb’d bike in the MSF class, I’ve come to the conclusion that it really doesn’t matter so much. I’ll probably pick up a Ninja 250 or maybe a Hyosung 250 as my second bike (used) to rat out.
I also HAVE dropped my bike. I was at a stop light, couldn’t see well for traffic coming from the left to make a free right, and I thought I was in first gear (I was in 2nd). When I started rolling forward, I killed the engine. Problem was, I was already leaning into the turn. I put my foot down and tried to hold it, but it was just too far over already. I eased it down to the ground. Fortunately there was no damage (a couple TINY scratches on the bar end and the muffler).
Definitely get that bike checked for frame or swingarm damage. Either one would probably have an insurance company total it out.
February 20, 2009 at 4:17 pm #16626Clay DowlingParticipantI’ve laid mine down too. Same sort of low-speed deal, stalled it trying to pull a u-turn after I’d adjusted the idle down, but before I’d gotten a real feel for the way it handled after the change.
Most people I know have laid a bike down. It’s just something that happens. You learn to deal with it and move on.
Also, word of advice: if it starts to go, let it go. Don’t try to use your arms to stop it, or you’ll injure yourself. Took me three months to get the pain out of my joints, and another two months after that to get the strength back in my arms that I had before the injury. I’m no body builder type, but not having the strength that you used to have is very unpleasant.
February 20, 2009 at 7:36 pm #16631AnonymousGuestIt sounds like you’re an active and coordinated chap. If you aren’t impulsive, I think you’d be OK on an SV. Still, you’d probably learn more quickly on a 500.
Another thing to keep in mind is that an inexpensive bike often means an unreliable or broken bike. If you aren’t into wrenching, pay a bit more for a bike in great condition.
February 20, 2009 at 8:20 pm #16629MattParticipantI have a ton of experience on bicycles. Road, Mountain, Downhill. I have pretty solid control of a bicycle.
The skills simply do not translate directly. Man handling a 45 pound DH rig (let alone a 20 pound road rig) does not do anything for you when it comes time to finesse a 350 pound motorcycle.
For one thing, you don’t do much to balance a motorcycle, it does it for you with any speed, it is the other elements of control that you need.Some skills transfer; looking far enough ahead, fine brake control and modulation, if you’ve got these really good on a mountain bike, they’ll transer fairly well.
Some skills hinder you. I found bike-body seperation (keeping upper body upright, leaning the bike far out to a side) to be a determent to my cornering on a motorcycle because I would lean the bike without leaning my own weight, thereby making my cornering much more dangerous (higher centre of of gravity, using more of the edge of the tire than I should)
Take the msf before you commit to a big bike like the SV650.
I love mine, but I’m very glad I had my year on a 250 first. -
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