[nktilva]

Hi, I’m new to the motorcycle world. I’m 32 and looking to get my first bike in 1 month after i take the BRC here in Maryland. I was interested in getting the SV650 as my first bike, because it was hard enough to convince my wife to let me get one, and if i start out with a 250, god knows how hard it will be to convince her to let me upgrade to a bigger bike. Probably cost me an expensive vacation and then some!

So i was wodering how the SVF650 Gladius compares to the SV650 as a beginner bike. Went to the local bike shop and loved the styling and looks. Is it as good a starter/mid level bike as the SV650? Thanks in advance for all of your help and input!

[CBBaron]

The Gladius replaced the SV650 in Suzuki’s line up. There were a number of changes but the bike is very similar.

The 650 twins like the Gladius are the upper end of what is recommended for beginners.

I still like starting out on a used 250 before deciding to spend serious money a new bigger bike. It is not hard to find a good used 250 for under 2 grand and if you do upgrade you will get nearly all of that back. Being able to buy my first bike with cash really helped seal the deal for me with the concerned wife.

Craig

[madjak30]

I just went through this with my wife…she finally agreed that I could get a bike…I wasn’t sure how to tell her that I want to buy a bike this year, then next year get a better one…I thought it would be a hard sell, but it wasn’t bad…I just explained to her that I wanted to get a smaller used bike so that I could practice riding and get my skills built up before buying the nice bike that I really want. Plus I explained that I would hate to drop my fancy new bike due to inexperience…much better to do that to a used, cheaper and smaller bike…if it happened…the smaller the bike, the easier it will be to “catch it” before it hits the ground…I almost dumped mine during my BRC…slowing to a stop and grabbed a handful of front brake with the front tire slightly turned…thank god the bike was only about 200lbs, I was able to hold on to it and kind of one legged hopp…if it was the Gladius (about 420lbs), down it would have gone…

Anyway, good luck…but I would recommend talking to her about the above mentioned reasons for a “starter bike”…

[stu]

The SFV650 is my first bike and I love it. You got to give that Suz VTwin much respect or it will dump you on your ass. The clutch has a wide band making control really easy, the gearbox is smooooth and very forgiving. The tyres it comes with are fantastic. Stock suspension is soso. I’ve got my gsxr rear shock ready to be installed which apparently makes a world of difference, if so, it will be my best $50 spent on ebay everyone on svrider raves about the change.

Do I love it as a beginner bike? hell yeah, but I commute 80 miles a day on it over the mountains and needed something that wouldnt struggle. Should I have got a 250cc to start on, I’d say unequivocally yes. But I _dont_ regret starting on the SFV650! I love it.

What would I change if I could? Wet weight is heavy but any bike once you get over the 250cc starts to get into the same weight range and even higher, plus, the bike pushes its own weight so it isnt really that big a deal (and yeah I’ve picked it up by myself, all 140lbs/5’5″ of me).

The whole “catching it” deal I think is wrong, but a natural reaction and I wouldn’t let it factor in to bike choice.
If the bike is going down, let it go down and just get clear, better scratches on the bike than torn muscles and ligaments because you wanted to try and ‘catch’ it. Save yourself first, worry about the bike later.

[ShamRock229]

Or get a lovely pair of frame sliders..

[madjak30]

But your first reaction (or atleast mine) is to try to “catch it”…if the bike weighs 400-500lbs or more, it will go down even if you try…add your selection of sore parts here…with the smaller bike, you are less likey to pull muscles…chances are the smaller bike will go down as well, they don’t seem to go down when you have a good grip on things…lol

Nice bike by the way, that is one of the bikes I was checking out before I got my GS500…has a similar seating position and reach to the handles…not much heavier either…but I didn’t want to take the chance on dropping such a new bike, hence the used GS. That bike must be a rocket for you…you weigh half what I do and I find the GS500 moves pretty good, for now…lol

[A]

I have put about 6600 miles on my Gladius since May 2009, before that about 6,000 miles on a 2002 SV650S. The Gladius is a bargin of a bike for its performance. The wide handlebar, upright riding position and low (and narrow) seat height make it a great starter bike and allow plenty of performance to grow into. The power output is very tame and linear, not as abrupt as earlier FI or carb version of SV650, hence easier to operate for beginners.

[JackTrade]

That’s a great shot from a great angle.

[Joseph Hanna]

Yea I rode one this weekend and it’s really gotten into my head. I’m an S-50 guy by nature but I’ve been REALLY re-thinking things after a great canyon ride this weekend on this little scoot. I’m gettin a little old for the need for uber speed and this thing was really in my wheelhouse. A Busa would inevitably kill me but this little rocket was “containable”.

Still I can’t help but think for some this might be WAY too much for some new riders.

That not withstanding…what a fun ride.

[Author]

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