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WeaponZero
ParticipantYes it was a high side. And get some proper pants!
ParticipantTen years ago, when I first started looking into buying a motorcycle, I began asking around as to what were suitable beginner bikes. The more experienced riders I asked all unanimously agreed that regardless of what type of bike you plan on moving up to, you won’t find a better beginner’s bike than the GS500E or Kawasaki Ninja 500R. The only things that have changed about those bikes since then are the plastics, so I believe the same still holds true, although I personally would add the Suzuki DR-Z400SM to that list.
Participantany bike with a race-oriented seating position (clip-ons instead of handlebars, rearsets, leaned forward riding position) will be harder for a new rider to get the hang of because the seating position hinders low speed handling maneuvers (which is the hardest thing for newbies to grasp) but boosts control at higher speeds (as in in excess of 100mph). the sv650sf is more toned down than the gsxr600 to be sure but still suffers from that one drawback. it shouldnt be too much of a problem though but remember one thing about supersport bikes: THEY WERENT MADE FOR THE STREET! they were made for the track and sacrifice normal street speed performance, or even faster than legal street speed performance, for ludicrously fast street speed performance. to buy a bike such as a gsxr600 if you plan on riding it on the street and not the track is just, well, stupid. sorry but it is. youre not in their powerband riding at normal street speeds and youre not at the speed they were designed to be running at.
bikes like the sv650, however, were made for it.
Participanti dont know but until kawasaki gets some competition in that market segment from a major, established brand you can expect to be gouged on ninja 250s because theres more people out there who are willing to pay whatever the dealers ask for them than there are bikes
Participantah yes but the problem with 250Rs is that theyre selling faster than dealerships can stock them. they dont need to negotiate because if you dont buy it for the price theyre bending you over a table for, the very next guy who walks thru the door will. such is the problem with buying a high demand piece of merchandise.
ParticipantAside from web based video reviews, magazine reviews, etc?
I have a friend who’s one of the admins of #motorcycles on EFnet.com. he’s a motorcycle technician who’s been working on bikes for 20 years now. the dealership he works at used to sell UM/hyosung bikes, and stopped selling them because they couldn’t obtain the parts needed to fix things when they broke, so they were forced to essentially “bandage” fixes and give them back to the customer like that.
Participantthey also need to work on their build quality.
Participantagreed. IMO the suzuki DR-Z400SM is the perfect beginner bike, and is loads of fun that never gets old. I’d trade my SV for one if i could.
Participanttrust me when i say the 500 will be good enough and wont get boring any time within 2 years of buying it. if you think otherwise youre a fool.
Participantyou are sooooo gonna kill yourself. regardless of a, b, or c mode, gsxr 600 is not a beginner bike. no bike that can be called a RACE bike is suitable for beginners. and saying youll get tired of a 250 or 500 in 3 days is absolutely ludicrous. the 500 can do 120mph and has a proven engine.
people like you are exactly what this site is trying to PREVENT. read the article called “Why 600ccs is too much!” on this site, should be on your right.
Participantsimple economics.
supply < demand, and thats all there is to it.
ParticipantSigned.
ParticipantThey reimbursed me for the damage. I replaced the mirror and drilled a hole through the shift lever, putting a 1/4″ bolt through that one to “fix” it, pocketing the spare cash.
ParticipantLikes:
1. The look–it has the “look” of exactly what it is–a bike that can be both sporty and practical.
2. *The sound, or lack thereof–it’s very very quiet, and while some of you may enjoy having a muffler you can hear from a half mile away, I lean more toward the side of being able to start my bike up for a midnight ride without disturbing the neighbors.
3. The overall ergonomic package (minus the footpegs/rearsets)–very comfortable.
4. The engine–what’s not to like about the engine of an SV650? It rocks! The way it kicks in right away and builds up steadily, awesome!
Dislikes:
1. Fuel range–I work only about a 15 minute ride from where I live, and on your typical week where I don’t do any pleasure riding, just commuting, I need to fill up almost once a week, which is ridiculous IMO.
2. Lack of a center stand–this has brought on more swearing outbursts from me than anything a bike could possibly have. What’s the reason for not having one? Seriously?
3. Footpegs/rearsets–the overall ergonomic package works nicely but the footbegs can’t seem to decide whether they want to be racy or comfy. They’re like in this position straddling the line between the two that’s just plain uncomfortable.
4. Weight–this is a purely personal gripe because after having the opportunity to zip around on a supermoto, every bike, even my own beloved SV650, seems piggishly heavy in comparison.
I know that suspension is a common gripe among SV650 owners but I bought my bike used with upgraded suspension, so I can’t confirm this myself.
*We have a neighbor who lives a few houses down who owns a GSX-R1000 with an aftermarket pipe. He likes to take it out for rides at all hours of the night and he can’t even start it up without waking up the entire block. Because of that, our neighbors are always giving me compliments about how quiet my bike is, about how much more “considerate” I am for riding a quieter bike that doesn’t wake them up or disturb them.
ParticipantI bought my 2000 Suzuki SV650 for $3000 used off of cycletrader.com from a guy who lived 20 minutes from me. You can find deals like that too.
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