Suzuki SV650S Review

Overall Rating

Unfaired model. This bike is your friend. It's plenty powerful enough for real roads and the handling is reassuring and modern, allowing even experienced owners to develop their cornering, braking and wheelying techniques.

The carb model was smoother at low revs. However, the fuel injected one seems a little perkier.

I have done 25,000 miles in just over 2 years in all weathers, the Suzuki SV650 has been used! It cost me £4k new which is real value for the performance and handling that you get. Even the build quality isn't too bad. Mine has never let me down. Other than tyres and one set of rear brake pads it has only required a new battery. With a scotoiler from new the chain and sprockets have plenty of life still. The performance is more than adequate for road use and there is the satisfaction of using all the rev range in anger. I would find it very frustrating only being able to use a fraction of the available performance and short shifting on a superbike. Different on a track but I hear these are handy there too. Even after many years on bikes I have developed my riding skills on the SV. This bike is quick enough and capable enough to challenge pretty well anyone. It does accelerate hard, brake hard, wheelie off the throttle and corner very well. I had the original S model for 2 years and a similar mileage before this one. Even misfiring on the front pot in rain it never let me down. The only other problem was a broken plastic speedo 'star' in the front hub. Simple fix and apparently quite common (look there first before considering new instruments). That bike suffered fork leg and exhaust down pipe corrosion plus a bit on an engine casing. It's worth greasing the chain adjusters in the swing arm ends too. The present bike is starting to corrode on one fork leg and the down pipe won't shine up silver any more. Other than that pretty good elsewhere although I did coat it with ACF50 when new. I get 8000 miles from a rear BT20, 12000 or so from a front. Never uses oil. Generally I get low 40s mpg (and consumption really drops with sustained high revs /speed) but it will do well over 60 if coaxed. I would definitely recommend an SV650. They are very well priced, reasonable to insure, proper modern motorcycles, most seem very reliable and good looking to boot. I can't afford to change mine for a long while yet so I hope it stays so good. The signs are promising.