The day after riding the Suzuki SV650 the long way to the coast, I was still grinning like the Cheshire Cat from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
While the two Africa Twins that joined me were using the point and squirt technique to overtake the Sunday morning traffic, with the SV650, it takes a little more planning. The reward for this extra effort is a more engaging ride along with a wonderful feeling of satisfaction every time I sailed past the traffic with apparent ease.
There is enough power to make the overtakes safe, but I have to remember to make my request for more power earlier than the Africa Twins do. Getting more involved with the SV650 is why I still have the grin on my face.
The SVs riding position encouraged me to adopt a little of a knee out riding style as we worked our way across Lincolnshire. Thankfully the 120/70 front tyre made light work of the poor road surfaces that parts of the Lincolnshire Wolds endure.
And now the problem I have is how to describe this to you. The answer to so many Suzuki SV650 questions is simply “Yes. Yes, it does.”
Does it have enough power?
Yes. Riding solo with a rucksack and a Held tail bag, the SV650 has enough power to keep the ride enjoyable. You have to plan your approach to corners and overtakes more, and if you keep the engine overly busy, it will hurt the fuel consumption.
But settle back in 5th or 6th gear at an indicated 60-70mph, get your head up and plot, scheme and plan your way past the traffic, and you will see 50mpg.
Are the brakes any good?
Thanks to an impatient Volvo driver desperate to prove that they could overtake using my side of the road, I had cause to use the Suzuki’s four-pot, twin 290mm discs in anger, and yes, the brakes work very well.
The rear brake is also most definitely present and correct. With the current trait for motorcycles to increase in weight, the effectiveness of the rear brakes has been fading.
Many racers state they only use the rear brake to control wheelies or to back the bike into a corner. On an SV650 it has a more radical concept; you can use it as a brake that will slow you down.
Does the SV650 like fast flowing corners?
One of my favourite sections of the Lincolnshire road is from Middle Rasen to the city of Lincoln, passing the regional Police HQ on the way. This section of road has a little of everything, from villages with tight 90-degree blind bends to national speed limit sections with more 90-degree bends and excellent cross views.
There is also a five-mile stretch that sweeps left and right and offers you wonderfully clear views ahead.
Arriving at the Lincoln tea stop having just ridden that stretch of road, the first words from one of the chasing Africa Twin riders was, “You enjoyed that then”. And yes – yes, I did. Very much so.
Is the Suzuki easy to maintain?
Over the past twenty years, the SV650 engine has evolved and been refined. Twin spark plug heads, fuel injection, Euro-5 compliant, and still pushing out 70BHP, SV650 engines are known for their high mileage reliability.
All of the routine maintenance jobs you can do yourself. There is no Tupperware to strip away for an oil and filter change. Four bolts will remove either of the traditionally mounted front calipers for a brake pad change.
The only drawback would be the absence of a centre stand. Something easily rectified with a paddock stand and a set of bobbins for the swinging arm.
What about the quality?
The finish on the Suzuki’s cherry red metallic frame is gorgeous, and even though looks are subjective, the quality of the finish stands out. The tank paintwork is plain white and the plastics black. The whole bike has a well-made simplicity to it.
The switchgear is uncluttered, and the switches have a positive feel and click to them, unlike the tacky, feelingless buttons found on some supposedly upmarket brands.
As is the modern way, the mudguards are too short, and the rear wheel is calling out for a hugger to keep the crap off the rear subframe.
For £6,500 – or thereabouts – on the road, you get unadjustable 41mm telescopic right way upfront forks with 125mm travel. On the rear, there is link-type suspension with a 63mm stroke and seven pre-load settings. This may not be the fanciest suspension, yet the SV650 handles well, even with an 85KG lump like me attached to it.
Is the SV650 comfortable?
If you are over 5feet 10inches (1.77m) tall, your first reaction might be that Suzuki’s SV650 is cramped. I’m six feet tall, and over the past couple of days, I’ve adapted easily to the riding position. The Cycle-Ergo web site suggests that I’m leaning forward 10 degrees, and my knee is bent 78 degrees. After a few hours on the SV, I need a leg stretch, but that could be more to do with age than the riding position.
There is no pressure on my wrists, and I’m not hanging on to the bars at motorway speeds.
The good news about the seat is that until I stopped to think about it, so I could write this paragraph, I’d never given the seat a second thought. If I can ride on motorways for a few hours and go on an invigorating Sunday ride and have nothing to say about the seat, it has to be good.
Any passengers you might take are going to need a narrow backside. The pillion seat width tapers from a maximum of 11 inches wide to just 6 inches very quickly (28cm – 15cm).
What would you change?
Very little is the honest answer. For me, I’d like a little less bend in my knees, the mudguards longer and a little more punch on acceleration. Yet if any of those changes stopped the SV being the sweet handling, nimble bike that it is, then don’t change anything.
The suspension deals with bumps and potholes well. When the top layer of the road surface is chewed up, there is a slight vibration through the bars and pegs that can be mildly annoying. As soon as the road surface returns to normal, the vibration disappears. A bi-product, I assume of not having fancy forks.
Does the SV650 have any bad points?
There are improvements to be made to every bike. However, after 20 years, almost all of the improvements the SV650 ever needed have already been applied.
The SV650 is precisely what you see. There isn’t egotistic bodywork writing cheques the SV650 can’t cash. Quite the opposite is true. The SV650 is much more than you think it is.
The SV has two distinct personalities and sulks when ridden below 35mph. At lower speeds, the bike is competent and compliant. Slow speed U-turns and filtering through the traffic are uneventful manoeuvres thanks to the SV being sweetly balanced.
But, once you pass the national speed limit sign and your speed heads north of 45mph, the SV stops sulking and becomes a motivated and willing accomplice.
This is where the SV will put a smile on your face. Suzuki’s SV650 can make you feel like a demon on the brakes and that you are powering through the bends. Reality may be somewhat different, yet this is how the SV can make you feel.
There isn’t so much power that things get out of hand too quickly. There isn’t 250Kgs of a motorcycle to bring to a stop. What there is, though, is enough of everything to stick that Cheshire Cat grin on your face.
I’ve ridden 200 miles on motorways and fast A-roads, and another 200+ invigorating miles across the backroads. I’ve navigated cross country and ridden the SV650 into the middle of the city through the rush hour traffic.
And now I completely understand why SV650 owners are so passionate about their bikes.
