SV Heaven
05-11-2008, 03:56 AM
#1
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SuperBike
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SV Heaven
I tell you i could come close to selling my old VTR for a newer SV650S that i rode Yesterday. My wife to be has a sweet little SV that we put a lot of effort an time into and after ripping thru 220 miles of twisties yesterday on it, it plan and simple makes the VTR seem old, heavy and slow stiring. Honda should have countered the SV650 with something as well. At most track days these are the bikes everyone is railing the track on. Put a GSXR front end on her and with the current FI and Power Commander the setup it has it would be smiles in the helmet.
Imagine, she's thinking about selling it for a cruiser......
Damn why did i ride this sweet bike, if one has to go, it maybe the VTR.
Imagine, she's thinking about selling it for a cruiser......
Damn why did i ride this sweet bike, if one has to go, it maybe the VTR.
Last edited by Thumper; 05-11-2008 at 04:04 AM.
05-11-2008, 10:29 AM
#2
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Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Ban him! 
Honda did make a Junior Superhawk in a 650 size. Hawk NT650GT, or Nighthawk, not sure as there's a few different names floating around for it. Maybe it depends on the local market (like our Firestorms ).
Honda did make a Junior Superhawk in a 650 size. Hawk NT650GT, or Nighthawk, not sure as there's a few different names floating around for it. Maybe it depends on the local market (like our Firestorms
).
05-11-2008, 12:35 PM
#4
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I've owned a '06 SV650S and a '03 SV1000S. While I liked both of them I felt the VTR had a better seating position, power, and looks. Obviously the suspension and brakes were better on the SV's. Very nice bikes for the most part... I'd really like to add a '03 SV1000 (naked version0 to the stable. 
Last edited by inderocker; 05-11-2008 at 10:06 PM.
05-11-2008, 01:41 PM
#5
OUCH... MY A$$ HURTS!!!
SuperSport
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Elba, Ny
Posts: 707
Yea I gotta say man... I strongly considered a SV650S or SV1000S when debating on buying my SuperHawk... And I gotta be honestly, I didn't feel like the 650 made enough power.... And for some reason, the SV1000S didn't feel as comfortable as the SuperHawk, or even as comfortable as the SV650S did, which was strange... But either way, I love the SV650's, but thought it was underpowered....
05-11-2008, 02:08 PM
#6
i support twins
Superstock
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Location: Nashua, NH
Posts: 395
i want an sv650 for a few reasons but the biggest one is the gsxr fork swap and i think they look nasty with a street fighter monsetr front light... and they get some better gas mileage haha.
05-11-2008, 02:08 PM
#7
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Squid
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That's interesting because the magazines report that the SV1000 is faster than the SH, but I've ridden one too, and it didn't seem so. The SV1K I rode was bone stock, and mine has a lot of suspension and minor engine work done to it, and it feels much faster than the SV650 and a little faster than the SV1K. Then again, my VFR750 felt fast until I bought a Hayabusa : )
'00 SH
1/4 Mile @ 11.47 seconds, 119.4 MPH
'03 SV1000
1/4 Mile @ 10.9 seconds, 126.2 MPH
'04 SV650
1/4 Mile @ 11.87 seconds, 110 MPH
'00 SH
1/4 Mile @ 11.47 seconds, 119.4 MPH
'03 SV1000
1/4 Mile @ 10.9 seconds, 126.2 MPH
'04 SV650
1/4 Mile @ 11.87 seconds, 110 MPH
05-11-2008, 02:31 PM
#8
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Depends on where you look...motorcycle.com got I believe a 10.83 @127 out of a superhawk when it first came out, and cycle world mag got a 11.0 something @ 124 or 5. Like most Honda models that don't get updated they strangely seem to get slower as they get tested again in later years...
05-11-2008, 05:18 PM
#9
OUCH... MY A$$ HURTS!!!
SuperSport
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Elba, Ny
Posts: 707
I was comparing the SuperHawk to being faster than the SV650S... I rode the SV1000S, but not hard enough to compare power, however I didn't like the feel of the SV1000S compared to the SV650S... The 650 was light, and felt good. The SV1000S felt like a damn cruiser in my opinion...
05-11-2008, 05:25 PM
#10
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That's interesting because the magazines report that the SV1000 is faster than the SH, but I've ridden one too, and it didn't seem so. The SV1K I rode was bone stock, and mine has a lot of suspension and minor engine work done to it, and it feels much faster than the SV650 and a little faster than the SV1K. Then again, my VFR750 felt fast until I bought a Hayabusa : )
'00 SH
1/4 Mile @ 11.47 seconds, 119.4 MPH
'03 SV1000
1/4 Mile @ 10.9 seconds, 126.2 MPH
'04 SV650
1/4 Mile @ 11.87 seconds, 110 MPH
'00 SH
1/4 Mile @ 11.47 seconds, 119.4 MPH
'03 SV1000
1/4 Mile @ 10.9 seconds, 126.2 MPH
'04 SV650
1/4 Mile @ 11.87 seconds, 110 MPH
The VTR tested by Motorcycle Consumer News ran a 10.95.
The one tested by Motorcycle.com ran a 10.83
05-11-2008, 05:36 PM
#12
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Take everything you read in Motorcyclist Magazine with a king sized grain of salt.
I've got a stack of their mags from the '80s. Bikes they tested with 5 or 10 less rear wheel H.P. and 100 lbs. more weight than the VTR typically ran 10.8 to 11 flat ETs. I don't know what their problem is, I wonder if they are just making **** up, but much of their "performance data" makes no sense whatever.
I've got a stack of their mags from the '80s. Bikes they tested with 5 or 10 less rear wheel H.P. and 100 lbs. more weight than the VTR typically ran 10.8 to 11 flat ETs. I don't know what their problem is, I wonder if they are just making **** up, but much of their "performance data" makes no sense whatever.
05-11-2008, 05:39 PM
#13
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Well i have actually converted this SV650S to a handle bar SV650 setup for her as she liked the SV/S model but found the clip-ons to be uncomfortable. It is a blast to ride in an more up right position. As i have learned from rippin up the roads on my CRF450R Supermoto the clip-ons are for racing and getting down out of the wind, for us average street riders i think i am actually a better rider on a bar bike.
This little SV has a Power Commander tuned for the Full Micron exchaust and she purs. To me it is in between my SuperMoto and my VTR when it comes to handling and riding it.
Don't get me wrong, i have had my VTR since 2000 and it is part of my soul, but the SuperMoto i made street legal last year and riding this SV have really brought to the surfice how sluggish and crappy our beloved VTR handles. Yes the VTR has loads of power and mine runs top notch, but it's heavy at 423 lbs, where as the SV650S is 372 lbs and the SuperMoto is 232 lbs.
Power is great, but out TN back roads are tight, twisty and technical and speed and power are not that important.
This little SV has a Power Commander tuned for the Full Micron exchaust and she purs. To me it is in between my SuperMoto and my VTR when it comes to handling and riding it.
Don't get me wrong, i have had my VTR since 2000 and it is part of my soul, but the SuperMoto i made street legal last year and riding this SV have really brought to the surfice how sluggish and crappy our beloved VTR handles. Yes the VTR has loads of power and mine runs top notch, but it's heavy at 423 lbs, where as the SV650S is 372 lbs and the SuperMoto is 232 lbs.
Power is great, but out TN back roads are tight, twisty and technical and speed and power are not that important.
Last edited by Thumper; 05-11-2008 at 05:48 PM.
05-11-2008, 06:01 PM
#14
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I bought a 03 sv650s a year or so back. I paid a grand for it. It was mint but the carbs were clogged. I was excited to get the thing going .... but was dissapointed as soon as i did. Bike was a bit slow... i mean, it wasnt like walking slow but ive ridden smaller bikes that moved better... But then again at the time i had a 175 whp Busa.... so maybe i was a little critical.
05-11-2008, 06:06 PM
#15
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I bought a 03 sv650s a year or so back. I paid a grand for it. It was mint but the carbs were clogged. I was excited to get the thing going .... but was dissapointed as soon as i did. Bike was a bit slow... i mean, it wasnt like walking slow but ive ridden smaller bikes that moved better... But then again at the time i had a 175 whp Busa.... so maybe i was a little critical.
The reason i know this is her first bike was an 03 FI with this bikes PC and pipe. She lost it on the Skyway and the gaurd rail won the battle.
You must have had an 02 or earlier SV.
I agree the SV is not as poweful as the 1000 v-twins, however like i said our roads are tight, twisty with drastic elevation changes, so power is not as important as it might be in a more open road area.
05-11-2008, 06:18 PM
#16
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perhaps 02, it was the older round body. I flip bikes so i only have them a few weeks at most. Would be hard to clean carbs on FI 
my bad. But the Supermoto looks awesome btw. Do people take these to track days? Its something i would like to get into (track racing). But bringing a beautiful street bike down with a good chance of falling would be horrible. But a super moto would be pretty forgiving i would think.
my bad. But the Supermoto looks awesome btw. Do people take these to track days? Its something i would like to get into (track racing). But bringing a beautiful street bike down with a good chance of falling would be horrible. But a super moto would be pretty forgiving i would think.
05-11-2008, 07:01 PM
#17
Remember stock is BAD!
SuperSport
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Location: Jacksonville FL
Posts: 760
Wow I am suprized to read all of the comments above. About 3 years ago now I had a friend do some maintance to my shawk for me (shim the carbs) and a dyno run all for free.
He had my bike for 3 days in all. He gave me the keys to his SV650S. I had a ball with the bike. I thought that it had plenty of grunt for a 650 twin. I loved the fact that you could go full throttle and not have to worry about being over 100 mph, or flippin the bike.
I think that a SV650 is a great bike, and if I had the cash I would buy one and use it as a track bike. But at the moment I have other priorities.
I do recall thinking that the clocks look a bit cheap. Overall I was impressed with the SV.
He had my bike for 3 days in all. He gave me the keys to his SV650S. I had a ball with the bike. I thought that it had plenty of grunt for a 650 twin. I loved the fact that you could go full throttle and not have to worry about being over 100 mph, or flippin the bike.
I think that a SV650 is a great bike, and if I had the cash I would buy one and use it as a track bike. But at the moment I have other priorities.
I do recall thinking that the clocks look a bit cheap. Overall I was impressed with the SV.
05-12-2008, 10:48 AM
#19
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I have ridden both the older and newer SV650s and have a SH (duh), and they are different bikes, the SH is the easiest to ride, the FI SV the lightest to flick into corners, and all 3 great bikes.
05-16-2008, 09:07 PM
#21
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My wife got a blue '07 SV650S last October to replace her first bike, an EX500, that she started riding on three years ago this month. I put a Yosh slip-on on it two weeks after we bought it, the stock can is too quiet. It gets the same MPG as the EX and she loves it. I love it too for its flickability, but then I get on my SuperHawk and go "no way, this is it". Can't beat the torque, and compared to my previous bike of 15 years, '83 BMW R100RS, the VTR flicks like a mountain bike.
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