Hi there, a little late on this post but I'll give my $.02 FWIW...
Earlier this year I decided that I wanted to get into motorcycling. I had ridden motorcycles sparingly over the years and had maybe a grand total of about 25 miles experience. This means I could drive the bike without falling over but that was about it.
I am old enough that I wanted to get a good bike for ME and didn't care about impressing anyone or having the baddest motorcycle out there. (You'll see that having the baddest bike means having the same bike as everyone else, e.g. an R1)
I wanted a bike that I could learn to ride on but still enjoy as I got more experience. The SV650 seemed to be just the bike for me. I picked up my 03 SV650 from Ebay for $4150 with 1500 mile from a type-A personality who kept it perfect. Next I took the MSF class before even attempting to ride it. OK so I took it for a couple of rides, but under 10 mi. total
Before I took the MSF I read Proficient Motorcycling from David Hough cover to cover which explains the theory, science & practcial way to ride a motorcycle on public roads. After the MSF I continued to do drills & practicing on my own.
Next I read Twist of the Wrist II by Keith Code, another awesome book for its content but the guy is no writer per se.
I have about 3k miles on my SV now without incident. I am hoping to do my first track day sometime before the season ends so I can learn yet more on how to ride this bike of mine.
Some info on the SV650:
- The naked has lower gearing and it will raise the front wheel on throttle alone quite easily
- The S has a longer swingarm making it more stable at speed (I think)
- The S has clip-on bars and the naked has standard triple-clamp bars making it a different riding position altogether, along with more rear-set pegs on the S
- Both bikes have FI vs. carbs and this is a plus but makes you learn throttle control really quick!
Here's a must-read review from MD:
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/09april03suzuki2003sv650.htmI would agree with the other guys that the R6 is NOT a first bike. The SV650 isn't really a first bike itself, but it is WAY more forgiving than a supersport bike like the R1, CBRs, GSXRs, etc.
It seems very easy to tap into the SV's potential, it is light, flickable, torquey and begs to be ridden.
Worried if the SV isn't quick enough for you? How about a 12 second quarter mile (04's have dipped into the 11's I read) and will easily run to 125+. Not that you will be able to or should worry about doing either of these things for a LONG time...
Check out the SV community...it rocks! (Like the CEG of course)
www.svrider.comAlso regarding startup costs...MSF was $275 (in MA), helmet $130, jacket $150, pants $125, gloves $50...you get the picture.
http://beginnerbikes.com/index.html another good site.
Good luck & be safe!
