Motorcycle People: Need your opinion

What type of riding do you want to do? When I first started riding 35 years ago I was into dirt bikes and then fast Japanese bikes like a Suzuki GS 750, GS 1100, a Kawasaki 750 H2 and 900ZR. After I got a little older I started liking cruising around a little slower with more comfort and enjoying the scenery and bought a Harley Fatboy. I have since bought an American Ironhorse LSC chopper and it is the most fun bike I have ever owned. http://www.americanironhorse.com/flashweb/index.html Ride several type of bikes before you make a final decision on what to buy. There are places everywhere where you can rent a bike for a weekend to help you make up your mind.

 

Great choice for a first bike. I have no idea about the value. If you belong to a credit union, they will have the latest NADA books.

Dale

 

Sitting on a bike and riding it for a few hours are entirely different things. While a sports bike may in fact be the bike for you, I would still rent one for a weekend before buying one.

 

i wouldn't really consider an SV650 to be a true sportbike. when i hear "sportbike" i think GSXR or CBR, basically something with a more leaned over forward position and full fairings stock.

pretty much every responsible motorcyclist, who wasn't a stunter, that i've ever talked to has said the SV650 was in their top 3 for beginners bikes, along with the ninja 250 and ninja 500. i think the one you found looks really good. if you have any biker friends, see if they can go with you to maybe ride it around the block. KBB value is 4160, NADA had a low price of 3200 and a high price of 4155. considering the bike looks in mint shape, with not alot of miles, id say it was a good deal

 

SV650 is a good first bike.
$4k might be a "little" high, but not too much if its in good shape, and is basically stock.

A kinda personally question... how much do you weigh? If you tips the scales at over 160lbs WITH GEAR ON, consider getting the stock suspension resprung. It will transform the bike, and is the cheapest/best upgrade you can make. Dont bother with adding pipes, jets, carbon fiber... getting the suspension set for YOU is the best thing you can do. Even if you dont re-spring/re-valve.. make SURE you get your static sag set up.


what to look for:
Check the frame. Any mis-matched paint on the frame may indicate that it has been crashed, straightened and then repainted. Not a really "bad" thing, but not worth $4k at that point. Look for broken tabs on the frame or sub frame. Look for scrapes on the mirrors, turn signals, exhaust, bar end sliders. These are parts that may not have been replaced after a tip over.

Ask the owner to remove the lower fairing. Its not a big deal to do, and is a good test to see if hte owner can do it easily/quickly. If he/she balks at it, or has trouble doing it, it may be an indication that he/she hasnt done it, and may not have EVER serviced the bike.

at 6k miles, that may not be allllll that bad. But it should have been at least serviced at break in, and again at 3k miles.


SV's are great bikes.

 

also look for dings in the frame under the brake and shift levers. This may indicate that the bike was dropped on that side.

ask what size jets are in the carbs. If the owner doesnt know he/she may have put the pipe on without re-jetting. Not the best idea. Alos ask what kind of air filter is in it. If its a K&N, refer back to the jetting answer. High flow air filters and aftermarket pipes require re-jetting to keep the bike from running too lean. Look at the header pipes to check for excessive blueing.

 

Before you fiddle with the suspension on that bike, ride it for a bit. Then, when you're comfortable with the bike, put nylon wraps on the slider portion of the forks. Take the bike for a ride, and see where the nylon wraps ended up. If they indicate that you've used all the suspension, re-set the pre-load, and try it again. After you've max'd out the preload, then think about new springs, but you'll need to deal with a suspension person, someone who can take your analysis, and get you the right components. When you change the springs, you may very well need to adjust the oil, and perhaps the valving of the forks.

Once you've got the front where you want it, it's time to work on the rear. You'll go through the same set of procedures with the rear shock. You might want to review the Roadracing World SV650 project bike, for their thoughts on how to make the bike handle better, but remember, they were building a race bike, so that a lot of what they've done isn't going to apply directly.

Hope this works out.

Art

 

My stock advice (sic) to anyone looking for a first bike is to get one that weighs less than 500 pounds, which I believe the SV650 does.

Riding a big, heavy bike, with crappy brakes and a raked front end is a recipe for disaster for a newbie.

Your eyes and agility are the only weapons that count in the war against cages.

For example, the absolute dumbest thing one can do on a motorcycle is "lay er down." As long as the rubber side is still down and the shiny side is up, you have a chance.

Dale

 

you should buy my 888 sp5...it weighs under 500lbs!!!

if you are really having fun w/ the bike thing, consider buying an older ducati 900 ss final edition. the price will be a little more but it will be a bike you can grow with w/o out it hurting you or you it. it is also a bike that can be tracked as you progress and you can hot rod the hell out of the motor and suspension as art can attest to.

they are also very pretty and if you find a very nice one, it will be a pride of ownership example as well.

have fun...let me know if you require local advice?

pcb

 

i often go out to otay lakes and go for a nice ride. i resist riding w/ the young crashers as they are headless and likely have no real race or track experience ...i don't want them taking me out!!

i always say that they have the superman complex...they think they are fast and have never been down hard at speed! the superman complex is usaully short lived!!

be careful and have fun.

my 888 at otay ...near the olympic training center.
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then you should ride with him to show him the right way. he won't get better unless he has someone much more experienced showing him the right things to do and the right habits.

 

Good advice here.
Ride safely, enjoy, wear your gear, and welcome to our passion.
J

 

The SV650 is a perfect starter bike and is even a good time for more experienced riders. Don't worry about fiddling with anything at first. Learn how to ride it, decide what you like and don't like, then worry about how to fix it. The SV is a great all around bike with more than adequate handling and power for a novice rider. I've ridden much more powerful bikes and still had a blast riding an SV650.

If you don't know what you are looking for in mechanical condition, see if you can take it to a local shop for a pre-purchase inspection. Most places will do it for 1/2 to 1 hour of their labor and give you a list of anything they find wrong. While this is no guarantee you will buy a trouble-free bike, anything like prior crash damage will be very obvious to an experienced tech.

Of course, make sure you have all of the right protective gear as well. There have been several other threads here covering that topic.

Larry

 

CBR 900RR

 

You should set up the suspension for your size/weight.

it is NOT hard to do.

will you notice a difference right out of the box? no.
will it quickly become an issue? yes.

Riding a bike that is not set up for you will be a pain, and can lead to learning bad habits and not getting the most out of your riding experience. Riding a bike that has the preload cranked all the way over to soft can lead to it wallowing in the corners (think along the lines of driving a car with no shocks) and dangerous diving under hard braking. Pre-load cranked up to hard can lead to a harsh ride and poor handling.


here are a couple of tips on doing it

http://sportrider.com/tech/146_0006_sag/
http://sportrider.com/bikes/146_susp_settings/


at 160 without gear, you are right in the ballpark for the stock springs on an SV. So dont worry about changing the springs on either end just yet... if at all.

IIRC, the stock SV fork are not externally adjustable for pre-load, it has to be done with spacers. Not a "big" deal, but a little bit of a hassle.

FIRST, measure your static sag and see where you are at. If you are in recommended range.

Lowered? ya might want to look into reversing that as well. Unless you are inseem challanged.


yer in San Diego?

hmmm... Dont know who runs track days in that area... go over to Labusas.org (and dont mind all the BS) and ask for C.Dolan or BigGar. Both are top notch folks, and live in the area. Both ride a ton and would know where to point ya in the SD area.

 

while under the fairing look for standard engine "stuff". Leaks, drips, cracked or replaced engine covers or cases. Check the oil filter, is it OEM (and looks like its been on the bike since new) or is it aftermarket? Ask what kind of brake fluid the bike takes... Dot 3? Dot 4? not out of any REAL interest, but just to see if the owner knows. If he'she doesnt, the brake fluid has prolly never been changed or filled (not a deal killer, but will give you an idea of what kind of owner yer dealing with).

again at 6K miles, maint. isnt THAT big of an issue. SV engines are pretty bullet proof, and lack of service in 6k miles wont hurt them.

but it never hurts to try and figure out what has/hasnt been done to the bike.

 

here is a great site with info on the SV

http://svrider.com/

great bikes.

My current front line race bike.

here is a another quick suspension set up article:
http://www.racetech.com/articles/SuspensionAndSprings.htm


I'm not trying to HAMMER ya on the suspension set up... dont get me wrong. Its just something I do to all my bikes before I take them for a spin around the block. Think of it as adjusting the mirrors and seat in a car before you drive it. Can you drive it without doing it? yep. Will you be more comfortable after you do it? yep.

it is just one of the most overlooked things in motorcycling. Most just hop on a bike and ride it.

so dont freak out, and dont think of me as a suspension set up Nazi.

actually, I'm a riding gear Nazi, but thats a whole different discussion.

 

boots - I'm a fan of taller boots with good stiff ankle support. I know the my Sidi's have held up fine in several crashes, with no twisting or breaking. Could have been I was lucky, could have been the boots saving me. What I do know is that they are comfy to walk around in while not on the bike. I've got the perforated version, decent airflow.

I'd go with taller ones... better safe then sorry in my book.


Gloves - I've got Held's with ceramic knuckle armour. I'd advise at least something on the knuckles... Carbon fiber? dunno that it needs to be all that. Gauntlet? ehhhh... I've got em for racing, but my street gloves are shorter...

do you "need" some high zoot gloves? ehhh... nah... if you got good palm and knuckle protection yer good to go.


gear opinions go around and around. How much to spend... what type... can nearly a religious discussion. But having it, and using it every time you ride will put you WAY ahead of the game.

but consider that buying gear is part of the cost of buying a bike.

Propper gear, propper training.

Thats a good place to start in any endeavour.

 

All excellent advice here. SV650 is an excellent first bike; mine was and still is a Ducati 1998 900SS.

Twins are excellent first bikes due to the friendly power delivery. Read the posts here on gear and you can't go wrong.

If you ride under the assumption that automobiles drivers can't see/hear you (they can't due to Cellphones, IPODS, Navigation systems, DVDs, etc.) you will be fine. Enjoy!

 

see...i agree with you that the 900ss is the best value propostition.

lovely to look at, ride, and own long term.

 

chop, i too use held gloves. may cost more than others but they are the best. and yes, get real good boots as foot injuries are not good for long term quality of life!