SV650?

[Porsche Monkey]

Anybody know anything about SV650's?  My buddy is looking at one as a first bike. Its an 01 with 45k on the clock. Gonna go look at it tonight with him and just want to know if there's anything out of the ordinary to look for.

[factorPlayer]

They make me kind of throw up in my mouth a little 

Sorry that's not real constructive, that's all I got...

[DucHead]

They are great bikes and VERY popular track bikes.

Provided all the scheduled services have been done, it should be a great first bike.

[Jarvicious]

....Provided all the scheduled services have been done..........

45k isn't out of the ordinary for a bike that old if someone actually rides it, but do make sure they took good care of it first.  Check for records of maintenance from a dealer if they got em.

[be350ka]

Before I bought my Duc I was looking at some "older" SV's and it seems that there were some that had frames that cracked where the shock attached to the frame.  Something worth looking into.

[swampduc]

I had an '04 sv650 for 2 yrs and 20k miles. Never had a single problem with it. It should be a great 1st bike.

[Cider]

I think SV650s are fantastic bikes; I'm partial to the first-gen ones like the one your friend is looking at.  Even with the low-buck brakes and suspension, I still think they are a lot of fun.  I'm working on an '02 this winter that I'll use on the track next year.

[brix821]

sv's are great 1st bikes.  It should keep him happy for a long time.You can mod the snot out of them as well. send on over to www.svrider.com

[MostroS2R]

I had an 02 sv650s, great bike. Never had a problem with it.

[fastwin]

Never owned one but have friends that have and a buddy who is in sales at a local Suzuki/Kawasaki has raced one successfully for years in CMRA and he can't sing their praises enough. Just one of those gems that bike makers produce occasionally. That's high mileage so like other's have suggested I would make d#@n sure to look at the service records if they are available. Nice thing about buying bikes is that it's usually pretty easy to see if a bike has been thrashed. If it's owned by a thrasher/stunter/abuser it's pretty obvious. If the bike has that kind of mileage and it looks really good (just normal wear) it could be a great first scooter. [moto] Good bikes for sure.

[2001cromo]

They're great bikes.
Honestly the mileage could be something/nothing depending on the overall condition/health.

But as long as it runs it wouldn't take much to make it perfect. And they make an excellent first bike.

There's no real issues with them to "look out for". Sure, shit can happen but you gotta beat the living snot outta them for a while before it gets ugly.

Those bikes are like Timex watches "they take a licking and keep on ticking..."  When I got mine it didn't run, had a lot of water in the tank and the valves were tight. Big whooop! I spent last winter making it into a great track day tool and It runs great now.

I've got a first gen modded to hell and my girlfriend has a second gen and we use them for track days.

They're generally inexpensive too.

Best of luck with that bike and get sliders

[corey]

Ive heard some stories of water getting into the vertical cylinder during rain riding. Apparently has something to do with the angle of the spark plug and the way it's mounted... Two people for sure, both with the same year SV.

It was a consideration of mine as well, i like the bike alot. It just turned out that the insurance difference between the SV650 and the S2R800 made the monster worth the small amount of extra cash... SV650 = Suzuki = Rice Rocket = Double Insurance Rates (for me anyway).

It's a good bike, and it has a large support community (svrider.com)

[damianS4RS]

I had an '01 for 3 years and she was good to me. Never had a problem. When I bought it, she was running on one cylinder. Got her working quickly and she never complained again. Throw some upgraded tires on her and a newby rider will never notice the suspension's shortcomings. Get the first gen, they're easier on the eyes. 

[semyhr]

I rode one when I was learning to ride and damn I hated when you roll with your clutch engaged and if you let it go at slow speeds the engine will die and you will have good chances falling on your face, other than that nice

[the_Journeyman]

Power-wise IIRC they're around the the power of a M695.  Good non-intimidating bike.  As others have said, make sure the PO has done the service needed and thoroughly inspect any wear areas ~

JM