New (to me) ride

Started by SVT_Power, June 06, 2018, 12:03:28 PM

SVT_Power

So after my FZ6 was totaled out, started looking for bikes and this happened last night:



Has around 17k miles on it and as far as I can tell the only modifications to the bike are heated grips, and additional LED brake lights on the rear fender. Otherwise, bone stock which is surprising considering it's a 12 year old SV650. Doesn't look like it's ever even been dropped, other than a tiny scuff on the rear passenger handle, it's in pristine condition considering its age. Already ordered frame sliders.

My plans on molesting this clean example :lol: :

- Remove passenger handle
- New mirrors
- Straighter/lower handlebar
- Tail tidy and/or integrated taillight
- Powdercoat rear passenger peg & bracket
- Maybe a can, or a full exhaust system
- Chin spoiler

Out of those mods, I imagine I'll probably only do the first two things (remove passenger handle & get new mirrors). I can already tell I'll probably want something else by end of the season - I actually would've bought a Ducati Monster 696 this time around but the only reasonably priced ones were 4 hours away and I didn't want to go that far and I also wanted to get back to commuting on a bike ASAP. So chances are I'll probably ride the SV this summer and then switch out to a 696 by the fall. But for now, gonna enjoy it!
"On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high." - Ayrton Senna

Gotta-Qik-C7

Nice! And if you don't carry lots of passengers do like me and PlastiDip the rear peg/bracket!
2014 C7 Vert, 2002 Silverado, 2005 Road Glide

SVT_Power

Quote from: Gotta-Qik-C6 on June 06, 2018, 01:38:18 PM
Nice! And if you don't carry lots of passengers do like me and PlastiDip the rear peg/bracket!

I thought about just spray painting it, but I hear that wears off very quickly if you ride with a passenger (I occasionally do, although not sure if the ladyfriend will find the SV comfortable). We'll see!
"On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high." - Ayrton Senna

12,000 RPM

Nice!

How are you adjusting to the new engine character? That sounded like a bit of a dealbreaker for you initially. I personally prefer 2s to 4s... you feel a lot more connected to what the engine is doing.
Protecctor of the Atmospheric Engine #TheyLiedToUs

MexicoCityM3

Good looking bike! Congrats.
Founder, BMW Car Club de México
http://bmwclub.org.mx
'05 M3 E46 6SPD Mystic Blue
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'18 M3 CS
'16 X5 5.0i (Wife)
'14 MINI Cooper Countryman S Automatic (For Sale)

FoMoJo

"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." ~ Albert Einstein
"As the saying goes, when you mix science and politics, you get politics."

SVT_Power

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 06, 2018, 01:49:33 PM
Nice!

How are you adjusting to the new engine character? That sounded like a bit of a dealbreaker for you initially. I personally prefer 2s to 4s... you feel a lot more connected to what the engine is doing.

I couldn't get insurance for it this morning (the damn broker called me back as I was on the subway to work), so it's sitting at home. But I got insurance and registration taken care of this morning so I just gotta get home, throw my old plate on it and go for a ride  :praise:
"On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high." - Ayrton Senna

SVT_Power

Took it out for a spin tonight, finally got some real impressions.

- The SV and FZ are completely different bikes. I always figured they were competitors and I know they got compared back in the day but really they were designed with two very different things in mind.
- It's obviously early but I'm not sure I'll ever understand the allure of this motor. The v-twin noise is alright, but just how much the whole bike feels like it's going to vibrate itself apart if I lug the engine even a bit is very weird/concerning. I'm sure this is made worse by the fact that I came from a super smooth I4 but still.
- As expected, the SV definitely does feel like it has more pep in the midrange but I'm still expecting the thing to take off as the revs build like the FZ6 did but obviously the SV just doesn't work that way. And the SV is definitely builds speed through the midrange faster than I expect but still overall disappointing
- Everything about the SV feels so light compared to the FZ - the bike itself and the controls. Especially with how narrow the bike is compared to the FZ, just feels like a much lighter, easier to ride bike. I would definitely say the SV is a better bike for beginners compared to a FZ6
"On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high." - Ayrton Senna

12,000 RPM

Yea revs are not your friend here. You're going to make much more progress short shifting.

For me the big appeal of a vibey twin is you have much more sense of how the engine is loaded.... key when you're leaned over. On the street it probably doesn't matter but I'd be afraid of high siding. On this Gixxuses I rode I felt no connection to the engine whatsoever. It felt like a video game. Scary when you have like 140RWHP underhand. I guess you get used to it. But I'd learn to connect with the engine
Protecctor of the Atmospheric Engine #TheyLiedToUs

shp4man

Nice bike. The tail is so high, old farts may not be able to swing their leg over it, though.  :lol:

SVT_Power

Quote from: shp4man on June 07, 2018, 07:36:20 AM
Nice bike. The tail is so high, old farts may not be able to swing their leg over it, though.  :lol:

I'm coming from one of these, this SV is easier to get on/off of  :lol:

"On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high." - Ayrton Senna

SVT_Power

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 07, 2018, 05:12:44 AM
Yea revs are not your friend here. You're going to make much more progress short shifting.

For me the big appeal of a vibey twin is you have much more sense of how the engine is loaded.... key when you're leaned over. On the street it probably doesn't matter but I'd be afraid of high siding. On this Gixxuses I rode I felt no connection to the engine whatsoever. It felt like a video game. Scary when you have like 140RWHP underhand. I guess you get used to it. But I'd learn to connect with the engine

The SV just feels like it needs ~20-25% more power. I took off on green lights a couple of times this morning and by the time I feel like I should be doing triple digits in the FZ, the SV just simple isn't there (which I guess is better for my license :lol: )
"On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high." - Ayrton Senna

Speed_Racer

An aftermarket exhaust makes the twin sound much more engaging, the sound is way too restricted with the OE pipes.

And yeah mine would run out of steam at about 90 mph, but the power down low made it more fun around town and in the twisties. I could just leave it in 3rd and do my thing

12,000 RPM

SV's power is just about perfect for the street. Really no need to go any faster. At the track though :zzz:
Protecctor of the Atmospheric Engine #TheyLiedToUs

SVT_Power

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 07, 2018, 11:52:06 AM
SV's power is just about perfect for the street. Really no need to go any faster. At the track though :zzz:

Nah, I need my adrenaline fix  :devil:

Wringing the FZ6 from 8k to 14k through 1st/2nd was hella fun, even after ~10k miles on the FZ it still gave me a big smile when I opened up the throttle.
"On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high." - Ayrton Senna

Gotta-Qik-C7

Quote from: SVT_Power on June 07, 2018, 12:09:13 PM
Nah, I need my adrenaline fix  :devil:

Wringing the FZ6 from 8k to 14k through 1st/2nd was hella fun, even after ~10k miles on the FZ it still gave me a big smile when I opened up the throttle.
I feel you!
2014 C7 Vert, 2002 Silverado, 2005 Road Glide

SVT_Power

Just for everybody's entertainment, a bit of news from earlier this week.

I forgot to keep the shiny side up, went asphalt surfing at probably around 30 mph. Basically was not paying any real attention to riding, leaned the bike over way too much because I wasn't leaning properly (lazy + not thinking about it) and down she went. I don't know if it's because the tires have pretty shiny chicken strips, or I just simply bottomed out.

Either way, bike went for a little slide and so did I. Luckily, I put frame sliders on the bike literally 2 days before this happened. The slider did its job perfectly, and the extra large stock muffler also worked very well as a sliding surface. Frame, swingarm, handlebar, and tank did not receive a single scratch.

Just gonna replace the peg (wanted to do that anyway because the rubber pad on top was worn smooth), rear brake pedal, spool, and frame slider. I'll eventually get around to replacing the muffler as well, and then you wouldn't even be able to tell it went down.

I have a little bruise on my hip and finally small (maybe 1 square inch) road rash on my knee from sliding. Good times  :lol:
"On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high." - Ayrton Senna

Gotta-Qik-C7

2014 C7 Vert, 2002 Silverado, 2005 Road Glide

FoMoJo

Quote from: SVT_Power on June 14, 2018, 11:45:05 AM
Just for everybody's entertainment, a bit of news from earlier this week.

I forgot to keep the shiny side up, went asphalt surfing at probably around 30 mph. Basically was not paying any real attention to riding, leaned the bike over way too much because I wasn't leaning properly (lazy + not thinking about it) and down she went. I don't know if it's because the tires have pretty shiny chicken strips, or I just simply bottomed out.

Either way, bike went for a little slide and so did I. Luckily, I put frame sliders on the bike literally 2 days before this happened. The slider did its job perfectly, and the extra large stock muffler also worked very well as a sliding surface. Frame, swingarm, handlebar, and tank did not receive a single scratch.

Just gonna replace the peg (wanted to do that anyway because the rubber pad on top was worn smooth), rear brake pedal, spool, and frame slider. I'll eventually get around to replacing the muffler as well, and then you wouldn't even be able to tell it went down.

I have a little bruise on my hip and finally small (maybe 1 square inch) road rash on my knee from sliding. Good times  :lol:
C'mom man, you're going to have to get a side-car if you keep doing that.
"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." ~ Albert Einstein
"As the saying goes, when you mix science and politics, you get politics."

93JC

It's official, you're an inattentive FOG who can't keep a bike upright. Might as well get one of these things and accept your fate:


Speed_Racer


12,000 RPM

Finally figured out what that thing looks like

Protecctor of the Atmospheric Engine #TheyLiedToUs


MX793

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 07, 2018, 05:12:44 AM
Yea revs are not your friend here. You're going to make much more progress short shifting.

For me the big appeal of a vibey twin is you have much more sense of how the engine is loaded.... key when you're leaned over. On the street it probably doesn't matter but I'd be afraid of high siding. On this Gixxuses I rode I felt no connection to the engine whatsoever. It felt like a video game. Scary when you have like 140RWHP underhand. I guess you get used to it. But I'd learn to connect with the engine

That's less it being a vibey twin and more the amount of power available and gearing.  Run one of the Gixxers down at an RPM where they only make ~50 hp and you'll get the same sensation of loading.  Reality is, you shouldn't be putting down power while the bike is leaned.  You should be at neutral throttle, rolling into it as the bike pulls out of the lean.  Same with a car.  You don't start rolling into the accelerator until you start unwinding the wheel.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

MX793

Quote from: Speed_Racer on June 15, 2018, 02:22:48 PM
He's a Yamaha guy



I still can't figure that thing out.  It's not self-supporting, so it's not for the usual trike rider who has difficulty with balance or holding a bike upright.  I guess it effectively makes it harder to wash out the front end since there are 2 contact patches, so if you hit a small patch of something on the road with one wheel, the other has enough grip to keep you from falling (provided whatever you hit doesn't cover the whole road).  Probably works great with those tar strips that get greasy when it's hot out.  Adds a lot of weight and complexity for that benefit, though.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

Laconian

Quote from: 93JC on June 15, 2018, 06:00:33 AM
It's official, you're an inattentive FOG who can't keep a bike upright. Might as well get one of these things and accept your fate:



lolll
Kia EV6 GT-Line / MX-5 RF 6MT