ZDan

SV650 = vtwin
GSXR = I4

Expert or beginner or intermediate, an SV650 is a fanfreakingtastic bike, and fewer people will mistake you for a douchebag on one

homersapiens

He doesn't sound like the sort of guy that would appreciate an SV.

He sounds more like someone who would actually be much better off with less performance and more fairing.

homersapiens

SV's have fantastic engines and frames, but the suspensions were specified to keep the cost down. Virtually all experienced riders upgrade both ends. As you said, a GXSR swap is a popular approach but you can also upgrade the fork internals which is what I did. I also replaced the standard rear shock with a Penske. I left the engine untouched but have lots of other functional mods - ss brake lines, frame sliders, headlight/tailight modulators, CF exhaust, etc. They are a great bike to customize to your personal tastes. Many people add full fairings, especially for racing. (SV's pretty much dominate the mid-displacement twins class)

I added a set of soft bags and a tank bag. It looks like a commuter bike, but it's quite capable of reeling in SS bikes in the twisties, depending on rider skill. I've done it many times.

Take the luggage off, tape the headlights, and you are ready for the track. Anyone who likes V-twins (at least for the right reasons, which are related to torque, not appearance ) would be crazy not to consider an SV.

People who are more interested in posing on a fully faired SS, not so much.

Zoomie

Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents.

Take a look at the Ducati Monsters, and if you can, go ride one. They have a lot of the great Ducati characteristics (desmo valves, trellis frame, race lineage -Pantah 500 based air cooled, 2 valve engine) and a sexy exhaust note. The upside over the used superbikes which are near the same price point is that the Monsters have a much smaller commitment in terms of maintenance and potential repairs. Ducati quality control has always oscillated wildly, but seems to be at an all time high right now.

All of that being said, I love my Monster and it has me looking at 996s... There is just something about Ducati

devildust

KTM RC8!!! Check it out, awesome bike

charlox5

Ducati 749 as a first bike...I guess i've heard dumber ideas before.

Starting on a "slow" bike isn't just about preventing yourself from "accidentally" doing 140 on the freeway. It's about learning bike control with a more forgiving platform that's usually easier to work on, cheaper to fix, and a more sound financial investment. A $2000 Ninja250 isn't going to depreciate, at all. If you time it right, you might even make money (buy it in the winter, ride it, sell it in the summer).

But more than that, riding a 250 teaches you something that is difficult to teach--conserving momentum. If you go to the track, and you decide you enjoy riding hard, if you start on a ducati or a booell, you'll kick yourself 1) because neither are particularly good track bikes 2) because you could have been learning to ride hard on a 250 that doesn't have a ton of power to make up for sloppy riding or being a coward on the brakes.

I started on a 600. I spent a lot of time an energy trying to be fast. I regret not starting on a slower bike because it would have made me a better rider. It's better to ride a slow bike fast than it is to ride a fast bike slow.

I never started bike racing because i got married and had kids when I would have, but knowing what i know, if i were to start riding track or racing, i would most definitely do it on a SV650. if you just want to ride around on the street and do the occassional canyon run, then I suppose it doesn't matter--but at that point I would be looking at bikes that are either easier to live with than a watercooled duc, or just flat out better than a bool.

asrautox

^This. The monster 696/796's are a great starter bike. Easy to fling around, low seat height, comfy, etc. I test rode a 696 and was very comfortable on it, and would've bought it if I hadn't ridden the Triumph Street Triple R that's currently in my garage..

unclefester

My two cents worth ...

Having just started riding a few months ago ( 500 miles in and really enjoying it, we're only allowed a 125CC bike here until we pass a test), I'm still learning what I'm doing and there's no way I'd want something this fast for at least another year or two. The one thing I don't have that I think is essential is experience. Knowing what to do when you need to do it and being able to do it instinctively do it isn't the same thing, one will kill you and one will may just save you. Any mistake you make on a bigger bike will be amplified by your lack of experience and its power.

How much time have you spent 'learning' on something sensible?

Maybe I'm just an old git and realise i'll bounce less and it will hurt more

Dalpe

Well I had more experience with Ducati but Buell suits you more, right now. Then you should start riding Ducati later when you get bored of Buell

thepassionofthegoose

I owned a 99 748 monoposto for almost a decade (and no, it wasn't my first bike). They are very demanding bikes to ride, especially when ridden by new riders. They give you exactly what you have in terms of skill and not an ounce more.

If you're a beginner you'll likely develop many bad habits on one because it demands a very specific type of rider input that requires experience. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I've had many experienced riders ride my old duck and comment on how difficult it was to ride because of the position and the clutch. These things were designed to win WSB races first and foremost.

Get an SV650 and spend all your free time at the track and then no one will mistake you for a toolbox squid on your too fast bike with giant chickenstrips gracing the sides of your tires.

Sorry to be harsh, but that's the reality of sportbikes. It's your riding style that's judged, not the machine you're perched on.