Rennie Scaysbrook | June 7, 2016
Wow! You can really see how skinny that exhaust is.
The Suzuki SV650 is back and returning to its roots as a bike that can do almost anything you ask of it.
Remember your first streetbike? I sure as heck do. It was a little twin-cylinder 250 Yamaha not too unlike the all-new Suzuki SV650 you see before you. Every time I think of that burgundy bike I remember why I love riding so much. Two wheels, two cylinders and a straight handlebar. It was simplicity at its artful finest.
An hour into my ride on the new SV650 I can’t help but feel transported back to that time when I had a full head of hair and my only responsibility was trying to swindle some poor sucker into buying me booze that night. Life was easy then, way easier than now.
You can read the original magazine story by clicking HERE.
Bikes seem to have become more complicated in an exact parallel line to the goings on in my life. Traction control landed about the same time as my first mortgage, wheelie control about the time of my engagement; launch control about the time I moved to the U.S. So every time I get on a bike with none of the above, I feel a funny sort of peace, and remember Richard Carlson’s great book Don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff.
By the looks of things, Suzuki may have been reading the same book, because the new SV650 feels uncomplicated and happy in its own skin. This 2017 SV650 may as well be the first SV650 of 1999; it’s a stripped back, blank canvas that can tour as good as it can scratch, commute as good as it can race. There are not many bikes I can think of currently in the same league for similar money, save for Yamaha’s sensational FZ-07.
Back to the future? You could be forgiven for thinking this was the 1999 model, and that’s a good thing.
The 2017 edition has seen over 140 changes made to the engine and chassis in an effort to recapture what was so good about the original SV. Over 60 of those have been designated in the 645cc L-twin engine, mainly on lowering its overall weight and allowing a faster climb through the rev range, more peak power as well as increasing fuel range while still allowing the motor to reach the emissions targets set by Europe for the 2017 model year.
The SV650 doesn’t run a ride-by-wire throttle but you’d hardly know. The power delivery at the twist grip of the now twin-spark engine is liquid smooth—there’s little to no discernable clunk from a closed throttle, and the fuel-injection system with its 39mm throttle bodies and new long-tip 10-hole injectors is so beautifully mapped it allows for easy access to the power in almost any area of the rev range. By no means will the SV650 rip your arms out with sheer power, but it’s certainly not a slow bike. Suzuki has geared the 90° L-twin to be right in its happy zone between third and fourth gear, giving plenty of power via an engine that shakes very little for a V-twin. There’s no balance shaft on this engine, further reducing the internal weight and allowing the engine to rise and fall freely in the rev range.
Dash is very similar to what you’ll find on a GSX-S1000—easy to use and well laid out.
One of the great little innovations with the SV650 is Suzuki’s Low RPM Assist function. Basically what happens is the ECU bumps up the idle on the initial release of the clutch lever to help prevent the engine from stalling. As you let out about 10 percent of the lever travel, the engine raises the given rpm by about 200 revs, enough for you to be comfortable to open the gas and accelerate away from a standing start.
This simple yet ultra handy function will no doubt be a boon for new riders who might not yet be totally comfortable with the functions of a motorcycle clutch.
The chassis is a KISS case (keep it simple, stupid). There’s nothing on here, save for the ABS on the designated model, that wasn’t here on first SV. The 41mm conventional fork offers a bit of a retro look but works just as nicely as a more expensive inverted forks, and although it’s set a little on the soft side, bump absorption and ride quality is pretty hard to fault. The same can be said about the rear shock—there’s only preload adjustment at the back and if you’re both fully grown humans, it’ll be a saggy ride on standard settings when riding two-up—but on its own the shock’s performance was more than satisfactory.
There’s still that sporty DNA in the 2017 edition that made the original SV so much fun. Even though it’s a touch on the soft side, the chassis is great fun in corners—light and agile, it’s a perfect match for the pulses the L-twin engine produces. Everything feels easy and unintimidating, you can change direction easily but conversely it feels nicely planted in the middle and exit of a corner.
Its braking performance, while not being superbike level, is up to par. It’s got the same 290mm front brake the original model had—just this time with ABS—hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The SV650 feels decidedly light on its feet and part of that is due to the ultra-skinny midsection where the seat meets the tank, plus the seat height of 30.9 inches that’s the lowest in its class. That’s going to be an issue for riders above six feet tall because the rider triangle of bar/seat/peg was a bit too cramped for me. There’s not enough leg room for taller riders and the curvature of the seat is such that it’s quit difficult to sit a bit further back on the pad, meaning you’re kind of stuck in place. Likewise I think the SV could use a handlebar that’s about a half to one inch wider on each side for the taller riders out there as I felt my arms were a bit too close together. An easy fix for these ailments will be to fit bar risers and maybe MX-style bend bars; it won’t cure the leg room issue but will give you a wider stance and thus be a bit more comfortable.
The seat will be nearly perfect for riders under 5’10.” Anyone taller than that might might it a little cramped.
The 2017 SV650 is not so much the remake of a legend, more the continuation of one. When Suzuki released this machine way back in 1999, I doubt even they could not have predicted the success they were about to embark on. Over the years the SV has morphed away from what made it so good, so it’s pleasing to see the bike has come back to its roots with just a few modern touches (AB
A touch of retro in the headlight never goes a miss.
S, a very well-thought-out digital dash with a gear-position indicator just like the GSX-S1000, and a one-touch start system).
There may be no better bike out there to start your motorcycle life on—a great engine, a simple, nimble and sporty chassis, and plenty of comfort. And even for experienced riders, the 2017 SV650 could provide the ideal commuter, racer, custom bike—hang on, I think we’ve been here before…
Whatsitgot, Mister?
The SV650 might be somewhat of a clone of the 1999 original, but there’s been quite a few changes on the way to turn it into a 21st century beast. Absolutely central to the SV’s well being was that it would pass Euro 4 testing, and Suzuki has managed this while increasing fuel economy and giving you an extra four horsepower (75 hp at 8500 rpm) at the twist grip. Torque is the same at 47 lb-ft at 8100 rpm.
Starting from the top, the new engine has been fitted with twin-spark cylinder heads, and new, 10-hole injectors fuel injectors.
The SV is equipped with Suzuki’s Dual Throttle Valves where there the rider controls the primary throttle body and the secondary valve is controlled by the ECU, actuated by a servo motor, to provide smooth power delivery at any rpm.
The airbox has been redesigned to provide better throttle response and increase the mid-range performance via staggered intake funnel lengths (not a variable system like on many superbikes).
The exhaust uses a catalytic convertor and O2 sensor to help the little SV engine pass Euro 4 emissions, having lost a bit of weight on its own and helping increase mid-range torque. The catalyzer is now pretty small given how big these systems were only a few years ago.
A higher-capacity radiator now sits up the front of the engine and is 20mm wider than the outgoing SFV650, and the oil cooler is similar to the one found on the GSX-R750.
Transmitting the go to the road is a six-speed transmission and wet clutch, not a slipper type.
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SPECIFICATIONS: 2017 Suzuki SV650
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Engine:
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4-stroke, liquid-cooled 90 L-twin
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Displacement:
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645cc
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Bore x stroke:
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81 x 62.6mm
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Horsepower:
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75 hp @ 8500 rpm (claimed)
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Torque:
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47 lb-ft @ 8100 rpm (claimed)
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Compression ratio:
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11.2:1
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Transmission:
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6-speed
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Chassis:
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Tubular steel trellis
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Front suspension:
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41mm conventional fork
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Rear suspension:
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Single shock absorber, adjustable spring preload
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Front brake:
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Twin 290mm discs, twin-piston radial calipers, ABS model available
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Rear brake:
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Single 240mm disc, single-piston caliper, ABS
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Front tire:
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120/70 ZR17
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Rear tire:
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160/60 ZR17
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Rake:
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25°
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Trail:
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4.1 in.
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Wheelbase:
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56.0 in.
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Seat height:
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30.9 in.
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Overall width:
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29.9 in.
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Overall length:
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84.3 in.
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Fuel capacity:
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3.8 gal
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Weight:
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430 lbs (wet, claimed, 434 lbs ABS model).
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Color:
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Red, while/blue
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MSRP:
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$6999(standard), $7499 (ABS model)
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You can read the original magazine story by clicking HERE.
For more Cycle News Standard motorcycle reviews, click HERE.
For more Suzuki motorcycle reviews, click HERE.
