2000 Suzuki SV650 Sport Bike reviews

Why is it the #1 selling model in the world for 2000 & 2001? Because dollar for dollar nothing matches it. I put 20 wt Belray in the forks when I took delivery on 5/00 along with Micron full exh. and Goodrich brake lines and 14k miles later, its still the cats meow. No problems with suspension or anything else. Travels well(2300 mi. Canada trip), great commuter, tons of fun to flick around in the twisties. It doesn't take a pulitzer prize winner to write a positive note for this ride! Show less

I've been riding an SV650 since April 2000-I have about 17,000 miles on it(02-06-03). Everything that's been reviewed is dead-on..great handling,torque,light weight,excellent brakes.. I want to add that the high speed stability is amazing for such a small bike,the first day I rode it I exceeded 100 mph without realizing it. I've done some long distance rides with it..Florida to Washington D.C.,other trips to Knoxville and Ohio. I wouldn't call it comfortable,but it's not unbearable. My only problem was trying to run race tires on the street with it(Bridgestone BT56SS on the rear). I found out that the tire has to get hot to be effective,when it's cold it may as well be an oaken doughnut. I'm running Avon Azaros AV35 and AV36 now,in the hopes of getting more life out of the tires. In summary,you couldn't get more bang for your buck.I'm very satisfied with my SV650. Show less

I bought this bike summer of 2000 for my wife as a first bike. She's 5'10", with no prior riding experience, other than riding as passenger behind me. It's perfect for her. Not too tall, too small, too weak or too powerful. Once she figured out the difference between the brake and clutch levers, everything was smooth. Unfortunately, though, I've fallen in love with it, too. I've got about 17 years of riding experience, mainly with dirt bikes and cruisers. The SV650 is so much fun to ride that my Intruder 1400 rarely sees the pavement anymore. It's very quick, comfortable, and a hoot to ride. And the inexpensive price tag was quite a factor. If you want a bike that is dependable, fun, comfortable, and easy on the wallet, go for the SV. Unless you're really tall or overweight, it's a great ride. Show less

I spent part of June at Americade in Lake George, New York. They had demo rides there of all the new bikes and I spent the better part of 3 days riding as many of them as I could. The only bike besides the SV650 that put as big a smile on my face was the Ducati ST4, and it costs 3 times as much. Sure, there were a lot of good bikes there and today you almost can't go wrong with any of them. But for my tastes, the SV650 sporting twin is the most fun for the dollar. It handles great, has a wonderful engine that feels much larger than it is, is extremely light and you don't feel contorted like a pretzel riding it. I got a set of soft saddlebags, longer mirrors so you can actually see backwards and dressed it up with some other custom touches, but it is just fine as purchased. You won't go wrong if you get one. Show less

Beginner's bike? Sure, it could be, but nobody tell the SV that. Rookie or veteran, pretty much everyone can find some endearing quality about the SV. For the rookies, it might be the responsive and light handling. Or perhaps the upright riding position and the "whoa-I-better-slow-down-and-now" brakes. Maybe it's simply the gorgeous aluminum truss frame around the midsection that does it for 'ya. For the veterans, you'll probably enjoy the way the SV can be railed hard into the sweepers whilst hard on the gas, and the split personality of the SV's incredible mill. (Sure, the torque's fine below 5500 rpm, but learn to keep the tach above 6000 or so, and you've got an entirely different bike at your disposal.) Plus, experienced riders can usually appreciate the beauty of a bike that doesn't necessarily look like it just escaped from the track but can certainly be ridden like one. (maybe you'll be wanting to firm up the front end a touch first before you get too nutty, though.)Whatever does it for you, the SV is one heck of a package for the money. Can't leave well enough alone? Me neither. Go ahead, dial up www.svrider.com or www.sv650.org and marvel at a feature not usually mentioned in the SV's spec sheets. that's right- this bike comes fully equipped with it's own fan club. Bust out the plastic and hop-up to your heart's content. Just 'cause Suzuki is going to sell a bazillion of these doesn't mean yours has to look just like anyone else's, right? And to you rookies out there, who have just or are thinking of buying an SV, for god's sake, put a pipe on it! It's the right thing to do- allow that glorious twin to sing! Fill the air with the growl of a sport twin and giggle like a ninny the next time you hear the whiny shreak of a four-banger going through the gears off in the distance. Ah yes, it's good to be an SV rider... Author's note: Having made the wrong decision more than a year ago, I bought a Kawasaki ZR-7 over the SV. Now, don't get me wrong, the ZR is a fine machine. It does a good job of pretty much everything, but I got bored with it pretty fast. I think what made me realize that the ZR wasn't for me was when one day when I was washing it, I noticed exactly how large it's motor was as it sat in the frame. I just thought how sad it was that that big lump of engine only made pretty much the same power as the SV, and had to shuffle around considerably more weight. After that day, I became rather bored with its performance and lack of character. No matter what you do to it, the ZR-7 is still going to be an air-cooled inline four, and for me personally that just won't do anymore. I figured I'd include that for anyone who might be considering a ZR-7 or an SV650. Both are good bikes, but the SV is a great bike. Therein lies the difference. Show less

Lots of fun on this mid size beauty; lots of torque, very responsive on the twisties; would recommend the F-15 sport shield from National Cycle-gives good wind protection, and also the Napoleon mirrors from Hole Shot as the stock mirrors didn't seem to have long enough stems. After spending time with cruisers I decided to try something different. Goodbye cruisers!! Drive safe! Show less

haven't made it to the break in point on my 2001 SV 650 but even restrained to roughly 5k rpm, have been amazed by the performance, handling and braking power of this deceiving little grin machine. I've had lots of bikes, all Honda, and when I got the bug again and started researching mid size mounts, the reviews pointed me toward the SV. I had a newish Nighthawk 750 that I thought was exceptionally competent, but compared to the Suzuki, it seems downright boring. The way the SV delivers it's power across that wide band just kicks ass. I have to get some wind protection though and am eagerly awaiting the Targa blast shield I ordered. Very very happy with my purchase. Show less

The engine has the most useful powerband ever. It makes juice from 3000 up to about 8500. Compare that to a 600cc sportbike that starts making power at around 6000, and it's much more usable on the street. The front shocks are way too soft, which is the only flaw on this bike in my opinion. I haven't gotten around to it, but I've heard that can be fixed to a large degree by changing the fork oil to 15 weight instead of the 5 or 10W that's standard. It's comfortable for two-up riding for about as long as you can keep gas in it. After 160 miles (when the low fuel light comes on for me) you're ready to stretch your legs and gas 'er up. When you get back on, you're ready for a few hundred more. Rather than spend $2000 more for something "better" consider that you can spend ~$5500 on this, improve the front suspension, buy a Corbin seat, get a tankbag, windshield and come out way ahead. You don't even have to rev it to over 6000rpm to get power. It's also lightweight and has good ground clearance so it will embarrass most heavier bikes in the corners. I recommend it fully. Show less

This is the best bang for the buck in motorcycling. Nothing can match the sport twin powerband. I am putting a staintune exhaust on next week. I will not mess with the carbs. Motorcycles are very touchy so the only mod I am doing is that. Very satisfied with this bike. Happy Riding. Show less

What can I say. Before I bought this machine, I read almost all the reviews I found and decided I had to prove to myself if all the good things people say about it is true. Well, After about 50 miles of riding, I went ahead and got one. A lot of people forgot to mention one thing though, it goes about 45 mpg. I have owned this SV for a year now and am trading it in for a 2001 SV650S. I like the half fairing. What more can I say? Show less