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FlyNavyJ,
I've gone back and looked at the SV650... nice looking (similar to the V-Strom and Versys in many ways it seems). Any more info on this bike? It's not the sport bike I thought, and they are actually on sale for dirt cheap in my area.
By the way - do you/ did you fly Navy Jets? If so thanks - I've been in the military for 16 years myself.
FlyNavyJ,
I've gone back and looked at the SV650... nice looking (similar to the V-Strom and Versys in many ways it seems). Any more info on this bike? It's not the sport bike I thought, and they are actually on sale for dirt cheap in my area.
By the way - do you/ did you fly Navy Jets? If so thanks - I've been in the military for 16 years myself.
If i hadn't had this screen name in some fashion or another i'd change it. Sadly, no i didn't. I did fly civilian airliners for several years, and now work with the DoD, but i am no longer a flyer. Let me however thank YOU for your service, i love this nation, the constitution, and the men and women who defend both!
On to the motorcycles. The SV650 has two variants, the SV650 and the SV650/S. There are also two different body styles, eh, three styles if you get technical. 99-02 are "curvies" (i.e. round frame, rounder bodywork) 04+ "Squares/pointies". The 2003 model is essentially an oddball, it was the first year for the reworked frame, however there are subtle difference between it, and the 04+ models that followed, as such, many parts for the 03 are specific for that model years frame and do not swap, i.e. If you see a part on ebay advertised for Suzuki SV650 all years, you have to be careful to see if it'll actually fit the 03 frame...i know rearsets and pegs are that way, frame sliders might be too, along with other random stuff, and body work.
The standard SV650 is just that, more standard. The bike has handle bars instead of clipons and the foot pegs are in a more "neutral" position. The position is still "sporty" and not as standard as a typical UJM, but it's no where near as sports oriented as most supersport bikes of the last 15 years. The SV650/S is significantly more sporty. The bike uses Clipon handle bars that hook directly to the forks pushing the body further forward over the gas tank, the footpegs are higher, and placed further back as well. While not as extreme a seating position as a Suzuki GSX-R, it's still more extreme than the Standard SV650. Best other comparision to the SV, would be the Ducati Monster, save that the SV is liquid cooled as opposed to air cooled.
Another standard that would be similar to the SV would be the Suzuki Bandit. While in 600cc form the bandit isn't a "rocketship" it is a bike that will demand some respect as it has more than enough horsepower to kill a new rider. I'd also highly recommend the Honda Nighthawk! I own a 85 CB650SC Nighthawk currently, and will be parting with it in a few days hopefully. The bikes are exceptionally reliable, and there's a great online haven for riders at www.honda-nighthawk.com spanning all years of nighthawks and lots of people have great experience with these bikes. They're low maintenance, the older models were shaft drive, and had hydraulic lifters, so essentially you fill it up with gas and change the oil, and that's all the maintenance you can expect. They can also be found very cheap, in the sub $1500 class, and often below $1000. They made the bikes with a 750cc engine all the way through 2003, and finding one of those shouldn't be difficult. They command a little more money, but should be plenty reliable, and if you can find one that's been dropped a few times, it'd be a steal of a price, and plenty reliable for any 50+ mile commute. The latter nighthawks were chain drive however, so they lose on the carefree maintenance of the earlier model bikes. Good luck!
Yeah - I love the military men and women as well ... gotta say that initially I joined out of love for God and country and a sense of duty, but, I've stayed in because of the people around me. Probably pretty common idea to many.
I started this post with my eye on only a few bikes, as I'd attempted to narrow the list, but, am rapidly expanding it based on a few of these. There are a few Nighthawks in my area (Kentucky), all under $2K (some only about a grand) and they range from the 80s to the 90s. I am a bit hesitant to buy a bike that's 20 - 30 years old.
You helped to explain why I thought the SV650 was a sports bike (guess I was looking at the S versions)... I really like the look of the 04+, but even more so like the price of the 02-.
So, a few have said they only recommend the 250, but, I really do not want to invest time and money with buying and selling. I'm not worried about my ego getting in the way... my only concern would be a throttle which is touchy or too heavy a bike during slow-going. Do you recommend the SV650 or Nighthawk as a starter bike to keep for many years?
I think both bikes will be pretty decent as first bikes, and will last you for as long as you're willing to put time into becoming a better rider. The nighthawk will be a little more comfortable if you decide to get into sport touring, and the SV will lend itself better if you decide twisty roads are in your future. The weak points of both bikes are their suspension, which are perfectly capable for daily road use, or long trips, but aren't much for racetracks, and i think you'd have plenty of time before you ever thought to take either bike there anyway.
Neither bike has a particularly quick throttle. The SV maybe slightly more so than the Hawk, but neither bike is a real screamer in terms of modern engine technology. The 03+ SV's will be fuel injected, which is nice for "start up and ride", the Nighthawk will be carbed. The SV's V-twin makes good torque low in the RPM range, so revving it high isn't necessary for around time riding, which is what lends itself to new riders...The 750 in the Nighthawk should be more than sufficient as far as power is concerned also. Both bikes will behave totally differently once you learn how to ride well enough to keep the revs up.
Personally, i really like the SV's, however i think as a daily rider and for potential into other riding activities, i like the 750 nighthawk a little more. The old ones from the 80's are great bikes, but I can understand hesitation with a really old machine. Honestly, if you've taken the MSF course already, and feel comfortable test riding the bike, see if everything works before you buy it, or take a friend who KNOWS motorcycles along with you when you go look at it, and you'd be perfectly safe buying an older machine. Heck, if you're really close to St. Louis, i'd even help you out.
People thinking of getting into biking i usually recommend a basic 500-750cc used bike as novices have no idea where they really want to go at first, cruising,touring,sport,enduro,off road,straightline power or twisties so you kinda need to get into biking on the cheap for a summer or two to discover where you want to go with it or if you even want to continue with the sport at all.,then spend the big bucks on the best bike for your preferred driving style.
The only danger is knowing the differences between bikes. A Kawasaki Ninja 500, is very different than a Ninja 636, which is still very very different than a Honda CB750. A new rider can probably deal w/ a 600cc sportbike and not kill themselves, however, just cause it's half the size of a large engined HD sporster, don't let your guard down. A 600cc supersport is probably making 130 hp, and can rev from idle to redline in a fraction of a second....awesome performance for the track, can be dangerous to a new rider on the street.
By the HD Sportster and ride it until you want to upgrade. You will be able to sell it for what you paid.(can't say that for the Japanese bikes)
Stay away from the sport bikes those are for the organ doners.
By the HD Sportster and ride it until you want to upgrade. You will be able to sell it for what you paid.(can't say that for the Japanese bikes)
Stay away from the sport bikes those are for the organ doners.
Calling BS -
The Harley Davidson will hold it's value significantly better than the Japanese Cruisers, or the sportbikes (that's a fact).
What you'll do however, is be part of the very stagnated market of Harley owners who are trying to sell their bikes for their value. If a vehicle resale value holds to close to it's retail value it will put a dent into the sale of new vehicles. As a result, vehicle manufacturers (who have to stay in business, and they do this by moving units) will make special incentive offers to garner more sales (typical 0% interest, money back, or free blue book trade in/upgrades). All of these further narrow the gap between paying full price for a new machine or buying a year old machine.
I personally watched a friend go through this exact same thing. He had his Honda Shadow totaled, purchased an 02 HD Wide Glide for 17,000, while it was blue booking in the low 20's. He added acres of chrome, aftermarket pipes, pegs, seat, etc and really "tricked" the bike out. 2 years later when he decides paying off debts is more fun than paying for his toy, he tried to sell it. Blue book was still 12k, but he was only asking $10k hoping for a quick sale. Lots of low ball offers, nothing concrete, and the bike was FLAWLESS. He eventually sold the bike to the dealership for 8k, which only paid off part of his loan, and he was still responsible for $2k to the bank.
So unless you're just REALLY REALLY REALLY hardstrong on getting a HD, i'd skip it. Not that they're not fine motorcycles, but there are equally fine motorcycles, that will be equally as reliable, have more performance, and are cheaper to purchase than most all HD products. New vs New there isn't much difference in price, but as PDD just pointed out, give that a year or two, and suddenly there will be some disparity, and since you'll probably buy used anyway, i'd get the best bang for your buck you can...and it's not a Harley Davidson (Sorry PDD).
Also, you can DIE on any motorcycle, so I wouldn't consider anyone really "safer" than the other. There are squids out there on both sets of bikes (Flip Flops, or Tennis Shoes, Tank Tops, Shorts, No Helmets, Half Helmet, etc)...I personally gear up everytime i go out, and only wish i could purchase more gear, mostly full leathers, or a suit. Typical HD gear i see involves a non-DOT half helmet, work boots, fingerless gloves, and a leather vest. Typical Sportbike safety gear, Full face Snell approved helmet (or atleast a DOT one), full circumference leather gloves with knuckle guards, articulated jackets with CE approved armor and back protectors, motorcycle specific non slip boots with superior ankle protection, and often motorcycle specific jeans with double stitched kevlar knees, butt, and hips....
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