SV650 vs Honda Hawk vs GS500

[anticoriolis]

Ok, I know this is sort-of a contended issue... on SVrider's forums people are pretty adamant that the SV is NOT a beginner bike. But lots of other places, (including my friends who have started out on SV's) tell me that they're great bikes and totally manageable. I need some advice. If you want to skip the novel, the simple quesiont is can someone compare the nt650 honda hawk to the SV650? And as a beginner should I REALLY be looking at the less-than-compelling GS500?

I have very little motorcycle experience other than the MSF class and a 50cc scooter that I had for a year. I'm pretty comfortable on two wheels, have been a long-time mountain biker and now a road biker as well. I'm a mature 24 but have a reputation for having a bit of a lead foot... though I'm very respectful and borderline terrified of motorcycles so that shouldn't be a huge issue. I'm also in San Francisco so I feel like I need to be more cautious about the type of bike I'm buying than someone in a less dense area, or at least one less replete with near-vertical hilly stop signs.

So my question is, will I kill myself on an SV? Should I be concerned about getting a 650 to start, or are all the "you have to start on a 125cc or you'll spontaneously combust" guys pretty much dead on?

I have a beautiful 2003 in black lined up with less than 5k miles on it for $3500 with only a slight dent in the tank... having a hard time saying no! Aesthetically it's EXACTLY what I want and I hate the process of buying / selling big ticket things... would rather buy one bike and keep it. Should I be strong and go for the little bike?



Thanks!

[jonnythan]

the SV is NOT a beginner bike.

I have very little motorcycle experience other than the MSF class and a 50cc scooter that I had for a year.

I have a reputation for having a bit of a lead foot

I'm terrified of motorcycles

I'm also in San Francisco so I feel like I need to be more cautious

Should I be concerned about getting a 650 to start?

Should I be strong and go for the little bike?

If you thought it was a great idea, you wouldn't be asking other people for validation.

You know it's a bad idea. So don't do it.

Read your own post, man.

[anticoriolis]

Alright, fair point. If you take all the "cons" and list them out, they sound pretty bad. Maybe I'm trying to talk myself out of it, but really I've heard about 50-50 about this. Having test-ridden one I didn't think it was all that hard to manage, just faster than I realized. I kept the speed down, am going to stay the hell off the freeway for a few thousand miles and will probably start out around residential areas. And I feel very comfortable on a bike, just think my first time out I was taken back a bit.

Really what it comes down to is I had already talked myself out of it and was going to buy a 73 450. But the little 450 was actually less predictable than the SV. It didn't want to turn. It was poorly tuned and kept wanting to die. The controls / rearsets were sorta awkward by comparison. I could probably fix a lot of that stuff, but at face value on the SV I was paying more attention to traffic than on the 450.

So then the question is, if the SV really is a bad idea, then is the NT650 hawk any better? Or should I go for the GS500?

[Wrider]

A GS500 is a great beginner's bike! I'd rock one if the suspension could handle me without much upgrades! lol (280 lbs)
As for the SV, the thing about them is that they may not have much (relatively speaking) HP, but they have tons of torque for their size.
I've got a friend who has one as a second bike, about 6' and 250, pulled a throttle wheelie on it trying to get out of the way of a car while cornering...
Guy has over 4k miles experience on his GS500 and STILL pulled that off!
So yeah, I'd do the GS500 without a problem!
Wrider

[Kibagari]

Alright, fair point.

So then the question is, if not the SV then is the NT650 hawk any better? Or the GS500? Do I really need to get an overgrown scooter to start out on? I test rode a CB450 that was in admittedly pretty poor shape but I was worrying more about what that bike was going to do than where I was or what was around me, which I think would be terrible in SF!

Did you seriously just call the GS500 an overgrown scooter? That thing can still go 0-60 faster than any car you will probably ever own. The GS500 is a perfect beginner's bike, as is the EX500 if you don't want a 250, which the EX250, or Ninja 250, sounds like a sewing machine. But still, the Ninja 250 (2008) is gorgeous and does have plenty of power. Overgrown scooter? I'm sorry, you've got the wrong idea about bikes.

[anticoriolis]

Ah sorry. I didn't mean the GS500 was a scooter. I meant a 125 is basically a scooter. I have a friend who rode his GS to Seattle and back! Respectable bikes, for sure. Just... not really compelling. I don't want to make a decision just based on aesthetics but it certainly enters into it! They're not BAD by any stretch. Just, I like the SV way better...

Same with the hawk sorta. Although I think it's a bit better. Anyone have an opinion on the Hawk vs the SV? Is it easier to manage? It's actually a little bit heavier and has the same displacement...

[Kibagari]

Ah sorry. I didn't mean the GS500 was a scooter. I meant a 125 is basically a scooter. I have a friend who rode his GS to Seattle and back! Respectable bikes, for sure. Just... not really compelling. I don't want to make a decision just based on aesthetics but it certainly enters into it! They're not BAD by any stretch. Just, I like the SV way better...

While most people on this forum will advise against an SV as a first bike, there are some that think of it as a gray area bike. Personally, if you like it and believe you can handle it, then go for it. Chances are no one is going to be able to sway your judgment.

But take a good, long look at the 2008 Ninja 250. It doesn't look like the GS500 or even the EX500 by any means. Plus, it's still got plenty of power. There was someone who generally rides a Hayabusa that took a Ninja 250 out for an extended spin and fell in love with it. I forget what his name was or even where the link is to his story, but it is by no means a scooter, even for its engine size.

[anticoriolis]

True. I guess I do really want an SV, which might in itself be a good enough reason not to get one. If I love my bike, I'm not going to want to take it anywhere in SF and park it on the street for fear of it getting backed over or stolen. Might make sense to pick up a cheaper first bike.

So the GS500 is obviously a contender and I know I've asked this three times already but anyone have an opinion on the NT650 honda hawk? Is it basically the same deal as the SV only 20 years older? Beginner bike or no? They seem to have really held their value in the bay area at least, nice copies are selling for $2750+ and rough ones for $2200+

[flynrider]

I've asked this three times already but anyone have an opinion on the NT650 honda hawk? Is it basically the same deal as the SV only 20 years older? Beginner bike or no? They seem to have really held their value in the bay area at least, nice copies are selling for $2750+ and rough ones for $2200+

You probably haven't received any comments, because it's unlikely that many folks around here have ever seen one. They are relatively rare bikes. They were produced in very small numbers for about 3 yrs. in the late 80s / early 90s. It was an innovative design that was ahead of its time (note the success of the similar SV650 15 yrs. later). It never sold well because the market back then wasn't really ready for a naked performance V-twin.

Overall, it's general riding characteristics are very much like the SV, though the SV has the benefit of 15 yrs. of engineering improvements (most notably in the suspension dept.). The exception would be the NT's ultra-cool single sided swingarm. Overall, the NT has a bit less power, but I'd put it in the same class as the SV.

[Nalian]

Can you handle the SV? Probably. Will you get yourself into some kind of trouble with it? Probably. You might not necessarily crash, but there will very likely be circumstances that, were you on a smaller bike, wouldn't have been as big of a deal.

That being said, it's all about risk awareness and mitigation. A larger bike is a bigger risk to a beginner than a smaller bike. But you have to do what is right for you. I would definitely not recommend a 250 to someone who was uncomfortable just sitting on one, for example.