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Hi all newbie here. When I finish my tech training next year I plan on getting myself a bike as a grad. present. After reading lots of mag. articles and form threads I have narrowed my choices to a Suzuki SV 650(naked not the S) or a Honda 599. I will probably by new as I haven't found many used for sale. Any thoughts as to one being better than the other. I like the fact that the SV is $1500 cheaper. I also will be taking the MSF training before getting a bike.

will this be your first bike? if so id say you may be being something with a little more power than you want, but none the less. I like the 599 of the sv650. I like the way it looks, not to mention honda makes great bikes. When sev gets on he can tell ya all about em as he has one. As for one being better than the other, well the 599 i believe has a little more power than the SV. Its hard to say which is better than which, just go sit on both and see how comfortable they are. Which one appeals to you, that sorta thing because its hard to say whats better for you as we are not you



JWF

get the SV650.

it's not the perfect starter bike but it's definitely not too much.

These are both fine bikes. We have riders here on the board who own these bikes, so you are likely to hear from them if you check back for a couple days. I think the SV has a longer track record than the 599, but from what I remember they fit me different when I sat on both of them, so I'd say see what feels best regarding arm reach and peg placement. Also, the one is a V shaped engine while the other is a inline 4. They act a little different in the power curve. Inline engines tend to build their power as the RPM grow where the V tends to be a little more user friendly. But once you dial in to the inline engine style of riding it has many thrills of its own.

Let me explain myself better. This will be first bike that I will own. But I have rode a bike before. Also a firm believer in the don't put your azz over your head philosphy. So doing things like seeing how fast it will go right away, how big of a wheelie, stoppie, burnout I can do are not at the top of my list of things to do. I have sat on both I like the fit of both. I guess what I am looking for is which one is more reliable, better built, what mods do they respond best to. that sort of thing. not so much worried if something does break as I should be able to fix it. Also where is a good place to find mods, aftermarket parts and what not for them?

Hmmm, I've had a 599 for a little under a year now. And I've sat an SV650, which I hated. They are essentially the same bike, but they go about it in different ways. The Sv uses a v-twin which is a high torque, lowish (relatively) HP motor, while the 599 uses an inline-4 that has been retuned to move more of the HP down low on the rev scale, and increase the torque.

The SV has been around a little longer, but the 599 has a great history over in the UK where it's called the Hornet. And that's where the problem comes in. The bike doesn't really exist in North America, meaning aftermarket stuff is damn annoying to get. I've been pulling most of mine from across the pond, which gets to be really expensive.

It's (the 599) a great bike, but I wouldn't really recomend it as a first one. Even with several thousand km of experience on another bike I fuond the steering to be very precise and remarkably abrupt. With that short short wheelbase, and light front end it's easy to oversteer, and lacks the stability of longer bikes.

Anyways, I've kept a journal of sorts, it's the link at the bottem of my sig. Feel free to give it a glance if you want to know anything more send me a pm.

The SV has a huge aftermarket, being the bike that dominates the lightweight twins class across the nation. I'm quite fond of mine, and went for a nice 200 mile trip on it today (did 400 last weekend). I don't really have anything bad to say about the bike. It's quick, I haven't had any issues with it, and I get right at 50mpg which is great. The only mods I've done are a full M4 exhaust (headers, titanium mid-pipe, and carbon fiber can), and a power commander. Given the current performance - I'm not really that inclined to mess with it any - just ride it till the wheels fall off.

Here are a couple of online reviews. The seating positions are almost identical, so if anyone says they feel different sitting on them, then they are full of it.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Article_P ... 790&Page=1

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/roadtests/7k/

Either bike is an excellent choice, I would buy whichever one was available first. Also you might consider a 1st gen sv650, I like the tubular frame better than the 2nd gen one. You can get one used for about 3g's.

Hmmm, you're wrong about the seating positions. Or I'm full of it. I'd opt for the former though. As ALMOST identical, is not IDENTICAL. Especially since the bars are different between the two bikes, slightly lower on the SV, and the pegs are higher off the ground and further back on the SV. But you've sat them both to test, right?

Malfeas wrote:Here are a couple of online reviews. The seating positions are almost identical, so if anyone says they feel different sitting on them, then they are full of it.

"Full of it" is a little harsh, don't you think. Seat width, how the seat holds you (forward or more aft), hardness of the seat itself, suspension give at stock settings, angle of the handlebars, and I'm sure a few more things go into the equation of how it feels. The raw numbers do not equal the actual feeling in the saddle.

We are talking about opinions anyway. So you think the are just the same. That is your opinion. I happen to agree with you, but the other opinions expressed are not "full of it". Of course if our opinion that they are about the same is true, what of the difference in cost and life of a paticular model? The 599 is newer the the SV. The SV cost less than the 599. The 599 is carburated I believe, without looking it up.

Grab the first one you find? I think there is more to consider, but that is just my opinion.