Suzuki SV650
In December of 2002 I finally returned my garage to the proper configuration of bikes, three different kinds and all running. I had been looking at the SV650 for several months but held back because I wasn't sure that the bike was big enough for me. Eventually I read enough reports and recommendations that I had to get one especially as they were going for a good price at the end of the model year. This one was $5900 out the door at Pacific Motorsports in Oceanside, CA.
The SV650 is a water cooled V twin weighing only 363lbs dry
and producing about 70hp.
This was my first Suzuki though in fact the first bike I ever rode was a Suzuki.
So - is it big enough? You bet, it's fantastic, the small size is one of the best things about it. The picture here is on CA243 looking out over the town of Banning towards the San Bernadino mountains. CA243 is an ideal motorcycle road, lots of sweeping turns and a good surface and some interesting mountain countryside to ride through.
It's now early 2005 and the SV650 was sold last year, in the end it really was too small for me, riding it for any time gave my knees a lot of trouble. The front suspension was also rather poor and I didn't think it was powerful enough.