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alk4life posted:I've been wanting a new bike for a while now. I started riding a few years ago on a VTR 250 Interceptor, moved up to a CB700SC, and now feel confident enough for a non beater. Usually I'll go through spurts of riding every day for a few months, then letting the bike sit for a month of two. Letting the bikes sit causes a ton of problems. Petcock rusted/failed, pulse generator failed, highbeam switch rusted/failed, battery cable rusted/failed, starter solenoid failed, throttle cable snapped, it goes on and on. The feeling that I could be stranded at any time totally kills the enjoyment I get from riding. The current non-smc version of the duke is not a supermoto style bike, let alone an actual supermoto chassis. Versions 1 to 3 were supermoto style seating with road or halfway to road suspension travel (I owned a duke 2), as opposed to the full supermoto 625 and 640 versions. The current 125/200/690 Duke is closest to a 125 commuter bike in proportions and the 690 rides like a very up scale, 65hp version of a CB125. It steers very quickly and would be as good as any naked bike at legalish highway cruising. I am the same height as you however and didn't get on with it. I found it basically too small and had no space to move around. Chasing a blackbird down a fast sliproad, it touched pegs down before I had even really leaned off, and it steered so quickly that I couldn't tell how close to the limit I was in slow corners. And as it wasn't my bike and doesn't have the SMC seating position, I couldn't just sit on the triple clamps and stick a leg out to see when the front would fold. A great point to point weapon in city traffic though. The street triple is not too small for you. It has lots of space to move off the bike, so you won't be cramped. I would go for the non-R, however. The R has a more rear end-up, head-down chassis and the radial brakes have too much initial bite for comfort on wet and/or freezing roads. If I was buying'one for my commute plus a few track days, I would get the regular non-R. The UK versions at least are set up for fast riding on real roads, so it's not like buying the non-R means you get a floppy, underdamped chassis. Griso is surprisingly good. I have seen one cleaning up on track, albeit in the slow group. But even with the depreciation aside, I wouldn't buy a big heavy Guzzi without a test ride. If you like that style of bike, why not try an R1200R? Bmw presumably gives demo rides. The earlier versions are fun, just lacking the massive kick up the rear end of the 1200 motor. I do think a Griso would become physically tiring in bay area traffic hell. Out of those, I would get the street triple, no question. Left-field option - Husky Nuda. Economical, quick, skinny for rapid commuting and lane splitting. Fit the red panels from the Nuda R and it looks hot. Saga fucked around with this message at 16:44 on Jan 14, 2013 |
# ? Jan 14, 2013 16:42 |
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# ? Jun 6, 2024 04:55 |
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Saga posted:Left-field option - Husky Nuda. Economical, quick, skinny for rapid commuting and lane splitting. Fit the red panels from the Nuda R and it looks hot. Any reason to leave the Hypermotard out at this point? (aside, maybe, from its bar end mirrors)
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# ? Jan 14, 2013 16:48 |
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Or in that line, a multistrada 1000/1100 S?
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# ? Jan 14, 2013 16:52 |
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Safety Dance posted:Any reason to leave the Hypermotard out at this point? (aside, maybe, from its bar end mirrors) No, just got tired of typing on a tablet. Most of the uk reviews were lukewarm about the hypermotard chassis. The ones that come up used over here, compared to other Ducs, seem to be predictably Ducati priced but rarely have any cool mods (by which I mean full termis of course...). It's a hard bike to choose when the Street is so good and so cheap, making the same sort of power as the 1100. The Nuda claims to be stupidly fuel efficient, which to me would justify getting one over the Triumph. And in the uk you can get a nuda for about the price of a new Street. They look better in the flesh than in pics as well.
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# ? Jan 14, 2013 17:00 |
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Saga posted:No, just got tired of typing on a tablet. Most of the uk reviews were lukewarm about the hypermotard chassis. The ones that come up used over here, compared to other Ducs, seem to be predictably Ducati priced but rarely have any cool mods (by which I mean full termis of course...). It's a hard bike to choose when the Street is so good and so cheap, making the same sort of power as the 1100. Yeah but when you get the street triple, you can tell people you got the Street. Yo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkoUNaBS2wg Also Nuda sounds weird. The new 2013 Streety has much better fueling than the 2012, though you'd have to get over the fact that they decided to make it ugly as gently caress and add more plastics to the 2013 version
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# ? Jan 14, 2013 17:31 |
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Covert Ops Wizard posted:Yeah but when you get the street triple, you can tell people you got the Street. Yo. Nuda sounds just fine in San Francisco. What are you, uncomfortable with public motorcycle nudity?
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# ? Jan 14, 2013 18:15 |
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I think the Nuda looks great and could be a good option. The only problem is that there are no dealers close to me, which I assume is important for a rare european motorcycle. I had originally considered a hypermotard 796. When I called the dealer to ask for a test ride the salesman said they didn't have any, the model was being discontinued, and that hypermotards wouldn't be good as an only bike. I got the impression that the multistrada was more of a touring bike than a commuter or a fun bike. I guess I'll look into it. Edit: As for the R1200R, I like the look of the griso so much more and they seem so similar. Is the BMW worth looking at? Some reviews said the build quality was questionable with shaft failures being common. Another bike I really wanted to like was the KTM SMT. I did a test ride and really liked the ergonomics, weight, and overall feel. The main drawback for me was the harsh aggressive fueling. The bike didn't like low rpms, lugging below ~3000. In slow city driving in first or second gear I felt like I had to excessively ride the clutch or else I would jerk foward and backwards no matter how slowly I rolled on or off the throttle. I'm not sure if the motorcycles I've ridden up until now were just so forgiving I've never developed as smooth a right wrist as I should have. Who knows, maybe I could have gotten used to it. I also tested the Versys and the NC 700X. They both felt solid, but a little boring. I want a motorcycle for a little fun and excitement, not just a to b. alk4life fucked around with this message at 18:32 on Jan 14, 2013 |
# ? Jan 14, 2013 18:22 |
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You can tame the low end response with a different throttle cam, or you'll just adjust to it over time, they're all pretty aggressive. You can also get them tuned to smooth that out a bit. There are new Hypers coming out - the downside to the earlier model hypers is they had a tiny gas tank. The Multi is a surprisingly capable and awesome bike. I've wanted one for a long time, but my housemate ended up buying one and I've ridden it quite a bit and it's pretty much awesome. Very stable, neutral chassis, good brakes/suspension/fueling. He got the 620 but it's still a drat capable bike. Here's a good review of them by a friend of mine: http://canyonchasers.net/reviews/bikes/mts/ Edit: BMW shafties are fine as long as you maintain them and don't overload them while pretending to be Ewan McGregor in Long Way Around.
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# ? Jan 14, 2013 18:33 |
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Bah, I had written up a recommendation for the Yamaha MT03, similar to the Duke (not as insanely much power though) and probably a better dealer network. But it's not sold in the US because Americans don't buy small bikes. Not like I've ever seen one in the wild here though. If you're interested in torquey v-twin nakeds like the Griso you could also of course look at the KTM Super Duke, maybe the Yamaha MT01. Or a Buell (XB or 1125), which has belt drive and hydraulic lifters (air cooled models) to cut down on maintenance. I commuted on a Buell for a couple of months. There's a number of similar yet different models in how large/tall/sporty/ergonomic they are and I'd say it's reliable, but they do suffer from premature wear of various bits and bobs though, all fixable but for instance my 5000 mile one needed an (improved) rocker cover gasket, wheel bearings front and rear (improperly installed from factory) and chin fairing had worn a hole in the clutch outer cable, a cable routing bracket had already snapped, etc.
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# ? Jan 14, 2013 18:53 |
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alk4life posted:I think the Nuda looks great and could be a good option. The only problem is that there are no dealers close to me, which I assume is important for a rare european motorcycle. I have a Husky (SM610), and it's the wasp's nipples. Call up your local BMW motorad dealer and see if they can source Husqvarna parts.
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# ? Jan 14, 2013 19:25 |
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I notice that there are plenty of R1's for sale, but zx10r's for sale are few and far between around here. Is that a general tendency, or just a local trend for my region (upstate NY)?
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# ? Jan 15, 2013 00:50 |
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Back again, trying to figure out something to replace my previous ill-advised purchase of a beater 1993 EX500 (pre-Ninja 500) for $1000. Previously I've twice owned a Nighthawk 250 which was about ideal as a city bike but kind of pushing it on the highways, and a 2001 Bonneville that just was tranquil on the interstate but felt really clunky in city traffic, on tight turns, etc. The EX500 has some cracked plastic, so I was thinking to streetfighter it before realising that there is about zero aftermarket for this model, it's about impossible to change the bars, and since it's pre-1994 there aren't even bar risers for it. Plus pre-'94s have two major known flaws: some kind of problem it develops with the cam tensioner, and the flywheel has a tendency to suddenly fling its magnets without warning. I actually don't mind the ride of the EX500 overall, it's good power and weight for what I do, I just dislike not knowing when this thing will throw (cam tensioner I could replace, but flywheel is beyond my skill level), and the lack of parts is kind of a buzzkill for streetfightering since I don't have the tools or skills for fabrication. Looking for something that'll be 85% city traffic and 15% highways (probably not much Interstate if I can avoid it since it's dull to ride). I'd like something fairingless or easy to strip the fairings off of since it's inevitable some DC rear end in a top hat will knock mine over parallel parking (happened twice in the last year). Ideally something <$3500 due to inherent city risks (previous Honda Nighthawk was stolen in Shaw-Howard neighbourhood) and for insurance. I live in an apartment, no covered garage, and just basic tools, so something durable would be good. I'm 5'6" so anything above 31" seat height is kind of annoying, and I'm looking for a more upright posture for comfort and field of view in city riding. Which of the following seems reasonable: - Ninja 250, get a banged-up one and streetfighter it, maybe 1" bar riser, use it as a city bike and non-interstate highways. - Post-94 Ninja 500 that's not a ticking time-bomb, or a Suzuki GS500, strip off some plastic, strap on a bar riser, call it good enough. - Naked SV650 Am I just putting way too much effort into avoiding buying the SV? It'd be awesome if they had an SV450 or something similar; the new Ninja 300 (39 horse) would be great but it just hit the market and I'm not buying new. Thanks for any advice for a short guy wanting a city knockaround. TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 01:47 on Jan 15, 2013 |
# ? Jan 15, 2013 01:45 |
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Kinda on the high side but a DRZ400SM seems about perfect. On the cheaper/less stealworthy side a dual sport with a sportsman setup (street oriented tires + a brake kit) would tick the boxes.
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# ? Jan 15, 2013 01:52 |
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http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/3527359063.html Any thoughts? It looks pretty nice, although I'm not sure what's going on with the rear lights, and I don't know if the transmission "minor problem" he mentions is really minor or if he's just lying to move the bike. Edit: comedy option http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/3526675819.html
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# ? Jan 15, 2013 06:19 |
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What are some other beginner-friendly (both in power and maintenance requirements) sport style bikes besides the ninja 250/500, gs500 and sv650?
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# ? Jan 15, 2013 06:28 |
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Pham Nuwen posted:
He says specifically it pops out of 2nd back into neutral above 3k which in my opinion means it's junk. The shift fork has probably failed which happens to bikes that get abused/neglected. Not a good choice.
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# ? Jan 15, 2013 07:02 |
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M42 posted:What are some other beginner-friendly (both in power and maintenance requirements) sport style bikes besides the ninja 250/500, gs500 and sv650? ninja 650, cbr250, ninja 300. The latter two would be hard to impossible to find used however.
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# ? Jan 15, 2013 07:06 |
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n8r posted:He says specifically it pops out of 2nd back into neutral above 3k which in my opinion means it's junk. The shift fork has probably failed which happens to bikes that get abused/neglected. Not a good choice. With a little googling, it sounds like this is a common problem; however if you think it's a bad idea I'll skip it. Any thoughts on the other one? Nice look, but if it's not running... goddamn bay area prices, I got a bike in a similar state for $250 back in upstate NY. Edit: Ooh, this looks nice: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/mcy/3545075648.html Pham Nuwen fucked around with this message at 08:15 on Jan 15, 2013 |
# ? Jan 15, 2013 07:08 |
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alk4life posted:The KTM isn't out yet, earliest I could test ride one would be March I assume. I've never ridden a supermoto style bike, but I'm 6'2" with a 34" inseam so the thought of a tall, skinny, light motorcycle appeals to me. The Duke 3 / 690 really isn't super tall or supermoto-like compared to it's predecessors. Suspension travel on either end is about 140mm compared to 250mm on the SMC. More like a taller naked bike with a fun, torque-y big single. Despite sharing that nice trellis frame with the SMC the Duke rides very differently IMO.
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# ? Jan 15, 2013 13:40 |
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Pham Nuwen posted:Ooh, this looks nice: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/mcy/3545075648.html Not if you like well-oiled camshafts. Try again.
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# ? Jan 15, 2013 14:50 |
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Those old V4's are awesome bikes but yeah, a daily runner for the novice mechanic they are not. You have to have a special kind of hard on for them to bother.
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# ? Jan 15, 2013 19:16 |
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Carb problems can be tough to work out, too. Not easy to pull and install the rack either.
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# ? Jan 15, 2013 20:13 |
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M42 posted:What are some other beginner-friendly (both in power and maintenance requirements) sport style bikes besides the ninja 250/500, gs500 and sv650?
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# ? Jan 16, 2013 02:39 |
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Covert Ops Wizard posted:ninja 650, cbr250, ninja 300. The latter two would be hard to impossible to find used however. I actually see tons of CBR250s for sale used up here (Midwest US), kind of surprising for a bike that's been out for 2 years in the US. Not quite sure what that says for the bike. M42, what's your budget? Other than the maintenance requirement, I'd throw a Ducati Monster out there as a comedy option, the small CC motored ones are light and have a real tiny seat height, and frankly look cool. FZ6 & GSX-F is also out there depending on $$.
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# ? Jan 16, 2013 03:28 |
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I wouldn't get an FZ6 as a first bike. Stick to ones with 2 cylinders and under 400 lbs hopefully. My experience: I got a FZ6 for a first bike.
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# ? Jan 16, 2013 03:32 |
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beat me to it. You can upgrade the oil supply lines and banjo bolts and provided you keep the oil fresh, do a valve adjustment, jet rich a bit and use water + water wetter in the cooling system you'll be alright. The carbs are a motherfucker, but once you've done a few sets you'll get used to them and it won't be a problem (except for the million or so vacuum lines). clutchpuck posted:Carb problems can be tough to work out, too. Not easy to pull and install the rack either. Put the front two carbs slightly in the intake boots, then rest the back two on top of the boots. Press down and forward on the back carbs, with ALL of your weight (I'm 155lbs), and the rack should slide right in. GnarlyCharlie4u fucked around with this message at 08:40 on Jan 16, 2013 |
# ? Jan 16, 2013 08:37 |
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Honda pretty much had a corporate nervous breakdown over this and became so risk-averse they cancelled the NR, all of the RVFs apart from those needed for homologation, and almost cancelled the Fireblade.
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# ? Jan 16, 2013 08:51 |
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Since we're still talking about trashed old V4's let me expand as well on getting them used.Halo_4am posted:You have to have a special kind of hard on for them to bother. I have that hard on. I seriously love the hell out of the old Sabre's and hate that Honda has re-used the name twice on something that doesn't come close to the original. I've considered purchasing 3 of them, and each one I took for a test ride was pretty much poo poo. Under performing even when compared to my 83 750 Shadow's abused V-Twin. A lifetime of not dealing with the oiling requirements or getting them fixed leaves what used to be an awesome engine totally shot. It's a serious crapshoot to find one that runs like it should in the used market. I ended up settling for a 2006 V-Max largely because it's still an 80's V4 but manufactured in the last decade. If I were still specifically looking for an old Sabre and to a lesser extent the Magna/Super Magna I would be joining V4 Muscle Bikes and getting one used from an active member there. With a post history showing what they've done to it and any problems they've had with it, etc. The only way to find one in good condition these days is by buying it from an enthusiast that will charge you way more than you should consider paying for an 80's bike. It's really unfortunate that Honda backed out of that game early and hasn't ever really returned to it as far as their cruisers go. They were doing some really amazing things. They dabbled back in with inline 4 powered X4 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWuf6awuync but that never really came around to the states unfortunately. I'd love to test ride that thing. Halo_4am fucked around with this message at 17:20 on Jan 16, 2013 |
# ? Jan 16, 2013 17:16 |
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:Grease is your best friend. Apply liberally to the boots and rack. Installing on a warm day helps a lot too. You say this like it's 1-2-3-done Holding them in place while connecting the cables properly requires one more hand than humans are equipped with. Make sure to have a second person. Also, which are the back carbs - the ones physically in back or the ones connected to the rear cylinders? We set the boots in a pot of hot water to loosen them up and used some spray grease on them before installing. Still took a few minutes and a lot of grunting to get then to pop into place.
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# ? Jan 16, 2013 19:23 |
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Covert Ops Wizard posted:ninja 650, cbr250, ninja 300. The latter two would be hard to impossible to find used however. Thanks! It's worth it to keep an eye out, the bay area has a lot of bikes. ThatCguy posted:M42, what's your budget? Other than the maintenance requirement, I'd throw a Ducati Monster out there as a comedy option, the small CC motored ones are light and have a real tiny seat height, and frankly look cool. FZ6 & GSX-F is also out there depending on $$. <2500 max, preferably <2000. No way am I getting something that powerful (or nice) for a first bike.
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# ? Jan 16, 2013 21:30 |
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M42 posted:What are some other beginner-friendly (both in power and maintenance requirements) sport style bikes besides the ninja 250/500, gs500 and sv650? GSF500F (faired GS500), 600/650 Bandits, and 650 Katanas wouldn't be terrible options to entertain. Suzuki has a lot of partsbin/sportyish models that don't cost a lot on the used market. Older stuff can be good, too. For example, Yamaha Vision 550s are neat little sporty/naked things with a vtwin and a shaft drive; being free from chain maintenance is kind of nice, and the twin cylinder models usually have exactly half the carburetor count of a four cylinder.
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# ? Jan 16, 2013 21:48 |
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M42 posted:What are some other beginner-friendly (both in power and maintenance requirements) sport style bikes besides the ninja 250/500, gs500 and sv650? I've had really similar questions to yours in the past, and the US is kind of weak on middle-weight bikes. I was momentarily excited by a good CL deal on a Suzuki GSF400 Bandit, a bike that looks close enough to a Ducati that I've seen it called a "Little Monster". However, turns out that it's a bike made to scream along at really high rpms, and is stall-prone at low speeds, which is exactly what I don't want for a city-bike. ThatCguy posted:M42, what's your budget? Other than the maintenance requirement, I'd throw a Ducati Monster out there as a comedy option, the small CC motored ones are light and have a real tiny seat height, and frankly look cool. FZ6 & GSX-F is also out there depending on $$. Dammit, you've got me back to thinking about Ducatis again. Even though they're about the same weight and seat height as a SV650, they definitely look a lot smaller. Not sure if it's just the overall height is set lower, or what it is. But from what I've read folks opine that they feel a lot smaller to ride, nice low center of gravity, etc. As a short guy who likes stability, that's appealing. Same as back last year when I was reading up on SV650N vs. Ducati 620/696, it seems a pretty interminable online argument with probably most folks calling the SV650 a much better deal, better specs overall, etc. Then Ducati folks counter that the used Ducatis aren't that pricey, maintenance is nowhere near as bad as claimed except the valve stuff can take some time, and that it's overall a higher-quality bike (noting you can put a good grand into improving an SV650's stock suspension/front-end). That, and the whole "I just like Ducati more" subjective bit. Smaller is better as far as I'm concerned, so I'm looking around at 620s in my area, since the earlier 600s don't have fuel injection and apparently are trickier to keep running smooth. The KBB is saying $2900 for a 2002 620 in my zipcode, but the only one I'm seeing within 2hrs from me is asking $4,000 for a bike with 14k miles. I'm really kind of torn on the issue: Ducati is lower, looks cooler, and is arguably better made, but the SV650 sounds a lot more reasonable to maintain. Plus since I do mostly city riding I'd feel less-bad if I damage the SV650 during some traffic emergency or have some rear end-hat knock it over while parallel parking (as has happened to my Ninja twice last year). In any case, is the KBB just running really low for its "Dealer price" (bought from a dealer, not trade-in) these days? All the SV650s I'm seeing are running around a grand above the quoted prices, same for most of the 620/696 Monsters I'm seeing.
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# ? Jan 17, 2013 05:56 |
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Wanted to check back in and thank you guys for your help. I made an offer on an '09 Versys with hard saddle bags, heated grips and a Corbin seat today. If all goes well tomorrow I'll be riding home from work on it. Riding it just felt right. The upright riding position really gave me a lot of confidence and comfort. After checking out the Versys, SV650s (couldn't find a naked on CL), and FZ8, it was really night and day. I even had someone pull out in front of me on the test ride and swerved around her like I was on a bike; the ergonomics just felt that in tune with my frame. Looking forward to rebuilding my skills and getting into commuting and touring with this ugly bastard.
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# ? Jan 17, 2013 07:02 |
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If you're considering a Versys, try to sit on a VStrom too. I know what you mean about the upright riding position just feeling right, as compared to most other bikes that force you forward (ouch my shoulders) or backward (ouch my tailbone).
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# ? Jan 17, 2013 15:24 |
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:I'm really kind of torn on the issue: Ducati is lower, looks cooler, and is arguably better made, but the SV650 sounds a lot more reasonable to maintain. Plus since I do mostly city riding I'd feel less-bad if I damage the SV650 during some traffic emergency or have some rear end-hat knock it over while parallel parking (as has happened to my Ninja twice last year). The SV650 is a very well-made bike, with a monstrous following. You can even modify your SV to look like Duc's - there are people who put on Duc tails, paint the frame, etc. for their 1st gen SV's to make them look sweet (like Z3n). There are countless examples that you can browse through at SVRider.com. Also, people are less likely to gently caress with a SV than with a Ducati. Less agony if you come to a keyed gas tank.
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# ? Jan 17, 2013 21:07 |
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the walkin dude posted:The SV650 is a very well-made bike, with a monstrous following. You can even modify your SV to look like Duc's - there are people who put on Duc tails, paint the frame, etc. for their 1st gen SV's to make them look sweet (like Z3n). There are countless examples that you can browse through at SVRider.com. Also, people are less likely to gently caress with a SV than with a Ducati. Less agony if you come to a keyed gas tank. 1. The SV650 is not very well made - but they are pretty reliable. 2. Making an SV look like a Ducati is loving dumb. 3. Most people don't know the difference between a Suzuki and a Ducati.
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# ? Jan 17, 2013 21:23 |
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n8r posted:1. The SV650 is not very well made - but they are pretty reliable. Not sure what you consider "well made", but the majority of the problems that people would experience with a bike don't show up on an SV, it's one of the few bikes out there where you can buy a 100k+ mile example and not have a half dozen caveats about some oiling issue, oil problem, cam chain issues, etc.
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# ? Jan 17, 2013 22:35 |
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n8r posted:1. The SV650 is not very well made - but they are pretty reliable. How can a bike be reliable but not well made?
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# ? Jan 17, 2013 22:48 |
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epalm posted:How can a bike be reliable but not well made? lovely suspension, lovely seat, lovely ________.
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# ? Jan 17, 2013 23:21 |
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# ? Jun 6, 2024 04:55 |
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epalm posted:How can a bike be reliable but not well made? Needing constant adjustments, labyrinthine basic maintenance routines, cheesedick user interface components, idiotically dim headlights, etc. are all stuff that would characterize a bike to me as poorly-made. I don't know how the SV stands up to those pretty subjective criteria, though the SV's suspension was pretty woeful on the one I rode. I've only ever changed the oil and bled the brakes on one and it seemed pretty typical of other japanese models from a maintenance angle. clutchpuck fucked around with this message at 23:28 on Jan 17, 2013 |
# ? Jan 17, 2013 23:24 |