Suzuki SV650S test

Menus

• The best soup
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• Contact
• In the city
• Highway
• Departmental
• Braking
• Comfort / duo
• Convenient
• Consumption
• Conclusion

The best soup

12 years after its last evolution with the injection version (2003), Suzuki is releasing the SVS, which now complies with euro3 standards. More than a streamlined roadster, it is the sporty twin that the Hammatsu brand is putting back on the road with its share of new features… Reduced. Because nothing has really changed, neither at the engine level, nor at the aesthetic level with an unchanged line. Only the injection and some settings have been changed, which without significantly modifying the machine can give new sensations. But above all, faced with all the new products released since then, how is the SVS still positioned? Because the best recipes are made in old pots? Test…

Discovery

SVS is known and does not evolve. We therefore find these sharp lines with a fairly wide but thin frontal part which make it all the personality, because no one has copied this general line by far. The 647 cm3 twin is evident in particular thanks to the metal which detaches from the black frame. The rider seat is still as thin, like a mini board itself surmounted by the passenger jump seat in height.

It almost looks like a mono with the exhaust out of the front cylinder, but it is indeed a 90 ° V-twin, 4 stroke, liquid cooling, distribution by double overhead camshaft, 4 valves per cylinder.

The double frontal optics are almost soft even if a few sharp lines highlight the whole and display the sporting dynamics of the whole.

The LED light further enhances the rear part.

In the saddle

You get on the SVS with a relatively high saddle. Heavier than models of more recent design with its 196 kilos, one feels the weight on the handlebars, even if this additional weight also offers a more important stability. The bust falls clearly forward while the wrists are strongly supported. We could have thought of a streamlined version of the roadster but the position confirms that we are closer to a sporty position. This is true for the pilot as well as the passenger. The feet then barely touch the ground for the 1.70m pilot.

We then discover before our eyes a predominantly analog counter for the speed and the rev counter while a digital screen displays additional information such as the totalizer, the partial double trip or the fuel gauge. Prior to the appearance of the gear indicators, the information is not available here.

Contact

The Twin snorts with a deep sound. If the escapement is in line with the brand’s Bandit pots, long and oblong, it distills a rewarding or even bewitching chant that evokes strength and character. First and the twin tows well, while distilling its vibrations.

In the city

First … up to 75 km / h! Not in town then! But the twin takes off really easily and quickly towards 7,000 revolutions / min, quickly bringing the regulatory fifty kilometers an hour … Rather flexible, we do not feel obliged to pass the second too quickly. But if we shift gears, it is then possible to wind up in the sixth and last gear at 45 km / h! Admittedly, the times then hit below 2,000 rpm, encouraging rather to move between third and fourth gear to be softer, or even go down in second.

The position resting on the handles and quickly tiring, especially if you stay at authorized speeds and all the more so with a sufficiently large turning radius, if you slip easily to make the inter file, it is more convenient to chain gymkhanas between tight cars from one line to another.

Highway

At 4,000 rpm at 90 km / h, then 1,000 rpm for each additional 20 km / hour, the SVS still purrs at 6,000 rpm at 130 km / h. On the other hand, this is where the twin gives the best of itself and encourages you to really turn the handle a little more. It is all the easier as the engine finally seems to breathe as it takes its turns and the even more leaning position allows you to effectively protect yourself behind the bubble up to speeds largely prohibited in France. more times, it is quite possible to go down 3 gears, knowing that the SVS cheerfully tickles 150 km / h on 3rd gear !

At a maximum speed of 220 km / h, protection is still relevant and the weight a little felt when stationary here becomes a guarantee of stability. You can feel the bike anchored in the ground, while tilting easily in large, fast curves without ever having to force it. Difficult in town, the SVS inquires here easily … For the most comfortable, the saddle is not a model of comfort either. It’s efficient but it’s not a GT or a Trail.

Departmental

At ease on the motorway, the SVS naturally returns to departmental roads and all the more so as the roads become curvy. The tilted position resting on the wrists becomes synonymous with efficiency, making it easier to position and move around the machine in order to enter a curve. The pressure on the front allows to have good feedback from the front axle and to place it with precision to guide the motorcycle.

We then go down the gears to take advantage of speeds above 7,000 rpm while the twin accepts to easily tease the red zone or even the breaker up to 12,500 rpm! Suddenly, we can stay in second gear up to 115 km / h !

Braking

The dual 290mm disc does its job by providing good feeling and power as long as you take the brakes properly. It is not the best bite in the category, but it is very effective. And above all, the handling is easy, continuing to avoid any blockage or violence for a beginner.

Comfort / duo

The saddle is thin and firm, like a sports saddle. On the other hand, the adjustable shock absorber on 7 preload levels does an excellent job at the rear in normal or even fast use. The front fork and the rear shock will show their limits during a good wad with friends by pumping noticeably. The beginner will appreciate the behavior. The experienced pilot will consider replacing the components.

Convenient

There is room under the passenger seat. Finally, let’s not exaggerate either, but it is possible to accommodate two approved anti-theft devices on condition of dissociating the lock block from the handle, plus the famous compulsory vest. We thus have the minimum union to block the front wheel and the rear wheel..

Consumption

Not very greedy despite its age, consumption is around five liters per hundred depending on driving. The possible autonomy therefore fluctuates around 300 kilometers with the 17-liter tank..

Conclusion

The SVS confirms its position as a beginner’s motorcycle more than ever. His higher weight for the category does not prove to be a handicap. The bike offers appreciable ease of handling with a very present engine character, superior to many more recent models but also smoother. It almost becomes one of the last character models in the category, a bit rough, begging to be taken around the towers and enjoying being a bit roughed up. Its softness at low revs promotes even more its grip, while offering another higher face that is much more playful. Suzuki has finally done well to bring out its model which retains all meaning even in 2015. Its low price remains at 5,199 euros (before negotiation but cheaper than when it was released in constant euros at 5,599 euros), which is the lowest price for the beginner who wants to afford a sportswoman. So hard to compare it to more recent twins, nicer but also more expensive. In any case, with a proven mill, it is also the assurance of a motorcycle that remains cheap to buy and economical then in daily use..

Strong points

• price

Weak points

• duo

Suzuki SV650S technical sheet

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