10 Things I Hate About My SV650

[@gripsanity]

Thanks for taking the time and checking out the video. Sorry about the monotone voice was still getting comfortable with it. Just want to address somethings. Yes, most of the things I said I hate (more so dislike) are small nitpicky things specific to MY bike the one in the video. (not all SV's) The fact that they are nitpicky is GOOD that means there isn't anything really wrong with the bike, so I had to be nitpicky to come up with 10 things I disliked. I also mention how to fix most all of the things. Also, this is coming from the experience of owning I believe 7 bikes before this SV650, i have since sold it and owned at 2001 F4i (my second one) sold that and now have a 2006 Yamaha FZ6 (for sale). Appreciate all the feedback!

[@MrGrace123]

I just watched your 10 reasons you like your sv650... And now this. It's very interesting that you mention all the little things so a buyer is aware. You said you bought a f4i after this bike. I have had a f4i a few years ago but I didn't like the way the front wheel felt. It felt really heavy. I couldn't get used to it. It's wasn't flickable...felt like a tank :) So how is sv compared to the f4i? I haven't ridden a sv but I am looking into buying it very soon.

[@stavencapp]

Buys a naked bike, complains about wind resistance. Hahah

[@Coltnz1]

Yeah - what a dick!

[@robcourtney1997]

I love naked bikes. He clearly don't get on with them

[@af1762]

I watched this video about a year and a half ago, trying to figure out what first big bike to get. Im happy owner of sk3 now for a year and gotta say there is NOTHING i hate about it, i LOVE it!

[@gripsanity]

Nice, good for you! Have you watched my other video, the 10 things I love about the sv650?

[@af1762]

@@gripsanity Yes I did! Watched most of the video reviews of the SV, if not all :)

[@tgdb4968]

Don't buy a crashed bike then if its the number 1 thing you don't like about it?

[@belovednobleman4570]

This is a great budget value bike. If you have had other 600s why would you downgrade? If you possessed such knowledge and experience why would you not know what you are looking for before you bought it? I use my SV650 a lot and sure the brakes and suspension are sub par but God it is a cheap and fun bike to ride still. Cult classic and still a great starter or experienced rider bike for commuters.

[@Steyreon]

I think you front brake problem is mainly a maintenance problem. Put steel felx on, bleed them, proper pads, and you should be fine. And riding a naked bike prevents you from riding too fast, at least in my case, therefore I chose naked bikes, for a longer life ^^

[@johna6968]

Things I dislike about my bike.. Nothing.. That's why I bought it

[@andrewbeckham4228]

I agree with some things you said but getting a naked bike and having wind might be an issue but you can get different body kits that have more protection. Nice video though 👌

[@mfbfreak]

The way you describe the brake feel is very recognizable. I have a 1999, and while it can brake hard enough to do a stoppie, there's no feel to the brake at all and it requires a lot of force. Still, i absolutely love my bike

[@MrGrace123]

Oh wanted to mention something. 1. I really appreciate your honesty about how you feel about your bike, regardless of the bike. So please keep it like that. State your thoughts/feelings honestly without being bothered about dislikes. 2. The fact that you don't use foul language/swear words...I got my young kids around me so it makes it very difficult when the review is full of bad mouthing etc. Keep up the good work.

[@TopshelfJunior]

It's crazy, 5min ago I watched your video on the 10 things you LOVED. Video had about 30 comments. Then I come over here to the HATE list, and this video has 105 comments lol. Either people are haters, or people are in here arguing lol. Gonna watch the video first, and assess the comments second lol. At any rate, thanks for sharing !

[@gripsanity]

Haha, thanks for watching both. Not many people watch both of them. Much appreciated!

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Tire wear is due to the relationship between a 120 and 160. If it had a 120 and 180 the wear reach to the sizes would be different (such as the FZ-07 has). But I think an even greater effect on this is the tire shape (triangular sport tires or round sport touring tires). Breaks: Swap to stainless braided lines, new fluid, bleed, HH rated pads. BIG difference. Suspension: swap for Gixxer front, or put in new springs with thicker oil and gold valve emulators, or find drop-in cartridges for those type of forks. Rear shock replacement for Ohlins, Penske, Race tech, or some other brand. Throttle issues? Full exhaust, intake DNA filter, ECU flash and/or powercommander/bazzaz. Seat? Yeah the shape of that seat is horrible. I've owned several SV bikes over time. Corbin, Sargent, Laams, Russel, etc. etc. etc. Headlight? Lots of things fit a 7" bucket. LED upgrades or LED/HID combo inserts with projector. Yeah, you're nit picking about a great deal of things. hahahah! This bike has a MASSIVE aftermarket. You could trade up to the 2017 SV or go with the FZ-07.

[@gripsanity]

Thank you for the insight about the tire wear, was always curious. I was used to 180 rear tires and wear. I appreciate all the advice on mods. I had to be so nitpicky because the bike is so good and doesn't have many faults!

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Well you're welcome. I'm very nitpicky too, but I'm realistic about any factory-condition motorcycle that isn't the two wheeled equivalent to a AMG Mercedes or Lamborghini or McLaren. Motorcyclists are very demanding people, and I'm one of them, but my demands are met by my own research of the aftermarket. :) Most "budget friendly" midsize bikes have a very supportive aftermarket, and if owners are willing to do the research and get their mits greasy, they can turn that ill-handling, mild-braking, butt-killing, wheezy-sounding machine into something that no factory can release at a price, and something that they would be surprised how much better/different it is when finished. The usual solution is, however, throw away thousands on trade and move up to something more expensive that they never turn a screw on EITHER.

[@acousticgearhead7820]

Very much late to the party here, thought I'd comment either way for others coming here in the future :-) Most of these are very valid criticisms, even if some of them are very petty (as you pointed out somewhere ^^) Riding an SV 650n K3 myself, here are some changes I made: 9. headlight: stock was plenty strong enough for what I'm doing, still switched them out for Nightbreakers. They don't last nearly as long, but it's a day and night difference (pun totally intended) 7. tires: stick on a 120/70 tire in the front, that evens out the wear and gives you a wider tire choice, better for handling as well. Just make sure to push the fork legs through the triple-clamps by 1cm to counter the geometry change. 4. brakes: no argument there. Did a GSX-R 750 K8 forkswap recently and you can't even try to compare the two, GSX-R brakes are soooooo much better. 3. fueling: TPS was the sensor you were looking for. It's a maintenance item that most people ignore or don't know about, giving insanely jerky throttle response in low rpms if left unattended. 2. suspension: as pointed out, stock is crap. swap the fork oil and springs for your weight and it's way better, GSX-R swaps are better though.

[@fireoil]

i owned 2 sv 650s, if i skip the small things, i would say i didn't like the oil consuption, the 6000km for every oil check , the brakes ... but i just loved this bike, i'm thinking about a N version this time, shorter final ratio, more comfier for city and small roads, nice look also and certenely ligther as well... but i'm curious about the hornet 600 also, nice chassis with top end engine reliable, it would be a completely different experience witch i like to explore ( i owned a Harley Davidson 883 sportser before my two svs ! )

[@Squanklor]

Hey I see that your SV650 is the same color as mine. I’ve been trying to find out what the color code is so I can repair some scratches, but I literally cannot find any other bikes of the same color. Do you have any idea what the color is?

[@davidgembe3446]

Try running your Vin

[@johncarlson1877]

You should of bought the s model or another bike...do the speed limit and wind wont be bad... get race pass you're on the right track !!!

[@ralphvalkenhoff2887]

You may find Thicker oil helps the front suspension.

[@majormassenspektrometer]

What kind of squeaky boots are you wearing?

[@rflahardy]

Buy a 2008 SV650S. Bought my for 2,000$ with 4K miles. I love it. Haven’t had a single thing I doubt like about it yet

[@Mike-ps8dx]

Pipe down I'm on sv #4 after 17 years. They're so reliable. Do the maintenance and spend 350 every year and she'll never die. 13 dollars a month insurance at age 35 with a DUI and a bad ticket history as a lad

[@gripsanity]

Good for you Mike!

[@hawkrider88]

Is there a chance that you are running your front tire too low...leading to more extreme wear on the edges?

[@Craftrider13]

rear brake only when going slow??? now that's just silly

[@Rawdiswar]

Ever tour with it? I’ve done a few multi-day trips with mine, which is identical to yours.

[@ethank2500]

For the exhaust, how loud is it would you say? When riding normally or when you need it to be quiet (Like if you are in front of a cop or are in a neighborhood) is it able to do that? Is the idle loud?

[@gripsanity]

If you watch my other video the 10 things I love, I'm riding in that video so may give you a better sense of sound. It was like 6/10 loud. Idle is fine and putting around is fine. Because it's a V twin the sound is throaty and lumpy. Not high pitched or anything like an inline 4. I liked it, in this video I talk about how I had the larger one on and felt it was a little too quiet.

[@Matthews_Media]

Maybe the problem that youre having with running out of tread on the front tire, is that the tires arent matched in size properly? If the back tire would be thicker compared to what the front *should* be, you will eventually lowside. Like what happed on yours... Twice 😄Check if your tires are the right size for each other

[@butlersracing7692]

Everyone's commented but never read your comments before. Nice bike... Nice review.

[@johnsizemore7579]

What year model is your SV? Some of your nit picks could have been addressed on later models...

[@gripsanity]

It is a 2008 SV650n ABS model

[@tartredarrow]

Dude. You don't like your SV period, get a different bike. The 3K RPM thing is because of the cam, not the fuel. It makes very little torque below 3k, but between 4k and 9k it's fully alive. It's a function of how it's tuned. In other words, it's on purpose.

[@gripsanity]

You could be right about that, but as I said in the video, there is a mod you can do which makes the fueling kick in sooner. Never did it so not sure if that actually would have worked.

[@tartredarrow]

If you fatten the curve on most bikes you'll get the same effect. But it's not substantial. If you want to see big changes, you need to get more air in there first. Like a big bore kit, or modify the throttle bodies.

[@urbankyng6467]

Actually the tre and tps mod will help with low throttle bogging.

[@SuperQdaddy]

It's a good bike if your doing some milage..it weight 500lbs...for me I'm looking to trade mine for a dual sport..less weight and I don't plan on touring so it's about a more fun ride...

[@danciminera8986]

lof of those things are just your riding.

[@jjbing3]

Dan Ciminera 👍🏾

[@DrKampfpudding]

I love my Seat , its really comfy. But maby i have More cushioning myself

[@johncarlson1877]

So grind the kickstand paint it and put it back on! You need to be a gearhead to own a bike.. if you want perfection buy a Honda Hornet or 599 in the USA

[@vali69]

Half the video is more like things you need to replace rather than things that are bad about the bike. Like the seat, the headlight bulb, get a high powered led one they're great, and especially those break lines and that cheap looking lever, it's probably the reason why braking feels sketchy in the first place. But well I don't suppose you still have the bike.

[@gripsanity]

Hence why it's things I don't like about MY bike. But yes, the bike is long long gone.

[@thegrit2685]

The chicken strip problem is that you are not using enough throttle on the curves.

[@pasolesoup7430]

How's it handle compared to a 600? Can you still toss it around like a 600?

[@gripsanity]

It handles great easy to toss around and control also is much lighter than a 600. But a 600 has better and more adjustable suspension generally.

[@Northstar-Media]

600's don't have better suspension totally depends on year make & model of bike .Best thing about SV 650 is that it has more midrange torque compared to similar 600 straight four bikes due to V-twin engine.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

It's an upright naked bike with winder handlebars. Just by way of how you sit on a naked, you get better leverage to steer. It's 430 pounds roughly. It's light and torquey. With the right suspension set up you can run rings around bigger bikes. The SV650S has been used in racing clubs for a long time.

[@trikkinikki970]

430? try 380 wet.

[@johncarlson1877]

Change to your previous tires !!! This bike has rake and train numbers that's why corners feel funny!!!

[@Steyreon]

Just buy a brighter bulb! Makes a huge difference :)

[@georgebrown292]

If it was crashed you got it cheaper, right?

[@johncarlson1877]

Replace the left foot peek mount and gate sliders or crash bars!!!!!

[@sv650nyc7]

Halogen bulbs get dimmer over time. Yours was maybe on its way out. A new bulb will be very bright. You should replace them every 2 years or so since they're so cheap anyways. Or get a super bright LED bulb for around $65, like ADV Monsters H4 R4 (stores.advmonster.com/h4-r4-led-headlight/).

[@sunnyscarborough2478]

Why buy the bike?

[@Advenger20000]

What's about the wheelie problem?

[@gripsanity]

The front cylinder of the V-Twin engine gets oil starvation if you wheelie it for long periods of time, unfortunately.

[@beatdeeter]

Advenger2000. Its a matter of balls lol

[@NinjahPenguinZ]

@@beatdeeter you cant be that stupid...

[@bradbrocar]

You using all the front tire before the all the rear isn't nessicarly bad

[@gripsanity]

I would definitely not consider it good. Tucking the front is much harder to recover from than losing the rear.

[@lilbuff1642]

I hate the wind #1

[@crcr5304]

get a car!

[@gripsanity]

Coming from 600's where you're leaned over and have a windscreen (although small) the wind can be brutal especially on coastal roads.

[@mmdirtyworkz]

Don't ride a naked bike if wind is the problem.

[@mmdirtyworkz]

+GripSanity Not really, guess it's individual. For me it wasn't a problem.

[@Wh05ktmessex]

Me too....especially after a curry....

[@keanuklootwyk]

There's no sport/naked bike on earth that you can ride for 100 miles and not get uncomfortable

[@madethisaccountfor65]

The seat. OMF the seat. That is my #1 hate issue.

[@Mkgheith]

so you basically hate your bike.. sell it

[@glennbeiling3580]

Hey a Sylvania Silverstar Ultra, really worth the money. I have an '01 Sv650, and that thing is crazy bright.

[@jasonboot3957]

I'm about to maybe buy the sv650 2007(twin spark) which I believe is the same as this one. thank you for giving me points to consider. the one I'm interrested in hasdamage on the other side(little less bad than yours

[@danielkelly5112]

Both brakes at all times buddy. . Always both brakes

[@fattymcgee123]

wait... how do you use the rear brakes? sad to drop a bike, that always makes me want to pour some alcohol on the ground. some minor cosmetic stuff, engine still best part about the bike. change out the fork spring oil and get some racetech valves in them, world of difference.

[@gripsanity]

It was actually surprisingly easy to still use, i used my rear brake all the time.

[@realchrisma]

Thanks for bringing up the kickstand. I thought I was the only one that felt it was sketchy. Your bike looks good despite the rash. My brakes are junk. I have great brake pads and new fluid but it doesn't perform like other bikes. Looking forward to seeing more SV vids!

[@johncarlson1877]

That's how v twins are have you ridden the sv 1000 ???? Get a power commander and a free flowing muffler !!!! The injector fueling will be ok...get gsxr rear shock for DAMPING control not dampening that means wet look it up... do the front gsxk 750 k I think.. shocks are bout 700 and up go Ohlins !!!!! If the steering stops or the frame is bent that would suck..keep it in the house cuz Suzukis corrode like crazy

[@sienervansee1238]

Front fork oil must be replaced with thicker oil. Also get hold of Dave Moss through any of his online vids and I'm sure he will get that bike set up for you where you could possible eliminate front tyre wear. It's all through email correspondence... And my oath does he make anything on two wheels come alive.

[@logansmith89]

If you dislike it so much sell it and move on ,,to another bike you can find another 10 things you don't like I seam to like mine the way it is, this in not the cream of the crop of bikes as well,

[@gripsanity]

Logan Smith thanks for the comment. I’m glad you like your bike. I quite enjoyed my sv650 but just pointed out some of the weak points of mine. Check out my 10 things I love video. Also I have since sold the bike and owned several since than. I currently have a 2007 KTM Superduke 990.

[@thekevineffect]

Nice Video!

[@johncarlson1877]

So call seargents seats 400 bucks

[@yanierolivera4678]

Should get a Honda Goldwing. You can do 500 miles with a nice confortable seat and lots of wind protection!!!

[@exothermal.sprocket]

And be bored to death with the bulk and lack of fun in the bendy bits.

[@gripsanity]

I'll let you keep the Goldwing, I've got a FZ6 now it eats up the miles and is faster then the SV.

[@6fteight]

Nice video, I think the thing I hate the most is the stock mirrors. Ugly, and useless.

[@gripsanity]

I agree, they're the worst! You can't even see anything, much preferred the bar end mirrors i put on.

[@robcourtney1997]

It's a lot of bike for the money. The newer models have come a long way since your model.

[@SBarbati]

Dude that's your opinion and I respect that. But I think you are being extremely picky. Things like the gas tank being to high? Come on... I see a lot of people making videos like this to get views and because you guys have to find 10 things you hate about something, it seems like you are just trying hard to complete your list of 10 with nonsense staff like some you cited in your review.

[@gripsanity]

Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment! You're right. I also made a video about the 10 Things I Love about the bike. If you look at my tagged comment, I placed on the video it explains most things. This isn't a review of the bike just 10 things I don't like about MY BIKE. I have owned and ridden many bikes, and these are the things that are noticeable about it. To address the tank being high, it makes it hard to plant your thigh into the tank when hanging off the bike while riding aggressive, it can be fixed by adding adjustable rear sets. You hang onto a bike with your legs, so it is an issue for when I'm riding spiritedly. I'm sure you noticed I mentioned how to fix most of the things I disliked about.

[@blooeyibanez]

GripSanity "next vid 10 things i hate most about myself"

[@gripsanity]

Hardcore Prawn lol I’d watch it, for when you gonna make it?

[@stevebrooks971]

this guy sounds like my ex wife..

[@thedesertscrub]

10:45 F

[@johncarlson1877]

Waaaaaaaaahhhh. Do you complain gassing your car or mower?????

[@johncarlson1877]

So park it in gear on hills facing up hill !!! You don't park the car on hills in neutral.. biking is a hobby/dream /life style man quit whining

[@stevebrooks971]

omg

[@jodiphilips4697]

Please don't make anymore bike videos, Jesus christ! You must be amazing to hang out with!

[@gripsanity]

Right, same to you buddy!

[@ianstewartbrown5308]

Think you bought the wrong bike

[@fpreston9527]

Time to sell it . No point riding a bike you don't like

[@gripsanity]

lol, thanks for the comment. The bike was sold many moons ago. I've owned 14 bikes since this one

[@johncarlson1877]

Use a halogen bulb duuuuuh

[@leecbracing]

Get a new bike problem solved 🙄

[@RUH24A]

I think it's put me off buying this bike

[@westboundNinja1]

Try it first.. people love this bike

[@wilmawife]

OMG just sell the thing, it's only Suzuki's #1 selling bike, go back to your 600.

[@gripsanity]

Thanks for your truly insightful comment on a 4-year-old video. It was sold many moons ago and I've owned 17 motorcycles since then.

[@markdennis930]

Every single sentence sounds like a question. Every one. Off the scale annoying.

[@hankaul6256]

Wow