Looking for advice: SV650SA vs FZ6

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sevet

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So I'm in a dilemma on which bike to choose between the two. I know some people will say I should just finish my first season on the 300 and upgrade next year after getting more km's under my belt. I'm not here to argue against that, but after 5000+km on the 300 this year I just want to try something new. I ride to work everyday rain or shine, in fact haven't driven my car to work a single time since picking up my bike this spring :D. I wish I could hit some twisties often but with a gf and dog at home, I don't have the luxury of just going to ride for a day every weekend. So I do enjoy twisties, but the vast majority of my riding is commuting.

So the two bikes I'm trying to decide between: a SV650SA and FZ6. I'm looking for some kind of middleweight replacement that has EFI and somewhat sporting intentions. Ideally I'd like to have ABS again but I don't think it's a dealbreaker. I've gotten quotes for both bikes and they're both within a couple hundred bucks of what I'm paying for the 300 annually.

SV650SA:

Pros
- torque-y motor for city riding
- ABS
- Lots of aftermarket support
- The half fairing looks better than the FZ6

Cons
- Looks dated IMO
- I don't think it sounds very good

FZ6:

Pros
- I4 (yeah I hear they're not ideal for street riding, but I really want to try a I4 that pulls up top)
- Faster than the SV
- I think overall it looks better than the SV, especially the centre exhausts. I'm a sucker for those...

Cons
- No ABS
- A little too upright for my liking
- Heavier than the SV
 
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Realistically it doesn't matter. It be a personal choice. Which one speaks to you? Either will do ok with commuting or the occasional sprited run. For commuting light and flick-able is better, for touring a bit of weight is more stable.

I've ridden the 1st gen SV. Too mellow for me.
 
I'd definitely welcome more power over the 300 for commuting. SV650, 650r, Fz6, etc.. All of those slot in nicely for suitable power for a commute. Plus they are overall light, nimble and skinny for commuting duties. Why not consider the 650r? Why not consider the Versys 650 (or bikes like it)?

You should be looking at what works best for your commute. Best mileage for one thing. Constantly having to fill up a bike when all you want to do is get home or get to work sucks. An upright riding position is the best. Being upright can still be plenty of fun in the curves, but is good for commuting.

If you want to experience an Inline 4's top-end power, then don't beat around the bush and buy a higher-hp i4. Fz8, 600SS, whatever.. For what you're looking for, don't let an i4 motor sway you.
 
Bagman said:
I'd definitely welcome more power over the 300 for commuting. SV650, 650r, Fz6, etc.. All of those slot in nicely for suitable power for a commute. Plus they are overall light, nimble and skinny for commuting duties. Why not consider the 650r? Why not consider the Versys 650 (or bikes like it)?

You should be looking at what works best for your commute. Best mileage for one thing. Constantly having to fill up a bike when all you want to do is get home or get to work sucks. An upright riding position is the best. Being upright can still be plenty of fun in the curves, but is good for commuting.

If you want to experience an Inline 4's top-end power, then don't beat around the bush and buy a higher-hp i4. Fz8, 600SS, whatever.. For what you're looking for, don't let an i4 motor sway you.
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All the reading I've done online seems to suggest the SV is a superior bike to the 650R in pretty much every way, so I just figured if I wanted a more sporty middleweight then the SV is an easy choice over the 650R. And my neighbor's wife has a 650R so I dunno how I feel about that :D

If I wanted to let all rationality go out the door, I'd pick up a 600SS. But (un?)fortunately my brain/self-survival instincts won't let me do that.
 
@sevet have you talked to @MangoRider? He was in a similar situation. Went from a 250 to his sv and his bike is his primary vehicle.

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Joe Bass said:
@sevet have you talked to @MangoRider? He was in a similar situation. Went from a 250 to his sv and his bike is his primary vehicle.

Sent from my custom purple Joe Bass mobile device using Tapatalk
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Yeah talked to mango again last night at BB. He let me sit on his SV, it feels nice. Just bigger enough than the 300 to feel not like a toy, but not too tall. I'm not that tall (5'8, 30" inseam) so seat height is always a factor. Not as much as it is to you of course but still :D
 
DemonPig said:
I got a Fazer8. Very happy with it.

How much you looking to spend OP?
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I sat on one of those at Snow City the other day. Felt substancially bigger than a Ninja 300, honestly from my memory it felt way more substantial than a GSXR750.

I'm trying to stay ~$4500 +/- from a stealership so I can trade my bike in instead of going through the hassle of selling it privately.
 
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Yes, SV is smaller. Trading your bike in may be a sour experience. For example last one I had, they wanted to give me $1,800, I sold it privately for $4,100.

SV you can buy very cheap and the only downside is somewhat weak suspension. V-twin power delivery is very neat. I liked it a lot when I had it.
 
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DemonPig said:
Yes, SV is smaller. Trading your bike in may be a sour experience. For example last one I had, they wanted to give me $1,800, I sold it privately for $4,100.

SV you can buy very cheap and the only downside is somewhat weak suspension. V-twin power delivery is very neat. I liked it a lot when I had it.
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I've called a few dealers about trading the bike in, they've all told me if it's in good condition they'll give me $3200 for it. Which considering the tax savings after trading in, is worth more like $3600. From what I see on kijiji right now, I might be able to get a few hundred more than that but it's not enough to convince me to go through the trouble of selling it.
 
Also called the shop that had the '08 SV I was considering, the guy who I was talked to was an ***hole. Guess I gotta find another SV to look at.
 
FZ6 is always more recommended in everything I've read.

That said, I've heard the SV is a fantastic bike. And yes, people seem to prefer it over the 650R.
 
DemonPig said:
Yeah, some sales people have a weird approach. One of the reasons I wasn't too sad about a couple of stores shutting down in GTA.
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The call lasted all of about 30 seconds...this is literally word for word how the conversation went

Me: "Hi do you still have the SV650?"
Him: "Yeah"
Me: "I was wondering if you'd take my bike as a trade in on the SV"
Him: "What is it?"
Me: "It's a 2014 Ninja 300"
Him: "No"
Me: "Why not?"
Him: "It's too small"
Me: "I thought 250/300's moved pretty quickly"
Him: "You want to tell me how to run my business?"
Me: "Alright" and I hung up

I guess he was too busy to be polite on a Thursday afternoon?
 
In the pro for the FZ6 -- I4 -- you wrote "...yeah I hear they're not ideal for street riding, but I really want to try a I4 that pulls up top".

There's no basis for the concern that an I4 is somehow substandard for street use; whomever told you that was clueless.

Another FZ8S (Fazer 800) chiming in here. I'm considering an upgrade to a Tuono or an FZ-10 but one of the things on which I'm hung up is the sound; I love the sound of a flat-crank I4 versus the cross-plane I4 in the FZ or the V4 in the Tuono. I too dislike the sound of twins like the SV...
 
sevet said:
The call lasted all of about 30 seconds...this is literally word for word how the conversation went

Me: "Hi do you still have the SV650?"
Him: "Yeah"
Me: "I was wondering if you'd take my bike as a trade in on the SV"
Him: "What is it?"
Me: "It's a 2014 Ninja 300"
Him: "No"
Me: "Why not?"
Him: "It's too small"
Me: "I thought 250/300's moved pretty quickly"
Him: "You want to tell me how to run my business?"
Me: "Alright" and I hung up

I guess he was too busy to be polite on a Thursday afternoon?
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I've found that to be the attitude of many dealers as of late (not all however)

They think they're in the 'busy' season so dont want to give you the time of day.

Or they just lack social skills(*Cough Vos *)
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