Suzuki Gladius vs FZ6R vs Ninja650 vs GSX650F?

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I ride a 2012 gladius, mainly commuting in city. The v twin serves up great lo end torque so it's like instant acceleration, and combined with its toss ability makes for quick snappy thrusts and lane changes when scanning for gaps in traffic. not wanting for power at all at speeds below 120, but I rarely go faster than that anyways. If I did I'd probably upgrade to an in line 3 like the fz 09 or street triple. I originally looked at the Ducati monster, but the suzuki offers better price and reliabilit and similar performance in real world. friends w sport bikes who've tried my bike out are impressed at the torque and immediateNess of power. However, it tops out at 10500rpm, w the i4 sport bikes I feel like they're just getting warmed up at 6000 and then just surge surge surge! up to a sky high redline.
Depends on how you like to ride
 
Why no SV650? It gets better reviews than all of those except the FZ6.

The FZ6 gets the best reviews, from what I've read, so I'd suggest that. I know when I had a 650R everyone was saying the SV is a nicer bike.
 
unL33T said:
Why no SV650? It gets better reviews than all of those except the FZ6.

The FZ6 gets the best reviews, from what I've read, so I'd suggest that. I know when I had a 650R everyone was saying the SV is a nicer bike.
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I started doing demo rides a couple of years ago, before that, I read reviews.
I've come to the conclusion that you really have to demo a bike to learn about it, and the review scores of any brand is directly proportional to the advertisements in the magazine, especially US-based magazines.

[video=youtube;9cQgQIMlwWw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cQgQIMlwWw[/video]



There have been some bikes I've gotten off of and wondered why they were so under-rated.

I had an SV650, the ergos were not comfortable for long rides for my height, but the engine was amazing, which is why there are so many track bikes based on this design.
 
CafeRay said:
I started doing demo rides a couple of years ago, before that, I read reviews.
I've come to the conclusion that you really have to demo a bike to learn about it, and the review scores of any brand is directly proportional to the advertisements in the magazine, especially US-based magazines.

[video=youtube;9cQgQIMlwWw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cQgQIMlwWw[/video]



There have been some bikes I've gotten off of and wondered why they were so under-rated.

I had an SV650, the ergos were not comfortable for long rides for my height, but the engine was amazing, which is why there are so many track bikes based on this design.
Click to expand...
The reviews I was reading were mostly just normal forum users doing test rides and comparing.
 
Picked up a 2011 Gladius last night.
Feels OK. Nice torque though not as insane as the ZX6R. Felt awkward sitting upright and 120 felt fast again, which is good for my wallet.
Some reviews have claimed the suspension was spotty. This is true (relative to a supersport).
Going to miss the feeling of diving headfirst into bends but you get what you pay for. Insurance cut in half.
 
Of the same year the Gladius is only down about 1 ft lbs of torque compared to the ZX6R and the Gladius reaches that 3000 rpm sooner than the ZX6R. Much lower hp (just over half), though.
 
Well just sayin, cruising at 120 in 6th then cranking the throttle doesn't get me to 160 in the blink of an eye.

unL33T said:
Of the same year the Gladius is only down about 1 ft lbs of torque compared to the ZX6R and the Gladius reaches that 3000 rpm sooner than the ZX6R. Much lower hp (just over half), though.
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eljay said:
Well just sayin, cruising at 120 in 6th then cranking the throttle doesn't get me to 160 in the blink of an eye.
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Yeah at those speeds the hp disadvantage starts to come into play. Gladius is probably geared higher.
 
damn just finished my first tank on the Gladys, got 4.8L/100km.... that's half the insurance AND half the gas from the 600 lol. Mostly rush hour highway.
 
The Gladius is a great bike, based on the historical reliability for the SV650, the Gladius is probably bullet proof. And I always like the general concept of the bike. It is not flashy, that's why it does not sell a lot of units.
 
Two50noob said:
Gladius was one of the most comfortable bikes i ever road. Same engine as the strom 650
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The 2012+ V-Strom 650 engine is based on the Gladius Engine but a different state of tune.

TYhe V-Strom redlines at 10,000 vs 10,500 rpm.

The V-Strom has a heavier flywheel and I believe is tuned for more mid-range.

My wife's Gladius seems to be a bit more rev-happy and have a better top end (but NOTHING like a CBR600RR or any other 4 cylinder Sport Bike!)

The Gladius is a real hoot to ride! I wish I was a whole lot smaller and lighter so I fit it better!

..Tom
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