sv650 to fz8 - am i going to be downgrading?

[rainorshine]

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I am finishing my first season on a street bike, a 2003 sv650s. I love the look of naked bikes, and originally wanted a naked sv, but couldn't find one. I want to get a new bike come spring, but can't seem to decide. In terms of looks and performance, the street triple and monster 796 seem in line with what i want, but they are significantly more expensive up front, and have quite the reputation for being expensive to maintain. I want something that handles like a supersport, but looks like a monster. I know this isn't possible, and I'm having the toughest time deciding where to make compromises.

reasons i want a new bike:
-i just want something newer. style, reliability, a bike that glides through the gears, a bike without so many "quirks"
-a little bit more power
-better handling (i hesitate to say this, because sometimes i feel like my sv isn't aggressive enough, and i feel like an fz8 would put me in an even more upright position)
-never been crazy about the looks. i prefer the looks of just about any 600, and like the looks of the fz8/triple/monster even moreso. it sounds like a pathetic point, but if im going to be spending so much time and money on a motorcycle, shouldn't i love everything about it?

current mods on the sv:
-convertibars
-adjustable upgraded rearsets
-zx6r rear shock
-gsxr front springs, heavier weight fork oil
-tail tidy
-frame sliders

fz8 pros:
-more power
-absolute love the look of them
-price is pretty damn reasonable
-i sat on one, and it felt far less cramped than the triumph street triple i sat on

fz8 cons:
-possibly worse handling than my current bike? someone please confirm or deny
-limited parts because of short run (2011-2013)
-spending money on a new bike for not much gain
-may have to spend hundreds to thousands more to upgrade bike to even make me happy with it (suspension, tail tidy, frame sliders, exhaust at minimum)
-probably higher insurance


If you have any insight on this, I'd love to hear from you. Maybe I should just bite the bullet with the higher initial cost and get a street triple. I'd like to spend $5,000, but I realize that may be unrealistic and may have to go as high as $7,000.

 

[the_mueg]

Have an sv650 with gsxr forks and zx10r rear shock. Love the bike and was also thinking of going to an fz8. I did a test ride with snowcity and the fz8 is a great bike but not much of a power upgrade (IMHO). I believe the fz09 is cheaper than the fz8 and has more power so don't know if you considered that option.

 

[TwistedKestrel]

Have an sv650 with gsxr forks and zx10r rear shock. Love the bike and was also thinking of going to an fz8. I did a test ride with snowcity and the fz8 is a great bike but not much of a power upgrade (IMHO). I believe the fz09 is cheaper than the fz8 and has more power so don't know if you considered that option.

The FZ8 has 30 horsepower on the SV ... that's not an upgrade?

 

[beachguy]

Fz8 is definately an upgrade. need to rev a bit more to get the power but as the above poster mention, 30 more horsepower and 0 years of use = much different riding experience

 

[the_mueg]

The FZ8 has 30 horsepower on the SV ... that's not an upgrade?

Didn't feel it at lower speeds. Perhaps it would show at higher speeds. However I took it on the highway and tried braking hard and pinning the throttle and I found the SV felt like it had more torque on the lower end. Having more horsepower doesn't always mean you have more power across the board :/.

Either way it wasn't too far from the SV in terms of power, and I found that it was more comfortable to ride if comparing stock FZ8 to stock SV(better sitting position and seat ).

 

[chodatus]

I have the Fazer/Fz8s and the torque kicks in above 5k RPM. Sweet spot is between 6k-9k. I love my bike so far but then again I upgraded from a 400. If you check out the fz8 forums there are plenty of mods available to do yourself. Most parts are available in the states so if you are looking for something specific, ship it to CBI and have a trip to Niagara.

 

[MacDoc]

fz8 cons:
-possibly worse handling than my current bike? someone please confirm or deny

answering on behalf of my son - the 2013 Fz8 was a bit jump in handling both from his perspective coming off the SV650s and according to this review which you may want to read completely

http://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2013-yamaha-fz8-review-unexpected-magic/

The big change for 2013 is adjustable suspension. The new 43mm inverted forks allow you to set compression and rebound damping, along with spring preload. The rear shock omits the compression damping, but this suspension package addresses the one weakness of last year’s version – a little softness at the rear. Now, the FZ8 can be dialed in to preference, and the fabulous, neutral handling can be fully exploited.

-

limited parts because of short run (2011-2013)

Can't comment

-spending money on a new bike for not much gain

Big gain in his mind, significant power and handling upgrade as well as far more comfortable.

-may have to spend hundreds to thousands more to upgrade bike to even make me happy with it (suspension, tail tidy, frame sliders, exhaust at minimum)

unlikely suspension - the other stuff is peanuts.

-probably higher insurance

It was not more expensive for him which was a total surprise and a deal closer.

Our delta for the trade up was $7100 + tax for the FZ8
$5100 in our pocket for the SV-650s after $400 in bits to get it saftied.

 

[coyo]

Didn't feel it at lower speeds. Perhaps it would show at higher speeds. However I took it on the highway and tried braking hard and pinning the throttle and I found the SV felt like it had more torque on the lower end. Having more horsepower doesn't always mean you have more power across the board :/.

Either way it wasn't too far from the SV in terms of power, and I found that it was more comfortable to ride if comparing stock FZ8 to stock SV(better sitting position and seat ).

Exactly what you'd expect comparing a v-twin to an inline 4. I'm biased but I MUCH prefer where a v-twin makes its power as compared to where an inline 4 makes it which, ironically, I discovered on an SV650S before upgrading to a TL1000S and now the Superduke.

Now as for looks and comfort between the two bikes the OP is talking about; I like the look of the SVS but I've grown away from the riding position. I don't like the look of the naked SV. The FZ8 on the other hand is a great looking bike and has the riding position I've grown into (although I did lower the bars a bit on my Superduke with Ducati Monster bars).

End of the day, the SVS is going to make power lower down which is better (IMHO) for real world riding. The FZ8 is going to be a better handling bike due to riding position and bars vs clip-ons (which is also more comfortable).

Which do I think you should go with?

Neither.

Of all the bikes you mentioned and for the reasons you mentioned them, the Monster is the winner for looks, handling, how it applies power to the road, and THE SOUND. The Street Triple is 2nd due only to the engine configuration which still beats the I4 FZ8 for real world use. The SVS is last.

YMMV

 

[rainorshine]

Thanks for all the replies so far, though I'm still undecided haha. I'll probably look for a deal on a street triple, otherwise head for the fz8.

 

[matthew]

For long day rides the FZ8 will be the better bike. If you're just going to the Forks and back, the SV will suffice.

 

[moarmoto]

Been doing 700-800km a day on cbr600rr and curious to see how comfy these bikes may be. I've done 500km on 84 magna but that was also bad.

 

[unL33T]

Didn't feel it at lower speeds. Perhaps it would show at higher speeds. However I took it on the highway and tried braking hard and pinning the throttle and I found the SV felt like it had more torque on the lower end. Having more horsepower doesn't always mean you have more power across the board :/.

Either way it wasn't too far from the SV in terms of power, and I found that it was more comfortable to ride if comparing stock FZ8 to stock SV(better sitting position and seat ).

Couldn't agree more. This is why in the city my 265 hp WRX feels slower than my 90 hp Jetta TDI did. More low end torque with the Jetta. The WRX has more in the top end but you don't notice that until over 4k rpm whereas power dropped off on the TDI at over 3k. Huge difference when you're traveling above 140 kph, though, or rev the snot out of it.

Not that those are bike related but a similar power comparison.

That's to be expected when comparing a v-twin to something with more cylinders.

 

[KJM]

Skip the fz8 and get a second gen (06+) FZ1, with the euro naked conversion. This one recently sold dirt cheap in states (under 4gs) and was pretty well sorted. Ivan has recently come out with an ecu flash that makes them run like proper liter bikes also. Slap on some r1 forks and a rear shock and you have a good all rounder.

http://www.yamahafz1oa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=129625

Otherwise the FZ09 looks like a lot of fun too!

 

[llaen]

For long day rides the FZ8 will be the better bike. If you're just going to the Forks and back, the SV will suffice.

Speaking of longer trips, I had to get an aftermarket seat for my 2012 fazer. Not sure if the stock seat has improved at all since but I sure needed a replacement.

As for not feeling the difference at lower speeds... Yeah. Others said it - it's a 4 cylinder. Crank it up and see what happens.

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