Trade 2007 or newer FZ6 time for 05 SV650 Time

[ESP]

Well, Mello and i met up at Warner and Bolsa and took PCH south from Seal Beach to Newport Beach and then the superslab back inland. . . 'bout a 45 min ride or so.

I like the FZ. . . everything on it is optomized for sport touring/comfort.

It is more flickable, more comfortable seating and leg and arm positions, gives more wind/chill protection, better quality/built bike as well. Also easier on the back and wrists than my SV.

I noticed a huge difference between the engines. The SV gives a lot more pull/torque/acceleration in the riding zones that matter in commuter traffic.
But the FZ has a better transmission (smoother).

The FZ give a much better stock front and rear shock/suspension. . i.e. the FZ is just a better balanced and rideable bike. More flickable (seems like Center of Gravity is somehow lower) and handles the road better.

FZ has a lot more to give but we never really got to speeds or rpms that were able to truly test all that the engine could put out. Is it a doggy or sluggish engine ? No. . .just a high reving one . . reminds me of my Honda CB-1 which is a 20 year old in-line 400cc engine. . . it wants to be at 6,000 rpm or higher all the time.

Thanks Mello for the ride . . hope you had fun - it was a blast and I have FZ on the brain now ! hmmmm . . . .

 

[flamewulfe]

Thanks for the write up! I was thinking of getting a new SV, but got the FZ instead . . . this just confirms my choice! No more buyer's anxiety now! Hope you got bitten by the FZ bug too . . .

 

[MarinaFazer]

Come to Ride Night tonight and you can ride mine. I used to have a 1st gen SV...upgraded to the FZ (yes, upgraded because for what i do, the fizzer is better ) anyways, there's my offer since it's going to rain for a long time after tonight.

edit: mine's a 2006...sorry.

 

[Hellgate]

.
But the FZ has a better transmission (smoother).
.

That is the first time I've seen that statement ever on this board.

When I was shopping for may FZ I was looking at the SV650F, the full fairing ABS one. The salesman said, "The FZ is a much better bike and more technologically advanced." I bought it. Very nice bike.

I've also found on the track the FZ is quicker than the SV, as long as the FZ is in the right gear.

 

[mellofelow]

Yes, indeed it was a fun ride down the coast of socal on a lazy, brisk late afternoon. Not often I get to venture on a bike of different brand so I was pretty excited.

As soon as I got on the saddle of the SV, I immediately noticed the V-twin bawl. Seat height is a little lower too… probably an inch or so. Consequently, the tank seems to be raised a bit, or more pronounced I should say. Once we got rolling, the SV did not hesitate to get off the line. The low end torque is very brute and noticeable. It roars quickly and before I knew it, it was at 6-7K rpms. Oddly enough, it sure doesn't feel or sound like it. Opposed to the FZ6 engine, the SV power seems to taper off after 7k. The FZ however, > 7k is like kicking in another 2 pistons... turbo time.

Another big difference is the suspension. As ESP mentioned, the SV felt very cushy, much more travel in the fork and shock. IMO, the FZ is definitely designed for sport riding. Too bad we didn't get a chance for some twisties.

It was obvious to me that these 2 bikes came from different roots. FZ is very much sport, a-la R6 spin off while the SV has more of a street, cruiser background.

If these bikes were big cats, the SV is like a leopard, quick on its feet and ready to pounce the pavement and take no prisoner. The FZ is more like a cheetah, light and sure footed. It glides smoothly and very streamlined for top speed.

My review may sound biased, but of course for obvious reasons. Regardless, I really enjoyed something a little different. Not only that, I got to meet a uber cool dude who potentially may be an FZ6 convert. On top of it all, a good cruise down the coast during sunset is all the reason we love to ride... no matter what bike.

Thanks again ESP... it was a pleasure and let's do it again.

 

[Hellgate]

Yes, indeed it was a fun ride down the coast of socal on a lazy, brisk late afternoon. Not often I get to venture on a bike of different brand so I was pretty excited.

As soon as I got on the saddle of the SV, I immediately noticed the V-twin bawl. Seat height is a little lower too… probably an inch or so. Consequently, the tank seems to be raised a bit, or more pronounced I should say. Once we got rolling, the SV did not hesitate to get off the line. The low end torque is very brute and noticeable. It roars quickly and before I knew it, it was at 6-7K rpms. Oddly enough, it sure doesn't feel or sound like it. Opposed to the FZ6 engine, the SV power seems to taper off after 7k. The FZ however, > 7k is like kicking in another 2 pistons... turbo time.

Another big difference is the suspension. As ESP mentioned, the SV felt very cushy, much more travel in the fork and shock. IMO, the FZ is definitely designed for sport riding. Too bad we didn't get a chance for some twisties.

It was obvious to me that these 2 bikes came from different roots. FZ is very much sport, a-la R6 spin off while the SV has more of a street, cruiser background.

If these bikes were big cats, the SV is like a leopard, quick on its feet and ready to pounce the pavement and take no prisoner. The FZ is more like a cheetah, light and sure footed. It glides smoothly and very streamlined for top speed.

My review may sound biased, but of course for obvious reasons. Regardless, I really enjoyed something a little different. Not only that, I got to meet a uber cool dude who potentially may be an FZ6 convert. On top of it all, a good cruise down the coast during sunset is all the reason we love to ride... no matter what bike.

Thanks again ESP... it was a pleasure and let's do it again.

Well written Mellofellow, you summed it up very well. :thumbup:

 

[cv_rider]

... If these bikes were big cats, the SV is like a leopard, quick on its feet and ready to pounce the pavement and take no prisoner. The FZ is more like a cheetah, light and sure footed. It glides smoothly and very streamlined for top speed...

Wow, you are really tuned into subtle differences of feline characteristics. "Leopard" and "cheetah" are pretty much interchangeable to me. I need more blunt analogies, like "leopard" and "elephant."

Very interesting experiment and post! I also considered the SV650, although was put off by owners complaining of a sport riding position making backs/arms/wrist sore. That doesn't seem the ideal mixture with the bike's more cruiser-oriented suspension. The throaty v-twin sound is attractive, though.

What's it like to have much more low-end torque? Do you need better matching of engine to road speed to downshift? My previous Buell Blast was pretty torquey, and if you downshifted at too high a speed, it was really easy to lock the back wheel. FZ6 can seem to accomodate neary any road speed while downshifting. I've also sort of thought that high low-end torque might make a bike more "twitchy" with respect to throttle control at low speeds. I found the Buell would lurch out with unsmooth clutch control, but that may have just been that I was a noob and didn't know what I was doing. Never had the FZ6 do it, though. I suspect less low-end torque makes bike more forgiving.

 

[mellofelow]

I need more blunt analogies, like "leopard" and "elephant."

LOL... Oh C'mon now. Both vehicles are in the same classification. Neither one is a real 'dog'.

Buell is also a V-twin right? On the SV, in 2nd gear it really surge and decelerate with force... enough to exercise your neck muscles. The last time I felt something like this was on a FZ1. I was like a bobble head doll just hanging on for the ride.

 

[cv_rider]

the Buell I had (very much an entry-level bike in every sense of the word) was a single cylinder thumper. It definitely didn't surge like you described, but it was low revving and you had to be darn careful downshifting. Not sure if that was torque or just low rpm ceiling.

The 2nd gear surge sounds pretty exciting and would probably be darn fun in the right hands. I do like the forgiving nature of the FZ6 where it won't do stuff like that at low RPMs. That seems sort of like an advantage, at least during this early part of my riding career.

 

[ESP]

Not sure how severe it is on the FZ6 but with the SV, if you downshift too much without rev-matching, it'll really lock up the back wheel. . .

My CB-1 inline 400cc will do this to but its not as bad as the SV.