Bandit vs. Sv650

[kawi crasher]

Hey everybody, been reading the forum for a while now and gotten tons of good advice from previous posts, and am blown away by the fount of knowledge on here.  

The reason I've broken my silence and chose to speak on here was I because I am desperately needing some advice.  Until two days ago I was riding a 2000 Kawasaki ZR-7.  The bike was great for me; good speed without being obnoxiously fast, great mileage (46mpg avg.), large gas tank (about 250 mile range), not a lot of plastics to worry about in a lay down, easier maintenance and didn't kill me with the insurance costs either.   I primarily used the bike fr one up commuting, about 45 miles one way, but my GF has started riding with me on 1-2 hour trips to day destinations.  But I had also planned on several two-three week road trips over the next year or two.  Well, Friday night my baby was suddenly and tragically taken from me by a kid in a pickup truck.  He pulled in front of me, and I was forced to lay her down.  She's totaled and I spent two days in the hospital.  Cest la vie.  When the insurance money comes in, I'm looking to get a new bike.

I know that picking out the perfect bike for a person is based mostly on personal preference and experience, but I need some advice on what you guys think of the following three bikes for commuting/sport touring.  I like having a large fuel tank, some wind protection, 6 gears if available (ZR-7 only has 5 gears), chain drive, and ease of maintenance (carbs actually preferred here).    I have a ton of soft luggage, but I wouldn't mind being able to upgrade to hard luggage if the bike I get has it easily available.  

Anything you guys have to contribute would be greatly appreciated, thanks again.

[Sport-Touring]

[shawn and gwyn]

why chain drive?  and what kind of bandit are you talking about.. first gen?  600cc. 1200cc., or the second gen 1250cc...  i think the SV is a good bike.. but i think you have to add some things to make it a touring mount, different seat, bar risers,  i dont have any experiance with the first gen bandits.. but i have heard and read that they are prety much rock solid.  now the 1250.. my wife has one.. and she loves it.  needs a different seat.  also how much money are you looking to spend?  if you can do without chain drive,, and need best value for your money.. look at a C10 concours.. great weather protection, great stock seat, good removable luggage, ohh and mine gets around 45 mpg,, with a 7.5 tank on it.. and it has carbs.

hope some of that helps.

shawn

[VT636]

My gf put 2k on her SV650 over the long weekend. Unlike my bike there are hard luggage options. There are many easy suspension upgrades - hers has a gsxr 1k front end - and the bike handles better, especially after upgrades, than a Bandit. They're super light too. The S-model's fairing is pretty good, but your legs get cold in very late and very early season rides.

The downside to the SV - IMO - and probably with the Bandit 600 as well, is that high speed riding is not a strong suit. She had to ring that thing's neck to keep up with the Literbikes and even 750 and 600 I-4's that were also on this trip. A couple legs through NB where we put on around 140miles at 105 mph the little SV started spitting out coolant as soon as we pulled off for fuel -they are not made for that kind of abuse.

Get a superhawk and put a fuel-cell on it...

[birdrunner]

.  He pulled in front of me, and I was forced to lay her down.  She's totaled and I spent two days in the hospital.  Cest la vie.  When the insurance money comes in, I'm looking to get a new bike.

VERY glad you're not hurt, but here comes the safy Nazi.   ....
Although I'm not in on the details,  in 98 % of cases, "Laying her down (the bike  ) isn't the best thing to do, as rubber on pavement stops better than steel/plastic on pavement.

That said, the SV,  isn't as comfortable than the Bandit, much lower bars.  One of the most sporty bike that's comfortable is the V-Strom.   (You can't see it's looks when you're riding).

It is ESPECIALLY comfortable for the passenger.   Another advantage is it doesn't fair too badly when the road sucks.
For two up,  the 1000 is an exceptional sport touring mount.

[jfurf]

If you're gonna be riding two-up, go for the Bandit over the SV.  

[Tyrroneous]

What about a used VFR?  








[ducks and runs for cover]

[falconati]

I you're thinking about layin' her down in the future, maybe you should check out a Harley  

[kawi crasher]

Sorry I've been away from the computer for a while, enforced bed rest and some pretty good pain killers have left me in a less then 100% state.  

I like the chain drive because it's what I've always had, and to be honest I prefer them over other final drives because I enjoy wrenching on my bikes as much as possible.  It's just what I've gotten used to I guess.  Same thing with the carbs, I can rebuild/clean them myself if necessary as well as doing carb syncs.

I don't know how much money I'm gonna have to work with in the end, still waiting on the insurance company to send me an offer that will probably need some negotiating/adjustment.  I'm thinking anywhere from $2000-2500.  One of my thoughts was to hold off and get the bike this fall when the prices drop a bit, and I can't ride or wrench till I'm healed up anyway (Doc's say about 2 months give or take).  

As far as which bandit, i was thinking about a 2000 or so, and probably the 600 (1200 would probably cost to much to insure).  But I haven't ruled out the sv650 (naked or faired, haven't decided).  I don't mind getting a bike that has some engine problems or light cosmetic damage as I'll have all winter to work on it and get it up to standard, like I sai I don't mind a bit or wrenching.  Either way, since the accident my GF has decided she probably won't want to ride with me anymore, guess she finally saw the extent of the dangers associated with bikes.  

So this discussion may be a bit premature, but even laying in the hospital bed I was already thinking about my next mount.  I figure why ride 4 wheels when two wheels works just as well.

Birdrunner:  Your right, rubber does help with the stops, but the kid pulled out about 50 feet in front on me while I was doing about 60mph.  It was either go to ground or hit the truck and become a human projectile.  Still ended up with a ruptured spleen, bruised lung and dislocated shoulder.  Doc's say I should make a full recovering without need for any surgery (fingers crossed).

Hope this answers most of the questions, and again thanks for the input guys.  I'll let you know how it goes with the insurance company, hoping for the best.

[kawi crasher]

SO here are my thoughts after a bit of research, internet since I can't go on any test rides,  Damn Doctors.
First I'm 5'10 around 175-185 lbs (fluctuates depending on my work out plan that month)
Second, probably gonna get about $2500 from insurance company for the ZR7.
Third, the GF isn't at all eager to get back on the bike anytime soon, so two-up riding is no longer a primary concern.
Fourth, I'm looking for a sport touring mount, but 80-90% of my riding is an hour and a half or less at a time, so a full fledged tourer is not necessary.  Maybe it's more accurate to say I'm looking for a sport/standard with touring capabilities.

1999-2002 SV60/S
Thought about getting one of these two and then changing ergos to suit a more upright position.  Heli bars one the S model with the high foot pegs.  Or the naked version with a give or targa windscreen/mini fairing.  The thought would be to later (when more funds are available) add a full fairing kit to either bike, and clip ons if I got the the naked model, with the lower foot pegs.  Either way trying to get a bit of wind/element protection from either bike.  Saw a nice full set from sharkskinz.  I like the SV650 since I've ridden one before and know it has the power I need.  Pus there are plenty of aftermarket hard luggage sets available for these unlike the ZR7.  But, I'm not crazy bout the 180 mile range with the 4.1 gal tank.

Honda VFR
Would love a 2004 with the factory bags, but no way that's gonna be in my budget.  :-(

2000-2002 Bandit 600S
This is right up there with the only real contender with the SV as far as what is reasonable on my budget.  It has the range (200+ miles per tank) that I want, and the aftermarket support (full fairing kits, hard luggage) and the reliable proven engine.  I'm just concerned it's not gonna have the power I'm used to coming off a 750cc engine.  I know I can swap engines for a gsx750 but then mileage goes down and I'm not that eager to do a full swap...just yet.

Yamaha FZ6
Same boat as the Honda VFR.

I know I'm being picky here, but with my budget I have to make this count.  All these bikes have pros and cons, it's the sifting through them that the hard part.   I'm hoping to heal up quickly so I can actually go out on some test rides instead of just dreaming on the internet.  Any thoughts?  Please?  

[numist]

Between my wife and I we currently have an FZ6 and an SVS in the stable, which is almost like having a Bandit 600 and SV, and it all comes down to what you're planning on doing with your day.

On the one hand, the SV defines "usable power" on the street—no matter what you're doing, you have something resembling power when you twist your wrist. It also handles well, impressively so when you give the suspension some attention. The SV will make the same kind of power at 2k rpm as any 600 I4 at 5k (I used my friend's F4i for specific comparison), and it'll make it all the way to the redline.

On the other hand, if my day is going to be all interstate, I'll take the FZ6. Once you hit the freeway, and the FZ (and the Bandit) are coming into their powerband, there's no competition: the SV will fall behind. On a peaky I4, freeway riding is a total breeze. Once the engine is turning more than 6k, it'll keep up with anything—it's a rocket.

I would pick the bike that matches the riding that you enjoy, regardless of which riding you wind up doing. That's why even though I take more trips and put on way more miles than my wife, the SV is mine.

On the topic of naked or faired SVs, you might wind up being pretty happy with the stock riding position of the naked. All the complaints about not being comfortable for long hauls pretty much disappear with the higher bars and nice upright riding position.

As of yesterday, I actually own both a naked and a faired SV, so this shouldn't come as a surprise: I can not say enough good things about that bike, and especially that engine.

[Mr.Black]

Sounds like you are feeling a bit better.

Let me know when you want to part with the XS400.

[nater]

I had an 07 SV650S and liked it, although I did sell it as I thought it was too slow.  The best part of the SV is definately the motor (even though I found it slightly on the boring side).  It's nice and torquey.  I wasn't a fan of the suspension the or the brakes.  I know that the suspension can be upgraded (ZX-10 shock and GSXR forks), but I didn't like it enough to put money and effort into it.  

I sold it to my Dad, who upgraded from a Ninja 250.  He called me the other day and said he saw 121mph on the speedo.  My thought was, "Holy cow, Dad...I've created a monster"   .  Now I know where I get it from.  I never took it that fast.  After 100, it climbs a bit more slowly--which gave me time to think about deer, rabbits, flashing red and blue lights, and jail time.

In all fairness, I'm sure I would have enjoyed the SV a lot more if I'd never the ridden what I've got now.  Funny how that works...  

[flip]

Last summer, my son and I rode up to Deals Gap. We did about 450 miles that day. I was on my '96 600 Bandit and he was on his '07 SV650S. He had just bought the SV as a new leftover. We both agreed that the Bandit was much more comfortable but he much preferred his SV once we got up on the Tail of the Dragon.

To be fair, his SV was stock and my Bandit had bar risers, a tall shield and a gel seat so it should have been more comfortable.

The SV has much more lowend and midrange torque...more peak torque too than the Bandit. The Bandit sure is fun running it up to redline through the gears though.

[motormike]

I have a 2006 SV 650s with raised bars.  I think it's a decent city bike for one up.  I wouldn't want to go very far on it.

I'm wanting more power and something with more sport and tour.

[02Tac]

  Have you actually checked with your insurer to see what it would cost to insure an older Bandit 1200S?  I ask this because it might not be as much as you think. With progressive it falls under the 1200cc tier because it is actually 1158cc.  I find mine to be a very good ST machine. yes, there are more comfortable bikes and their are more sporting bike, but the bandit is a very good mix of the two.
 
  I find the suspension ( I am about 250lbs) to be fine for legal/sensible speeds on public roads.  For the speeds at which it is lacking, you should be on a track.

  Power is real world. Mine puts out 103hp at the rear wheel. This may not sound like much in the age of 200hp street missles, but the motor is tuned to make usable power. It makes power where you need it, not just in the top third of the tach. She is happy to run the back roads between 3 and 4k all day long.  That said, she will get your attention and go quite rapidly should you ask it of her and take the needle just a little bit further up the tach face.  

[02Tac]

Kawi, any updates?

[Bobcat]

o2Tac is right--seriously consider the 1200. I've had both (the 600 and the 1200), and there really is no comparison in terms of real world, usable power. I wouldn't imagine the insurance would be much different on either bike. Stock B12s make good midrange power (as mentioned), but they aren't screamers. Now, if you want to uncork the motor with a jet kit, filter, and pipe...

[FirstVtwin]

SV1000S FTW!
All the goodness of the six fiddy with more power, and adjustable suspension...
I loved mine!!!!

There is another thread on here an things to make the SV 650/1000 good for touring...
taller screen
gel seat
lower foot pegs
bar risers
hard luggage
etc.

The 1000 won't be wheezing or leave you wishing for more power.

[02Tac]

o2Tac is right--seriously consider the 1200. I've had both (the 600 and the 1200), and there really is no comparison in terms of real world, usable power. I wouldn't imagine the insurance would be much different on either bike. Stock B12s make good midrange power (as mentioned), but they aren't screamers. Now, if you want to uncork the motor with a jet kit, filter, and pipe...

Great real world power. Tons of power does you no good ifit all up in the top of the rpm range.  

Insurance is not bad as the 1200 Bandit is actually 1156 which falls under the 1200cc threshold most insurance companies use.

I did add a Holeshot Performance (place to go for Zuki motors) Stage one Mod jet kit to mine. Not for more power, but to fix the factory lean condition.  Not a must do, but it does smooth things out and improves milage. I get over 50 mpg with my 1200.

[notagix]

I have an '07 B1250, it's comfortable no trouble at 70,000 km, all the valves were still within at 70,000km. Riding with a newbie rider at the speed limit, I got 68mpg, about 56.6 US mpg.