First big bike...

agnes said:
SV650 is a cracking bike and sounds the nuts with decent cans on.

You'll love the V twin torque and won't go back to a IL4. I can promise you that.
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I have an SV650S, and I think I would much prefer an IL4. My other bike is a Street Triple and that seems like a perfect mix between V-Twins and IL4's.
 
Seems to be down to preference going by the posts. I'm not looking for full on performance for first bike (but may well do for my 2nd ;) ) so leaning towards the SV tbh
 
It comes down to what style you like and how it feels/rides

Personally I wouldn't be put off by sports bikes,they are actually easier and smoother to ride,they are reliable aswell,older ones could be classed as more of a sports tourer nowadays
 
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MowyTone said:
Seems to be down to preference going by the posts. I'm not looking for full on performance for first bike (but may well do for my 2nd ;) ) so leaning towards the SV tbh
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Take one out for a ride if you can mate, for me having the V-twin as a newish rider allows you to compensate for those newbie mistakes of being a bit slack with gear changes. Having that torque means you can often just pull through a higher gear that on the IL4 you may need to rev the nuts off it.

Also i know personally when first got a decent can on my SV the sound of that twin popping and backfiring was worth it.

See all this thread has done now is made me miss my SV
 
wazza300 said:
It comes down to what style you like and how it feels/rides

Personally I wouldn't be put off by sports bikes,they are actually easier and smoother to ride,they are reliable aswell,older ones could be classed as more of a sports tourer nowadays
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How dare you :-) lol Agree though, get the right 600/750 sports bike and they can be as tame or wild as your wrist allows them to be :-)

I like the SV650... knowing what I know now, I'm glad I didn't buy one, BUT certainly ride a couple of different bikes mate to decide... don't just go on mags/forums and looks alone.

if I was you, in your current price bracket, pick a sports bike, a tourer bike, some sort of inbetween like ER6/SV650 and take each one out, they will feel completely different and see which feels right!
 
wazza300 said:
you can pickup some cracking older machines nowadays,dont be put off by the mileage either (though does depend on the bike make/model). you want something that's cheap to maintain and you can just pile the miles on and doesn't drink petrol
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cough *FJ1200* cough, heh heh!!
Actually, fanboy as I am, it does drink fuel somewhat...

wazza300 said:
older ones could be classed as more of a sports tourer nowadays
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As above.
Possibly too heavy for a first bike, but stunningly easy to get used to.
 
yh the older bikes weigh a tonne haha

but they are more solidly built imo,modern fairings are shockingly thin/fragile
 
wazza300 said:
yh the older bikes weigh a tonne haha

but they are more solidly built imo,modern fairings are shockingly thin/fragile
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Yeah I'd agree tbh. What I've found is the older bikes like mine look like 1000s compared to the new 600s... Which look small dainty and a lot of them cheap... Cheap plastic everywhere, deffo non where near the quality of the old bikes of the late 90s and early 00s
 
pugheaven said:
if I was you, in your current price bracket, pick a sports bike, a tourer bike, some sort of inbetween like ER6/SV650 and take each one out, they will feel completely different and see which feels right!
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Don't get me wrong...I'm going to get as many test rides as I can out of the showrooms etc before I get a bike :D
 
I would recommend having a go on a few different bikes, which might be a bit more difficult than test driving a car of course but would be beneficial.

I can only speak from experience and a V-Twin will generally be a little easier to ride than an IL4 as you won't have to ride it as hard to get it to shift along but will have very different characteristics notably the low down torque and shorter rev range.

I passed my test on an ER500 with no prior riding experience only a 5 day intensive when I was 26 (33 now), then after passing I got a Ducati Monster S4 with the 916 Superbike engine in it and never looked back.

I had that for just over 3 years or so and learnt so much, it was an intimidating bike but I think that's kinda why I liked it and gradually progressed on it.

I sold that off and have a Ducati 1098s which I've had for just over the past 2 years and am in love with it especially the sound, there is nothing on earth that sounds like it..!

Me personally I would never have an IL4, I love the V-Twin and I'd never have anything other than a Ducati.

An SV650 is an excellent starter bike and would be a brilliant introduction into the V-Twin scene, you'd learn a lot on it, but at the end of the day despite all of the advice and recommendation you'll do your own thing anyway and good luck with what ever you choose, you'll love it either way..!

Stu
 
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I'm planning on doing my full test early next year when the weather gets a bit better and I was going to hold out and spend about 4-4.5k but I think I'm going to go for a cheaper SV initially.

Looks a lot of bike for the money.
 
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