Suzuki SV1000S reviews

I've owned this bike for about five months now and love it! I came from riding a Honda XR650L Dual Sport. I've ridden other street bikes (CBR600F3, Buell XB12S, VFR750), but never owned one myself. I was originally looking for a street triple, but they were too expensive. I decided on looking into a SV650N, but found a really good deal on this SV1000S. I was a little apprehensive about the riding position with the clip-ons instead of the regular handle bars and the extra power, but after the first few rides it's an easy bike to ride! It has tons of torque from about 3,500 on up to the 11k redline. The power is super easy to use, has a very smooth delivery and the riding position is really not bad at all. I did buy a set of handlebars thinking I was going to want to mount them up right away, but I actually like the stock riding position. I may get the Buell footpegs for a little more legroom, but it's fine on shorter rides. Anything over an hour or so, you want to stretch a little. This is a great bike for the money (paid $3,500 in Dec. 2012), it sounds mean, too, with my Yoshimura pipes. Handling is fine for me as a beginning/ intermediate street rider, but the brakes could be better though. I will upgrade the pads and get steel-braided lines when I have to replace the brakes. I haven't had any issues with the bike yet, it has 15k miles now. I've put 2k on myself so far. Gas mileage is so-so, about 35-40 mpg. in town, over 40 on the pure highway but I haven't done a full tank on just highway yet to know for sure. Show less

Been riding for 20+ years, owned many various bikes (dirt, commuters, pocket rocket I4's etc) and this is the first V twin I've owned. I must say that I love the power delivery of the bike. You have very usable power for everyday riding situations, not crazy power that only kicks in at an insane rev range. One thing I didn't like when I bought the bike was that any big v twin should not sound like a sewing machine, but that's easily fixed, buy a set of after market pipes and unleash the beast. I got two brothers cans and boy, are they loud and added more power too. Some have said that the SV1K has a bland power delivery, I kinda agree with this, as there is no 1 area where the power delivery differs. Still, don't get me wrong, there is plenty of power across the range, but when compared to its predecessor (the TL 1000) I can understand it being coined bland. So, all in all, the SV is the best bike I have ever owned/ridden. I don't plan on ever selling it and have great pleasure whenever I take her out for a ride. I highly recommend them to any potential owner. Show less

This bike has got to be one of the best all-around bikes a person can buy, good handling, outstanding gas mileage, terrific roll on speeds, when I picked the bike up I was going 50 and did a top gear roll on up to 90 in about 4 secs. Just recently my wife and I took a 206 mile round trip on one tank of gas with .5 gal left in the tank, course thats 51.5 MPG, which is fine with me cruising 70ish on the highway. haven't had the chance to ride the twisties much, but on my route from work there's a nice fast sweeper and this bike is rock solid at 90mph. It's not the most comfortable bike out there, the bars could be a bit higher, may get some Heli-bars for it some day, otherwise I love this bike, it beats my previous bike, the FJ1100 by quite a bit due to its lighter weight and much torque-ier, awesome motor. Ducatis are great bikes, but Ill take my SV any day over the duck. Show less

Anyone looking for a bike with loads of power and appeal should definitely look at the SV1000S. Its big bore V-Twin power plant really keeps you entertained when ridding. The overall handling of this is very comfortable and easy to maneuver. The engine really provides good braking so there's less brake application needed when entering corners. I have no trouble keeping pace with the GSX-R1000 around the twisties. The throttle is a bit touchy when first purchased but that was corrected at the break-in service. After that the throttle is very easy and progressive. I would recommend some aftermarket lever and clip-ons/foot pegs. This will make the clutch and brake easier to handle. Show less

I've had the yearning for a liter v-twin for some time and the SV1000S has totally fulfilled it. The great thing about a stock SV1KS is that you can really build it up however you want. Some simple suspension upgrades will make this a potent track machine. Change the clip-ons, seat, and add some luggage and you've got a mile-eating sport-tourer. The power from the 996 motor is excellent. While newer 600cc supersport bikes will match the SV in straight line launches it's the torque at any rpm that makes it special. You can virtually leave it in any gear and have instant acceleration whenever you want it. I find the half naked styling very appealing especially with the belly scoop. Very cool for OEM plastic. OEM fairings are available but it's the half faired styling that sets the SV apart in my opinion. There are a few other liter v-twins on the market but for the money I don't think there is a better value than the SV1000S. There is a decent aftermarket available which makes upgrading and modding easy and not super expensive. But for me I think it's the uniqueness of the bike that sets it apart. A Japanese liter v-twin, easily made into track monster or sport-tourer. Easy to work on and to maintain. I think I've found motorcycling nirvana. Show less

This is my n-th bike. I have been riding for more than 20 years and I have had all kinds of bikes, and I have to admit that this is by far the most worry-free bike of them all. It also gives very high performance for its price...it is actually a bargain. The engine is a blast, service intervals are long, and service is inexpensive. The looks of the bike are very elegant and different from everything else and well ridden it can beat any liter bike on the twisties. The only not so good things I can say about this otherwise excellent bike, is that the brake feel could be better, and I noticed a low frequency oscillation on the front suspension when pushed hard in turns, it could be suspension set up though. Anyhow, unless you want to emulate John Hopkins, this bike is way more than enough for most riders (advanced and novice) at a price that is unbeatable. I strongly recommend. Show less

This bike is probably the most underrated bike out there. Lightweight, as flickable as a 600, and with the huge grunt of a big V-Twin, this Suzuki is a pleasure to ride. It will hold its own on any chicane or back-road, is docile and easy to ride around town and in California's stop and go traffic, yet, with a twist of the grip, will snort and pull with tremendous power. This is my 6th motorcycle and my second Suzuki. The other manufacturers must be kicking themselves for not having a competitor to this bike. You get the Ducati growl for nearly $4k less, you get superbike handling for thousands less in retail cost even against Suzuki's GSXRs. Yet, this bike is comfortable and stable to ride. I'm afraid if the word gets out on this bike, that Suzuki will raise the price of this bargain machine. Incidentally, the quality is excellent; great paint work (mine is blue), everything is well fitted and finished. The bikes naked look is spot on; aggressive without being childish, sleek without being brazen. Feature wise it has fully adjustable front and rear suspension, terrific head and tail lights (very bright and well spread), sticky Michelin rubber, and a comfortable seat. The only detraction from me, is that I haven't owned a bike for many years and I'm heavy, so there is a lot of my weight on my hands. I wish had Suzuki had lifted the clip-ons about 2 inched up and rear to help me out (this is my only negative about the bike). Oh, insurance is a dream. I'm a 44 year old male and have ridden bikes on and off for 25 years. Full insurance on this bike for me is $360 per year! What a bargain. If you are looking for an inexpensive, performance oriented bike, you will be delighted with this wonderful piece of hardware. The look, the sound, and the pull will satisfy you and draw amazing attention from the traffic around you. Let's hope you get one before everyone finds out how good this motorcycle is. Show less

First bike a 2001 sv650s, second bike a 2003 sv1000s, third bike a 2004 sv650s, current bike a 2006 sv1000s. Beware of the shift lever, the rear section likes to come loose and fall off! Can't say enough about the real world torque. These bikes have plenty of power, and looks, and the best bang for the buck on the market. I'm planning on aftermarket exhaust, K&N air filter, brighter headlights, gel seat, power commander, steel braided brake and clutch lines, wave rotors, etc. The sv1000s sounds so much better with aftermarket exhaust, I can't wait until the year is over and the factory warranty expires. Show less

Wearing out my old Honda CB750 3 years ago and looking around for a new bike (2 years of maybe this one or that one) I picked up the SV1000S last fall. I rode it all throughout the winter. I have to say I love the long powerband, I can be in 4th gear at 6000 rpm doing 80 mph and open it up to 120 mph at 11000 rpm in two seconds flat. Love the sound, I run the stock cans (glassbacks) I did drill holes to open them up. Had it up to 140 mph with no problems 6th gear did seem low on power. On the downside, I took one off for comfort, it's the same sitting as the GSXR. Overall, I love it and looking forward to spending the summer on it. Show less

They said that I shouldn't ride a 1000cc bike as my first bike, but because this bike is so user friendly, I haven't had one problem learning on this beauty. I'm still in the break-in period so I haven't really opened her up yet, but the little I have done with her, she shows plenty of power on reserve. I would recommend this bike to anyone who has ridden before because you can slip up easily on it...but I loved it...oh yeah...riding comfort fades after about 30mins of riding...other than that...it's 100% wonderful! Show less