First Ride: Suzuki SV1000 review

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Another month, another SV. It seems as though every bike we've tested recently has been an SV of some description. Why it has been this way is a bit of a mystery. The faired versions of both the 650 and 1000 were on sale at the start of the year but it has taken Suzuki until mid-way through the UK biking season before the naked machines finally hit the streets.

Which is a real shame, both for Suzuki and British bikers, because I'm sure that if the naked versions had arrived at the same time as their faired siblings sales of the SV would have been much higher. While the faired SV isn't to everyone's taste - its sporty riding position can put a bit of a strain on your wrists making it a pain through town - the naked version comes with flat bars and a comfier and much more upright riding position. And like the SV650, this makes it a much better town bike.

Sitting on the SV1000, having just spent the last week riding around on the naked 650, the extra size of the 1000 is instantly apparent. Where the 650 almost doesn't feel like a proper bike because it's so small and lightweight the 1000 has a lot more physical presence about it. It only weights an extra 18kg over the 650 but it feels bigger and chunkier in a reassuring kind of way, especially if you are quite tall.

The riding position is slightly more aggressive than the 650 because of the extra size of the bike. Your legs are pushed slightly further apart and the bars feel a bit wider than the 650's, which combined with the extra weight makes it feel sturdy. Also the pegs are set lower than the faired SV1000, putting you in a straight-backed, straight-armed riding position which is actually quite comfortable.

On the move the extra weight isn't very noticeable. The 1000 feels more planted through corners than the 650 thanks to its extra weight and is slightly harder work to change direction on but you would only really notice this if, like me, you swap straight from one bike to the other. Compared to other 1000s the SV handles very well. It's not as racy as Aprilia's Tuono but has that typical SV reassuring feeling about it that gives you confidence.