No SV650 for 2004?

[sbaker33]

Suzuki has updated their site with all their 2004 models and the SV650 was not to be found! :eek: Can anyone confirm or deny that this model will be discontinued? I thought it was one of their hottest selling bikes. It is definitely one the press and riding community seem to like and was on my list for replacing the little Ninja next year.

On the up side there is a new GS500 listed (the F). Looks to be a fully faired update to the GS500E :lol:

[VFRinAustin]

Talk on SVRider.com is that it is not shown now for one of two reasons.

1) That major changes are being made and they are not finished yet and will be posted later

or, and more likely,

2) They are not changing at all and that is why they are not shown.

Either way, no one seems too concerned....... yet


OBTW: The GS500F is pretty good looking, looks kinda like a YZF600R with a Hayabusa headlamp.

[Tourmeister]

Howdy,

:tab The new GS is really sweet looking in the blue scheme. I like the minibusa look hehe. The best thing is the relocation of the mirrors and the addition of the windscreen. I don't know if I would consider the GS as an upgrade from the Ninja 250 though. I would stay on the 250 a little longer and then upgrade to something like the SV/SVS or maybe the new FZ6. However, and don't take this the wrong way Shannon, you may find that the bikes in the 600 range are a little tall, especially the SV/SVS. Of course, that is easily fixed by taking it to Patrick's shop ;-) Hopefully, the new GS has better springs in the front. The last version had really really soft springs and it would bottom out very easy. We had Patrick add heavier oil to Debbie's forks and add new spacers to increase the preload on the springs. It made a world of difference. The bike handles much better now.

Adios,

[kawi jm]

The bike handles much better now.

And how would you know :twisted: :angel:

[Tourmeister]

Um... that's what I am told... really ;-)

[Shortline]

What about the Bandit 600? It also is conspicuosly absent on the site. (well, I didn't look ALL that close, but didn't see it. And, the surprise for me, the new for 04 V-strom 650. I hadn't heard anything about this! Interesting. And, I thought the GS 500 was going away, and instead the make it cool. Go figure.
TR
El Centro CA

[sbaker33]

I don't know if I would consider the GS as an upgrade from the Ninja 250 though.

Good point on the new GS. Although it is a 500 it is air cooled "old engine tech" and may not buy me much of what I am wanting out of a second bike. What would be your (anyone's) thoughts on a 500 Ninja as an upgrade to the little Ninja? Would that really buy me much?

I would stay on the 250 a little longer and then upgrade to something like the SV/SVS or maybe the new FZ6.

Absolutely planning on keeping the 250 a little longer. My plan is to keep it another 5-6 months before upgrading. Given current riding habits that should give me at least another 4000 miles in the saddle. But especially since I heven't been able to ride much these past two weeks I have been doing a lot of shopping online and thinking about what I would like next. Most folks I talk to have recomended the SV/SVS so that was pretty high on the list. I will be very interested in the FZ6 when it is available. I was able to test ride the SV650S at Stubbs yesterday and was very impressed. I was a little nervous about the extra power at first but it didn;t pose any problems on the short two or three miles I rode. The bike was smooooooth compared to the busy little Ninjette and I didn't have to be constantly worried about what gear I was in in order to to get out my own way (the Ninjette needs to be around 10,000 RPMs to make any power :shock: which can be a real challenge sometimes but a lot of fun sometimes :twisted: ).

...don't take this the wrong way Shannon, you may find that the bikes in the 600 range are a little tall

What are you trying to say here? :evil: Are you saying I am somewhat lacking in leg length? Oh yeah, I am :oops: It is a challenge and rules out many of the suportsports in general. The SV was a bit tough to get out of the crowded, busy and far less than perfect parking lot at Stubbs (bike wash had everything wet, lots of gravel, uneven pavement and did I mention traffic) but I managed. Cutting the seat height by an inch would mak me feel nuch better. As there is little padding to remove this would have to be done via suspension changes which makes me very nervous. The demo bike had 0 sag when I sat on the bike so it may be a little more doable when properly adjusted. I actually went there to look at the Buell's as they have a pretty low seat height but there are pricey and I have heard of quite a few issues in terms of reliability and handling quirks which I don't want to have to deal with at this point.

[sbaker33]

Hmmm...a little more hacking around and this is what I found. The site uses a consistent naming convention for the info on the bikes. Based on this I was able to see the following links:
http://www.suzukicycles.com/Products/SV650SK4/
http://www.suzukicycles.com/Products/SV650K4/
Doesn't look like any changes for 2004 but it is hard to tell since the first page appears to be in Latin :shock:

Since the pricing is listed at $0 I would assume there may be changes in pricing for 2004. Maybe they are waiting for Yamaha to publish the pricing on the FZ6 before they publish the SV pricing.

Anyway, it looks like I might have been crying about the sky falling for no reason. :mrgreen:

[Spider]

Ah, I was wondering myself about the SV650 as Andy had suggested I get one as my second bike. Maybe I can get a good deal on a 2003 when the 2004's go public.

[kawi jm]

Since the SV has such a popular following :chug: & the fact there will probably be no significant changes the dealerships will sit on them until they sell them :evil: Best bet is do what I did and get a used 01' or 02'. Other than the looks factor the motor is not that different. In fact it is exactly the same except for fuel injection. From what I have read & heard the new one is almost a carbon copy of the old one in new clothing :roll:

[VFRinAustin]

Since the SV has such a popular following :chug: & the fact there will probably be no significant changes the dealerships will sit on them until they sell them :evil: Best bet is do what I did and get a used 01' or 02'. Other than the looks factor the motor is not that different. In fact it is exactly the same except for fuel injection. From what I have read & heard the new one is almost a carbon copy of the old one in new clothing :roll:

This is true and not a bad idea, but that FI does change the performance, eliminates the choke, and reduces the amount of carb sync's required.

All in all, you can go wrong though, new or used (previously owned :lol: )

[Spider]

http://adcache.cycletrader.com/5/6/6/55916166.htm

Found this one that I like. I prefer the new look, but looks to be about the right price for me.

[Tourmeister]

Howdy,

:tab Haggle them on that price ;-) Be sure to check the Bluebook trade-in and the retail, the price should be somewhere in the middle if the bike is in good shape. Sellers always think they're dealing in gold hehe.

:tab Bet that SV won't eat tires like the Blast ;-)

Adios,

[sbaker33]

Now that Yamaha has posted the pricing on the FZ6 I think Suzuki will be updating information on the '04s pretty soon. Hopefully they will at least update the colors. I am not especially fond of the copper and the silver/grey seems to me like rainy weather camoflage. (Thoughts from those of you with silver bikes?) I would like to see yellow or blue.