Triumphrat

Hi all, first time poster here. I've narrowed down my choices to an SV650 and a Speed 4. I like the way the Speed 4 looks much better, but since I love to dart around town and lean hard into corners, I'm thinking the extra low-mid range torque on the SV650 might suit me better. I'm also concerned that the bike might be too small (both in looks and feel) for a 6'1 guy. I know that this site will of course be biased, but I asked the SV guys the same question :wink: . I'm also wondering if I'll be able to deal with the clip-on bars on the S4.

punisher

If blasting around town is your deal, the SV may be a tiny bit better. I think the S4 is lighter though. You will be settling for about 15 less horsepower with the SV, and tons less top end. In Motorcyclist magazines cheap thrills issue a few months ago, the S4 spanked not only the SV, but also the fz6, and the honda 599. The suspension on the S4 is way mo' betta on the S4 fo sheezee.

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tridrill

The SV is a great bike but as all the articles have stated in the last few months the s4 beats all the 600's out. The question in my opinion is really...... are you a lover of v-twins. In my opinion that is why most people select the SV. I know once upon a time that was my love.... anything v-twin was hot in my mind. The s4 is a hot bike. Its ride is fantastic. At 6'1 I am super comfortable on this..... the clip ons are nice and just "fit" the ride..... another deciding factor for me is not just peformance, which the s4 has plenty of, but also expression. Motorcycling is a sport of getting out there and having fun. Enjoying the sunny days as you cruise around town or down the highway. Do u want to do it on a bike that is quite common, an SV, or do you like to be a bit different???? I chose the s4 because I have always been a brit bike enthusiast. But I will tell ya...... having the only s4 in my area is pretty cool too......... motorcycling is about the sport and self expression I feel and the s4 makes me smile every time I am on it....

MercyBeat

I'm 6'2" and 3 weeks ago i was in your shoes.

Here is a qoute from Motorcyclist from the april 2004 issue titled Mondo Middleweight.
"In fact, this bike was originally intended to go into "The $7000 Solution" because, well, it's about the same amount of money as the others. One problem surfaced about, Oh, 500 yards into the test ride: In just about every performance category, the speed four obliterates the three budget blasters from japan."

And it's true.

sangsters

tridrill is absolutely right.

You have narrowed the search down to two very good bikes.

On the SV you get:
V-Twin (if that's your thing, end of discussion)
Considerable aftermarket and dealer (many dealers in fact) support
Built to price suspension (something to consider as you mentioned your height, not weight -- I am about 190 or so and the suspension on stock settings has been great)

The S4:
Strong (occassionally quirky inline 4) with an amazing intake howl.
Top notch, fully adjustable suspension (though adjusting the shock means dropping it)
Unique looks.

My vote was for the S4. Mostly because of the suspension issue. Also I did not like the redesign of the rear end on the '04 FI SV's. Actually the whole redesign left me a bit cold. As to leaning hard into corners I can say, with certainty, that the S4 will spank pretty much anything but a track-prepped SV.

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This is kind of funny, because if you have to ask, I feel that you should go the SV650 route. I don't mean to be an ass, but they are two completely different bikes.

When I was looking for a motorcycle, I knew that there was a Speed Four, but I thought it was a big bike, namely since the Triple is a 900cc, then the Four must be a 1200cc. Luckily I was wrong.

Being a 600 guy, I was seriously looking at a 600RR and a R-6. Then I found the Speed Four. The combination of price, looks, power, real-sportbikeness and warranty played a huge part in me getting it. There is nothing like it on the road, you're not riding the same thing that everyone else is. Sure, it's not as extreme of a race bike as either the Honda or Yamaha, but I'm not the top 1% or riders that can extract the extra 5% of performance that those bikes offer over the Speed Four. If you can't deal with the blow to the ego knowing that there are "better bikes out there" and it's not yours (but not convincing yourself of the fact that you can never utilize the power), then get something else. As a matter of fact, a buddy of mine who'se not as good of a rider as I, just got a GSXR-750. But you know what? He *loves* to talk about how much his bike is in the magazines. Whatever.

My bike is 100% stock, and I plan to keep it that way. I can guarantee that as soon as someone gets an SV650 (or any other run of the mill Japanese bike) they are thinking of things to do to customize their bike so they don't fit in with the crowd (which, in turn is a very crowd-follower thing to do). Me, I'll ride my bone-stock Speed Four and still manage to draw more attention than (pretty much) any other bike on the road today.

But then again, I drive a BMW M Coupe. Take it for what it's worth. :-)

[ This message was edited by: Ldogdotcom on 2004-06-25 10:25 ]

Good replies. I really don't even know enough about bikes to understand what is characteristic about V-twins. My only concerns with the S4 are the low handlebars, and the fact that their is "nobody home until 3k RPM." I do like quick starts. My last concern was that a 6'1 rider might look more proportioned on the SV650 but it sounds like I might be wrong.

EDIT: Oh and the other thing is that I like darting around town at 40 mph constantly turning. I thought the low end torque of the SV650 might be better for that. I'll still probably go for the S4 on looks alone.

[ This message was edited by: mgdpublic on 2004-06-25 11:16 ]

tridrill

If you go with the s4 you wont be dissappointed..... As far as the "no one is home under 3k"...... you can always play with gearing or open up the breathablility of the bike by putting a K&N filter and aftermarket exhaust, if you wanted to anyway.... I have been riding for about 18 years and this bike has a very balanced "fit" for me... it combines enough sportiness with the performance ability. In my opinion, a lover of old cafe racers, this bike is Triumphs modern day interpretation of a cafe racer.... without looking like one from the '60s... I am 6'1 about 190 and I ride comfortably for hours on this bike......

I was there a couple months back.. I'm 6'4"... the SV was positively cramped. The tank banged into my knees which were severely bent at an akward angle.

the S3, although no HD cruiser, has way more room, is comfy and the bars aren't that bad. I personally have some weird vibration issue, but I think it's extremely rare (see another thread I started - very few have ever experienced this). If you really want the long rides ,there are a couple of high rise bar kits or risers to the clip ons out there (somewhere).

Finally, check the insurance quote! The SV was more than 2x that of the speed four. For me that meant $1000 for the SV or $420 for the S4 - that's a duh. After all, $3000 saved in five years is no chump change.

Cheers,
Peet

sangsters

As someone on the Speed Triple forum said, "Embrace your inner hooligan." I was darting around Manhattan the other evening. Trust me, the S4 was more than up to it.

Sorry Mom :roll:

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