2013 Suzuki SFV650 - the Gladius returns & renamed

[mtntrails]

Originally Posted by Cat0020

You said it yourself.. why would anyone spend more money to buy a 2nd gen that wouldn't get you more performance?

Low mileage naked SV650s are getting pretty hard to find these days.

[Tim_Tom]

Originally Posted by ZZ-R Rider

Hmmm ... interesting ... have not yet had the opportunity to Ride a Gladius ... think I'll make that a mission come Spring!

Just browsing a few pics and the on recollection, the black/white 2-tone SFV I saw last summer was probably white with black accents and not the other way round ...

Now this one with a conventional round headlight would be dead sexy!!



Also, would lowering a Gladius be a fairly straight forward affair?

Yeah that retro paint scheme looks awesome! Actually I kinda think the Gladius looks good, as long as the frame and body are not painted a silly color.

I was very keen to sit on one at the NYC Bike show, as we haven't had it here since 2009. And I've never seen on in the wild... From what I understand the 2013's do offer a bit of a performance gain over the 2nd gen SV. The motor is revised on the inside. Twin Iridium plugs per cylinder, and fuel injectors lifted from the GSXR. Also has a new valve train with lighter components, and a few other tweaks. The engine should be just fine.

I really liked the look of the bike in person. They had it in a flat black, and while it wasn't as attention grabbing as the white / black two tone, it did look nice. Seat height felt perfect. Weight felt perfect to me. The instrumentation is good, bars and controls felt awesome.

The only miss for me is that bulky and overstyled exhaust, but that's what an aftermarket Yosh slip on is for.

Plus the US price is pretty damn good. At $7999 it is certainly a very tempting option. Definitely on the test ride list for this spring.

[GoonerYoda]

I had an 2007 SV650 for a couple of years. It was my first bike. But if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have picked it. I would have picked the Street Triple or a Bonneville. But that's just me.

[powderhound]

Aside from the fact it looks horrible, the suspension doesn't seem improved any, I don't know, the original is still the best. No plans to sell my 2nd gen SV650N. Although, there are alot of SV's popping up for sale locally, gixxer-mania seems to be the driver for it with spring coming up.

A well sorted (with suspension/brake upgrades) SV650 is still a hoot to ride in the mountains and commute time.

[inroads]

Glad to see they're bringing back the SFV after a 3 year hiatus.2009 Gladius is my 3rd SV motor (99/V-strom)and I am amazed how much more responsive it is than the previous 2 generations.
All that updated FI/twin spark on the 2013 was available on the 2009.It is a copied 696 Ducati done right.
They faired in the radiator much smoother where the 2nd gen. just stuck way out and was ugly.
What's not to like about a steel trellis frame? plastic removed and its beautiful even in '09 blue.
With Suzuki's available micro windsscreen it blends in the headlight nicely.And hey I dig the Gear Indicator,very useful on a 6-speed tranny.3rd time is a charm for me.
I am just a $50 GSXR ebay shock and some fork springs away to getting the suspension right.

[wabbit45]

I started reading this thread and immediately the bad taste of whining ex-SV owners overwhelmed my taste buds.

It's not the styling that sucks about the Gladius. God knows there were a ton of people saying the same thing about the fugly SV650 when it first came to being. How short some of your memories are... or how narrowly selective! Shame on you.

The brightest star of that 650cc bike is just that - THE 650 V-TWIN POWERPLANT.

Some of you say how it's underpowered now, in the Gladius form. I say not underpowered. I say geared and mapped differently. These things are easily remedied if you have the bucks.

The SV650 itself had shitty brakes and suspension, lest any real track day junkie forget, and no less can be said for any of its incarnations.

The V-Twin 650 power plant was ALWAYS put into bargain basement surroundings to keep costs down.

I owned a 2005 DL650 (talk about people calling a bike fugly!). It's the motor you love and how it makes the bike jump on command. Not the fact that bolts and nuts rusted regularly and quickly, or that most of the paint schemes sucked. The endearing quality is the feel, grunt, and sound of a mid-size V-Twin. That's hard to find these days.

The only other bike in that category (mid-size V-Twin) I would even consider is a Ducati Monster 796. But wait - Those go for $10k+, and guess what? They have a bargain basement suspension too! Not to mention the service costs and intervals!

But I will say one thing TO SUZUKI - YOU A-HOLES - You don't resurrect a bike that has not changed since 2009 and re-introduce it to the US at a sticker price of $8000.00 when there are better buys out there at much larger displacements (I bought my 2011 Ninja 1000 for $8,299.00 on sale new). No wonder Suzuki is in trouble.

Kawasaki 650r (I had a 2006) - Cheaper, and basically just as good as any SV650 made, but better for everyday riding than the SV. Suffers like any SV from crap brakes and suspension. FIX IT YOURSELF AND STOP CRYING!

CORPORATE CLEAR THINKING- 'No one's buying our bikes so let's not import them in 2011, and because no one's buying them, when we come back to the US, let's raise our prices for the shit of it.'

Jesus CHRIST! FRACKIN' MORONS!

So to those of you out there whining about the Gladius being the only thing left I say this - It has the engine and frame you need, so WORK ON THE REST. Or buy something else like a used SV650 or used Gladius. Or wait till 2014 and you can buy the 2013 Gladius new gathering dust on the showroom floor for probably $6,500.00 - Watch and wait. I bet I'm right about that!

Honda doesn't even have anything to compete. They have 2 versions of the same 500cc motor out for 2013. What a joke.

That leaves Yamaha to once again dominate the 600cc street class with their FZ6R. At least in the same price range, that is.

BTW, I like that pic above. Nice paint scheme. But black out the motor please. Brushed aluminum is so 1980's. Nice flat black if you please. But I don't think that scheme's coming to the US, only Europe. I might be wrong.

WAH! WAH! WAH! LOL!

[jesse v]

Originally Posted by kraven

When the housing bubble inflated, people were buying the blue chip bikes. They were too good for the bread and butter SV.
That was my experience anyway, selling bikes back then. I couldn't say how many were using a line of equity to buy a race replica. It was a big percentage.

The SV lacked the cool factor to make people instant badasses, though it remains an extremely useful and reliable machine.
The entire naked segment just kind of withered.
The Z750S was a wonderful bike. I had to beg a guy to buy the 1 model we were allotted by Kawi. Practically gave it away.
The FZ6, SV1k, FZ1, 599, 919, all those bikes were like showroom potatoes.

Obviously people still bought them, but I sold maybe 4 RR bikes to every 1 naked/standard. Just my 2 cents.

Most people here at ADV understand what really makes a bike a winner. However, 95% (or so) of motorcycle owners in NA are just buying a piece of butt-jewelry; hence, race-replicas and cruisers sell.

I was lucky enough to find an '01 Naked SV650 for my wife last fall. I'm confident it will be a very desirable classic bike in a few years (or decades). Love it love it love it.

Love my 04 SV1000 too. It's the ultimate "showroom potato"... kids w/ tribal tattoos went with GSXR1000's, and a few practically-minded riders went with the SV650. A marketing fail on Suzuki's part, but I'm happy to gain a great bike for a highly-depreciated price.

[TrashCan]

It is just a fun bike for me.

[kraven]

Originally Posted by jesse v

Most people here at ADV understand what really makes a bike a winner. However, 95% (or so) of motorcycle owners in NA are just buying a piece of butt-jewelry; hence, race-replicas and cruisers sell.

I was lucky enough to find an '01 Naked SV650 for my wife last fall. I'm confident it will be a very desirable classic bike in a few years (or decades). Love it love it love it.

Love my 04 SV1000 too. It's the ultimate "showroom potato"... kids w/ tribal tattoos went with GSXR1000's, and a few practically-minded riders went with the SV650. A marketing fail on Suzuki's part, but I'm happy to gain a great bike for a highly-depreciated price.

Hey, who needs to be happy with your spending besides you?
If you like what you have, you're ahead of a lot of people.

[blue72beetle]

What I don't understand is that Suzuki is still selling the SV650. In Canada. They never stopped.
Why they don't offer it to the US market is beyond me.

http://moto.suzuki.ca/Product%20Line...3/SV650SA.aspx

[TrashCan]

Originally Posted by blue72beetle

What I don't understand is that Suzuki is still selling the SV650. In Canada. They never stopped.
Why they don't offer it to the US market is beyond me.

http://moto.suzuki.ca/Product%20Line...3/SV650SA.aspx

Owners kept them too long...didn't get bored quick enough.

They didn't get crashed as quick as a Gixxer?

Not enough profit?

[Jim K.]

Originally Posted by blue72beetle

What I don't understand is that Suzuki is still selling the SV650. In Canada. They never stopped.
Why they don't offer it to the US market is beyond me.

http://moto.suzuki.ca/Product%20Line...3/SV650SA.aspx

Same with my "damnnearperfect" bike, the 650 F. Dropped in the US since 2010 but still sold worldwide with ABS added. Suzuki, once you've gone to the expense & trouble to get it certified in the US, how much extra would it cost to keep it here? At least let us buy one on a special order basis. Demand a fat deposit & let me wait. I could live with that & you would not wind up with a bunch of unsold bikes on the floor if I'm the only guy who likes them.

[D.T.]

I found some Gladius cams and pistons for my new Vstrom. Cams definately give the bike more grunt. Looking for a Gladius flywheel to put in too.

[ShardPhoenix]

Originally Posted by TrashCan

Owners kept them too long...didn't get bored quick enough.

They didn't get crashed as quick as a Gixxer?

Not enough profit?

Yes.

[squish]

Originally Posted by blue72beetle

What I don't understand is that Suzuki is still selling the SV650. In Canada. They never stopped.
Why they don't offer it to the US market is beyond me.

http://moto.suzuki.ca/Product%20Line...3/SV650SA.aspx

Geeeeze I wish they would bring that bike stateside. I'd have one in the garage alongside the dl650 I just got.