SV650, FZ6, Ninja 650r

[lancerplayer]

I'm looking for more of a sport touring bike that will provide me with miles of fun. I have narrowed down my options to three bikes:

- Suzuki SV650 (V-twin)

- Yamaha FZ6 (inline 4)

- Kawasaki Ninja 650r (parallel twin)

I have tested a super sport 600cc bike and simply do not need all that power right now and I prefer the more upright seating position.

Does anyone have experience with any of these bikes?

Is there a "no-brainer" choice when these bikes are options?

 

[Quattro Pete]

If you like the more upright position, then you should look at some of the dualsport/adventure bikes as well... Kawi Versys 650, Suzuki V-Strom 650, Triumph Tiger 800, etc. These also have longer suspension travel, so they can handle potholes better.

 

[29662]

The sv650 has good torque, and handles very well. The FZ6 is closer to a SS bike than the other two with a peakier power band. No experience with the Ninja.

 

[bepperb]

Is the Ninja cheaper than the others? Having had two parallel twins in my life I wouldn't buy a third if an inline 4 or vtwin were available at the same price. It's just not an engine configuration that will ever have less NVH than the other two options (at least in a 4 stroke).

 

[OldSparks]

@Lancerplayer;

I think you will be happy with any of these bikes.

I own a 2nd gen SV650 with upgraded springs and rear shock and I have been quite pleased with it. I got to ride a Kawasaki 650 at their ride event at Calabogie last year, and liked it as well. It was sprung a little softer than my SV, but still was lots of fun at the track. I also got to ride the 300 and 1000 ninjas, and liked that as well.

There are tons of aftermarket parts for the SV650.

I don't have any experience with the Yamaha, but I can't imagine it being a bad choice either. I am thinking about getting an FZ1 in the future...

 

[95busa]

I had an 07 Ninja 650r. It was a great bike, narrow, light, excellent torque, great gas mileage.

 

[lancerplayer]

Originally Posted By: 95busa
I had an 07 Ninja 650r. It was a great bike, narrow, light, excellent torque, great gas mileage.


Did you sell the bike to get something faster? Did you get bored with it after a while?

 

[Analyzer]

As was said earlier, each of the bikes you listed would be great options; but I would highly recommend the FZ6 if you're planning on doing sport touring. I have an FZ1 and am slightly biased, but I believe it would not only be the better touring bike, but also the better all around moto. It has been widely used for touring, commuting, and even sport/track riding, many aftermarket accessories are available for each preference, and is more versatile than the competition (in my opinion of course).

For instance, the FZ6 has over a 25% HP advantage over the competition since the motor is based off the YZF-R6 engine but tuned for more low/mid-range torque and would have the extra power for touring with a passenger or laden down with saddle bags/luggage. You're also going to be packing on a lot of miles while touring, which is where the valve adjustment intervals really come into play. On the Yamaha the factory recommended interval is set at 26,600 miles, whereas the Kawasaki and Suzuki are less than half that; you have a low seat height, a 4.6 gallon tank along with a rated 43+ MPG. Keep us updated and good luck deciding on your future bike!

600cc HP Comparison

 

[95busa]

I sold it because my wife stopped riding, and she had an absolutely cherry 2003 ZX6R 636 with 2700 miles on it. We kept the ZX6 because it was a cherry 03 ZX6R 636 with 2700 miles on it. I actually enjoyed riding the 650R more because i didnt track my bikes, just rode them on the street, and the 650r was WAY better than the 636 for daily riding. I put a scorpion slip-on in the 650, and it sounded like a 9000 RPM harley, if you can imagine that. VERY cool.

 

[CentAmDL650]

They're all good quality, dependable bikes, so what matters is how you plan to ride and how much crouching you're willing to put up with.

Which Suzuki SV-650 are you talking about, -S faired or (no suffix) naked?
You can get some idea of you would fit on each at the Motorcycle Ergonomics Simulator page: http://cycle-ergo.com/

 

[lancerplayer]

Originally Posted By: CentAmDL650
They're all good quality, dependable bikes, so what matters is how you plan to ride and how much crouching you're willing to put up with.

Which Suzuki SV-650 are you talking about, -S faired or (no suffix) naked?
You can get some idea of you would fit on each at the Motorcycle Ergonomics Simulator page: http://cycle-ergo.com/



I'm more interested in the Naked version of the SV650.

Thanks for the link. I have not seen all these bikes in person, so that site will help me figure out which would fit better than others.

 

[Sw296inchblue]

fz6 is a nice bike. I had one a few years back. Be careful of the rear brake it locks up fairly easy. Don't ask me how I know Good luck

 

[Jaymus]

I'd get the inline 4 out of those 3 bikes if those are the ONLY bikes you are considering. You WILL get used to the power and become bored with what you have. The first week on my Gixxer 600, I was all "HELLLL YEAAHHHHH MY HEART IS BEING PUSHED INTO MY BACK"...

Now I'm like "meh". Personally, I won't get a 600cc bike, again, now. Maybe not even a 750. It's not that I need the speed of a liter bike, I just want the powerband of a liter bike.

Then again, it won't have the torque that the V-Twin makes in the very low RPM. But the V-Twin won't run like the i4. And, really, it's almost a moot point about torque because you just have to gear down. My bike redlines at 16K, I cruise at 3-4k RPM sometimes, and it's fine, but if I want to feel some decent pulling power, I need to be at 6K and beyond. But there's no hill I can't pull in 6th gear at 3K RPM, either.

 

[feliz]

If you can hold off a few months wait for the FZ-07. Raving reviews from Europe. Its better than the three of those and cheaper, at least elsewhere. I've taken three test rides and could't wait to put a deposit down on one. Lots of videos and reviews on uTube. Of the three you mentioned the SV would be my pick.

 

[donnyj08]

i recently made a similar purchase to the one your considering. i looked at the ninja 650r and the yamaha FZ6r. I went with the yamaha and im very pleased. The Fz6 has about 25 more HP than my FZ6R does, so it will be quite a bit faster than the ninja or the SV. I rode both the ninja 650R and my Yamaha FZ6R when i was shopping and there is no comparison. the I4 engine is so much smoother everywhere and linear. I think the FZ6R is slightly faster than the 650R all out, but the 650R does have more low RPM snap.

I prefer the smooth fast building linear power of the I4 over the Twin as well. As mentioned above the Yamaha bikes are easy to maintain. valve adjustments at 26000 miles and regular oil changes along with proper chain/sprocket care and they will give you years of comfortable touring, and plenty of passing power. My FZ6R is a delight on the road. Im sure the FZ6 is as well. Im betting its even more fun given it has more power! I vote for the Yamaha. Build quality is top notch as well. I attached a picture of my bike in a link below. It's a 2012 and I bought it for $5k with 539 miles on it. there are great deals out there.


http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/donnyj08/media/FZ6R/IMAG0470_zpsd5eafbb5.jpg.html

 

[Huie83]

I owned a 650R for about two years. Great bike for a beginner, a commuter and a weekend fun bike. I wouldn't use it as a touring bike or expect to get long rides out of it, 3 hours was about the max I could take on mine. The parallel twin creates lots of vibrations which wears on you...

In the end I sold mine because I got bored, especially with the engine. It was fun to ride for about 6 months, after that it wasn't good enough at anything to hold onto.

I sold it for a Kawasaki ZZR600, a 600cc inline 4. Loved that bike, only sold it because I had my 3rd child and ran out of time to ride.

IMO, it all depends on what you want to use the bike for and what your expectations are. Go ride them all and get a feel for them, ride for at least a hour. I have my eyes set on a Triumph Tiger as my next bike. The 3 cylinder engine is sweet and they are very functional.

 

[john_pifer]

Now you can add the 2015 Yamaha FZ-07 to the list of candidates in this category...and it would be my choice.