mrzuzzo
New member
Why not a VFR800? Close in size to all these bikes but highly superior in all aspects to them.
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CBR500 vs Ninja 650 or a FZ6R
- Thread starter sats
- Start date
Slow Goat
Fun Junkie
Had a ‘12 Ninja and it was a great bike but the suspension isn’t adjustable and if you’re under 175lbs the rear shock is a pogo stick.
Great engine and the fairing really keeps the wind off.
Great engine and the fairing really keeps the wind off.
sats
New member
I doubt it will fit my budget.
I see 2 on CL in your budget now--and one says it has ABS, which I think was a must have for you.
According to cycle-ergo.com it has much more forward lean than the CBR500R. More then the Ninja 650R as well. Not the same class of bike at all. I wouldn't do it (the heavy sport bike class doesn't make sense to me), but if it's what you want...
sats
New member
TBH..I park on the street and a flashy/heavy bike that attracts and calls for theft is what I want to stay away from. I might switch again in a year to a much bigger bike once I move and have my own garage.
Frame Maker
New member
- Joined
- May 8, 2011
- Location
- Livermore
- Moto(s)
- sportbikes, dirtbikes, and some odd bikes that I've built myself.
- Name
- Julian
+1 for the SV650, more specifically the gen2 "S" model. I love mine. I bought it for reliability and general all round performance. Very fun in the canyons, but also comfortable on the highway.
I bought an "S" model because I like how it looks. At first I thought I had made a mistake getting an "S" model because the ergonomics (low bar position in particular) was not comfortable for longer rides.
The solution was to install a handle bar kit from TopYokes. I opted for a kit that included the extended brake lines (which are needed). I was able to get extended cables (throttle and clutch) from Motion Pro. I think I spent around $400 for everything and took about an hour to install. Now the bike is perfect. So keep that in mind if you look at SVs.
Lets us know what you get.
[/url]20190209_102713 by andbike, on Flickr[/IMG]
[/url]20190209_094850 by andbike, on Flickr[/IMG]
I bought an "S" model because I like how it looks. At first I thought I had made a mistake getting an "S" model because the ergonomics (low bar position in particular) was not comfortable for longer rides.
The solution was to install a handle bar kit from TopYokes. I opted for a kit that included the extended brake lines (which are needed). I was able to get extended cables (throttle and clutch) from Motion Pro. I think I spent around $400 for everything and took about an hour to install. Now the bike is perfect. So keep that in mind if you look at SVs.
Lets us know what you get.
A naked bike might be able to take getting knocked over with less damage.
For riding around SF + fun rides, a CB300R might be good. It's a bike I'd like to have anyway. The only one I see under $4k on CL doesn't have ABS though.
novaks47
New member
I vote for the Ninja 650, because I have one. Don't ride it anymore because I got a Ninja 1000, but still. I bought it new in '14(it's a '13), and put roughly 18k miles on it. Stock suspension is mediocre, but fixable. I picked up a used Ohlins for the rear, as well as some aftermarket springs for the front. Set the sag, put in some new fork oil, and it transformed the bike. Rides really nice, and corners much better. It's not a must though, I rode on stock suspension for a good 16K miles.
IMO, the little Ninja makes a great city bike. They sip fuel, have good wind protection, and are very cheap to insure and maintain. It's got more than enough get up and go for street and freeways. The parallel twin makes it's torque everywhere, so there's no need to wind the piss out of it to get it moving. Honestly, the worst part of the bike stock were the brake pads. They felt like they were made of wood. Good enough for beginners, absolutely horrid for an experienced rider. But, easy enough to fix! The riding position is more relaxed as well. I'm 6ft tall, and the SV650 was way too cramped for me. The ergos just didn't work, but everyone is different, so you'll have to be the judge on that.
IMO, the little Ninja makes a great city bike. They sip fuel, have good wind protection, and are very cheap to insure and maintain. It's got more than enough get up and go for street and freeways. The parallel twin makes it's torque everywhere, so there's no need to wind the piss out of it to get it moving. Honestly, the worst part of the bike stock were the brake pads. They felt like they were made of wood. Good enough for beginners, absolutely horrid for an experienced rider. But, easy enough to fix! The riding position is more relaxed as well. I'm 6ft tall, and the SV650 was way too cramped for me. The ergos just didn't work, but everyone is different, so you'll have to be the judge on that.
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GAJ
Well-known member
Selling a sweet 1993 750 Nighthawk.
I won it at a Ride For Kids event in 1993 and at one point was one of four bikes I owned at one time.
Attachments
@sats
I have owned and riden over 50,000 miles on both a Kawasaki Ninja 650 and on a Honda NC 700x. I used them to commute, all highway/paved street miles, 120 miles a day. My experience is mainly commuting / lane splitting.
The Ninja 650 has noticibly more power than the Honda NC 700x. The NC 700x feels like it has the power of a 450cc to a 500cc motorcycle. The Ninja 650 is more fun to ride. The Honda NC 700x is a much better commuter motorcycle. The Honda NC 700x was less fatiguing to ride because of a more upright seating position, and bigger windscreen. Both split lanes really well and provided more than adequate handling for commuting purposes.
The Honda NC 700x has a storage compartment where the fuel tank normally is, and that is what makes it a great commuter. I can place my helmet in the storage compartment. I use the storage compartment to bring stuff to work, so I don't have a need for any external bags/cases. I love this feature, and makes the NC 700x a great commuter.
I do almost all of the maintenance, and the Honda NC700x is much easier to work on. The service items are much more accessible on the NC700x.
Ninja 650 gets roughly 50-55 MPG. Honda NC 700x gets 65-70 MPG.
After putting 60k miles on a 2015 Honda NC 700x, I replaced it with a Honda NC 750x. It fits my commuting needs much better than the Ninja 650. The Honda NC 750x is very similar to the NC 700x, but has a bit more power. The Ninja 650 has more power than the Honda NC 750x.
I have owned and riden over 50,000 miles on both a Kawasaki Ninja 650 and on a Honda NC 700x. I used them to commute, all highway/paved street miles, 120 miles a day. My experience is mainly commuting / lane splitting.
The Ninja 650 has noticibly more power than the Honda NC 700x. The NC 700x feels like it has the power of a 450cc to a 500cc motorcycle. The Ninja 650 is more fun to ride. The Honda NC 700x is a much better commuter motorcycle. The Honda NC 700x was less fatiguing to ride because of a more upright seating position, and bigger windscreen. Both split lanes really well and provided more than adequate handling for commuting purposes.
The Honda NC 700x has a storage compartment where the fuel tank normally is, and that is what makes it a great commuter. I can place my helmet in the storage compartment. I use the storage compartment to bring stuff to work, so I don't have a need for any external bags/cases. I love this feature, and makes the NC 700x a great commuter.
I do almost all of the maintenance, and the Honda NC700x is much easier to work on. The service items are much more accessible on the NC700x.
Ninja 650 gets roughly 50-55 MPG. Honda NC 700x gets 65-70 MPG.
After putting 60k miles on a 2015 Honda NC 700x, I replaced it with a Honda NC 750x. It fits my commuting needs much better than the Ninja 650. The Honda NC 750x is very similar to the NC 700x, but has a bit more power. The Ninja 650 has more power than the Honda NC 750x.
I vote for the SV650 naked. Lots of horses, lots of get up & go, lots of fun. Plus for many it's a favorite track bike.
Wind?
You're on a bike and wind is like a paved road -- something you're going to have to contend with. Just lean forward more.
Wind?
You're on a bike and wind is like a paved road -- something you're going to have to contend with. Just lean forward more.
As much as I am absolutely in love with my Street Triple for commuting, I sometimes really miss my sv650. It was so fun to just go out and dick around on. Really wish I had the room to keep it at the time and didn't have to sell it.