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JoeBlot
Junior Member
27 Posts
Eureka, CA
USA
Suzuki
SV650 / GZ250
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 Posted - 09/19/2006 : 6:20 PM
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Hey all. I'm about to purchase a 1999 SV650. The seller says that the bike runs great and has been serviced regularly. It has a dent in the fuel tank (from a spill about 20k miles ago) that has been filled in and comes with a tank cover, which covers the blemish. I'm not worried about that, it seems like the tank was the only part to hit the ground and my local shop says that they may be able to replace the tank for free due to a recall. It comes with a few extras, such as Givi bags.
My main question is this: is 34k miles too many for a bike? I see a lot of 2-5 year-old bikes for sale with 4-8k miles. So this guy actually rode his I guess. My mechanic says that the SV's engine is solid, and that if it has been well cared for it should be ok. How many miles should I expect to get out of an engine? How many miles do you guys rack up? I won't be racing it or anything, and I shift when the owner’s manual recommends, 2nd at around 12 mph, etc. The SV can do something like 45 mph in 1st but I don’t see myself wanting to take off like that.
I picked the SV because it's supposed to be a fairly good bike for newer riders (damn fine in general), the size/weight/riding position are great for me, and as my skills increase I won't "outgrow" it. If the SV is as good as they say, I can’t imagine ever needing anything bigger, except maybe for serious touring.
http://www.sport-touring.net/forums...page=1&pp=20 I also really like the way it looks. From what I understand, it may need some fork work (the stock suspension seems to be the weakest part on these bikes), and possibly some Dunlop/Bridgestone/other-non-Metzler tires to really shine, but both the seller and my mechanic say that stock is fine for normal, street riding. I have heard of some instability when turning on rough pavement, but going from 5wt to 15-20wt fork oil reportedly clears this up.
As soon as I get the bike I'm going straight to the parking lot for a few hours to get used to it. I know it is very responsive to inputs, and I plan on taking a lot of time to familiarize myself with the controls. No wheelies for me, thanks. I don’t pop the clutch or grab a bunch of throttle or brake on our GZ250 and I will bring these habits to the SV. If I find myself feeling intimidated I can always step down to the GZ for a bit, on which I am very comfortable. Taking the next open BRC, should be within a month. Looking forward to your words of wisdom. Any SV riders out there? Oh, sorry this got so long, thanks for reading.
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Edited by - JoeBlot on 09/19/2006 7:13 PM |
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Nicolas27
 Senior Member
364 Posts
[Mentor]
Atlanta, Georgia
USA
Honda
'06 Aero
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Posted - 09/19/2006 : 6:33 PM
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I'm sorry, I can't help you with that decision.
but...
LOL at Iceburg98's avatar on that sport-touring forum.
It would be a shame to get road rash on *that* hiney. |
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scottrnelson
Advanced Member
4863 Posts
[Mentor]
Pleasanton, CA
USA
Ducati
ST2, 888, + XR650L
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Posted - 09/19/2006 : 6:51 PM
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An SV650 engine should have no trouble making it to 100,000 miles. I know of at least one Ducati Monster M900 that made it past 120,000 miles before needing a rebuild.
However, with 34,000 miles, you want to check that the brake pads are good, make sure all fluids have been changed (brake, cooling, oil), and it might be time to start checking things like wheel bearings, steering head bearings, and swingarm bearings.
If the forks are unmodified, I would consider sending them to Aftershocks Suspension to have them revalved. For about $300 you can be sure that they're in good shape, rather than guessing by putting in some heavier oil.
The SV650 is a good all around bike, which you should be able to enjoy for many years. |
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Arnold
Junior Member
78 Posts
Chicago, IL
USA
Kawasaki
KZ1000
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Posted - 09/19/2006 : 7:01 PM
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The SV650 is an AWESOME bike, and will probably be my next purchase. The engine is very robust, and because it is a v-twin, it makes a lot of its power down low, unlike other bikes that spend a lot of time in the more stressful upper RPM range.
I'd have no qualms about buying a 34,000 mile SV. Just make sure to do your due dilligence and check it out thoroughly.
Good luck! |
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Indiana Randy
Moderator
1821 Posts
[Mentor]
Fort Wayne, Indiana
USA
Honda
2000 Magna V4 750
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Posted - 09/19/2006 : 11:25 PM
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I love the SV650. Have had my eyes watching for one for a few months since I'm 99% convinced it's going to be my next bike. 
You're looking at a 7 year old bike. How old are the tires? How new is the battery? Is the chain original? Sprockets? Any scratches on the ends of the bars, back of the mirrors, the lower side of the turn signals or exhaust pipe? What color is the oil that's in it now? How's it smell? Is the front brake fluid clear or brownish? When you blip the throttle does it immediately rev or is there a lag? Look into the gas tank to see if there's any rust in there yet? All lights, horn, speedo work properly? Any tears on the seat?
Finally, what's the price? Call the local Dealer and ask what he'd give for it on a trade. That will give you a basis to determine what it's worth to you. You're right that there are many SV650s for sale with low mileage.
Do you know the person selling it and their riding habits?
It's a great bike. Inspect it thoroughly. Has your mechanic checked it yet? You may want to ask to see the service records instead of accepting lip service. You may want to have the local Dealer do a pre-buy inspection, too.
It's hard to be a good shopper when our emotions become involved.
34K miles, WELL CARED FOR MILES, would not scare me at all. Put your detective hat on and look for clues of abuse or neglect.
Make sure you know exactly what you could be getting BEFORE you take the plunge. If something doesn't look right or feel right, follow your gut and pass. There will always be another one right around the corner. |
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nomad dan
Advanced Member
1276 Posts
Denver, Colorado
USA
Kawasaki
06 Vulcan Nomad 1600
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Posted - 09/19/2006 : 11:47 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by JoeBlot
.............
My main question is this: is 34k miles too many for a bike? I see a lot of 2-5 year-old bikes for sale with 4-8k miles. So this guy actually rode his I guess. My mechanic says that the SV's engine is solid, and that if it has been well cared for it should be ok. How many miles should I expect to get out of an engine? How many miles do you guys rack up? ..........
I had a 1999 Kawasaki Nomad That I sold last fall. I had 63,000 miles on it. It was still running very strong.
As far as maintnence, I never lubed the steering or swing arm bearings, as I was told by my dealer that the parts were only about $30, but the labor was huge. He said wait till they go bad and replace them, it'll only cost you $30 more than lubing them. I thought that they were still fine at 63,000, but I bought another 1999 Nomad with only 10,000 miles on it and could feel the difference in the bearings.
The difference between the one I bought and the one I sold was $1,800, so one way of thinking it is that I could buy 53,000 miles of use for $1,800. That's pretty cheap.
You might want to look for a lower mile example and see what the price difference is. You might find that you could buy 20,000 miles for $1,000?
If the price vs miles works out that this bike is the best one for you, I wouldn't worry too much about that amount of miles. |
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jollyroger
Advanced Member
2157 Posts
[Mentor]
St. Charles, MO
USA
Harley-Davidson
Springer Classic
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Posted - 09/20/2006 : 8:27 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by JoeBlot
My main question is this: is 34k miles too many for a bike? I see a lot of 2-5 year-old bikes for sale with 4-8k miles.
Unless my math has failed me, 34,000 miles over 7 years is just under 5,000 miles a year, which is far from 'excessive'.
It sounds like you're working with your mechanic, which is good.
If everything checks out with him, I'd say you'd be good to go... |
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timbo
Advanced Member
594 Posts
Uxbridge
United Kingdom
BMW
R1100S
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Posted - 09/20/2006 : 5:00 PM
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Its not really about the engine. Its about everything else. The chain & sprockets, the tyres, the shocks, the wheel bearings, the suspension bushes.
If they are all good, then it may be worth considering. If not you are looking at >$1000 (if not 2000) to fix them all.
Take a look at some low mileage examples and factor in the cost differences.
Tim |
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JoeBlot
Junior Member
27 Posts
Eureka, CA
USA
Suzuki
SV650 / GZ250
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Posted - 09/20/2006 : 5:45 PM
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Thanks for the advice. It may be difficult for me to have the bike inspected before I buy. The seller and I both live in relatively small northern CA towns, 200 miles apart. I'm bringing the bike home in a Uhaul truck. I may be able to get him to meet me in Ukiah at the Suzuki shop, but not sure. His ad states that the bike has "had it's major tune up and won't need another one for a while". Lost Coast Motorcycles will do a Check and Report for $150. To have the bike serviced completely will be upwards of $300. I don't want to pay for something that was just done. I'm thinking that it might be a good idea to do the C & R before I buy, but if he has service records is that step necessary? I can have my wrench look it over when I get it home.
If I find myself at his house in the middle 'o nowhere, what should I look for? This is the bike, the red blob represents the filled dent under the cover. It's kinda hard to tell here since I scaled it down, but there doesn't appear to be any damage to the peg, case, or the gearshift. Maybe a litle scuff on the peg, I can't be sure. A pic from another angle shows what looks to be a small scrape on the inside of the left bar end, so I'm guessing that the bike fell with the wheel pointed to the right.
the original is 2048x1536, but photobucket shrank it to 800x600 on upload. Slightly larger image here: http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l...ot/svbig.jpg
I know that I should check the oil level and age, look for leaks, and make sure it starts well and idles nicely. And everything that Indiana Randy mentioned (printing, thx). It has been garaged during winter, so I'm hoping tank rust won't be an issue. As I've said, the horizontal parking incident supposedly happened over 20k miles ago. I'll be mad if I get down there and find out he clocked all of those miles on tweeked bars! Any other quick and dirty tests I can do? Thanks again folks. |
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WarHawk
Advanced Member
1781 Posts
Baytown, Texas
USA
Yamaha
'07 V-Star Custom
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Posted - 09/20/2006 : 8:59 PM
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Its still a great looking bike, and if its not beat up and running like crap then for that price its still a good deal
As long as like everyone else says the chain, bearings, brakes, and stuff like that aren't worn completely down you should be getting a good deal |
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JoeBlot
Junior Member
27 Posts
Eureka, CA
USA
Suzuki
SV650 / GZ250
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Posted - 09/20/2006 : 9:33 PM
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Good points Timbo. My problem is location. There are no SVs here in Eureka, so I'm searching California. If I have to have it shipped from SoCal or something it will be around $500. The other bikes in "my area" (currently) cost more, and they also have dents and high mileage, 19 & 24k i believe.
Update: Seller is now riding the bike to me, I guess it's a done deal. He told me that because of his riding habits (he rides a lot) he changed the oil every 3000 miles. At 30k, the bike was serviced by Lost Coast Motorcycles. He doesn't keep records :( but I'm going to call the shop and see if they can dig up the service records. He seems to love the bike (I know he's trying to sell it  ), and he's taken it to Canada, and to the Rockies with no problems. He has put 2 chains on it, one at the start of this season along with a sprocket. I feel pretty good about it. |
Edited by - JoeBlot on 09/20/2006 10:32 PM |
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Cruiser
Standard Member
127 Posts
Madison, WI
USA
Honda
ST1100
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Posted - 09/21/2006 : 4:09 PM
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I've had my '01 SV650 for 1 year and 4000 miles now, so I've had some time to learn about the bike. The single worst thing, abuse-wise, that you can do to the bike (aside from crashing, of course) is to ride extended wheelies. The oil pickup will not be getting any oil and the engine will be ruined. Otherwise, like the others have posted, they seem to be pretty robust by all accounts. There's one guy on the SV650 forum that has well over 123,000 miles on his w/o a rebuild.
I've got my naked set up for commuting/touring with windshield, hard top case, frame sliders, handgrip heaters, +1 on the front sprocket, etc. I really enjoy mine!
Cruiser |
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fz6yamaha
Standard Member
238 Posts
USA
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Posted - 09/21/2006 : 6:02 PM
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IMO, I would go by the price that is selling for as well. My brother recked his, I used it for a while to, his was 06, it is a nice bike, no complains, except for the suspension, the suspension is as crapy as mine (fz6) reason why I am doing a mod on mine, but as far as the bike it is a great bike for beginer or an all do it bike, to sporty sitting position for me, I am getting old :), Now with 34k miles, I do not care about the last tune up as long as the price is good. You can get a new one for 5,9k with tax included at the dealer (motions in Atl, Ga), as a matter of fact we are going to pick my brother's this weekend. With that been said, I would not paid more than 2k to 2.5k, reason is that you will be paying cash more likely and be down 2 to 2.5k while, if you give that money as a down payment, you can then finance your BRAND NEW bike for 69.99 for 4 years (doing a quick math), 69.99 a month is maybe 2 lunch and 2 beers a month, I can sacrifice.
As far as mileage, 34k is when the machine comes to live, is broken in, it is mature, it is just beatiful, as far as 34k in 7 years, the guy/girl did not rode that bike at all, I have put 17k in the first year I owned one of my bikes, and I do not comute in it, and I do not believe I ride enough.
The bike has power, torque and it looks better if you can get the lower fairing, if the asking price is more than 2k, I would not buy that bike, used bikes are great if you are begining just for the out of pocket saving, the only problem with this bike is that you will love it and will not want to change it and then regret that you did not get the new one.
Red line on that bike is about 11k and you get there fast from 1st to 2nd, the bike has a lot of power and the power band is about 8k-9k which is great, when I rode it for a while I did not find myself shifting a lot like on my FZ6 which I liked it for a while but then got bored and wanted to go back to my FZ6 which is buzzy like a mosquito. Like a said before Suzuki could it gotten a better suspension but for 6k(new) I think is more than ok, you can do mods, as recomended in some other forums and get a better performance out of your suspension, but if you are just begining you won't need this until you get about 10-20k miles under your belt and try a different bike with better suspension, that is the time when you decide to MOD or upgrade, in my case I rather Mod and save the money for a cruiser so I get to have 2 bikes instead of a better sporty bike with knee aches and body aches, that is just me.
Sorry that I extended to long.
I hope it helps.
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