Suzuki Sv1000s
Suzuki SV1000S
CYCLE WORLD TEST
Searching for a little time in the limelight
PAUL DEAN
WHAT'S THE BEST-KEPT SECRET IN MOTORCYCLING? AARON YATES' ANGER-management strategies? Indian's blueprint for marque revival? Honda's rationale for letting Valentino Rossi and Ricky Carmichael slip away in the same year?
Legitimate candidates, to be sure. But for our money, the hands-down winner of that questionable honor is the SV1000S, Suzuki’s latest-and currently only-Open-class V-Twin sportbike. In a world of high-profile, look-at-me performance machinery, the SV is a stealth fighter, covertly carrying out its operations under the radar.
And therein lies the problem. After the resounding success of Suzuki’s SV650 VTwin, it only seemed natural to apply the same formula to a lOOOcc version. The demise of the TL1000S and TL1000R left Suzuki with a perfectly wonderful 996cc, 90-degree V-Twin engine ideally suited to the task, and scaling up the SV650 chassis by a couple of percentage points to accept that liter-Vee would be a no-brainer.
If you liked the 650, Suzuki reasoned, you’ ll love the 1000.
Apparently not. Since its introduction as an early-rclease 2003 model, the SV1000 has sold about as well as American flags in Baghdad. Originally available in two versions-the half-faired SV1000S and the buck-naked SV1000-the unfaired iteration has been axed for ’04, and meager sales of the S-model have left warehouses well-stocked with last year’s model.
There is, however, a silver lining in this dark cloud, in that Suzuki has come up with an attractive promotional program: Buy a leftover ’03 SV1000S and you can choose either 1.95-percent APR financing or a free color-matched lower fairing.
Under most circumstances, that might not be a big deal. But when we saw an advertisement showing an ’03 SV-S fitted with the lower fairing-complemented by a few other Genuine Suzuki accessories-we were amazed. Those pieces visually transformed the SV from an unremarkable sport-standard with Erector Set overtones into a clean, stylish, purposeful-looking sportbike.
Our previous experience with the SV1000S (“Modern Immaturity,” June, 2003), though brief, had left us with high regard for the bike’s backroad prowess. So, duly impressed by the bike’s cosmetic makeover, we decided to do something a little different and conduct a complete test of a 2003 model equipped just like the one pictured in the advertisement.
Those accessories, all of which are available directly from Suzuki, include the fairing, which normally carries a $470 price tag; a taller, tinted windscreen ($70); a set of frame sliders ($60); a tailpiece cover ($130); a fender eliminator/licenseplate bracket ($100); a color-matched rear-wheel hugger/chainguard ($200); and a faux carbon-fiber gas tank pad ($33) with matching trim pieces on the top triple-clamp ($23) and gas cap ($20). We finished off the
^e with a set of Yoshimura Tri-Oval street slip-ons ($575) that promised to knock a few pounds off the SV’s avoirdupois. Plus, Suzuki said the mufflers would perk up the exhaust note while having virtually As capably as the SV1000S handles, however, it only does so after the suspension is properly dialed-in. As delivered, it's way too stiff, especially up front. Using settings we developed with our first SV testbike, we reduced fork preload from the sixth indexing ring to the eighth (measured from the top), backed off on the front compression damping by setting it at 2 turns from maximum instead of 3A, but added rebound, going from 1 full turn out to just V2 tum. In the rear, we reduced the preload from 1 Omm to 8mm (measured by the amount of thread exposed on the shock body), backed off the compression by lA turn (from 3lA turns to 3) and added considerable rebound (from 2lA turns to 1 turn from fully in).
no impact, positive or negative, on the bike's performance.
That claim was spot-on. The SV-S pumped out essentially the same peak dyno numbers ( 107.1 blip at 9000 rpm and 68 ft.-lbs. at 7500) as the stocker we tested last June. The mufflers shifted the peak rpm by a few revs (the Stocker's power peaked at 9100 and the torque maxxed at 7210), but the torque curves on both are so flat and consistent that those differences are insignificant. The exhaust sound is noticeably more throaty with the optional silencers, which emit a nice, deep VTwin rumble loud enough to keep you amused on the road but that won’t send your neighbors scrambling for their shotguns when you fire it up at 6 a.m.
With the same power output and only 8 pounds less weight (the Yosh mufflers and rear-fender eliminator more than compensate for the added weight of the lower fairing), our spiffed-up SV delivered pretty much the same quarter-mile performance as it did in bone-stock form. It clicked off an 11.08-second E.T., a mere .09-second slower than in 2003, but with a terminal speed of 124.1 mph, 1 Vi mph higher. Its absolute top speed was 145 mph, 3 mph short of the stocker.
So in WFO acceleration and top speed, this 996cc, eight-valve V-Twin performs about like most four-cylinder 600c repli-racers—which aren't exactly slow. But out on the road, the SV is light-years easier to ride, especially when you're trying to unravel an unfamiliar set of twisties. Thanks to its linear torque curve, aided by crisp throttle response provided by the fuel-injection system, the SV isn't at all fussy about which gear it's in. Just about any time it's making noise, the engine puts out good, usable power, so all you have to do is open the throttle; gear selection in the six-speed box is simply a matter of whether you want to accelerate reasonably hard or very hard. In the fattest part of the powerband, between 4000 and 9500 rpm, the SV hauls ass, but does it with such ease that you often have no clue that you're going as fast as you actually are
until you gaze down at the digital speedometer.
This mile-wide powerband allows the rider to concentrate on critically important things like line selection and braking points rather than having to be mindful of the tach and tapdancing on the shift lever. You can, in fact, be one gear too high or one gear too low in most situations, and it usually matters little; the big SV thunders down the road or out of corners in a hurry anyway.
That user-friendliness also extends to the SV’s aluminum-trellis, conventionally forked chassis. The bike is quick and agile but not the least bit twitchy-a very hard combination to come by. Most modern repli-racers have lightning-quick steering that can make them kind of nervous, eager to react to every input, intentional or not. But not the SV; though it lacks the telepathic steering of most hyperbikes, the payback is stability. It’s dead-stable in a straight line, virtually impervious to longitudinal tar strips and pavement seams, and has not the slightest tendency to move around in its lane every time you take your eyes off the road.
Despite its impressive straight-line stability. the SV 1000S requires only a light push on the grips to flick into corners. Once in the turn, it’s downright unflappable, railing around with the same kind of rock-solid steadiness it exhibits when going straight, even in bumpy corners. Yet you can easily change lines mid-corner without upsetting the chassis or having to apply undue pressure on the bars. You ask, it delivers, no complaints or resistance.
So too is the cornering clearance exceptional, allowing you to run right to the very edges of the Michelin Pilot Sport tires without dragging any part of the undercarriage. It is possible to nick the peg feelers on the pavement, but you have to slam through a corner at a near-lunatic pace to do so.
Suzuki
At those settings, the suspension is taut but not harsh, allowing the wheels to stay in contact with the road over all kinds of surface imperfections. The ride quality is decent, even if the seat does begin to feel too hard and too flat after a couple of hours on the road. The SV’s riding position puts the rider in slightly less of a full roadrace tuck than those on most repli-racers, but not to a great degree. The clip-on bars are a skosh higher than those on a GSX-R, but the pegs are in about the same location-the latter being the price of cornering clearance. This is a sportbike, pure and simple, so you aren’t likely to climb aboard and instantly conjure visions of non-stop coast-to-coast excursions.
So, has Suzuki’s dress-up package changed the SVIOOOS’s character in any meaningful ways other than cosmetic? Well, yes and no. Yes, in that the windscreen and lower fairing obviously provide better rider protection than offered by the stock model. And yes, the Yoshimura mufflers enhance the deep, soulful, powerful sound of the V-Twin engine.
But in most other ways relevant to this bike’s sporting mission, the answer to that question is a resounding “no.” When you’re clipping one apex after another in a series of fast turns, none of those cosmetic bits add a thing to the bike’s cornering capabilities, which already are remarkably high. When you’re accelerating hard between turns, using the wide torque spread of its fast and forgiving engine, none of those accessories get you to the next comer any sooner. At its core, this is an extremely capable motorcycle that makes going fast on crooked roads a sheer joy; all the accessories do is help the SV better look the part. Whether you deck it out with everything seen here or simply opt for the base machine, you get your money’s worth.
That’s a testament to the inherent capabilities of the SV1000S, qualities that were engineered into it on the drawing board and then built into it on the assembly line. No, the SV isn’t a replica of a championship-winning roadracer, and it doesn’t pretend to be. It’s merely a fun, rewarding, friendly backroad bomber with a reasonable price tag.
And it’s about time it came out of hiding. □
Brutale. The light.
www.mvagustausa.com
EDITORS' NOTES
BEING ESPECIALLY PARTIAL TO SUZUKI’S naked SV650, I had high hopes for the SV1000 and SV1000S when those “liter-of-the-pack” V-Twins were introduced. Being on the littler side in the stature department at 5-foot-8, I was somewhat disappointed, not at my height but that of the bike. It’s not huge or anything, but it’s also not that same kind of balanced, exceptionally huckable package that the 650 is. Some of
the bolt-on accessories are nice, like the taller, tinted windscreen that upgrades the SV’s looks and improves wind protection. Other things that stand out are the fact that it has a very torquey engine, and with the Yoshimura Tri-Oval exhaust cans fitted to our test unit, rich sounds were freed up, making the motor even more enjoyable. Whether I was heading for the hills or shooting down the coast for firsthand surf-report reconnaissance, the SV1000S makes me just want to get out and ride. Even if it isn’t an SV650.
-Mark Cernicky, Assistant Editor
SUZUKI’S SV1000S HAD ALREADY EARNED our praise for its sensible styling, sweet sound and sporty performance. Its softeredged, broader-focus aim makes it an ideal mount for sport-minded riders looking for a bike offering a fair bit of practicality. And perhaps best of all, it serves as an affordable alternative to Italian V-Twins tasked with a similar type of sortie.
The addition of a fairing lower and taller shield has transformed the SV’s persona into that of a viable sportbike/sport-touring platform. As for the other bits? Adding mix-and-match aftermarket items to any modern production bike runs the risk of upsetting what the factory has so carefully refined, but the OEM accessories fitted to our bike do not look or function like an afterthought. Instead, they’ve just added to the base-
-Don Canet. Road Test Editor
model’s appeal.
SUZUKI OUGHT TO QUIT SCREWING around and install the lower fairing on every SV1000S, whether a 2003 or 2004 model. With the visual transformation brought about by that one piece of bodywork, maybe more people would give the SV serious consideration in the showroom rather than just sitting on it to get a better look at the GSX-R parked next to it.
As it is, the SV-S is one of those bikes that you really have to ride to appreciate. To me, the stocker looks half-finished, with an upper fairing, a little lower fairing, and a bunch of plumbing and Golden Gate bridgework in between. All of that belies the fact that it is a genuinely exciting bike to ride.
Last year, I intended to ride a GSX-R 1000 to Laguna Seca for the AMA/World Superbike event, but for reasons too convoluted to explain here, I ended up on the SV. And how long did I regret my fate? Through, oh, about five really good comers. By the sixth, I had a smile on my face I couldn’t wipe off until the day after I got home.
-Paul Dean, Editorial Director
$8599 ii
