THEGAYUK

Tag: Five Star Motorcycle Review

The latest five-star Motorcycle review from THEGAYUK.

  • MOTORCYCLE REVIEW | Suzuki SV650X ABS

    ★★★★★ | Suzuki SV650X ABS

    Suzuki SV650X ABS review

    The bike

    What we have here is the retro-styled, naked bike called the SV650X. It’s a small capacity, light and nimble naked bike that is just about as much fun as you can have on two wheels.

    Suzuki’s SV has been around since 1999 and is more popular than ever. After having this one for a few weeks I can see why. Do you really need a 180bhp sports bike? Who new 75bhp could be so much fun?

    Riding
    Suzuki SV650X ABS review

    The heart of the SV is the punchy engine. A 645cc 4-stroke, DOHC, 90°V-twin that loves to rev. 75bhp and 64Nm of torque isn’t a lot in these days of 180bhp sports bikes, but that’s missing the point. Suzuki’s SV is so much fun and the performance is so accessible, you just can’t fight the urge to use it. SV’s have always had a reputation for being a great handling bike and this new model continues that theme. It’s great, flicks easily from side to side and is just so much fun.

    Details

    The SV-X has clip ons, a funky little cafe racer style headlight cowl and a really cool, tuck and roll seat and different paint. SV’s have always had a reputation for being a great handling bike. 41mm right way up forks are preload adjustable and did a good job on my bike. The rear shock is 7-way adjustable for preload. Front brakes are Tokico twin piston calipers on twin 290mm floating discs with ABS and do a great job. Fast road riding was easy, not too hard or soft and it was a joy to flick from side to side.

    Living With It
    Suzuki SV650X ABS review

    The SV650X mixes a great chassis with usable power, which means that unlike a litre bike, where you rarely get to exploit all that power, with the SV you can wring its neck, laughing all the way to the 14k rpm rev limit, again and again and again. The noise is intoxicating, sounding like a mini MotoGP bike. With a race can this would sound awesome.

    Suzuki has blessed the SV with a lovely gearbox. Under hard acceleration, you don’t need to use the clutch going up the ‘box, the gear change is so sweet and very fast.

    The Verdict

    Loves

    Fun
    Punchy engine
    Great chassis

    Loathes

    Snatchy at very low speed
    Slightly conservative styling
    Suzuki wanted it back

    Lowdown

    Motorcycle –  Suzuki SV650X
    Price – £6,199
    MPG – 72.43 mpg (combined)
    0-62 – 3.3 seconds
    Power – 75 bhp / 64 Nm of torque
    Top Speed – 133 mph
    Co2 – 91 (g/km)

  • MOTORCYCLE REVIEW | Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS

    MOTORCYCLE REVIEW | Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS

    ★★★★★ | Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS

    The bike

    One of the most unusual bikes I’ve ridden is the Suzuki Burgman 650. On one hand, it’s a twist and go scooter, on the other, it’s a luxurious tourer. In reality, it’s a bit of both. It’s one of the new crop of maxi scooters.

    The Burgman is powered by a silky smooth parallel twin 638cc engine putting out 55 bhp and 62 Nm of torque. It’s velvety smooth and it’s mated to a Suzuki Electronic CVT gearbox (Continuously Variable Transmission), that’s a kind of automatic gearbox.

    Riding

    The Burgman is a pleasure to ride. The feet forward riding position takes some getting used to as does the twist and go gearbox, but it’s such an easy bike to ride. It’s lively, It turns in sharply and holds a nice line and is very easy to manoeuvre. The suspension is supple like a French car, and the ride quality is great. Cornering is easy, it’s eager to turn and even fun to throw around. I actually touched down the centre stand a couple of times but I was being a little daring.

    Details


    The dashboard gives more information than you know what to do with, but it’s not intrusive or distracting. It tells you when you need to change the oil, oil level, air temp, water temp, the time, plus there’s a great trip computer with information on fuel consumption, range and more.

    A big seat, loads of storage, heated grips, electric folding mirrors, tall electric screen all add make it feel more like an adventure bike than a maxi scooter. Build quality was excellent, no exposed wires, no dodgy catches or rattling, squeaky panels.

    Living With It

    Brakes are very good, it doesn’t dive or push on. An electrically adjustable tall screen means motorway miles are a breeze, the wind hardly touched me and you sit up straight too which means you can see over the cars in front.

    I took the Burgman it on a 2-day road trip on all sorts of roads, 2 days luggage, my laptop and all manner of stuff crammed in the massive storage compartment under the seat. It’s practical, fun, easy to ride and economical. What’s not to like?

    The Verdict

    The Suzuki Burgman is bristling with equipment, it’s easy to ride, it’s comfortable and even economical. It sounds like the perfect do it all bike then right? It nearly is. The Burgman is a little long in the tooth, it’s a few years old now. It also suffers from an image problem in certain circles; is it a proper bike? But other than that, it really is a do it all motorcycle. Pop to the shops or ride across Europe, the Burgman will eat it up.

    Build quality is great and its pricing is easily comparable with the competition, most of which have smaller engines too.

    Loves

    Comfort

    Practicality

    Easy to live with

    Loathes

    Snatchy at very low speed

    In the company of big bikes, you feel inferior

    It’s very wide when you’re filtering through traffic

    Lowdown

    Motorcycle –  Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS
    Price – £9,199
    MPG – 60.5 mpg (combined)
    0-62 – 8.3 seconds
    Power – 55 bhp / 62 Nm of torque
    Top Speed – 110+ mph
    Co2 – 109 (g/km)