There are many, many reasons to buy used motorcycles, but the most relevant one today is that I’m neither skilled nor experienced as a rider. I dropped the bike within fifteen minutes. Not crashed, mind you: I was practicing with the clutch in a parking lot, and stalled and dropped it on its side from a standstill. The end of the front brake lever snapped off, which would have been heartbreaking if it were a new bike. As it was, I figure this has to be at least the fourth or fifth brake lever it’s been through. You can see the broken bit in the picture– still plenty left to break off next time.
The SV650 is heavier than Megan’s Suzuki Savage, which has the same size engine. It also carries its weight a little higher, which could be a more significant problem. I suppose I’ll have to get used to it. I certainly am going to have to get used to the amount of power it has– it gets to 70 in 4th gear with almost no effort, never getting even a third of the way to redline.
The only other significant issue is the sound. Because the previous owner put on an aftermarket exhaust, it’s loud. Not criminally loud, but certainly not something I’d want my neighbor to be firing up every morning on his way to work. In the word of the sales-dude, “that v-twin with the yosh exhaust sounds like the balls, dood.”
PS, if you buy a bike at Cycles 128 or Greater Boston Motorsports, tell them we sent you. We get $25 in accessories if you do.
Secretly Ironic 