Suzuki's SV650 and SV650 ABS near the quarter-century mark with crisp handling, confidence-inspiring brakes, and sporty performance to remain pillars of the SV range.
2023 Suzuki SV650
- Full LCD Instrument Panel
- 645 cc L-Twin Engine
- Narrow Waist
- Close-Ratio Six-Speed Transmission
- Relaxed Rider Position
- Model: SV650
- Engine:: 645 cc L-Twin
- Power Output: 75 HP
- Torque: 47.2 LB-FT
- Transmission: 6-Speed Manual
- MSRP: $7,399
- Affordable
- Plenty Fast
- Clean And Essential
- Lacks More Ride-Safety Electronics
- Standard Non-Slipper Clutch
- Limited Color Selections
2023 Suzuki SV650 Performance And Capability
Power comes from a 90-degree V-twin, or an L-twin if you prefer. It makes for a compact package with plenty of room betwixt the jugs to house the intake circuit without having to find room for it elsewhere. Bore and stroke measure at 81 mm and 62.6 mm, respectively, for a 646 cc displacement and medium-hot 11.2-to-1 compression ratio.
The Suzuki SV650 produces 75 horsepower and 47.2 pound-feet of torque. This gives it plenty of get-up-and-go coming out of the hole with a sporty roll-on for passes at speed. Suzuki SV650 top speed is around 130 mph, depending on pilot weight and elevation. Needless to say, you've got plenty of potential for use on civilized roads. Zero-to-60 time is 3.3 seconds with a 12.1-second quarter mile.
Suzuki relies on its proprietary SCEM process to plate the cylinder walls, thus replacing the need for heavy iron cylinder inserts with a much lighter solution. The heads sport Suzuki's Dual Spark Technology and a quartet of long-service iridium plugs for effective flame-front propagation, efficient power, and lower emissions.
An Idle Speed Control feature joins a Low RPM-Assist function and Suzuki's Easy Start System to provide stable operation regardless of conditions, plus it rocks the Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve setup that strikes a balance between rider demand and engine capacity for seamless transitions all the way through the range. That's it for the electronics though, so there's no traction control or any other such business to clutter up the works.
Engine & Drivetrain | |
|---|---|
Engine | Liquid-cooled, Four-Stroke, DOHC, 90° V-Twin |
Displacement | 645 cc |
Bore x Stroke | 81 mm x 62.6 mm |
Compression | 11.2:1 |
Power | 75 HP |
Torque | 47.2 LB-FT |
Fuel System | Fuel Injection with SDTV |
Clutch | Wet, Multi-plate |
Gearbox | Six-Speed, DID 520V0, 112 Links |
Design
Metallic Reflective Blue 2023 Suzuki SV650 ABS profile static shot
The SV650 is the quintessential naked-sport bike that wastes not an ounce on superfluous bodywork or vanity pieces. This genre had its own arc of development, and like the scrambler and café racer lines, it started in the owner's garages.
The factory pays appropriate homage to the homegrown naked-sport origins, starting with the chopped-down front fender that rides between blacked-out fork sliders. A cyclops headlight housing unit carries a bright halogen bulb to split the night, but the rest of the lighting fore and aft is of the LED persuasion to ensure you can see-and-be-seen, for safety's sake.
A chrome ring dresses up the headlight can, with high-mount blinkers that are well out of danger in a drop or slide. Up top, a vestigial flyscreen finishes the visage, and though it does little to protect the pilot, it does give the LCD instrumentation a safe place to be.
A short-rise handlebar relaxes the front of the rider's triangle just a skosh. You can push off into a more relaxed upright riding position than you might get with a sportbike proper.
The sculpted seat meets a tapered, 3.8-gallon fuel tank and narrow waist to leave plenty of room for your thighs and allow you to tuck in as necessary. It slings the pilot's derriere at 30.9 inches off the deck, which makes it fairly accessible for shorter riders. The stock bike will accommodate a passenger right off the showroom floor with a tapered seat and subframe-mount, flip-up footpegs.
An LED taillight rides in the tip of the tail, and everything else comes mounted on the short mudguard assembly. All in all, it makes for a clean, no-nonsense look that has proven popular thus far.
Suzuki SV650 Specs | |
|---|---|
Length | 84.3 in (2,140 mm) |
Width | 29.9 in (760 mm) |
Height | 42.9 in (1,090 mm) |
Seat Height | 30.9 in (785 mm) |
Wheelbase | 56.9 in (1,445 mm) |
Ground Clearance | 5.3 in (135 mm) |
Fuel Capacity | 3.8 gals (14.5 L) |
Curb Weight | 432 lb (196 kg), ABS: 437 lb (198 kg) |
Chassis
High-tensile steel tubing on the SV650 makes up the Trellis-type frame with a beam-style swingarm and a stressed drivetrain unit. This completes the structure and eliminates a chunk of framing from the downtube/cradle area and its associated weight. Such efforts paid off to leave the 2023 SV650 with a wet weight of 432 pounds for the standard model, and 437 pounds for the ABS version.
The suspension is plain vanilla with non-adjustable 41 mm rwu front forks and a preload-adjustable, coil-over rear shock. Up front, the forks turn out 4.9 inches of travel, which is pretty plush, but only 2.48 inches of travel out back.
The five-spoke, 17-inch, cast-alloy rims carry the only change for this year with a bright red finish that plays well against all of that blackout work. They mount Dunlop Road Smart III hoops in a 120/70 with dual, 290 mm discs and four-bore Tokico anchors slow the front wheel and a single-piston caliper out back. If you go for the optional model, there's an ABS feature to keep you from locking them up.
Chassis & Suspension | |
|---|---|
Front Suspension/ Travel | 41 mm Telescopic, Coil Spring, Oil Damped/ 4.9 in |
Rear Suspension/ Travel | Link Type, Single Shock, Coil Spring, Oil Damped/ 2.48 in |
Front Wheel | Five-Spoke Cast Alloy |
Rear Wheel | Five-Spoke Cast Alloy |
Front Tire | 120/70ZR17M/C (58W) Tubeless |
Rear Tire | 160/60ZR17M/C (69W). Tubeless |
Front Brake | Dual 290 mm Discs, Four-Piston Calipers (ABS model w/ ABS) |
Rear Brake | Single-Piston (ABS model w/ ABS) |
2023 Suzuki SV650 Price And Availability
The 2023 Suzuki SV650 costs $7,399. That's the base model in Glass Sparkle Black/Solid Iron Gray. The ABS version rolls in Metallic Reflective Blue for $7,849.
Pricing & Features | |
|---|---|
Warranty | 12-Month Limited Warranty |
Colors | |
└ 2017 | Pearl Mira Red & Pearl Glacier White (ABS: Pearl Mira Red) |
└ 2018 | Metallic Triton Blue/Pearl Glacier White, Gloss Sparkle Black (ABS: Gloss Sparkle Black) |
└ 2019 | Metallic Oort Gray No. 3 |
└ 2020 | Metallic Mystic Silver (ABS: Glass Sparkle Black) |
└ 2021 | N/A (ABS: Pearl Brilliant White / Glass Sparkle Black |
└ 2022 | Glass Sparkle Black (ABS: Metallic Matte Black No. 2) |
└ 2023 | Glass Sparkle Black / Solid Iron Gray, (ABS: Metallic Reflective Blue) |
Price | |
└ 2017 | $6,999 (ABS: $7,499) |
└ 2018 | $7,049 (ABS: $7,499) |
└ 2019, 2020 | $7,099 (ABS: $7,499) |
└ 2021 | N/A (ABS: $7,699) |
└ 2022 | $7,299 (ABS: $7,749) |
└ 2023 | $7,399, (ABS: $7,849) |
Competitors
There's no shortage of competition from close to home for the SV650, but I wanted a fresh perspective, so I went for Triumph's Trident 660 instead. Triumph puts together a proper little naked-sport machine, and if I'm honest, I gotta' say I vastly prefer the looks of the Brit bike.
Triumph Trident 660
It hits many of the same points, from the custom-style fender arrangement, compact dimensions and mid-range powerplant. It rocks a triple, but that doesn't appreciably change the looks around the engine area. The Brit gets a win in power with 81 ponies on tap, but almost ties in torque with 47 pounds.
Perhaps the biggest triumph for the Triumph is in the electronics; the Trident rocks a stock, switchable traction control feature with a pair of Riding Modes that let you quickly dial in for inclement conditions as necessary. The ABS feature is a wash across the board, but you can get a quickshifter on the Trident from the accessories catalog. Pricing on the Trident 660 starts at $8,595 with an $8,720 sticker on the trio of two-tone colorways. While this marks a not-insignificant addition in price, the electronics make the extra cheese an acceptable tradeoff.
He Said
“The SV650 remains an essential little ride with performance that makes it viable on the Superslab and a top end that should keep even experienced riders interested. I feel like the shortcomings in Suzuki's electronics are something that may be in the foreseeable future. I mean, Suzuki has the technology, it just needs to plug it in.”
She Said
My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “Being one of the height-challenged brigade myself, I'm the first to notice the low seat height, relatively speaking, on a sportbike. Tall riders might feel a little cramped, but the rest of us are gonna have fun. For budding fiery-eyed pegdraggers, the SV650 is a good step-up platform or it's a final destination for folks staying in the mid-displacement range.”
FAQ
Q: What's the difference between Suzuki SV650 and SV650S?
The difference between the Suzuki SV650 and the SV650S is more than just putting a fairing on the "S". The Sv650S has a shorter swingarm, which gives it a shorter wheelbase. The "S" has clip-on bars and the positioning of the footpegs encourages a more aggressive rider triangle. The base SV650 has a longer wheelbase and the handlebars and footpeg position create a more comfortable upright riding posture.
Q: How much does a Suzuki SV650 cost?
For 2023, MSRP on the SV650 is up just a skosh from the previous year. The non-ABS model is $7,399. Add ABS and MSRP is $7,849.
Q: Is the SV650S a V-twin?
The 645 cc engine in the SV650 and SV650S is a 90° V-Twin engine. It's also referred to as an L-Twin engine because of the orientation in the frame with one cylinder vertical or nearly vertical and the other cylinder at a 90° angle to it.
Q: Is a Suzuki SV650 fast?
Top speed of the Suzuki SV650 is in the neighborhood of 130 MPH. Zero-to-60 is 3.3 seconds and the quarter-mile is 12.1 seconds.