the guy at the dealership said the sv650 handles better, but the 599 has a better motor with more top-end, even though the sv is torquey. the sv is actually about $1000 cheaper and there's a shitload of them out there, which means tons of aftermarket support as well tons of parts if i crash (knock on wood) the sv in stock is an 05, the 599 is an 04, so i can get a screaming deal on either. in all honesty, the sv is probably the better bike for me but that 599 is just so damn COOL!!!! the fact that nobody has one rocks, except for the lack of aftermarket support as well as lack of parts if/when i crash. the sv650, while a great bike, is kind of generic. everybody and their mom has one. granted, there are reasons that everyone has one, but it would be nice to have something kind of wow cool. what are everyone's thoughts?

yes the guy is on commission but the owner of the honda dealer (cars) i work for, and the sales guy as well as his owner go waaaaay back, so i'm gonna get hooked up and i know i can trust his advice. plus, the fact that the 599 is so old means there's a spiff for him on it, so i give him props for not pushing toward it any harder than the sv.

 

both bikes are brand new by the way

 

This is a tough call. Both bikes are great. I'd want the 599 just because it's a Honda. But the SV is a great bike. I've rode both and I feel that the SV is a bit more torquey than the 599. But I think for all out acceleration, 599 is the way to go. I think it depends on what you want it for..... try sitting on them and see which is more comfortable.

 

damnaccord, your avatar is hypnotizing! i could watch it for hours. who is that riding?

anyway, not sure which feels more comfortable, but you're right. i want the bike for general riding and cruising, commuting, some canyon carving and hopefully trackdays. i'm more interested in handling than power, because either bike will feel like a rocketship compared to my teg. that 599 is so damn sexy, but it seems like the sv is a better bike at a better price.

 

Heh, the guy in my avatar is Garry McCoy. He was known for drifting when he raced.

Anyway, about the bikes; like I said, both are great bikes. The 599 was based off the old F3 which was carburetor based. The SV(beginning in 03) is fuel injected. Maybe that might be something to consider? I also forgot to add that even though the 599 is an inline 4, it was tuned to have more torque. But, I think with the SV, you'd get the torque earlier in the powerband; it's still a vtwin.

 

yeah

cheaper
injected
blue instead of yellow
handles better stock

i guess the sv wins.

 

I would prefer to get the SV650S, then take off the fairings and sell them.

I think the Honda(all of them actually) are wayyyyyyy overpriced. Plus the 599 is still carb'd. I can't see spending an extra thousand dollars to get old tech. It's also heavier than the SV by nearly 40lbs.

Have you looked at a FZ6? I don't personally like them, but they might be pretty good.

I personally am planning on getting a Triumph. probably a Speed triple, I'll get way more horsepower, more torque, and I think better styling. Plus the insurance is really cheap for some reason 90hp, 60ftlb for Triples vs 86hp, 43ftlb for the 599 and 60hp, 35ftlbs for the SV.

 

the sv only has 60 hp? is that the carbed or injected version? and insurance is strictly statistic-based. that's why the triumph is cheaper. less of them are crashed/stolen (strictly numbers, not percentages). i know about the fz6 but it doesn't float my boat. it's also more expensive isn't it? i'd much rather find a used R6 for the same money.

 

I have an 01 SV650 and yes its got a lot of torque. I think it makes nearly 80 ft. lbs. and while it may only have 60 hp you will not have a problem keeping up with any of the 600s in real world riding. At least I never have. The new body style, I think 03 and up, is the injected version with the oil cooler and whatever else. But its basically the same bike as those with carbed motors in a lot of ways.

The SV can bring the front wheel up with about half a twist of the throttle too, no clutching. Try that on a four cylinder.

 

here's a dyno of a 2005 SV650S.