Riding a Suzuki SV650 v. the SV650S

After spending a few months on my new ride, I thought I would share my experiences riding almost the same bike.  This is my second SV and my fifth motorcycle since I started riding bikes in 2004. My previous S model was with me for 4 years before I sold it last Christmas before moving to Philadelphia. The main reason I bought that one was because I hated the Kawasaki z750s I had at that time. I made the mistake of buying it because it looked cute and I did very little research on it. As a result, I only rode it 6,000 miles in 3 years! Sad. Before I tell you some of these differences, I think it's important that you know where I was coming from before I bought my first SV.

Once I found the S model, I was in love. Definitely love at first sight, and first ride.

So that brings me to what made the S model so awesome. Here are a list of features that I noticed and right off the bat and learned to love:

• Falls easily into corners, with very little input
• Much lower center of gravity; the fuel tank felt like it was under me not in front of me
• Responsive to my lower body's input; when I used my legs and feet to lean into the corner the bike responded quickly and easily.
• Figured out how to use my body position to lean into the corners
• Almost 2" shorter seat height! I can barely remember how I rode that thing.
• 50lbs lighter

Toward the end of our relationship, I grew to hate the aggressive riding position because I enjoyed taking long rides (150+ miles) and long trips (1,000+ miles). This bike was killing me at the end, although I thought heavily about putting risers on it I simply never got around to it. In hindsight, I should've sold it for the other version.

Which brings me to the differences I've noticed about the non S model.

• Steering input; feels different but just as easy to fall into a corner with. I can't quite say if it's better or worse, it's just different.

• More comfortable; if I hadn't almost ruined my back on my last trip with the S version, I would've gotten another one. I'm really loving the almost upright riding position. Of course the seat is still stock, so still massively uncomfortable after 30-40 minutes but we'll (and hubby's speed triple) be refoaming our seats very soon.

• Stiffer front end; I think because there isn't a windscreen and large fairing up front that it's lighter, so the front doesn't feel as soft. I feel like the front isn't as 'bouncy' when I come to a stop. Whereas the rear is definitely stiffer and I need to drop the preload and then at some point, get a shock that's a bit softer. Even with the awesome Pilot Power tires I have, my weight doesn't compress the rear shock enough to give me stability in corners. If I throttle too hard then the rear end slides a bit.

• No windscreen; Oy. Riding into the wind at highway speeds is definitely more work. I definitely need a small windscreen of some kind, hoping that I can find a Puig that will work and not look too awkward.

• More seat space; since the toolkit is stored in a different spot so that means I can shove my rain liners and a pair of gloves under the seat. YES!

• Torque; I have a Delkevic shorty exhaust and it's Loud. It has a low rumble, which I appreciate so hopefully I'm not pissing off any of my neighbors. They say some aftermarket exhausts add a little power. I really can't tell if it's the noise that's creating the illusion of more power.

Everything else is the same; gas mileage (although the fuel light blinks now, instead of just staying on), seat height, weight, overall performance.

Overall, I would recommend the non S version, because it's a much more comfortable bike to ride vs. the S. You're more upright and almost in a supermoto-ish riding position. Feet are right beneath you and it feels natural and easy.

New Rider, Very Petite

Hi there, great website! I am just starting to learn to ride a motorbike so currently looking at some gear. I am also petite, 5'0 & 49kgs (108lbs). I was wondering if you'd ever tried Held motorcycle gear? Looking online, I have found that some of their jackets go down to size 34 but I am unable to find a women's size chart guide for their products! Keep up the good work.

Cheers, Elisa (Melbourne, Australia)

Hi Elisa,

I haven't tried Held recently, but from what I know, I'm guessing the 34 would work. Revit 34 is also a good bet.  If you can find older Revit gear (~5 years ago) the fitments on 34s were very narrow and smaller than current 34s. Longer arms though. I don't know if you're looking at the Xena in a 34, but that might fit you, it seems to run fairly small.

Recommendations for Gauntlet Style Women's Motorcycle Gloves

Reader Aya posted this question on my Facebook page, expressing how unhappy she was when she walked into a certain motorcycle store and found one of the worst selections of real motorcycle gear for women. More specifically, real gloves for year round riding (think temps between 60F-80F) with actual protection! So I've put together a list for her and every other woman who's shopping for actual gloves, not just ones that are hiding behind the pink. 

I only wish these gloves in the photo above still existed. They were hands down, the most protective, amazing women's glove on the market. Then Racer (the Austrian company, NOT the US distributor) decided we weren't important anymore and discontinued them. Very, very sad. But if you ever stumble upon these on eBay or on Craigslist, do NOT pass these up.

In the meantime, here are some suggestions by brand with fit descriptions for each one.

Alpinestars Stella GP Plus

MSRP $189.95, Size XS-XL, 2 colors

I have to give a shoutout to Alpinestars, not only for offering a full size run of XS-XL, but 3 different gauntlet glove options including this one. The other two gloves are less expensive with fewer features, the SP-2 and the SP-8. If you want a lighter glove without the extra reinforcements, then you may like those options instead. The GP Plus gloves have additional protection like DuPont™ KEVLAR® fiber, Schoeller Keprotec and 3rd/4th finger stitched together to prevent separation. These offer the same features as the men's version for race level glove. I like the fit on Alpinestars, not too narrow, not too wide, a little better for shorter fingers. 

Alpinestars Stella SP-2

MSRP $119.95, Sizes XS-LG, 4 colors

The SP-2's are a great street glove, less aggressive fit than the GP Plus and a few less features which bring the cost of the glove down a bit. The gauntlet is a little lighter and you'll notice the lack of accordion panel above the thumb. These also have a lot less carbon fiber, with EVA foam on the fingers instead.

Alpinestars SP-8

MSRP $89.95, Sizes XS-XL, 3 colors

The SP-8's are an entry level glove, with lighter protection reinforcements and an even more relaxed fit. Instead of a combination of goatskin and cowhide, these are only made of cowhide. They aren't as soft as the SP-2 or GP Plus, and less restrictive.

Dainese Carbon Cover ST

MSRP $149.99, Size XS-L, 2 colors

The Carbon Covers are a fantastic glove with Distortion Control on the pinky finger (meant to keep your pinky from separating away from your hand) and a really nice fit. The finger lengths are average, the construction consists of a goatskin palm and cowhide chassis, with kevlar stitching and reinforced palm sliders. These have a strong precurve, with a rather aggressive fit.

REV'IT Summit H2O Waterproof Gloves

MSRP $134.99, Sizes S-XL (as of this post, Revzilla still has XL's of the non waterproof versions available)

The Summits are only available in the waterproof version, but you may still find the non waterproof ones on various websites if they have inventory available. The non waterproof versions were discontinued as of last year. I love these because they offer an incredible amount of protection for a street glove. You can read my review of both versions here. These gloves don't have a really strong precurve, so they'd work well on any kind of bike, for any kind of rider.

These also make for great year round gloves since they're not warm, just lined with a waterproof membrane.

 

REV'IT Xena Gloves

MSRP $159.99, Sizes S-XL, 3 colors

The Xena Gloves are REV'IT's answer to the sport / race glove for women. These are the replacements for the previous version, the Raven. They fit the same as the Raven with some minor design changes. Given the lack of protection on top of the fingers, I don't count these as a full race glove if you compare them to something like the SLR or Stellar. However, they make for an excellent, all around street glove. In general, Rev'it gloves are going to run longer in the fingers and narrower in the wrist. Since they're supposed to be a race glove, they will have a very strong precurve fit to them.

Rukka Vilma Gore-Tex Xtrafit

MSRP $189, Sizes 6-10 (XS-XL)

You're probably wondering why these are so expensive. Well, aside from being a well made glove by Rukka, these are also completely waterproof and windproof with the Gore-Tex membrane. Also, the membrane is bonded to the leather ("Xtrafit") so it'll never separate. You know what's it's like to try and slip a wet or sweaty hand into a lined glove. These will definitely work better in that regard, but in addition to that they will be the lightest, waterproof glove you'll ever wear. As a result, they aren't good gloves for really cold temperatures (unless you have heated grips) since they don't have any kind of thermal/insulated membrane.

If you're looking for even more protection, and want to explore men's glove options, I would recommend any of the men's race gloves among REV'IT, Dainese and Alpinestars. I would say the most slender, smallest fit among all three brands is REV'IT. I have very small hands (XS, 6) and I can almost fit into a pair of Jerez Pro's. The main fit difference with men's gloves will be wider wrists, palms, bigger thumbs and longer fingers.

I also recommend REV'IT men's gloves for women since they tend to fit fairly narrow as well. But you need to be at least a women's Medium or Large to fit into a Small/Medium on the men's side.

My Favorite Women's Leather Motorcycle Jackets for Summer

 

A couple weeks ago I posted my favorite summer textiles, but here are some leather options if that's what you need this summer. All of these have perforation or breathability of some kind to get you through the heat. Of course, remember to always wear your favorite full sleeve hot weather baselayers with any of these recommendations!

Keep in mind that even perforated leather won't save you if it's 90-100 degrees, especially with humidity. These are probably more useful to those of you on the west, or southwest where summers are a bit more bearable. Or for mild temperatures, between 70-80 degrees. The summer leather jacket that I wear is also listed below, with a link to the review so you can see how well she did in 90-100 degree dry California heat.

I know there aren't very many options for us when it comes to leather, especially perforated/ventilated ones. Hopefully one of these will work well for you.

Laguna Evo Perforated

$499.95 MSRP, 4 colors, Euro sizes 40-54 (~US2 - 16)

First up, the white jacket above by Dainese. Don't worry, it's also available in black. Aside from all the lovely perforation you can see on the chest and the back of the jacket. The entire surface isn't perforated, but key panels on the chest will provide airflow. Fitment wise, it's your classic hourglass, with a length below the waist. The bust isn't that generous, so if you have a larger than average bust size for your height/weight, then you may want another one the options below. I would still wear a Euro 42 (US 4), but the chest space is definitely a bit snug for me, it doesn't fit anything like the now discontinued Cage.

GP Plus R

$399.95 MSRP, 2 colors, Euro sizes 38-50 (~US 0 - 12)

The GP Plus R also has a typical hourglass fit, but starts down at a full size smaller than the Laguna Evo.  I like how this one fits, not too slim, not too broad. If you have a fairly proportionate body type, then this should fit well. The length is nice, also sits right above the hip. I'd say it has a more generous bust fitment. If I needed another leather jacket, this would be one of my top choices. There is no removable liner with this one.

Galactic

$499.95 MSRP, 2 colors, Sizes Euro 34-46 (US 2-14)

The Galactic is my favorite and current summer leather jacket. Ventilated with a removeable waterproof liner. Read my full review here.

Ignition 2

$499.99 MSRP, 2 colors, Sizes Euro 34-46 (US 4-16)

The Ignition is a relaxed, touring / sport touring fit with a more generous and curvy fit. Read my full review here.

Xena

$449.99 MSRP, 3 colors, Sizes Euro 34-44

The Xena is the sportiest option for those of you looking for a full race cut leather jacket. This one has a smaller than average fit, I usually wear a 36 in Rev'it and I needed a 38 for this one to accommodate my bust (37").