‘The seat is a pain in the arse’
Café racing to find a comfy seat to sit in
In a bid to give the SV650X some added retro charm, Suzuki fitted their subtle café racer with a 1970s style thin rolled seat, which sharpens up the rear and helps achieve a more aggressive stance than the standard SV. Although a nice transformation to the looks, it completely ruins the bike’s ability as a long-distance commuter, becoming unbearable after around 20 miles of motorway riding and directly contributing to impatient riding, as you desperately try to reach your destination sooner.
The rolled design also makes it very difficult to clean, with any splodges of dirt or bird poo (it’s happened twice) finding their way between each spongey crevice.
To combat the arse ache, I have replaced this bike’s retro fitment with the standard seat from the upright SV650. Retailing at £102.64, this option slots in with no adjustment and feels slightly thicker, offering additional comfort over a longer period.
That said, on rides where you’re unlikely to move around on the seat regularly, it will still leave you numb after around an hour in the saddle, which is a baffling lack of rider comfort for such an everyday usable bike.