SV650X tops 10k mark but shows a few signs of wear
As the SVX blasts through five figures on the odo, Dan looks back at the last eight months of road and track action
With the sun dropping below the horizon at 4pm and the temperatures regularly falling below zero, it’s hard to believe I’ve now had the SV650X for the best part of eight months. After one of the best summers on record and 11,750 miles of commutes, trackdays, and weekend blasts, the Suzuki remains the same charming do-it-all roadster it always was (albeit a little more rusty). And it is still capable of putting a smile on my face whenever called upon. At just over £6k, it’s a bargain, too. But it hasn’t all been plain sailing.
600 miles
The SVX is the first bike I’ve ever had to run-in and I was determined to do it properly. According to the manual, this process lasts 600 miles (to the first service) and limits the bike to 5000rpm in every gear, with constant throttle prohibited. This is easy to do on winding roads, with most of the bike’s power delivered from low down to the middle of the rev range, but it renders faster dual carriageways and motorways pretty much impossible unless you’re happy to continuously twist your right wrist back and forth.
2000 miles
After a couple of excruciating longer rides and a numbed backside on every commute, something had to be done about the bike’s retro rolled seat, which lacks padding and ruins the bike’s longdistance ability. Fortunately, as the X model is simply a tweaked version of the standard SV650, the fatter normal seat is a straight swap. Costing £102.64, it’s a must-do mod for anyone looking to ride the X for any distance.
5000 miles
The SV650 has littered the club racing scene for the best part of 20 years and I wanted to see if any of that racing pedigree had been carried over into the X model. And after experiencing a few laps at Silverstone, Brands Hatch Indy, Cadwell Park and Rockingham this year, I’m pleased to say it has. With just 75bhp on tap, you will struggle to see more than 125mph from the bike’s easy-to-read digital dash, however it is a delight in the corners. Despite some gentle movement from the softly-sprung rear shock, it inspires enough confidence to bury it into fast and slow corners with a jaw-aching grin. The SV’s massive hero blobs do cause issues with ground clearance, but with them removed the bike is transformed. But that tweak does leave the standard can exposed to gentle scraping.
7500 miles
After the first service, the SV650X only needs major work every 7500 miles, meaning less money spent on labour costs. Consisting merely of an overall inspection and a replacement of the oil and air filter, the 7500-mile tune-up cost £274.72 and it took two-and- a-half hours. A valve check and replacement spark plugs are not required until 15,000 miles. I decided the bike was seriously lacking in the noise department and wanted to unlock some more of its V-twin charm and so had the official £749 Yoshimura R77J end can, which was fitted during the first service, too. Saving 1.1kg over the standard pipe, I was disappointed to discover you can’t remove the baffle, and after around 5000 miles of use, a thin band of rust has appeared along the back of the can.
10,000 miles
With the weather becoming wetter and colder, the threat of rust has begun to rear its very ugly head. Attacking the exhaust headers, forks and outer plates of the chain, the bike now requires constant cleaning and healthy lashings of ACF-50 to prevent further corrosion. What’s more, the left bar-end slipped out of the handlebar without warning during a journey, so has had to be replaced (£27). The SV is still running well, though, and has not missed a beat.