F4I vs SV1000S vs GSX750R
 

A buddy of mine who has been borrowing my SV while I'm out of town has decided to buy a bike. He is most interested in SV1000S, Gixxer 750 and F4i and asked me what I thought about the three. Here is what I told him:
Does anybody else have anything to add? Thanks!

:)

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Opinions
 

Just my quick thoughts...
The SV1000 is the most comfortable ride but it lacks that extra "fun" factor since they redline at around 8k if I remember correctly. Plus I am not a fan of the 1/2 naked look.

Personally I hate gixxers because every kid on the street has one and it is the bike most associated with dumb and wreckless riders. I'm sure they are great bikes but I will never purchase one.

I am partial to the Honda because they are very comfortable and tanks when it comes to reliability. As for the torque issue, I ride around at 5k+ rpms and there is plenty of punch to get moving in a hurry.
Honestly test ride them all and form your own opinion; but I have yet to hear something negative about a Honda f4i.

Yep, thats what I told him. Ride them all and then make up your mind. FWIW - SVs redline at 11K and you can ride your nutts off on them.

:D

The fact you said the suzuki's are super reliable tells me you have no place giving your friend advice. Sad but true. GSXR750's do not have anything close to "supreme suspension" in stock form. As for the SV, Vtwins sound like crap, the suspension is as low end as it gets and the brakes feel like they use wooden blocks for pads.

GSXR750- 165mph? F4i's go that fast [gearing wise 16/46 tops out at exactly 165mph with our 6th gear ratio at 14,000rpm]
F4i- low end torque is where this bike shines. Below 5000rpm my f4i will out torque my girlfriends daytona 675. 95% of the time I shift at 4000rpm on the street. As for flickable, this is something that is adjustable on any bike. With my rear end raised and my front end dumped I turn in faster on my f4i then my 08 RR trackbike and my girlfriends daytona 675 or older R6.

In addition to my CBR, I've got both an SV650 & RC51, & neither sounds like crap. ;-)

The SV has a TwoBrothers Titanium exhaust & sounds like many race bikes. In stock form, its much quieter but still doesn't sound like crap...its one of the quietest vtwins on the market off the showroom floor, which is quite an accomplishment for a vtwin engine.

As for suspension, any stock bike can benefit from suspension upgrades, modifications, & set-up adjustments. While the SV does have an economy based suspension, it is sufficient for its intended purpose - daily street riding...especially for a beginner.

Could the SV's suspension benefit from upgrades?...sure. One popular modification to track SV's is to do a gsxr front end conversion. The stock gsxr 750 front end is quite good in its own right & makes a great upgrade to the SV's for track & racing. (Does this discussion pertain to the OP?...no...but important to note.)

My SV650 still has the stock front end & has handled everything that the track(s) have thrown at it. Would I upgrade it? Yes. However, my point is that in stock form, its still very rideable for everyday street riding.

Most street riders will never come close to exceeding the limits of their stock suspension on the street, much less top speed.

Side note... Top speed discussion for the street always make me cringe b/c its more a discussion of bravado that needs. OP, keep your/your friend's mindset on safety & riding technique, not bravado.

OP, is this your friend's first bike??? If so, he needs to focus on lower cc bikes, not 750's or liter. While mature attitudes can start on larger cc bikes, its not recommended b/c the power curve tends to get new riders into trouble w/o the necessary experience.

There are some misconceptions in your comparisons...

While I won't address all of your statements, I will comment on Honda... Specifically, the comment, "doesn't have the low end power you'll want for the type of cruising and commuting you'll do." What would that be??? Unless you are road-racing, which you're not, it certainly has more than ample low end power for daily cruising & commuting...& certainly enough to carry a passenger in those regards. "Disappointing power???"...I don't think so. A mature & skilled rider knows that the F4i has a very respectful powerband. And, is extremely "flickable".

Speaking of power... As far as street riding goes, its not about how big the bike is, its about skill level, technique, & maturity in riding style.

While every bike has its pros & cons, the Honda F4i has a great all-around mix for the street (& track)...which as this forum can attest, is what makes it such a popular design.

I wish your friend the best in finding a bike.

SVs are a very common track bike, and I know some people who would ride your face off with a stock one.

The exhaust sound is that of personal preference. I prefer inline motors, but think the twins still sound kind of cool when given a proper exhaust (twin + cheap exhaust = crap).

The F4i's lack of low-end power is easily gotten around with gearing and experience. Even with a passenger, I've gotten used to it and know how to launch and handle the power band depending on my situation.

Sounds like good advice overall, though. I'd say SV or F4i depending on the style of bike your friend wants more.

I'm not much for the moral lessons and think one should buy the bike he finds the best, but engine size and top speed is all for squids. You have to learn to go slow before you can go fast. That's a fact.

In my opinion the best beginner bikes are

1) Honda Cbr f4i /(f4)
2) Suzuki Sv650

Both have great handling and good brakes. Fun and fast both for road and track. Not too agressive riding style so also great commuters.

Both the gsx-r750 and sv1000 are nice bikes, but with each the purpose. The gixxer has too much power and the sv1000 is too heavy for a beginner. Also the sv1000 is a money pit if you want to track it and you'll never get that a bike that will come close to a standard f4i with aftermarkt suspension.