When I was out motorcycle shopping for my first street bike I was looking at quite a few different types of sport and sport touring motorcycles. One was the Sv650s because of how well it has been reviewed, and the other was the CBR600RR - reviewed as the most comfortable inline 4 supersport out there. When I was searching for "the right bike for me" I could not find a comparison of the two.

So now at only 18 I currently own both of them. Although my Sv650s is a 2002 and not fuel injected while my CBR is, I think you can still compare the two. For anyone trying to make the difficult decision that I made, hopefully I can help.

When I first sat on the Sv650s all I could think is "damn, this is comfortable." The clip-ons are really tall and the seat is something to brag about. Now, I haven't ever sat on another street motorcycle besides my dad's harley. So all I had to compare to was my Yz250 two stroke I owned before (what an insanely fun bike). I bought the Sv for $1500. After spending around 6 hours working on the motorcycle because it was non-op I was finally able to take it down the street. For a sport bike I could not believe how easy it was to ride. The powerband is very linear and delivers power consistently through the RPM's. This makes it easy to [seemingly] always be on the power.

After some easy neighborhood and city riding to get used to the motorcycle I took it to the twisties. I put on 800 miles in my first week of owning the motorcycle and two rides particularly stick out. Anyone who has been to San Diego knows about the Julian routes. I took highway 67 up through the long sweeping turns. Not long I was able to drag the peg on the ground (I'm still working on my Moto GP form). The Sv650s weighing at only 364lbs was so easy to take through the turns. I felt like a professional even though I had been riding on the street for only a couple hundred miles. The other ride that sticks in my head is a ride through nearby Jamul. There is a route there where the streets are too narrow for cars and the recommended speed through these turns are 10-15mph. I did this ride with my old coach on his CBR250. Although my bike is much heavier I was able to keep up with him and even lost him through those turns. When he was talking (friendly) smack about him kicking my a$$ I quickly shut him up. That was one of the most fun rides I did on that motorcycle.

So after three weeks on my Sv650s I decided that I wanted to go shopping for an inline 4. At first I wanted to just test ride them to compare the power, but after looking at a couple the 18 year old, "I must be a badass on a supersport" kicked in... I ended up with this 2004 CBR600RR with 26k miles, horrible fairings, a Leo Vince SBK and a minor electrical problem which I have sorted out for $3900. When I first rode the motorcycle (before purchasing it) I could not get over how much further I have to lean. It was terrifying to have 400lbs and over 100hp right under me, especially since I was just test riding it. However, on the ride home from the individual's home I fell in love with the bike. Both the weight and the power (for me) is incredibly easy to handle. Because the engine isn't as torquey the power is delivered much smoother too. For a learner, or someone who isn't mechanically inclined, I would not recommend such a motorcycle though. The powerband is much more exponential. Meaning that the power "kicks in" at a very high RPM.

I have done the same "Julain" ride on my CBR600RR and I found it to be much more enjoyable. Honestly, partly because of image (sorry, I am 18), but a lot of it had to do with the amount of work that was required to stay on two wheels. I got close to dragging my knee around some long sweeping turns and although I'm still getting used to the gearing and the engine, so long as I stayed on the power it was a nice smooth turn. And yes, I do wear all my gear all the time. My friend on a DRZ has a gopro and I led most of the time, so I can post the video when he uploads it.

Now for riding 2u: I rode 2u with my beautiful girlfriend, Erica on the Sv a couple of times and she loved it! The bike performed well still and she didn't have to lean waaaaay over to hang on to me. She doesn't enjoy the CBR600RR as much because she has a bad back due to a car crash and a skiing accident many years ago, but she doesn't mind it either. The only thing that we HAVE to change about my CBR is the passenger seat. More times than I can count she has almost slipped off the back. Mind you, it's not like I am trying to accelerate hard. I actually go slower than most cars off the line. The seat is an easy fix though. I would like to do it myself, but any tips are greatly appreciated. I may go to an upholstery shop for padding and the material. I actually like the front seat because it is easy to slide around on when the turns get really frequent. I may put more padding in it though.

In the end I am so happy I picked up my I4. The SV650s is great fun and I respect those who own one, but for me the CBR is the right choice.

Oh and I forgot to add, the Sv650s is $70 cheaper on insurance. Which is always nice. And it gets 10 more mpg. I kept mine all stock, but if you keep one it deserves a new exhaust. The stock one is a little quieter than someone whispering to you across the room.

Hopefully I helped someone make the same decision I had to. If you are new to the street I highly recommend the Sv650s. I'm selling mine today for $2500. Around $500 in profit from the labor I put in (which I enjoy so much). If you are experienced, want to do work to ride and want a supersport, I recommend one. There's nothing else like either motorcycle. They are both very unique.

For those of you who don't understand Linear vs Exponential power delivery check these two links. I pulled the images off bing... they're not anything specific.

Linear: http://www.sskteracon.com/AnalogConf...Function_1.jpg
Exponential: http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/Co...en/popup_1.jpg

 

I have a K7 SV650, Which i'm selling for a CBR600F3.. Maybe a F4i if I can get one.