+1, Gary! Re. the SV650, right, it's an extremely reliable machine. I bought a new '03 (first year of EFI and cast aluminum frame) and rode it for 10 years; the bike asked for nothing but routine maintenance in that time. 70-plus hp at the wheel out of the box, crazy low-end grunt, redline past 11K rpm, 11:1 static CR and runs on regular gas--pure sorcery.
Had to install Race Tech emulators and springs up front and an Ohlins double clicker shock before it stopped dancing off the line in rough corners, but once that was done it was a dream to ride--solo, that is. If you put a passenger on board, the bike inflicts pure misery on the passenger and you; even a very short lady will be riding with her knees on a level with her chin, and the high perch raises the center of gravity so far that controlling the bike at low speed becomes a real chore. I sold the SV a couple of years back and bought a used 2006 EX650 Kawasaki parallel twin. Again, rear wheel HP a bit north of 70, better tractability off closed throttle (the SV is notoriously sudden), very nice ergonomics for both rider and passenger, surprisingly good stock suspension, nice handling both solo and otherwise, and nothing to do apart from routine maintenance. In race trim those things have been eating up Hardly Ablesons in flat track racing, if that tells you anything. And they're cheap on the used market; good ones can be had for under $3000.
I just keep getting other projects that take a higher priority. I've got things in a reasonable place so I can get back to the XSs again.
