Reviews

2003 Suzuki SV1000 (photos)

I was hoping that the SV1000 would be a poor man's Ducati and I had always admired the TL1000. However, the big SV seemed to have been designed to only go in a straight line at high speeds and had some of the worst ergonomics I've ever seen. It also had some reliability problems, with a clutch slave cylinder and a voltage regulator that failed under normal service and required replacement. The notorious throttle stumble at around 3000 rpm made the bike treacherous in a parking lot.

The ergos I fixed by getting a Corbin saddle and using 3/4" handlebar risers. Handling was a big disappointment, and the fully adjustable front forks didn't seem to have a combination that worked. Range was a problem, giving only 40 mpg in the city, but a surprising 50 mpg on the open road. Near the end I tried a 520 chain combination with lower gearing that helped, but didn't fully solve the stumble problem.

The person to whom I sold it on ebay was pretty happy last I heard.

With a little more effort, Suzuki, could have made this into a great bike.

Last Update: 27 December, 2007
Web Author: Doug Ikemi