Missing long travel suspension...

SVsick50

Well-known member
My SV is cool, looks great, sounds great and is really torquey and fun, but I miss having a tall, upright, long suspension travel bike. The more I ride my SV, the more I miss having a tall bike and upright body position, not being scrunched up on the pegs and seeing way over cars was so cool.

I recall back to having my KLR and XR650L and how fun, comfortable and tall both were. Maybe something for a future purchase or trade up. The adventure/touring style middleweights are so sick. :ride
 

SVsick50

Well-known member
He said long suspension travel, so those bikes don’t qualify. They look off-road style but have short-travel suspension

This is actually a good observation - are the DL/Versys bikes just simply taller in build? More upright touring than anything?
 

flying_hun

Adverse Selection
This is actually a good observation - are the DL/Versys bikes just simply taller in build? More upright touring than anything?

Compared to the SV, the Versys and Strom have somewhat more travel. Compared to a KLR, less. So, long-ish?
 

kuksul08

Suh Dude
SV650 front/rear travel: 5.1/4.7"
VStrom 650 front/rear travel: 6.2/6.4" (21%, 36% increases)

Anything over 6 or 7 inches and you start giving up good road qualities. The whole purpose of having long travel suspension is to be able to use it and give a more plush ride during big hits. Well if you tune it that way, it's going to be a crappy setup for hitting the twisties fast with good chassis stability. It's particularly noticeable when braking hard.

Also, upright and long travel are two very different things. Unless you are doing jumps or serious offroading there is little need for "long" travel (8-12 inches). The upright seating and wide bars will make a world of difference on its own.
 
SV650 front/rear travel: 5.1/4.7"
VStrom 650 front/rear travel: 6.2/6.4" (21%, 36% increases)

Anything over 6 or 7 inches and you start giving up good road qualities. The whole purpose of having long travel suspension is to be able to use it and give a more plush ride during big hits. Well if you tune it that way, it's going to be a crappy setup for hitting the twisties fast with good chassis stability. It's particularly noticeable when braking hard.

Also, upright and long travel are two very different things. Unless you are doing jumps or serious offroading there is little need for "long" travel (8-12 inches). The upright seating and wide bars will make a world of difference on its own.

Roads in SF and Oakland are pretty gnarly. My long travel suspension definitely makes for a more pleasant experience, and I still can have all my fun in the twisties.

At most sane, +/- not that sane, road speeds, I've not found myself with stability issues or braking issues. Sure, my F8 with Ohlins cartridges and a Wilbers shock is not as knife edge as my Street Triple with the K-Tech cartridges and penske shock, but I get around just fine. I'd say the biggest difference is front end feel, everything else I adapt ride around, like more fork dive. Generally involves using front and rear brakes to keep the bike from diving too much, but I've been a front + rear brake person for many years now.

That being said, a bike with properly tunes suspension makes for a world of difference, regardless of the bike. But I'd still rather run my commute and most of the roads I like to ride on my F8 than a Panigale V4.
 

Frame Maker

Well-known member
OP didn't mention which model of SV he has (S or naked?)... I have an S and installed a Top Yokes handlebar kit. Much more comfortable now....

https://www.topyokes.uk/product/suzuki-sv-650s/

46126255765_652d067a6b_c.jpg
[/url]20190209_102713 by andbike, on Flickr[/IMG]
 

ScottRNelson

Mr. Dual Sport Rider
Anything over 6 or 7 inches and you start giving up good road qualities. The whole purpose of having long travel suspension is to be able to use it and give a more plush ride during big hits. Well if you tune it that way, it's going to be a crappy setup for hitting the twisties fast with good chassis stability. It's particularly noticeable when braking hard.
The only time I feel that the 11+ inches of travel on my XR650L is a disadvantage is while braking hard. It's always "fun" having the front end compress about eight inches during a hard stop. Most of the time I just don't do that.

My KTM only has about 8 1/2 inches of travel and it has a stiffer suspension, so I don't even notice the brake dive on that one. I enjoy riding the twisties just as much on my KTM as I did on any of the Ducatis that I used to own.

I have no desire right now to go back to a pure street bike. :cool
 

SVsick50

Well-known member
The only time I feel that the 11+ inches of travel on my XR650L is a disadvantage is while braking hard. It's always "fun" having the front end compress about eight inches during a hard stop. Most of the time I just don't do that.

My KTM only has about 8 1/2 inches of travel and it has a stiffer suspension, so I don't even notice the brake dive on that one. I enjoy riding the twisties just as much on my KTM as I did on any of the Ducatis that I used to own.

I have no desire right now to go back to a pure street bike. :cool

Yes, Scott! I feel the same way, although I control brake dive using the rear brake, so I really don't experience much of it on any bike. Even on a sportbike I would still use the rear brake. I even find myself planting my foot with my SV and spinning quick u-turns, something I learned on via supermoto. The rear brake usage was from the KLR and XR days when I wanted to do away with brake dive, so I started to learn how to incorporate the rear brake. Now it's just habit, some may argue it's a bad habit!

I also miss jumping speed bumps like I did on my SM. Whatever it may be I'm feeling, possibly the tallish non-streetbike oriented motorcycles are my jam?

OP didn't mention which model of SV he has (S or naked?)... I have an S and installed a Top Yokes handlebar kit. Much more comfortable now....

I have super bike bars on mine, swapped out the drag bars that were on there from the previous owner. They are wide and tall, although, sometimes too wide defeats the tall. I feel these a good proportion of tall and wide. Mo upright, mo bettah! *for me
 

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SVsick50

Well-known member
Nice looking SV :thumbup

Thanks! I may be killing the look with a geeky Givi trunk on the back in the next week, but hey, sometimes Dad get's sent out to get Mexican food for the family :laughing

Here's a better shot of the bars :) I couldn't believe I had a crossbar in my toolbox from 15 years ago :laughing
 

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banshee01

Well-known member
The versys long travel might be a good option

Hypermotard!!!!

701 supermoto!!! Has 8.5" front end travel, no problem with stability. I love it!!!

The 701 enduro yes gets unstable some on the pavement from the 10.5" of travel but you get used to it

950 sm
 

HadesOmega

Well-known member
Ah I just rode my KLR650 couple days ago always fun to take a ride and so utilitarian :) It's wide, comfortable, torquey, loud, oil guzzler, and feels like your riding a couch. Still gives me the feels when riding :) It needs a new topend big time though it's goes through so much oil :(

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