After the first mile my hands are frozen, lucky the services are that close really, pull in to the car park and look for the silver van with her future owner sat in it. Ten minutes later the deal is agreed and I roll of home unsure how to feel. Ah well girl, it’s been a blast but time for you to move on, shame I never got to vinyl wrap all of you. Better get a picture before you go. Anyway that’s it back in the shed and wait till later for the pickup.
![Image](http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg80/novocaine10/291220101500.jpg)
Now at this point I should say I’ve not been without a bike for quite a while and it sort of feels wrong, cash in my pocket feels ok though. Obviously I can’t go bike shopping though thanks to that great British tradition of being shut when I want to go places (ok it was New Year so I shouldn’t complain really), so that’s 3 days of searching the net for a bike and only finding one that fits the bill in Wigan home of the pie, day after New Year and I’m in the car heading there with my gear ready for a test ride or so I think.
Pull up to find a bike with a dead battery in rubbish condition and quite obviously been down the road and repaired quickly before getting shut, never mind. On the way home I decide to drop in at a dealers I’ve always considered to be a bit steep in the price area even though my dad got his bike from there a few years back, mainly because I really needed a brew and she who must be obeyed is complaining a bit for being dragged out. Quick look round and then head for the café but as I do something catches my eye, I’ve walked straight past it, right bike, right price (almost), right condition and almost all the bits I want on it. Off I go looking for a sales person with a cheeky smile on my face and an even cheekier offer on the tip of my tongue.
“sorry mate but not a chance for that”
A price was set eventually after a battle of wits that took many a long second. She’s mine; pay the deposit in the queens finest I
got from the RF sale which makes me feel a little pang of guilt and my wallet feel very light again.
So what’s the bike?
A Suzuki SV650s in blue, wow deja vu, my dad bought an SV650s in blue from the same place a few years back, coincidence that.
Anyway about the bike. A 2003 “pointy” SV with a few add ons. A very nice quill evo2 can that really makes the v twin sound amazing, that’s right only 2 cylinders so cheaper on spark plugs, a hugger on the rear wheel because every rear wheel deserves a hug after a hard day and the very important fender extender on the front to keep that front cylinder dry.
![Image](http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg80/novocaine10/sv.jpg)
First ride, not really worth talking about, it was cold, wet and slow on a unfamiliar bike with new tyres and the missus in a car somewhere behind me, so I took it easy. Next ride however was a bit more fun.
Sunday morning, I’ve checked weather reports for here, there and the bit in the middle, I’ve looked at webcams for a rather well known route to make sure that snow isn’t on the road, pack up it’s time to roll the 80 miles to the folks house in Nottingham to show my dad. My route to Nottingham isn’t really the shortest or the fastest, what it is, is the most entertaining, it uses the two most dangerous roads in England, the Cat and Fiddle and Via Gellia. I love both these roads in the dry, shame today it’s wet and the road surface is missing so I take it easy and thanks to the lack of cars and other riders I get to do the speed I want without fear of being pushed or slowed.
![Image](http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg80/novocaine10/lay1copy.jpg)
Though Macclesfield and up to walker barn and just pootling, hit walker barn and the bike starts to bark, fly past the mill stone and onto the C&F watching not to average more than 50mph, which means I get to throw it into corners but cant really cane it on the straights, fine by me. Down into the right before the up hill straight and she’s howling, apex and on the power whoops that’s more than 50. Anyway won’t go though the whole ride with you anyone who knows these roads will know what they are like, survise to say I got there in one piece and the same on the ride home. So as she sat ticking her self to sleep in a right old state from road salt and me sat with a very sore set of pins from doing 160 miles in a day am I happy? Yep.
First impressions, well I love the look of her, and that engine sits in the aluminium frame like a diamond in a platinum band, granted a small diamond but still it’s a jewel of a motor. Engine braking is crazy, after running a 4 pot for so long it takes some getting used to.
Controls, the bars are great, the last owner had set the levers a bit high (read I don’t think he had any wrists) and a bit of faffing with the brake and gear lever was needed for my ride with toes on pegs style.
![Image](http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg80/novocaine10/clo.jpg)
The clock is awesome a real step up from the style of the RF which was more practical than flashy. The chassis is fantastic, just enough give to let you tip her in and feel happy even with the narrow back tyre, same adjustments as an RF too with preload on the front and preload and dampening on the rear so a quick fiddle and I’m happy for now. The breaks as pretty much the same as the RF too with 2 pistons each disc up front and 2 on the rear they work well and stop with ease.
Future plans, well that’s a hard question really, I want the lower fairings as I prefer the look with them, a double bubble screen, a tail rise maybe, and lose the nasty motrax arrow indicators and I think I’ll be happy with the looks. Braided lines and HH pads will get me stopping like I want and I’m sure I’ll be chasing power mods soon enough but for a small bike she’s pretty nippy. The question is will any of these plans happen.
So there you go no longer a RIFFER but a friend of RIFFER, at least I kept it in the Suzuki family and the RF went to another member.
Happy days