2019 SUZUKI SV650X
R I D E R E V I E W
P114
the cafe styling. Those changes result in an MSRP of
$8399, which is $1300 more than the standard SV650
and $1000 more than the SV650 with ABS.
Our first day of riding on the Suzuki
SV650X was with a large group in the city
streets and coastal canyons of California
and around Santa Monica, Malibu and
Venice. We also had some freeway com-
muting with a lot of lane splitting (a practice
that is legal in California). That first day of
riding quickly added up to nearly 300 miles
on the bike, and we continued to ride the
SV650X for regular commuting and week-
end riders for the next few months.
Our first impression is that the SV is still
an outstanding motorcycle and the X ver-
sion provides a more sporty option that is
still quite comfortable even for a long day
on the bike. We had a wide range of bikes
in our group first day in the Santa Monica
canyons, multiple models and brands, and
the little SV was likely the best choice to be
on for the fun, twisty roads. It was equally
good to ride in the stop-and-go traffic in the
congested cities, and the narrow, low bars
are great for safely squeezing between
cars on the city streets or California free-
ways. The 31.1-inch seat height is slightly
taller than the standard SV, but the shape
still makes it easy for most riders to touch
the ground.
Back In The Saddle
(Above) Motorcycles don't get
much easier to ride than the SV
range of street bikes. (Right) The
SV is super practical. It's great
at many things and its MSRP is
easy on the wallet.
