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2003 Suzuki SV1000S quarter fairing does offer a fair degree of wind protection, thus adding to the comfort factor. Our first-day ride led us to the mountain town of Ronda, with its large, historic bullring and secluded palaces and churches. The road to Ronda is a tight and twisty affair, perfect for an evaluation of the SVlOOOS's cornering manners, which are quite pleasant. The SV's initial turn-in isn't exactly GSX-R-like, but that only makes sense, as we're talking about a V-twin here. Still, no doubt thanks to its overall mass reduction, the SV does shed some of the high-horse feel that the TL line tended to present when dropping into a turn - and this even with a 57.2inch wheelbase that is longer than the TL's 55.7-inch wheelbase. Thanks to its rigid chassis, the SV is a willing canyon carver. Once heeled over, it holds a line well, offering a fair amount of front-end feedback. When trailing the twin 310mm Tokico front brakes, I noticed a mild tendency for the SV to want to stand up, but it wasn't overly worrisome, nor was it IA) The SV's vacuum die-cast chassis, gO-degree V-twin and chin spoiler all combine to enhance the machine's styling. IB) The quarter fairing is sport)' but offers plenty of wind protection at higher speeds. Ie) Suzuki has jumped on the LED bandwagon with the SV's twin-row taillights. ID) The analog tach and digital speedometer/vitals screen on the compact instrumentation are easy to read at a quick glance. anywhere near the same tendency exhibited by the Suzuki Bandit 1200. Speaking of the brakes, the fronts are solid, offering plenty of power and feel. Experiment with the six-way adjustable lever and you ought to be able to find a suitable setting to allow you to dial in whoa power. On the other hand, the rear brake came off as being a little on the touchy side, too willing to lock up under panicstop conditions. Suspension? Well, let's just say that it will be necessary to reserve judgment until we get our hands on our test unit so that we can dial it in ourselves, especially the front. That's not to say that there was anything wrong with the 46mm Showa fork, except that I didn't feel like I was given a fair shake by the engineer in charge of setting up the SV that I rode. I was noticing what felt to me @DD&Jr;f)r;f)!Jr;f)g !XJ@'lID IlDD&JlifJr;f) @D&Jr;f)r;f)[lg In keeping with the notion that the SV1000S is not merely an updated TL1 OOOS, Suzuki engineers wanted to give the SV a bold new look. That look comes in the form of a diecast aluminum frame that is formed using high-vacuum-casting technology. The process, which involves the pouring of the molten material into a vacuum mold, helps to keep minute bubbles from forming in the casting, and it allows Suzuki to obtain an open cross· section shape that offers plenty of rigidity while keeping excess weight in check. The steering head is made of sand-cast aluminum, whiie the frame pivot section and the swingarm pivot section are die-cast aiuminum (the arms of the swingarm are extrusions). Suzuki says that the marriage of the various processes strikes the proper balance between rigidity and flex. The frame itself is buffed to provide a stark, knife-blade-like appearance. Suzuki has elected to start anew with the SV's suspension as well. Gone is the controversial Rotary Damper rear suspension arrangement found on the TL-S and TL·R models. In its place is a more conventionai linkage-type suspension with a piggyback reservoir shock absorber that is adjustable for spring preload, compression damping and rebound damping. The linkage ratio hovers between 1.7 and 1.8 to one. Rear wheel travel is 5.2 inches. A beefier, 46mm conventional fork holds up the nose of the SV, whereas the TL-S utilized a 43mm inverted fork. Like the shock, the fork is fully adjustable. Front wheel travel is 4.8 inches. Although the SV1000S is not intended for racing, that didn't stop Suzuki from mount· ing up a GSX·R part or two when it came time to outfit the SV's brakes. The front end sports the same 310mm Tokico opposed four· piston caliper units as those found on the GSX·R750. Their action is adjustable via the normal rotary c1Jcker at the iever, which offers six different positions. The rear brake actually features a Nissin-made pin-slide caliper. There is no torsion bar holding the caliper in place, but rather the caliper is mounted directly to the swingarm, thus reducing a small amount of unpsrung weight. The rear rotor disc diameter is 220mm. The SVIOOOS sports three·spoke, cast-aluminum wheels front and rear, measuring 3.5 inches and 5.5 inches wide respectively. They are shod in Michelin Pilots Sports radials, measuring 120j70ZR17 up front and 180/55ZR17 in the rear. This also represents a change from the TLl OOO's 190/50ZR17 rear tire. Other standard equipment found on the SVIOOOS includes a grab bar with luggage tiedown hooks, hazard light and passing-light functions (the passing-light function is not found on the Canadian version), and an underseat storage area that is capacious enough for a U-shaped lock. 20 MARCH 5, 2003' cue • e n e _ s like a bit of excess slap-back whenever high-speed bumps were encountered on the Spanish motorways and remember, we were really haul· ing the mail out there. I thought that a simple rebound adjustment - maybe one to two clicks stiffer - would get rid of the upset. Instead, the engineer took out a round of preload from each fork leg, theorizing that the feeling would go away if the SV was allowed to settle into its travel a little further. Wrong way. Instead, the SV then went on to behave like a drunken worm in the front, feeling less controlled during both the compression and rebound strokes. Worse yet, the cushy fork gave away the fact that the rear was equally as harsh as the front end had been. So I'll say it again to be clear: I do not believe that there is anything wrong with the SV's suspension. I do want the opportunity to fiddle with it myself. This isn't the '70s. This is the 21 st century, so I know that the right settings are in there somewhere. When we find them, we'll write a short follow-up to let you know about it. While the SV's performance is impressive, its appearance is equally impressive. There's just something about that compact V-twin wrapped in the high-vacuum die-cast aluminum chassis that is really attractive. The main frame tends to hint at trellis. You know, the aluminum trellis frame that Ducati should have built while retaining the time-honored styling of the 916-998? But that's another subject, isn't it? Anyway, it's cool that Suzuki's version of the monochromatic look was not accomplished by incorporating matte finishes. Our test unit's silver hue was tasteful and classy. In the cockpit, the SV's compact instrument cluster is just about perfect. The analog tachometer is easy to read, as is the LCD display, which features the speedometer, odometer/tripmeter and clock as well as the oil and water temp "idiot lights' and the water temperature readout itself. Oh, here's one last bitch: The mirrors are great for reminding you what kind of gear you're wearing when you're riding. Why don't a/l the manufacturers take this item more seriously on a/l of their offerings? At the end of the day, though, if you liked the TL 1OOOS or what it represented, then there should really be no reason not to like the SVlOOOS and what it represents. This is no outright Ducati or BMW slayer, although if Suzuki were to offer the SV1000S with a hard saddlebag option, the ST and RS boys might need to watch over their shoulders. Suzuki says that its mission with the SV1000S was to build a V-twin fun machine. eN I'd say they succeeded. ~[f)@@fj{Jfj@&]7]fj@[fiJ0 ~@@:J3 fB(Jj)~(Jj)f%[J fBl!lfJ @@@fB LIST PRICE: $8599 DISPLACEMENT: 996cc ENGINE TYPE: Liquid-cooled, dohc, eight· valve V-twin BORE X STROKE: 98 x 66mm COMPRESSION RATIO: ........................................................................•...............11.3:1 CARBURETION: Twin 52mm EFI IGNITION: Digital transistorized TRANSMISSION: Six-speed STARTING SYSTEM: ...........................................................••..............................Electric FUEL CAPACITY: 4.5 gal. WHEELBASE: , 57.2 in. 24S/99mm RAKE/TRAlL: SEAT HEIGHT: _ 31.9 in. FRONT TIRE: 120/70-ZR17 REAR TIRE: .........................................................................................•.......180/55-ZRI7 FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL: .4.8 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL: .........................................•...............................................5.2 in. FRONT BRAKE: Dual 310mm disc, with opposed four-piston caliper REAR BRAKE: Single 220mm disc, with pin-slide single-piston caliper FINAL DRIVE: Chain CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT: 504 Ibs.