Does the Revived 2017 Suzuki SV650 Do Its Name Justice?

Well, people have always called the Suzuki SV650 a poor-man’s Ducati Monster. And now it looks like one more than ever.

While the U.S. is busy preparing for the Los Angeles Auto Show this week, Milan is partying it up with a boat load of awesome new motorcycles at Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori (EICMA). And Suzuki is making big headlines for bringing back the iconic SV650.

The name debuted back in 1999. Available in a base model or an S, as a naked or with fairings, the first generation ran from ’99 through 2002. The second gen switched a few things up, most notably changing from a rounded tubular frame to a more angular triangle, as well eliminating the carb with an electronic fuel injection system. That ran through 2012. In 2009, however, the SFV650, or the Gladius naked bike, was released and has been in production since.

The SV650 is one of the most affordably fun bikes ever built (and I don’t just say that because I’m a former owner). Its 645cc, 90-degree, liquid-cooled V-twin (64 horsepower/42 lb-ft in first-gen, 73 horsepower/47 lb-ft in second) was torquey and fast, its standard seating and compact design worked well for city riding, and the handling more than held its own on a track. And like we said before, it was cheap and looked awesome with its naked design. So let’s finally get into what the new bike offers.

By the way, here’s a first-gen Monster for reference: 

Of course, the bike has a 645cc V-twin with fuel injection. Thanks to an engine with 60 new parts, power has been slightly boosted to 76 horsepower and 47 lb-ft while still getting better fuel economy. It has a 6-speed constant mesh transmission. It sits on a 41mm telescopic front fork and link-type rear shock. Seat height sits at 31 inches, it weighs 430 pounds (434 with ABS), it has 290mm dual front disc brakes and 240mm rear brakes, and the gas tank holds 3.8 gallons.

Suzuki also reports that the chassis is largely refreshed with “70 new parts and components,” and the body has been streamlined to be more slim and 15 pounds lighter than the SFV650. It also has an LED taillight and LCD speedo.

But is this really good enough? There’s already some serious questioning happening over in the most popular SV forum, SVRider, mainly because, aside from a few changes here and there, it basically just seems like an altered Gladius.

“That’s the best they could do? Looks like someone crashed a Gladius and put it back together with whatever they had laying around,” one rider said. “If they hope to compete with the FZ07 they better get their act together.”

Basically, many people are saying this is what the original Gladius should have been. It’s definitely improved, but the price and how it drives will tell whether it’s truly deserving of the SV moniker.

Via [Suzuki]