Quote:
Originally Posted by Thumper
RE 650 and SV 650 are similar in displacement, so different otherwise!
SV is like "half of a VFR" and the RE is a classic cafe style bike. Both have attributes to justify choosing it. RE might be more of a break away from the VFR and a whole new experience, but the SV might be more of a smile generator in the Twisties. I suspect the SV will be stiffer, more stable and confidence inspiring.
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Having had the loaded-up SV650 (V-Strom-my brother has it now) and the RE, I can tell you the V-Strom would kill the Interceptor. It has lots more power and are completely different bikes. The V-Strom was sweet, handled well, and was fun in the twisties. That said, it was covered with Tupperware and needed a lot of ergo adjustment for me, regarding peg extenders, bars and risers. It was also a royal pain to wrench on. I liked the more naked style of the SV much better because of this reason.
The RE is a true, pure retro-styled bike. It's not fast, BUT the power is completely usable. It's a super friendly bike and is like dancing with an elegant lady in an evening gown, as opposed to mud wrestling with an Amazon. Also, as opposed to many of the newer Japanese bikes, the RE's are designed to be worked on by the owners. All of my RE's are super easy to wrench on. Everything is accessible.