Suzuki SV 650 Café Racer 2017 — Specifications

Does an accessory kit suffice to transform an honest touring bike into an authentic café racer? Suzuki takes a gamble with this SV 650 Café Racer, a limited series of one hundred units that focuses on aesthetics more than a deep transformation. The heart remains that of a classic SV, with its 90° V-twin delivering 76 horsepower and a meaty torque, all within a trellis frame as reassuring as an old pair of jeans. The base is solid, playful, and it is precisely there that the problem lies: you get the impression of riding a standard SV to which a Suzuki SV 650 Café Racer kit has been grafted, rather than a machine conceived from the drawing board to embody the racing spirit of the 60s.

Compared to Kikishop’s custom creation that inspired it, this official version sorely lacks bite. The half-handlebars and rearset footpegs from Gilles Tooling modify the riding position, certainly, but the result borders on aesthetic tinkering. The dual-outlet exhaust, which seems borrowed from a BMW R nineT, sounds good but clashes with the overall line. Where are the spoked wheels, the slim single seat, the low and squat look that characterizes a true café racer? The whole evokes more a special edition for an accessory catalog than a passionate reinterpretation. For the rider seeking authenticity, the Suzuki SV 650 Café Racer kit offered as spare parts is thought-provoking.

Dynamically, nothing changes, and that's a good thing. The engine remains a delight, supple and lively, propelling the 197 kg with glee up to top speeds of 200 km/h. The chassis, neutral and easy, forgives everything and suits both beginners and experienced touring riders seeking sensations without any headaches. But precisely, this ease betrays the very essence of the café racer, which was a machine modified for urban racing, nervous and a little brutal. Here, everything is too polished, too obvious. The suspension, the brakes, remain those of the series, effective without being exhilarating.

At 7999 euros, or 1300 euros more than the standard version, the price of style is high. Does this money buy a dream or simply an exterior trim? Faced with a Triumph Street Twin or a Ducati Scrambler, which cultivate their retro identity with more conviction, the SV 650 Café Racer appears as a compromise. It is aimed at the brand fan who wants a unique, numbered motorcycle, without embarking on a wild customization. It is a pleasant, reliable and fun machine, but it misses its transformation. You leave with the desire to sell the aesthetic parts to buy real technical improvements, or to turn to a customizer to obtain the café racer that Suzuki did not dare to build.