First Ride: Suzuki SV-7GX

With the loss of the legendary SV650, Suzuki hopes to fill the void with its taller, comfier and more rounded SV-7GX. Grace Webb gives us her take on it…

For more than 25 years, the SV650 has been one of motorcycling’s great all-rounders. It’s been a first big bike for many riders, a dependable second bike and a machine that’s built a loyal following because of a simple formula: a lightweight chassis and a characterful V-twin engine. But a lot of people maybe assumed the SV story was coming to an end, with Suzuki’s newer 776cc parallel-twin platform appearing in bikes like the GSX-8R and 8S, as well as the V-Strom 800 – it looked like the ageing 645cc V-twin was finally heading for retirement, especially after the SV and V-Strom 650 didn’t get the Euro5+ update for 2026. However, Suzuki have loved throwing in a few welcoming curveballs as of late, and this is one of them; the new SV-7GX. This is Suzuki’s latest take on a modern crossover motorcycle – designed to handle the daily commute, weekend road trips and your favourite twisty roads with their legendary 645cc V-twin engine at the heart. Suzuki say the reasoning is that their customers love this engine and want to see it back – but does it work in this package? I’ve been riding the mountain roads in the South of France for the day to see if Suzuki have hit the jackpot with the new SV-7GX.

Now, despite that prominent ‘7’ in the name, Suzuki hasn’t swapped in the newer 776cc engine. Underneath, this is still very much SV650 territory. The familiar 645cc V-twin remains, with the same bore and stroke dimensions that date all the way back to the original 1999 model. Power is essentially unchanged too, producing 72hp at 8,500rpm and around 47lb-ft of torque. But don’t mistake that for a lack of development. It’s an engine that riders have loved for decades, and thankfully Suzuki hasn’t messed with the formula too much. I found it still delivers that smooth, torquey power from low revs, a strong midrange punch, and plenty of character when you wind it on. It’s been a brilliant engine to play around with – and to meet the latest Euro5+ standards, Suzuki has modernised the engine with ride-by-wire throttle bodies, a revised exhaust system and additional sensors. Those touches have improved an already brilliant motor and unlocked a much more modern electronics package. For the first time on an SV-derived machine, you get selectable riding modes, traction control and a bi-directional quickshifer, as standard. Suzuki’s Drive Mode Selector offers three settings: Active, Basic and Comfort. Active certainly gives the sharpest throttle response, which sometimes can be snatchy on other Suzuki models but it’s very refined in this case. Then there’s Basic, which sits in the middle, and Comfort softens things considerably and reduces peak power output. It’s great to have those choices now with an SV engine. I mostly used Active and the delivery is really responsive, not snappy at all and immediately inspires confidence on the bike. The quickshifter works for both up and down shifts, which feels fluid and accurate, especially when you’re cracking on. It all brings the SV platform into the modern era while keeping the distinctive V-twin feel intact. Suzuki have also applied their Low RPM assist on SV-7GX, which just makes things so easy when you’re moving slower. I could really push my luck in 2nd gear approaching roundabouts; it never hesitated or coughed, it was so lovely and smooth, you’d struggle to stall this.

I asked the Suzuki bods here in France, who have developed the bike and have travelled all the way from Japan to be here for this highly important launch, as to why they haven’t used the newer 776cc engine – especially when this has been so popular and welcomed by road riders and racers alike? They said it was important to Suzuki both internally and based on their market research to revive the SV engine. Customers have expressed a want to have this engine back in the range and it’s difficult to argue when the SV is a proven formula, having sold around half a million since 1999. And so here we see it in a merge between the SV and Suzuki’s GX line, which I think as a fusion works really well – the engine is full of character and is fun to flick about, whilst housing heaps of practicality. Suzuki are that confident with this new bike, they’re even offering an extended 7-year warranty.

So, moving on to the chassis… the main frame is the same as the SV650, meaning Suzuki has stuck with a tubular steel trellis type, which keeps the bike slim and approachable, but it now has a reinforced rear subframe so it can cope with a heavier rear end (for all that wine and cheese I’ll be bringing back from France). The 795mm seat height is welcoming and should make it accessible to a wider range of riders. I thought the handling was so well-balanced that I truly don’t think any level of rider would be disappointed with how the bike composes itself through the corners and delivers its sporty road manners. I found myself almost exaggerating the turns because it was so fun and fluid to just drop it into the bends. For 211kg, it feels extremely light, the combination of low-down weight and wheelbase makes it feel planted and really enjoyable; Suzuki have designed the weight distribution to a T. You get 17-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli Angel GT II tyres, which suit the bike’s road-focused mission; loads of grip and it has a really comfortable upright riding position that felt equally at home when I was riding through town or when we were carving shapes in the mountain. The ergonomics have been revised for this touring model over the SV650, which I think results in the SV-7GX being as comfortable as a V-Strom – but without the seat height being jacked up. It’s a nice balance between the sporty SV650 and the more upright V-Strom 650. And because it’s still powered by that narrow V-twin engine, it’s got a slim stand-over width, which makes it a lot less daunting to get your feet down.

At the rear, the monoshock has seven stages of preload adjustment and up front there’s conventional 41mm forks rather than the fashionable upside-down units. There’s no adjustment at the front, but Suzuki says the setup prioritises comfort without losing the sporty feel that made the SV so popular in the first place, and I found it does hit the sweet spot between sporty control and comfort; it was honestly both playful and plush – really fun to get on the gas but also to just cruise over the lumps and bumps in the road. The suspension has been specifically tuned for the SV-7GX, and that’s mostly to support the extra weight on this bike over the SV650. Braking comes courtesy of twin 290mm front discs paired with four-piston calipers, backed up by ABS as standard, which gave me plenty of stopping power when I needed it. Technology is another area where the SV-7GX takes a noticeable step forward. You get a crisp 4.2-inch full-colour TFT display which looks similar to many other modern Suzuki models, giving access to ride modes, traction control settings, and smartphone connectivity through Suzuki Ride Connect Plus. You also get a handy USB-C charging port and turn-by-turn navigation, which just makes life on the long road that little bit easier.

And then there’s the styling. I think Suzuki has nailed the crossover look here. The half fairing, a nice tall windscreen that’s really effective, and you get handguards fitted as standard – it all gives the bike a rugged but refined appearance that you’d expect from Suzuki. There are clear design influences from the larger GSX-S1000GX, especially at the front, so it all ties in nicely with Suzuki’s recent touring family. I think a notable point for this bike, if you intend on using it mostly for touring, is that it has quite a generous 17.4-litre fuel tank, along with Suzuki’s claimed fuel economy figure of over 67mpg… that means you’ll get a potential range of more than 250 miles between fill-ups. We’d have to try that on a longer test, but the maths is there. Also, for touring, there’s a handy integrated rear carrier, which is a nice touch and the materials feel really premium. I like that Suzuki have added genuine everyday usability to the standard package.

So, to me, it feels like Suzuki has taken everything riders loved about the SV650 and packaged it into a more practical, more modern, and arguably more relevant motorcycle for today’s market. This is a true crossover-style sports-tourer aimed directly at bikes like the Yamaha Tracer 7, the Kawasaki Versys 650 and the Triumph Tiger Sport 660 – and with a price tag of £6,999 for the white colour scheme, it’s comfortably undercutting its main rivals – and this could be the key to this bike’s success. Of course, not only that, but the fact that it’s been difficult to fault. The engine keeps its character, the ergonomics improve comfort, the technology finally catches up with the competition, and perhaps most importantly, Suzuki has managed to do all of that while keeping the price below the 7-grand mark. Ka-ching. If you’re looking for one bike that can genuinely do a bit of everything, the SV-7GX could be one of the most interesting middleweight motorcycles to get your hands on this year.