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This is going to be one long post,so please buckle up & enjoy the ride!

It all started off in the '90s. Born & brought up in Bangalore,I had the opportunity to see a variety of bikes,be it Indian & imported. Back in the days,when the RD350 was a bike everyone wanted, or the Enfield Fury that had a great thumping exhaust note. As a kid,I'd always dream of being on one of those big burly bikes & I ended up having huge posters of the Gixxers & the Ninjas. Lying in bed,I'd get to see over 10-15 bike posters covering every inch of my room. The only experience I had was on my Kinetic Honda,6 years of it.

Someday.. someday!

I moved to the US in 2002,and after graduating with a Masters in Cancer Biology,I hopped onto the job in Houston. From wonderful winters,to the sultry muggy days in Texas. Quite a jump! Got my car,and things were sedate for the most part. My wife,who's been my strength & guiding star, knew that I harbored the dream of owning a bike.

Any amount of gratitude won't suffice. If it hadn't been for her support & her persistence,I'd probably have stayed riding a bike in my dreams. I'm not sure,but I do believe that she's the first person in the world to push her spouse to becoming a biker. I had a rough year 2007,with numerous health issues, and 2 surgeries to fix a broken finger [thanks to my weekend cricket league].She'd seen me suffer quite a bit,and said that we'll make 2008 a much better year. She actually got me going and made sure I enrolled into the MSF (Motorcycle safety foundation course). I got my motorcycle license,and was all set to lookout for good bikes.

Here's were fellow BHPians jump in,and do what they do best! My sincere thanks to Bhupi ( highwayblaze), Prasad (prasadee), Ananth (ananthkamath) and Saravana (tsxei) for every bit of help & guidance they have provided. Truely,it was a tough task for them to provide much help sitting in their respective cities. But,they did every bit that they could,and it took me a long way in understanding what to look for in a bike & how to deal with the whole process.

Now..coming to what all of you have been waiting for.. the bike!

I had looked at a few bikes. One was a 2000 Honda CBR, another a 2005 Suzuki Katana 750F. I liked the latter,though it needed some work on the brake calipers. Had to wait! Two weeks ago,after getting back home after my weekend cricket practice,I found a listing on craigslists for a 2004 Suzuki SV650S,located less than 4 miles from my house. I was eager to go look at it,and went over. Rode the bike,checked out the gear that came with it,and overall I was happy. Gave the owner a token advance,promising to work out the financing option through my credit union. Everything went on well,and I was able to bring the bike home 2 days after I saw it. I had to change the battery,and a bit of running around ( + quite a bit of help from the BHPians),I was able to fix the bike & take her for a few spins around the neighborhood.

The specs:
Engine:645 cc, four-stroke, liquid cooled, 90° V-twin, DOHC, 8-valves, TSCBore Stroke:81.0 x 62.6 mmCompression Ratio:11.5:1Fuel System:Fuel InjectionLubrication:Wet SumpIgnition:Digital/TransistorizedTransmission:6-speedFinal Drive:#525 chainOverall Length:2080 mm (81.9 in.)Overall Width:730 mm (28.7 in.)Overall Height:1170 mm (46.1 in.)Seat Height:800 mm (31.5 in.)Ground Clearance:155 mm (6.1 in.)Wheelbase:1430 mm (56.3 in.)Dry Weight:169 kg (372 lbs.)Suspension Front:Telescopic, coil spring, oil damped, fully adjustable preloadSuspension Rear:Link-type, 7-way adjustable spring preload Brakes Front:Dual hydraulic discBrakes Rear:Single hydraulic discTires Front:120/60-ZR17 Tires Rear:160/60-ZR17Fuel Tank Capacity:17 liter (4.5 gal.)

Its been just 10 days since I got the bike,but I must say that (touch wood) I have been quite comfortable riding the bike. I got a real heavy Nitro riding jacket, Joe Rocket riding gloves, bike stands to yank the bike up, a KBC helmet (with some fancy graffiti), a chain cleaning brush with kerosene,a pillion seat replacement if I'd want to change it.

I hope to be able to ride a lot this summer. Work being 9 miles from home,I'll be using the bike to commute as far as possible.

Well..there's really so much that I could go & on with. I'll hold it off for now..

Enjoy!

Some more pics..

I do have a video with a sound clip of the exhaust. Its not very clear,but I'd like to upload that.
(Mods,its a 26MB file. Is there any way I can upload it as is, or would I have to use YouTube or some other site for posting the video? )

Congrats on your bike mate. I just love this bike (SV 650 is the first proper bike I have ridden). The upright seating position is good for long rides and busy streets.

I was waiting for this post from the day you posted the pic in the Superbikes thread. BTW, let me go thru your entire post now. :)

Awesome !!! Lucky bugger !!

maa man...finally the pics and story is here :) Congratulations once again. I love the way the moto looks. among other things the speedo is really attractive. my 03 gixxer didnt have that kind even ! very lucky guy you owning a moto in texas! Enjoy and ride safe!

Awesome! Looks like you got a well-looked after bike. The TwoBrothers exhaust is pure nirvana I imagine. Also get one of these: DennisKirk.com - Metric Bikes - Chemicals & Lubricants

Much less messy than using an oil can, plus you can store it under your seat for long rides.

Thanks,TomRider. It took a while,but the thread's finally here! :D

Thanks Nikhil!
(OT: I'll get the DVDs in 4 days! Can't wait, buddy! Thanks for all your help).

Congratulations Nitin. The bike looks smashing in yellow. It seems to be well kept, right out of the showroom types. Wish you many years of riding pleasure with your machine. And do keep this thread updated as time goes by.

Thanks a bunch,Bhupi & Ananth! Kudos to you guys,for every bit of guidance!
Bhupi, I just spoke with the guy who has a dealership,and he said it should be a simple process to change the lights on the license-plate illuminator. Will try to get it done this evening,weather permitting.

Nice bike you got there nitin! Congrats, ride safe.

OT: Is that the new Mitsu Lancer in the garage??

Congrats ....It' one hell off a bike, it's good steping stone for the 1000s.

Thanks a lot,Dippy. true, the bike has been maintained well. The previous owner did a lot of riding,so he knew exactly how to keep things intact. I hope to do the same too. Nothing to beat a smooth riding bike.

yes sir,its the 2008 Lancer. Got it in Dec '07 as a replacement for the 2004 Kia Optima my wife had.

Thank you,Dinar. I intend sticking to the 600-750cc class for a couple of years,but this will definitely help step things up in due course. I've not had much experience riding this bike,so over time I'll know if I'm ready for something bigger.

Ah ok. Hope you get to ride the bike a lot and I look forward to some good travelogues in future!!

Have you posted a review of the Lancer on the forum??

A hearty welcome into the biking fraternity :) That's a nice bike you have there. Very very nicely maintained machine. I like the color too.

Ride safe and i hope you have already bought good quality riding gear.

Congratz Nitin !! nice bike. 600 are the best place to start off, enjoy your rides :)