2026-on Suzuki SV-7GX review | Suzuki have reimagined the old SV650 to create the brilliant SV-7GX
Suzuki SV-7GX expert review
If you’re in the market for a capable, characterful, mid-capacity sports-tourer that under-promises and over-delivers in spades, Suzuki’s new SV-7GX is the bike for you.
Not only does it impress during our day in the saddle here at its world launch in Montpellier, South of France, but it’s stonking value, too. It’ll cost just £7399 when it hits dealers in August in three different colour options, but there’s also a plain white version that’ll cost just £6999 on the road.
Better still, like all new Suzukis now, the SV-7GX also comes with a standard three-year warranty and that extends by a year every time you or the next owner gets a main dealer service, for up to 10 years. Follow that, China…
It may look like a completely new machine, but essentially the SV-7GX is simply the old SV650 with a more comfortable riding position, taller screen, and confusing name (it isn’t a 700).
It uses the same 645cc, 72bhp V-twin engine, frame, swingarm, brakes, suspension and wheels, bar a handful of tweaks to comply with Euro 5+ and a relaxed riding position more suited to touring. It also gets ride-by-wire, traction control, an up/down quickshifter and a colour dash.
Is the Suzuki SV-7GX right for you?
Reasons to buy:
+ Excellent value for money
+ Characterful, proven V-twin engine
+ Comfortable and practical sports-tourer
Reasons to avoid:
– No cruise control
– Basic suspension and limited adjustability
– Not the roomiest
A hero’s return
Suzuki have been very smart in bringing the old SV650 back to life. It was a machine that was loved by many over the years with a bulletproof V-twin motor that can trace its roots back to 1999 – a time when manufacturers still had the resources to bolt interesting engines into modest motorcycles.
Sure, today’s parallel twins can be impressive, like Suzuki’s own GSX-8 series, but they only exist because they’re economical to produce. They don’t have the character or rich power delivery of a well-developed V-twin and it’s refreshing to be reacquainted with one in a machine that doesn’t cost the earth.
Going the distance
As a tourer, the SV-7GX delivers. The bar position, which is brought forward towards the rider compared to the SV650, is natural and the seat is comfy for four or five hours before ‘numb bum’ sets in.
It’s styled to be a ‘tall rounder’, in the same vein as its GSX-S1000GX big sister, but being an SV650 at heart, it isn’t actually that tall. Instead, it’s relatively compact, and although the rider’s seat is 10mm taller than the SV650’s (thanks to extra padding), the peg position is still on the sporty side.
That said, it isn’t too cramped, even for a bigger rider, if you ride flat-footed. We also tried the optional 25mm-higher comfort seat during our test, which gives slightly more knee room, but at the end of the day, the Suzuki is no Ducati Multistrada or big BMW S1000XR in size, nor is it supposed to be.
On the flip side, the SV-7GX is low and slim enough for most riders to get their feet flat on the floor.
There’s a modest amount of space on the back for a pillion, and the rear seat is 20mm thicker than the SV650’s. It also has chunky grab handles, which form part of the standard issue rack which sits on the same plane as the pillion seat, making it easy to strap a big bag on the back.
Ride quality is a decent compromise between comfort and control. We never feel the need to fiddle with the suspension during our ride, although there’s only rear preload adjustment anyway, which you’d need to ramp up to take the extra weight of a pillion and heavy luggage.
Semi-active suspension would be nice, of course, but the 7GX doesn’t really need it, and while it’s devoid of most other modern-day electronic bells and whistles, it has what it needs.
The dinky but perfectly laid-out 4.2in multi-function colour screen is easy to read, rider modes are useful and the traction control adds a reassuring layer of safety. Disappointingly, it doesn’t have cruise control, which would’ve been easy to fit now the Suzuki has ride-by-wire.
Weather protection is a step up from an SV650, but upright fairings like this will always create noise in the wind, though it isn’t too loud with the screen in its standard position.
It can only be adjusted with tools, which isn’t ideal, but you can forgive it for the money (which you can’t on the similar-screened GSX-S1000GX) and there’s a taller version available, along with a full range of luggage and other accessories with prices to be announced soon. Mirrors are big, clear and free from vibes at any speed.
Smooth and practical
Although the SV650 motor has been polished and refined over the years, as you’d expect with over half a million having been produced, there was a danger its fuelling and throttle response would suffer as a result of its new ride-by-wire tech, as it has done on many machines.
Happily, that’s not the case. The V-twin still retains its trademark richness, and the pick-up from a closed throttle is smooth, even in its sportiest ‘A’ power map. Its widespread linear, grumbling V-twin power is never boring, and the relaxed nature of the engine at low revs makes the SV-7GX easy to ride over long periods.
Add the Suzuki’s lightness and comfort into the mix, and you’re left with a sports-tourer with no rough edges.
It’ll also go a long way on a tank of unleaded. We couldn’t check fuel figures during the launch, but Suzuki claims 67mpg, which adds up to a theoretical 258 miles from its new 17.4-litre tank, so not only is the SV-7GX cheap to buy, but it’s frugal to run, too. There’s also an economy gauge on the dash to help you keep mpgs at the max.
Fun at heart
It does its job as a sports bike with the same enthusiasm. The SV-7GX accelerates hard and revs eagerly when you tug on its virtual throttle cable and has the low-end grunt and urgency to perform the classic late 90s/noughties ‘cheeky wheelie’ with the traction control turned off (which you can adjust on the move).
The gearbox and quickshifter are slick, especially on the way up, but like all twins, it’s smoother and less of a clunk to use the clutch on the way down, unless you’re working the engine hard.
The chassis is superbly balanced and confidence-inspiring, too, which is why the SV650 has always been loved by Minitwins club racers.
You can make shapes with the SV-7GX’s basic suspension when you push hard, but for an affordable machine built to crunch the miles as well as scratch through backroads with a big smile on your face, it would be unfair to complain.
Brake bite and power are impressive, and its Pirelli Angel GT II sports touring tyres offer all the grip and feel you’ll ever need on the road.
Big bang for your buck
Coming back to value, the Suzuki continues to do little wrong. Fit and finish is superb, plastics are neat, it’s easy on the eye, and as-new paint finishes (it comes in blue/white, grey, black and the cheaper plain white) are deep.
Mechanically, Suzuki have had a long time to iron out the bugs in the SV650 and that 10-year warranty will take all the worry out of handing over your cash at your local dealer. It’s also the cheapest of its rivals, like the £7999 Kawasaki Versys 650, £9295 Triumph Tiger 660 Sport and £8908 Yamaha Tracer 7.
Its only similarly priced Japanese rival is the smaller-engined £6999 Honda NX500.
Tech detail
From SV650 to SV-7GX
Suzuki’s 654cc DOHC four-valve 90-degree V-twin motor has been around since 1999. It was first used in the original SV650 and gradually evolved over the years with more power and torque. Carbs made way for fuel injection in 2003 and later twin spark heads were added to meet Euro 2 and Euro 3 emissions regs.
It also powered the V-Strom 650 and the ill-fated Gladius 650, modified to meet Euro 4 regs. From 2015 to 2024 it was further refined for Euro 5 with a new piston surface treatment and electronic tweaks including ‘Idle Speed Control’, Low RPM Assist’ and ‘Suzuki Easy Start System’.
After a brief time away the V-twin is back, powering the SV-7GX with a handful of updates to meet Euro 5+ rules. It now has an electronic ride-by-wire throttle system, three power maps and three-stage (plus ‘off’) traction control. It gets new downdraft injectors, magneto and stronger gearbox dogs to handle the new up/down quickshifter. It makes a claimed 72bhp@8500rpm and 47lb-ft@6800rpm.
Details spotlight
Chassis tweaks
Its tubular steel frame and rectangular section swingarm are carried over from the SV650, but the subframe is strengthened to take the extra weight of luggage. Non-adjustable 41mm RWU forks and seven-way adjustable single shock are also SV650 fare, with revised internal settings to suit its extra payload.
Comfy riding position
Compared to the SV650 footpegs are 10mm lower (thanks to a taller seat) and its tapered 740mm bars are 17mm higher and 24mm closer to the rider.
Bodywork
A new fairing, LED projector headlight and handguards mimic the GSX-S1000GX, as does the three-way (tool) adjustable screen with a 50mm up/down range.
Seats
A narrow 795mm seat makes it easy to get feet flat on the floor. The rider’s seat is 10mm thicker than an SV650’s and the pillion seat is 20mm thicker.
Brakes, wheels and tyres
10-spoke cast-ali wheels are shod with Pirelli Angel GT sports touring tyres. Non-radial four-piston Tokico calipers bite twin 290mm discs. ABS isn’t lean-sensitive.
More range
Suzuki have blessed the SV-7GX with a generously sized 17.4-litre fuel tank (the SV650’s was 14.5 litres). With a claimed 67mpg, that’s a 250-mile-plus range
Dash
Multifunction 4.2in colour TFT has Day and Night mode and connectivity for navigation, calls and travel/weather warnings. USB-C charging port is standard.
MCN Verdict
‘SV-7GX punches above its weight.’
Suzuki have a habit of bringing old models back from the dead, from the GSX-R1000 to the Hayabusa and Katana.
They’re all fine machines, but the reimagining of the SV650 as a sports tourer makes the most sense. In many ways, it’s better than its GSX-S1000GX big sister, which has its flaws, whereas the SV-7GX is well-rounded and punches well above its weight as a simple but effective and enjoyable sports tourer. Its V-twin engine is the undoubted star of the show.
It oozes usable, real-world grunt; rumbling character; and excitement and is always entertaining, no matter how fast or slow you’re travelling.
It isn’t the roomiest tourer in the world, but it’s comfortable, even for a tall rider, and its ride quality for cruising and sure-footedness in attack mode are impressive. It’s affordable, cheap to run and comes with a reassuring 10-year warranty, although we wish it had cruise control.
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