The Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme (LAMS) is now in full swing everywhere in Australia bar Queensland and Western Australia, and allows novice riders to hop on a wide variety of machines provided you don’t exceed the maximum permissible engine size and power-to-weight ratio (see sidebar over the page).
In effect, this means learners now have a raft of first bike options to choose from, but they must avoid those peaky pocket rockets – like two-stroke race replicas – that can all too easily bring a beginner to grief.
When I think back to my first bike – an ’82 Suzuki GSX250S – I recall having a ball on it at the time, but in retrospect it was far from ideal. Asthmatic performance led to plenty of hairy situations in Sydney traffic, as did its wooden brakes, while at 90kg and 6ft 2in (188cm), I was probably asking a bit much of its altogether more modest dimensions. Somehow I made it through to my unrestricted licence more or less unscathed, but I still remember counting down the days until I could hop on to a ‘proper’ bike.
How times have changed. With the unrolling of LAMS, learners have entered something of a ‘golden age’ of motorcycling. And with bikes like Suzuki’s SV650S LAMS (the ‘S’ denoting its fairing and screen), learners now ride a bike that’s a perfect blend of looks, performance and ease of use.
PERENNIAL FAVOURITE
The SV650 was born in 1999, and since then it’s received a number of revisions to both its faired and unfaired formats. Little brother to the storming SV1000, the SV650 has enjoyed strong sales in markets all over the world, thanks to its attractive styling, spritely performance and all-rounder credentials.
Now the LAMS version of the SV650S is here, and it packs in all the good points of the unrestricted machine, but in a power-down, learner-friendly guise. The restriction has been achieved by employing a different ECU (Electronic Control Unit), with suitably restrained fuel mapping – every other aspect of the LAMS machine is identical to the full-power bike.
Suzuki says it’s possible to turn a LAMS SV into a regular SV, but the cost of buying the new ECU, de-registering it as a LAMS bike and then re-registering it as a regular bike is prohibitive. It also says the relatively limited number of LAMS machines being brought into the country means they should maintain their resale value – there should always be enough learners coming through the ranks who are willing to pick them up second hand.
Of course you could always throw on an aftermarket ECU, but then you’d (hopefully) struggle to find an unscrupulous shop willing to dyno tune it for you. The bottom line here is that the various state regulatory bodies won’t look kindly on any tampering, whicah could well threaten the future of LAMS. Besides, as the SV650S LAMS machine highlights, there’s ample go on offer here to keep a learner thoroughly entertained right up until they attain their unrestricted licence – and possibly even after.
HEY GOOD LOOKIN’
The first thing that strikes you about the SV650S is its appearance. It’s a sharp looker, no mistake, and in the only colour scheme in which the LAMS model is available – metallic blue with white racing stripes – it really looks a million bucks.
Hopping on its 800mm seat shouldn’t prove troublesome for most, and before you even stab the starter you’ll notice its light and manageable weight (a claimed 196kg wet), and the easy stretch to the bars. The ride position sees you canted forward to the clip-ons in a fairly sporty stance, yet it still allows easy control. Legroom is average; those 6ft and over will find it a little cramped on longer runs, but then no more than on just about any sportsbike.
Firing the thing up results in the muffled hint of a V-twin rumble. Pull in the light clutch, snick the decent gearbox into first, give it a few revs and you’re away. Like its in-line four-cylinder stablemate, the GSX650F, you could easily be mistaken for thinking you’re on a full-power machine up until about 50 per cent throttle. In fact the SV feels a bit livelier than the GSX LAMS machine, and Suzuki says the SV revs out marginally higher than the GSX before the LAMS restriction makes its presence felt.
What this means on the road is that the SV has plenty of low-down and midrange punch, without much in the way of top end. There’s not much to be gained through revving it past 8000rpm (an indicated redline is set at 11,000rpm), and after you’re used to the bike you usually don’t bother. For around town and even on the open road, there’s enough oomph here for safe overtakes and manoeuvering in heavy traffic, and the fuelling is glitch free. At 100km/h in sixth you’ll be pulling around 4750rpm, and the bike is largely free of vibration – there’s just enough to remind you you’re on a V-twin.
CORNER CARVER
Once a learner has got their head around the basics, they’ll want to start exploring the bike’s sporting ability, and here the SV won’t fail to impress. The SV’s 41mm fork and rear monoshock are both adjustable for preload. The suspension does a nice job, making light work of a majority of bumps, and combined with its alloy truss-style beam frame, this bike will flick beautifully from corner to corner, in a manner that will thrill both novices and experienced riders alike.
Excellent ground clearance comes to the party, and the Dunlop Sportmax tyres will let you push on with complete confidence. The brakes also complement the SV package nicely. Three twin-piston calipers haul the bike down quickly and competently – there’s no scary initial bite, just progressive braking power with plenty of feel, which is just want a learner needs.
The instrumentation is smart and modern, with an analogue tacho and an LCD display featuring speed, two trip meters, an odometer, a clock, a fuel gauge and engine temperature.
The screen and fairing both do a decent job, and come into their own on the long haul. If you’re not too tall you could easily tour on this bike – something I could never have said of my old GSX250S – and that’s only going to further the SV’s appeal. A frugal average fuel economy of 19km/lt means you’ll get close to 300km from its 17lt tank before you need to search for a fuel pump, and a couple of ockie mounting points and that rear grabrail will make light work of tying a bag down on the pillion seat.
Its light and nimble nature plus a good steering lock means the SV is a handy tool in city traffic, too, while its spirited side will keep you grinning while slicing and dicing your favourite Sunday twisties. It really is a great ‘do-the-lot’ machine – that appeal has won the SV a legion of fans over the years, and the LAMS-spec bike will only uphold the tradition.
The bulk of Australia’s learner motorcyclists have never had it so good, and with learner-approved machines like Suzuki’s SV650S, hopefully even more people will be encouraged to give motorcycling a go. I couldn’t find fault with this machine, and when you throw in a price tag of $9990 plus ORC, this bike reaches another level of appeal entirely.
LAMS ROAST...
- Sporty handling
- Great styling
- Great price
NOT MUCH CHOP
Spoilt for choice
Suzuki has come to the LAMS party in big way, offering no less than 12 eligible motorcycles spanning a range of styles. The LAMS system is now operating throughout Australia bar Queensland and Western Australia, and allows learner and provisional motorcycle permit and licence holders to ride bikes and scooters of up to 660cc, provided they don’t exceed a maximum permissible power-to-weight ratio of 150kW per tonne. If you live in a state running the LAMS system and you’re considering your first bike, you’re now truly spoilt for choice. Here’s what’s available over at the Suzuki stable…
Model Category
DR650SE Road/trail
DR-Z400E/S Trail
DR-Z400SM Supermotard
DR-Z250 Trail
SV650S Road
GSX650F Road
GS500/F Road
Burgman 650 Scooter
Burgman 400 Scooter
Intruder 250LC Road
spex
SUZUKI SV650S (LAMS)
ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, eight-valve, DOHC, 90-degree V-twin
Bore x stroke: 81.0 x 62.6mm
Displacement: 645cc
Compression ratio: 11.5:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel-injection
TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain
CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Alloy truss beam
Front suspension: 41mm telescopic fork, adjustable for preload
Rear suspension: Monoshock, adjustable for preload
Front brake: Twin 290mm discs with twin-piston calipers
Rear brake: Single 220mm disc with twin-piston caliper
DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Kerb weight: 196kg (wet)
Seat height: 800mm
Fuel capacity: 17 litres
PERFORMANCE
Max power: n/a
Max torque: n/a
OTHER STUFF
Price: $9990 plus ORC
Test bike supplied by: Suzuki Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres