The ‘Rally’ name given to Suzuki new SV650 concept bike is initially confusing – after all it’s clearly got no off-road aspirations – but even with its odd nomenclature it’s clear this could be a hint at the bike that will surely replace the half-faired SV650S in the near future.
Let’s start with the name. It turns out that the inspiration isn’t rally raid motorcycles but old tarmac rally cars from the 1970s, which explains the wire-guarded headlight and the twin covered foglights hanging below it. With that cleared up, we can focus on the reality behind the concept.
While it’s easy enough to see that this is based on the new-for-2016 SV650 – itself a reworked SFV650, née Gladius – the addition of a half-fairing brings into sharp focus the fact that the old-model SV650S is still being offered alongside the new SV650 in many markets. Given the fact that the two use different frames and that the old SV650S isn’t likely to meet new European type approval rules next year, it’s near certain that the older, half-faired bike is living out its final months at the moment.
The recipe for its replacement is simple enough; add a half-fairing to the new, Gladius-derived SV650. And that’s precisely what this new Suzuki concept does.
The fairing itself is a little low to be serious about deflecting much wind, and on the concept bike it’s mounted to the forks, so turns with the steering. However, it wouldn’t be difficult to enlarge it a fraction, making it more useful and allowing it to be frame-mounted, merging with the new side panels also seen on the concept.
Concept bike details like the bar-end mirrors and stacked Yoshimura exhausts aren’t likely to carry over to production, but the pillion seat cover, sitting atop an otherwise-stock SV650 tail, is more than plausible.
Yamaha Tricity 155 Gets VVT
Yamaha might not have had much to reveal at the Osaka show but the company did whip the covers off an up-specced Tricity three-wheeler.
The latest version gains a 155cc engine with variable valve timing instead of the stock Tricity’s 125cc lump. Using the engine from the recently-launched NMax 155, that means it has 11.1kW instead of 8.1kW and 14.4Nm rather than 10.4Nm. Small numbers but a big percentage increase.
The Tricity 155 also gains a new full-LED headlight and a revised seat. Even in markets where scooters are licence-limited to 125cc, there’s a good chance that the Tricity will be updated to VVT spec since Yamaha also makes a 125cc version of the NMax with 9kW and 11.7Nm.