Honda 599/919 or Suzuki SV650?

I'm looking for a starter bike in the 600cc category. 599s are harder to find now so I would consider the bigger 919. I hear rumors that Suzuki's aren't reliable after 2-years.One dealer is asking $6399 for a new'06 599. Fair price?

Honda is more durable than Suzuki, but that is usually after 5-10 years not after 2. If you have a Triumph dealer in your area also look at a Triumph Speed Four 2004-2006 they are a great value. If you are looking for a used motorcycle the Suzuki will be cheaper and think about how long you will keep it.He came $1000 of MSRP but, that is just $500 less than MSRP of a 08 sv650 I would expect he will really come off that price.

well generally i wouldn't recommend a 600cc for a starter bike but if you must choose between the honda or the suzuki, i personally would pick the suzuki over the honda, though i am a huge honda fan. I personallly would have more fun on a V-twin any day over an inline 4 engine. I don't feel that the Sv is unreliable. maybe the first generation SV had carburator problems over time, but now they've gone to fuel injection. The 599 engine come from the 90's model CBR600, which was such a great engine, but the cam chain tensioners on those bikes were unreliable. I replaced 2 of them within one year of riding and they cost about $50USD. I wouldn't consider that the SV is unrelieable. I would love to have one of those. I think that the price of the 599 isn't too bad especially when you consider the price of other bikes out on the market. good luck

you cant kill a honda

All 600's are not the same. First of all, scratch the 919 off of your list. That is way too much bike for a beginner. The V twin SV is going to be a much better starter bike than the 599 4 cylinder. I agree that Honda's are rock solid which is why I race one myself, but the V twin power of the Suzuki will be so much more forgiving and it is an incredible bike.