100,000 mile sv finally dead (long)

[Andy]

As my SV has over 120K on it, I've given the matter some thought :) 
Given what it is worth, you really have to want to keep the bike running 
to either buy another engine, or pay to get this one fixed.  You may end 
up spending less than the buying another bike, but more hassle. I 
occasionally check out Craigslist, and you should be able to pick up a 
1st gen SV for your budget .. you might want to look outside the Bay 
Area, maybe here in the Sac area, as then the chances are you can get 
one that has been garaged, rather than left on the street in SF. For 
that kind of money, you are looking at the Ninja 250, GS500, Ninja 500 
and SV, along with some older GSXR's, CBR's etc. For my money, I think 
the SV is the best bike.

Andy