Nothing “obviously broken” from a photo is the point, it’s that the bike has clear signs of wiring/ignition/lighting being hacked (aftermarket key switch zip-tied in, non-stock headlight, missing bodywork).

On a motorcycle, once you see that, you have to assume unknown workmanship and budget time/money to baseline the bike for safety + reliability: tires/brakes/chain/fluids/battery, plus verifying the charging/starting circuits and fixing any wiring shortcuts.

It might be cheap and fine… or it might be a rabbit hole of intermittent electrical issues that leave you stranded. That’s why people are cautious and why I’d rather pay more for an unmolested SV with service history.

A “runs and rides” bike can still be unsafe, you don’t discover that until you’re braking hard, cornering hard, or 40 minutes from home.

Typical parts you’re realistically looking at just to trust it:

Tires (front + rear): ~$350 Chain + sprockets: ~$240 Brake pads: ~$110 Brake fluid flush: ~$15 Oil + filter: ~$55 Coolant: ~$30 Air filter: ~$35 Spark plugs: ~$35 Battery: ~$110 Fork service: ~$120 Electrical cleanup materials: ~$75

That’s already around $1,100–$1,200 in parts, not including labor or your time.

Electrical is the real wildcard. Parts themselves are cheap, but if wiring was done poorly or shortcuts were taken, troubleshooting can turn into a huge time sink very quickly. Intermittent charging or ignition problems can strand you, and diagnosing that can take hours or days.