I had an SV650, but it's not in the same league as the kind of litre V twins I'm thinking about. I wish I could stretch to the V4 Tuono though. When I was still living down in Oxfordshire, several times I stood and drooled over one at Blade's in Swindon. Maybe I would find the grunt of the V2 a bit too brutal nowadays.
I've had my RSV Mille for 13 years and while I love it to bits, I'm totally underwhelmed by the "grunt" - compared to my FJ1200 it just doesn't have any ! Even compared to the Fazer 1000 I don't find the V2 grunty at lower revs. BUT, the thing is, it is grunty at what FEELS like low revs, but look at the tacho and its doing 6000 rpm.
I think what people confuse on a V2 is how high the engine is really revving - my RSV can't pull from 3000 rpm anything like as strongly at eith the FJ, or the Fazer - but both of those bikes feel (and sound) as though they're revving much higher because the 4 firing pulses.
I do agree on the V4 compromise - I loved the RSV4 I rode and Liz's old VF 750 engine is a relaxing gem to use, smooth, torquey and sounds low revving, even at 5-6000 rpm.