Advice on buying an SV please?

[BUTTYBIKER]

Hi,
Hope I'm in the correct section for this question. Just joined the forum today. I am thinking of buying a used SV650 after owning a Kawa EX500 for nearly a year. What should I look for in the bike, apart from the standard things like tyres and things when buying a bike. What known problems exist in these bikes and how would I spot them?
Thanks in advance.

Keith.

[Dappa D]

welcome bud, good choice of bike...people with far more knowleadge than me will be along soon to give you some pointers....

what sort of budget do you have?

[BUTTYBIKER]

Thanks for the prompt reply. My budget. Well er......yes...! Still saving for it. But have been looking on Ebay and bike trader. Seems to me that you can pick up a year 2000ish from the £1200 to £1600 range depending on mileage and condition. But nothing is written in stone yet and I may wait till after xmas.

Keith.

[Dappa D]

yep i got mine, an x reg for £1050..high mileage at 32k but i didnt mind..

i was hit off bike last week so have been looking at whats around as my insurance will probably want to know what the bikes worth and i may get a pay out..i posted this earlier

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=121056

personally i love that...if i didnt have a broken elbow and had had my payout it would be mine!!

[Alpinestarhero]

Well, 1200-1600 Maaaaaaay get you a 2003 pointy, if you are lucky? That would be good, they are fuel injected (start it, ride off, no worries about cold starts on winter mornings) and have some of the little niggles of the previous curvy, carb'd bikes sorted out.

however, 1200-1600 will get you a very nice condition 1999-2002 shape bike (the curvy, carb'd models). I can only really comment on the 1999 SV, since thats what I own. Here are some things I would recommend you to think about when looking at an SV of that age:

1) overal condition (obviously). Expect a few scratches here and there, but be wary of ill-fitting bodywork, slightly mis-matching shades of the same colour on differant parts of body work. Forks can suffer corrosion, but this is mainly superficial, and a quick rub-down and some polish will make them shine, or you can get them painted like I did (so in other words, dont worry if the forks look bad, but do think twice if they appear to be leaking oil!).

2) downpipes - these rust easily on SV's, some corrosion is acceptable, but do have a closer look and make sure its not absolutly aweful.

3) the engine cover on the opposite side to the side stand (i.e. the clutch cover); these can warp if overtightened and hence cause an oil leak - i have had this problem on my bike, but silicone sealent solved it for me

4) voltage regulator/rectifier. ask the owner if they have changed this part, or know if it was changed by previous owners. They are prone to faliure, and although its an easy fix (quick swap of the part), it could be expensive (OEM suzuki part is about 100 quid) and also, could leave you stranded some place when it dies and you cant start your bike. Although being a carb'd bike, it'll bump start :-D

I cant think of anything else to think about really. Obviously ask about services and stuff. Maybe you might want to look for some desirable add-ons, such as crash bungs and a fender-extender (rear part of the fonrt mudgaurd extension to stop water being thrown up to the front spark plug cap and making the bike run on one cylinder in wet weather).

Happy hunting for your bike!

[edit] milage! SV's are bullet proof engine wise, so dont be put off by what appears to be high milage. I think it was rictus who said he had an SV do 150,000 miles? I've spoken to several people (not of this forum) who have used SV's every day and racked up over 120,000 miles on them with no problems

Matt

[Dappa D]

good advice....gotta be a curvy tho...up 2002...in my opinon

[philbut]

I sold my curvy (2002) back in September with full lowers, micron race system, hugger, seat cowl, braided lines and 14k on the clock for £1700. Persoanlly I prefer carbed bikes but that is because I can work on them. For ease of ownership you may want to go for a FI model but so long as you go for one that has been well looked after (you will be able to tell by general condition and service history) I wouldn't get too hung up about carb issues.

[BUTTYBIKER]

Many thanks guys for the advice.

Keith.

[fizzwheel]

1. Look at the front forks are they corroded and chipped, This is pretty common on a high milleage SV thats been used in all weathers. Its a good indication of what the bikes been used for and also if the milleage is correct. i.e if the forks are chipped and manky but the milleage on the bike is low then start asking questions. Same goes for the handlebars and footpegs.

2. Have a look at the disks and pads. What condition are they in. SV's are known for the brakes sticking on if its not been looked after. Again this is especially relevant if its been used through winter and neglected.

3. Look at the chain and sprocket and the tyres. how much life do they have left in them, and slack worn chain with hooked teeth on the sprocket mean that its going to want changing soon.

3. Electrics, some people including me have had trouble with blown fuses caused by the wiring loom rubbing on the tank. Also sometimes the loom will rub on the rear sub frame to.

4. If its a private sale, if you can get a sneaky peak in the owners garage, have a look for stuff like, paddock stands, a good set of tools, cleaning products, chain lube etc on the shelf, It'll give you an idea of how the current owner looks after the bike.

5. Sometimes if the bikes ridden in heavy rain water gets into the front spark plug hole and then it'll drop down onto one cylinder and run intermitantly between one two cylinders which isnt fun. A fenda extenda will sort this or some silicone grease on the front HT lead will also do the trick, have a search for the subject its been covered loads of times and its fairly common. Ask the owner if they have had trouble with the bike in the wet, its not a huge problem and its easy to sort.

Dont be put off by high milleage as long as you can see that the servicing has been done, either by stamps in the service manual or receipts for parts used. A high milleage bike thats been ridden is better than a low milleage bike thats been stood for ages and has got all seized up.

Use things like worn tyres, chain and sprocket as bargaining tools to get the price down. Make sure you do a HPI check to make sure that theres no outstanding finance or the bike hasnt been involved in a accident at some point in its life.

Remember that non standard parts dont increase the value of the bike. So dont let the bling bits distract you from the of the bike, better IMHO to buy a mint standard bike than sh*tter with loads of aftermarket parts bolted onto it. Things like a hugger, a scotoiler are sensible modifications though as is a race can but only if you like the sound / look of it.

If you're not sure, Walk away from the bike, or take somebody with you who does know what they are looking at. Make sure you look at plenty of bikes and never buy the first one you look at.

HTH

[arcdef]

how do you tell if the chain and sprocket is in good condition.....sorry im new to bikes!

[fizzwheel]

how do you tell if the chain and sprocket is in good condition.....sorry im new to bikes!

Chain

Is it clean and does it have lube on it ? Or is it manky and covered in old chain lube and dirt which turns into a handy griding paste. Somebody who is a careful owner will have a clean chain thats lubed, if they arent looking after the chain whats the rest of the bike like.

Whats the slack on it like. ( If the bike has its original chain guard there will be a label on it that tells you what the tension should be ) Correct chain tension the SV is somewhere between 25 - 35mm, a good check is to grab the chain at the 3 o clock position on the rear sprocket and try and pull the links away from the sprocket, if you can pull the chain away by a good gap and the chain is at the limit of the position markers on the swingarm then its reasonable to assume that its knackered and its going to want replacing.

Sprockets themselves, just look at the teeth, they should be uniform in shape and all be there... If its shaped like a sharks fine or hooked, its knackered and going to want replacing.

Its not expensive to get it done, its IMHO just a useful indicator as to how the bikes been looked after.

You should always replace the chain and sprocket at the same time. I cant remember how much it costs to get it done because its ages since I have had it done.

HTH

[arcdef]

exactly what i needed to know :) cheers!