Handling questions.

[konceppt]

Hi all,
I just bought this http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/suzuki-sv650-very-low-mileage/92959395

Paid £1100,Couldnt get him down anymore than that.Being on 20000 miles i couldnt really push any more.

Rode it home and it seems great.The clutch switch was playing up but it has asv's on it so i am thinking i will just short the switch out so its always on.
Anyway i am used to sports bikes and i was wondering if anyone can reccommend any suspension tweaks to sharpen it up a bit?

It seems to fight a bit when turning in and you really have to counter steer hard to get it to corner although with the throttle open a bit,its slightly easier but obviously not at all what i am used to.I was thinking of fitting a tyre with a sharper profile (pilot power 2ct's etc) I am not really fussed with getting huge miles from a tyre.I only work 5 miles from home so wont be doing loads of miles anyway.Also has anyone tried dropping the yokes down a bit so you have some fork showing above the top yoke?

I have noticed there is no compression damping,rebound or preload adjustment so thats out, but is there any common mods made to the standard setup?

[maviczap]

Hi all,
I just bought this http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/suzuki-sv650-very-low-mileage/92959395

Rode it home and it seems great.The clutch switch was playing up but it has asv's on it so i am thinking i will just short the switch out so its always on.
Anyway i am used to sports bikes and i was wondering if anyone can reccommend any suspension tweaks to sharpen it up a bit??

Loads :p

Better springs for the front end, in conjunction with emulators, plus slighty thicker oil depending on your weight.

Throw the rear shock away and either get a GSXR or ZX6 shock to replace it, unless you get a proper replacement Ohlins, Maxton, Penske etc.

Change the rear dog bones to raise the front, to help quicken the steering

There's loads of suspension threads on here

Welcome

[konceppt]

raise the front? wouldnt that make it worse?

[maviczap]

Sorry raise the rear

[konceppt]

ok,what model and year rear shock?

[maviczap]

Use the search facility at the top

[konceppt]

been doing that but its not very organised.A bit like searching for a needle in a haystack

[maviczap]

its where we all had to start ;)

[maviczap]

Have a look here, but a lot of the links are broken

http://www.svrider.com/tips/tips.htm

[maviczap]

here a list, wasn't that hard to find

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=137793&highlight=shock+swap

[Spoonie]

My thoughts on it being hard to throw into a corner I remember when I got my bike, it was a London bike and you could tell, the rear had a two inch flat spot across the center.

It was an absolute pig to get into a corner, but once it was in it cornered like a dream. The way I rode it I managed to get some curve back into the tyre (I do tend to lean it a fair bit) and the less noticeable the flat spot the better it cornered.

As soon as it was time to get a new rear I got a conti road attack 2 and it cornered so well I thought I'd pinched someone else's bike.

So first things first, get some good tyres, especially if yours have a London flat spot on them. If you're still not happy with cornering, go nuts and change the geometry and post pictures of the modifications for us to all admire :)

[konceppt]

Maybe thats what it is,I bought it from a guy that lived in clapham and travelled everyday to oxford circus.I seem to have the same issue.Takes a big push of countersteering and fighting to get into the corner but once its over its fine

[TamSV]

So first things first, get some good tyres, especially if yours have a London flat spot on them. If you're still not happy with cornering, go nuts and change the geometry and post pictures of the modifications for us to all admire :)

+1 My thoughts were also squared off tyres or low pressures when I read that.

There's loads of stuff you can do to the suspension/geometry but, as stock, the SV isn't a bad handling bike (although this possibly depends on your frame of reference and how old you are :)). It was certainly never reluctant to turn.

[konceppt]

Well my only point of reference is sports bikes,I have owned every sports bike under the sun pretty much.Thing is,I have never owned a tourer and never owned a v twin so i am learning both.I will check tyre pressures but i just had a look and the rear tyre does look pretty square

[mikerj]

Squared off tyres make a bike feel unwilling to turn in, which is why almost everyone that buys new tyres raves about how much better they are compared to their old ones, irrespective of the brand.

Note that fitting a shock from a GSXR or ZXR will require cutting of the battery box and raising the battery up to clear the shock reservoir. Whilst they are a lot cheaper then a decent new shock you have to put some work in to fit them.

For the front end, get a set of Debrix (http://www.debrix.com/41mm-Fork-Damper-Valve-2000-up-Harley-FXST-Softail-p/24-0361-vt.htm) emulators and a suitable set of springs for your weight. This will require you to strip down the forks and drill out the damper rods, but it's not a difficult job and it transforms the front end. If you don't fancy that, then just a set of springs and new oil will give an improvement.

[konceppt]

Going to have to do something.I nearly had my first suspension based crash today.Went round a roundabout fairly quickly and leant over,Hit a bump with the front wheel and the front end practically jumped like a pogo stick.Felt like the bump bottomed the forks out,it was a big thud through the front end.Luckily i held onto it but it definitely reminded me i was not on a sports bike lol

[mikerj]

Going to have to do something.I nearly had my first suspension based crash today.Went round a roundabout fairly quickly and leant over,Hit a bump with the front wheel and the front end practically jumped like a pogo stick.Felt like the bump bottomed the forks out,it was a big thud through the front end.Luckily i held onto it but it definitely reminded me i was not on a sports bike lol

They do tend to bottom out quite easily if you weigh more than about 9 stone. Quite likely it's got 13 year old fork oil in it as well - one of those things people tend to forget about changing.

[konceppt]

Well i finally gpot round to checking the tyre pressures today and guess what.........?

16.5 in the front and 26.5 in the rear!!!

Set them at 36/40 and i am hoping it will feel like a different bike altogether tomorrow.It has Bridgestone bt021rs on it so if anyone can reccommend some pressures that work best for them with those tyres then let me know.
Also what do you think of the bt021's?

[aaron020873]

i had bt021's on mine i got no confidence out of them especially in the wet, changed them for dunlop roadsmarts and they feel alot better to me.

[konceppt]

i had bt021's on mine i got no confidence out of them especially in the wet, changed them for dunlop roadsmarts and they feel alot better to me.
Funny you should say that,I have had 2 incidences of the front tyre sliding.I have been putting that down to the ****e weather we have been having.I seem to feel no confidence in the front end (or indeed the rear which seems to love to spin on any bump,bit of paint or road repair)
I dont know if i just expect too much though.I have only ever owned full on sports/super bikes before this so maybe i should not expect the same feel and confidence from the sv?

[TamSV]

Well i finally gpot round to checking the tyre pressures today and guess what.........?

16.5 in the front and 26.5 in the rear!!!

Set them at 36/40 and i am hoping it will feel like a different bike altogether tomorrow.It has Bridgestone bt021rs on it so if anyone can reccommend some pressures that work best for them with those tyres then let me know.
Also what do you think of the bt021's?

You should see a big difference. Suzuki recommend 33/36 but when I had Bridgestones I was using 36/42.

I thought they were OK TBH. You probably need to recalibrate your brain from the sports bikes but the soft tyres won't have helped.

[maviczap]

Set them at 36/40 and i am hoping it will feel like a different bike altogether tomorrow?

Maybe a bit high best stick to the OEM pressures

36 rear 33 front

Although seeing what Tam posted then see what they are like?

[mikerj]

I have BT021's on my Mille and they have been fine in wet and dry, though need replacing soon as the rear is getting quite squared off from all the dual carriageway bits of my daily commute. Was planning on Roadsmarts next.

[MJC-DEV]

I had BT021 on my SK6 and was very impressed with the grip. I used standard 33/36 and found that they were best within 0.5psi. They didn't feel as planted with anything higher.

[konceppt]

Ok,It was like a different bike.Thats obviously where the problem was.I just still feel no confidence in the front end.Is there anything to stop me buying something super sticky like on my sportsbikes?
Pilot power 2ct's or something

[MJC-DEV]

Only the size of your wallet! Have a read of all the tyre reviews in the hardware section. :)