SV650 pointy front end upgrade options, Bang for buck?

[Jrmurray1108]

Hi All,

Been following posts on here a while and signed up to thank everyone and get some thoughts.

Had my SK8 about 2 years, bought for work commute but now I don't 'need' it am going to spend a bit of cash to enjoy it.

So far just an air blade smoke screen and new Carbon oval BOS end can. Also got smoke led rear light and indicators to fit at some point. (Just learnt about resistors!)

Just bought the 07 ZX10R shock to be fitted on Monday and am completely aware that when I ride home it will feel like I am riding marshmallows on the front so am wondering what people think the best bang for buck is on the front. I know I should have done the front 1st but the shock was a steal!

I have ruled out a gixer front end swap due to lack of technical knowledge, garage, space, equipment and time. (Unless there is somebody around Leeds/Guiseley with all of the above in exchange for free beer for life ;)

Having spent a week or 2 looking at all options I have decided £250 is the most I am willing to spend which gives a choice of options. The dilemma is I will probs have to pay somebody to do any fabricating/labour so any money saved on parts will be spent on labour. Obviously I am tight!

Mainly fast road use balancing comfort with performance.

1) £250ish (no modding)- hyper-pro progressive springs and ricor intiminators with 7.5wt oil, no modding required, both drop straight in

2) £220ish (no modding) - Traxxion dynamics drop in kit, comes with springs, rods, emulators and spacers

3) £120ish - as 1 above but with just the intiminators and recommended stock springs (are the hyper pros worth the extra £120 with the ricor mod?)

4) £120ish (some modding)- k-tech linear springs, debrix emulators (race tech copies a third of the price) with 15wt oil. Requires modding damper rods drilling and braising holes.

Or do I just drop some 15wt oil in!?

I have loads of family in the states so no issues with shipping costs on the cheap parts.

To me it feels like option 4 gives a lot for £120 and is the way to go but also the most mod intensive.

Anybody on here done any of the above and have an opinion over one versus the other, preferred route, done anything different?

Will post the results of whatever I end up doing

Advice and opinion much appreciated....

Cheers

[Jrmurray1108]

Links
Drop in kit

http://www.traxxion.com/sv650drop-indamperrodkit.aspx

Intiminators
http://store.ricorshocks.com/product_p/sv-041-20-1001g2.htm

Debrix emulator
http://www.debrix.com/41mm-Fork-Damper-Valve-2000-up-Harley-FXST-Softail-p/24-0361-vt.htm?CartID=1

[MJC-DEV]

I Have the Debrix emulators and K-Tech springs and think they are excellent -it really transformers the front end. On a personal note I think 15w is way too thick and would go for RSF Pro 7.5W or 10W max. You don't need thick oil with emulators as you set compression damping with the emulator springs and use the oil for re-bound only. Also, I tried 15W with stock forks and found it way too harsh - in fact this was the trigger to get the Debrix emulators.

[Jrmurray1108]

+1 for debrix and k-tech then. Point taken on the oil, makes sense.

Did you do it yourself? Some threads say you need an adaptor/spacer for the debrix to sit centrally on the damping rods, some say it isn't needed as the spring holds it central. What did you do?

[maviczap]

I have ruled out a gixer front end swap due to lack of technical knowledge, garage, space, equipment and time. (Unless there is somebody around Leeds/Guiseley with all of the above in exchange for free beer for life ;)
Cheers

Well Yorkie Chis isn't a million miles away, but I don't think you know how much beer he could consume. It might be a price to high to pay for his expertise :p

Doing a gixxer front end swap doesn't require much technical knowledge and not that much in the way of tools or equipment. Not much more than doing the springs/emulators

Even a garage isn't essential, Knobby lad did his in his rear living room/kitchen.

But I appreciate it does need space to do it in comfort & dry.

Springs, oil and emulators is a good way to go

[Jrmurray1108]

+2 cheers

Well.... I have a pub so technically possible to keep Chris watered but that is also the downside to the front end swap, pub car park probably not the best location!

Now I wonder if beer will pay for braising and drilling the dampers :p

[maviczap]

I'm sure he'd be adminable to that :D

[Jrmurray1108]

Just seen Racetech also doing the full set up for £172 inc shipping .....

Waayyyy to many options :/

[Nobbylad]

Indeed...and 'Knobby lad' (in other words, Nobbylad), is potentially selling his K7 750 Gixer front end...complete...without the need to do anything other than undo a top yoke nut and un-clip a speedo cable (OK...a bit of artistic license, but not far off).

On the plus side, he's not too far from Leeds (nor is the .org's resident grease monkey, @Yorkie_Chris) and, you could sell your stock front end to at least one bod on here who needs one, for a fair amount. Probably leaving you with paying a bit more than you've highlighted above, for a massive improvement over stock.

On the downside, you might have to listen to a dour Yorkshireman rattle on for an hour or two about chip fat and lathe swarf.

:D

[LewSpeight]

you might have to listen to a dour Yorkshireman rattle on for an hour or two about chip fat and lathe swarf.

:D

This made me laugh so much.
How accurate.


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[Nobbylad]

;)

[Jrmurray1108]

How come you're getting rid Nobbylad?

I'm sure I have an adjustable somewhere that will fit the top yolk nut.....

I might be interested depending on price, logistics etc

[jon619]

I went with option 2. About a year ago I installed racetech .90 springs with 20 wt oil. It was a bit harsh so I decided either the gsxr swap or the TD kit. After thinking about all the little extras for the swap, I decided the TD kit was good enough for me. Install isn't too bad. I feel the suspension is better balanced now with my 06-07 zx10r shock in the back.

Another option is to take your bike to darren at MCT. I went over there to talk about rear shocks and I brought up my front suspension. He's not a big fan of emulators at all and thinks he can do a better job with adjusting the stock forks. After that would be a cartridge setup.

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[NTECUK]

There was a recent thread on zx6F Series front swop.
I have an old hac of the same and it's front is brilliant.

[Jrmurray1108]

Cheers Jon, haven't found much on the TD kit, nice to get some feedback.

Funnily enough I was just reading about the zx swap, looked a ballache lol

If I had the time and space to tinker I would love nothing more than a project but for now it's about the fix which gives the best improvement for the least hassle and cost (all completely contradicting, I know)

Should have a week or 2 to decide, providing the rear shock change doesn't make the bike unrideable...buggered if it does as I need to get from notts to leeds on it next week :/

[NTECUK]

Always seams odd to me that people sort out the back before the front.
May be me but that were I get 80 % of the feel what's going on in the corner.

[maviczap]

How come you're getting rid Nobbylad?

I'm sure I have an adjustable somewhere that will fit the top yolk nut.....

I might be interested depending on price, logistics etc

He's sold his Sv & got a GSXR.

He's right, do the swap & sell your stock front end.

Sorry Nobbylad, I blame the pills I'm on at the mo for writting knobby lad

[Jrmurray1108]

Always seams odd to me that people sort out the back before the front.
May be me but that were I get 80 % of the feel what's going on in the corner.

Put in a best offer on eBay for 50 notes not expecting to get it, got it....Hence the sudden urge to sort the front out.

[Jrmurray1108]

[QUOTE=maviczap;2946470]He's sold his Sv & got a GSXR.

Now there's a plan :cool:

[chris SVK3]

I did the the ktech spring, debrix emulators and 10wt RSF oil. Made a big difference to the front end but I might change the oil to 15 wt to try and out the rebound as it still pogo a bit

[Nobbylad]

Haven't sold the SV yet so was thinking of putting it back to stock, selling the bling bits (Gixxer front end, Penske 3-way shock etc) separately and getting more value from it that way.

I've cobbled together most of bits I need and probably just a top yoke and calipers away from being able to do it.

That said, someone off another site test rode it on Friday and seems keen, so not sure how it's gonna work out.

[Jrmurray1108]

Sounds like you got at least a grand plus on it nobby. I love the SV but sense takes over when mods are worth more than the bike. I could quite happily sink a couple if grand all said and done but then it makes sense to buy a different bike... I got the SV to keep me sensible after we had the kids, it's doing a grand job so far but just a little but lacking.

Keep us posted if you start pulling bits off to sell :)

[Nobbylad]

The shock is £1k brand new http://www.penskeshocks.co.uk/motorcycledamper/damper/3way/

:D

[chris SVK3]

Nobby, how much would you want for the shock?

[LewSpeight]

Nobby, how much would you want for the shock?

Took the words out of my mouth -.-

How much you wanting for the front end?

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[Nobbylad]

£500 for the shock

£750 for the front end

Both are straight swaps