Just bought a naked k6.. couple of questions

[LeeSv650]

I'd like to get some bar end mirrors.. who does decent quality ones, that aren't too expensive.. also is it the M10 size blanking plugs needed to fill the empy holes left from removing the mirror?

What Renthal bars are the nearest to stock?.. i want to replace the standard bars.. don't want to have to change any cables etc

[maviczap]

I like the Oberon mirrors. British made and good quality

http://www.oberon-performance.co.uk/acatalog/Oberon_Adjustable_Bar_End_Mirrors.html

If that's too expensive, then someone on here used these or similar

Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350827023835

[650]

Just buy standard clutch/brake mounting plates that come without the holes for mirrors. ANY bike with clip ons will suffice.I might even have a couple spare at home, I'll have a look for you.

I bought chinese end mirrors and had them well over a year, they are fine.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4209/35003794224_9ca11560f8_o.jpg

There's a minor amount of bubbling on the silvery bits that hold the mirror itself, but it's out of sight and would happen to even the most expensive mirrors if you ride year round. No need to spend a fortune on bar end mirrors.

[yokohama]

I got similar ones to the above but the round version and they are fine. Clear and no vibration. There are also inexpensive Chinese Oberon clones on ebay....

[LeeSv650]

Hi.. do you have links to the one's you're talking about?

[yokohama]

These ... but black rather than red. Depends what colour you want.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/pair-7-8-UNIVERSAL-MOTORBIKE-BIKE-MOTORCYCLE-BAR-END-REARVIEW-SIDE-MIRRORS-RED-/152139404153

These are similar to the Oberons in that they change position...http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UNIVERSAL-MOTORBIKE-BAR-END-REARVIEW-MIRRORS-7-8-PAIR-MOTORCYCLE-BIKE-BLACK-UK-/161980624948?hash=item25b6cc3034:g:HzQAAOSwLpdW9en ~

[LeeSv650]

Ok just taken it out on its maiden voyage.. I'm very pleased, but have immediately noticed a difference in the shocks/suspension..it seems alot harder than my curvy.. am I just imagining this?.. I understand people change the suspension, is this to make the bumbs less harsh?.. I see the forks have preliad adjustment.. mine seem to be set to the highest level, is this the 'softest' setting?... also the seat seems a lot less padded than the curvy?

[maviczap]

No people change the suspension to deal with the bumps, it shouldn't be worse.

Perhaps the rear is set up for someone heavier than you.

My curvy was harsh, soft at the front, harsh at the rear.

Hagon shock improved the rear, GSXR front improved the front, but mine needs new oil.

I'd suggest your suspension needs setting up for you, it's all individual.

[LeeSv650]

Anyone have experience of these? http://www.performanceparts-ltd.com/road/suzuki/956_sv-650-s-04-10/2006/categories/suspension-and-handling/hyperpro-shocks--springs/SB-SU06-0AM-B

[maviczap]

Anything is better than the original.

Emulators in the front are an easy option to improve the front along with your new spring kit.

Do a bit of research on here.

[650]

Ok just taken it out on its maiden voyage.. I'm very pleased, but have immediately noticed a difference in the shocks/suspension..it seems alot harder than my curvy.. am I just imagining this?.. I understand people change the suspension, is this to make the bumbs less harsh?.. I see the forks have preliad adjustment.. mine seem to be set to the highest level, is this the 'softest' setting?... also the seat seems a lot less padded than the curvy?

It's stiffer than your curvy as it's newer - the oil's fresher and I'd imagine the springs are for a heavier rider.

I'd put money on an absolute sh*t ton of bikes out there having never, ever had their fork oil changed. People just don't think to do it unless a seal blows. Your curvy is at least 15 years old - oil tends to get very, very bad in that time.

[LeeSv650]

Ok, think I'm going to try the hyperpro springs and 15w oil

But is it worth going for the hyperpro rear spring?

[Bibio]

the first question is how heavy are you?

then depending on that you spring the bike for your weight. dont get progressive springs get linear.

[LeeSv650]

I weigh about 10 stone.. 11 with gear on I'm guessing

[650]

The stock springs will likely be fine for you. There's tools that can tell you what's ideal for your weight.

Don't forget, a spring is a spring - they all do the same thing. But as Bibio said, avoid progressive and go linear.

Use this: http://www.racetech.com/VehicleSearch

[LeeSv650]

Linear?...aren't they more for racing? and progressive for road?... now I'm really confused.. the ride at the moment is really harsh.. ive just brought it to a garage who had a test ride and they seem to think its got no damping?.. you really feel every little bump. I want a spring that aborbs the bumbs, makes the ride smooth.. I'm not a particularly aggressive rider.. the mechanic seems to think progressive springs might help?

[650]

Progressive is dual rate, the top of the spring is not as tightly coiled at the bottom. Linear are just that..the same rate throughout the spring (and therefore the stroke of the fork).

To quote a good article I found:

Progressive springing is much less popular for road-racing, with linear main springs used almost universally. There is a good reason for this: going around corners compresses your suspension, by quite a lot with modern race tyres. With progressive or dual rate springs, that means the suspension is going to be stiffer than when upright. However mid corner is also where you most need good grip and would really prefer your tyres not to be bouncing off the ground.

This has led to a more extreme form of digressive suspension, where the rate changes below the rider-sag point. In principle this can compensate for high lean angle and provide better mid-turn grip. Typically it’s achieved via a linkage system at the rear: the 2004/5 ZX10R has a weakly digressive rear suspension. Also, Honda introduced a significantly digressive rear suspension on their 2001 RS250 race bike, replacing the strongly progressive system on the 2000 and earlier models. Both suffer from problems driving out of corners. After-market race-kit manufacturer quickly provided alternative linkages for the RS250, while the ZX10R can be made linear with some longer dog-bones and a spacer under the top shock mount. There’ll be more about linkages in a later article.

Dual or progressive rate springs are really a compromise that allows low-speed comfort without excess bottoming, which is why Honda fit them to road bikes. Racing is not about compromise, so they don’t get used for that.

Dirt bikes may be another matter, since they need to cope with jumps and big, big bumps. However there is still a problem: it's desirable that your suspension is configured with damping to match your spring rates. Rebound damping in particular needs to be stronger to prevent a stronger spring from recoiling. However if the spring rate changes, it's tricky to make the damping change to suit. KTM have some tricks for doing it on their PDS dirt bikes, with limited success.

There are other ways of achieving variable rate rear suspension, via linkage systems as mentioned above. I'll discuss them in a future article, along with the role of air and oil height in forks.

the mechanic seems to think progressive springs might help?

He probably also thinks wider tyres equate to better cornering. A lot of people believe whatever they hear 3rd hand down the pub as gospel, never questioning it, never doing their own research. Even though he turns wrenches for a living, take what he says with a pinch of salt.

[LeeSv650]

Ok I've contacted Steve Jordan and will be ordering their racetech linear spring set

[Bibio]

the harsh ride could be a number of things.

most common is seized swingarm and linkage bearings. if these seize up then the rear shock cant move properly.

spring swap in the front, depending on the rate of spring that was put in it could be too heavy, couple that with too heavy a fork oil and it will result in a harsh ride (its mainly the fault of the too heavy oil than the spring)

this part is going to be a bit long winded but please read it:

front or rear suspension only has two parts to how it works, a spring and dampening.

Spring:
the job of the spring is to support the weight of the bike and the rider with or without a pillion or luggage at a certain height. thats it, nothing more or less. there are two common types of springs available, progressive and linear.

most progressive springs in my opinion are rubbish, what happens is you have a soft part of the spring that is supposed to be there for comfort but this has problems in that when the soft rate part of the spring runs out you enter the hard part causing a transition point which upsets the chassis. this in turn can cause more harshness on ride quality.

linear springs are constant in rate so no problems with a transition which gives a constant ride quality.

oil viscosity:
the correct oil viscosity dictates how it will flow through the orifices of the dampening components. this dictates on how hard or soft your suspension is, the words 'hard' and 'soft' are misleading and should actually be slow (hard) and fast (soft) as this is how the oil flows in the suspension components.

Dampening:
dampening is there to control the rate of the spring compressing and extending. contrary to popular belief making suspension stiffer is actually worse as is making it too soft as both can cause harshness of ride. most people concentrate on compression dampening to stop dive under braking, well i have news for people like this and that is you cant stop the front diving under heavy braking. the key to this is to control the rate at which the front dives but not at the expense of other key points in the dampening.

there is only one correct setting when it comes to dampening control. this is when you have the correct compression and more importantly rebound setting. to explain this would take a very long winded post indeed so i'll just say that when the rebound dampening in damper rod forks is controlled properly the compression is not far behind in being correct as well.

sag settings:
now why did i underline in the start of the spring section ''at a certain height'' simple, this dictates the kind of riding you do. dialling in the correct sag settings for the type of riding you do dictates the ride quality. race sag setting belong on race bikes and on race tracks. road sag settings are... well i think you get the drift. why is this? well you need more extension on road riding as the wheel hits a pot hole to let the suspension extend into it instead of the bike diving into it.

suspension is about keeping the tyres in contact with the road and keeping the chassis stable while doing so. a stable chassis will reward you with comfort, handling, tyre wear and safety.

get the correct spring rates FIRST
set the correct sag settings for your riding
set the correct dampening (concentrate on rebound not compression)

what can i do to SV650 forks on the cheep to make them better? simple, weld up the rebound holes on the damper rods, get the correct spring rating for your weight and the correct oil viscosity. got a little more money? get emulators and drill the bottom holes bigger on the damper rods.

what can i do to make the SV650 rear suspension better. my advice is get a proper aftermarket shock. depending on how heavy you are you can fit a number of shocks from different bikes but its always a bodge.

keep on top of servicing the suspension components. every 3rd or 4th oil change on the bike you should replace the oil in your suspension, this includes the rear. not willing to do that then suffer shizz suspension.

[Bibio]

He probably also thinks wider tyres equate to better cornering. A lot of people believe whatever they hear 3rd hand down the pub as gospel, never questioning it, never doing their own research. Even though he turns wrenches for a living, take what he says with a pinch of salt.

never a truer word said :D

[LeeSv650]

Thanks Bibio..

I've ridden a lot of bikes, never had one with such hard/jarring suspension.. it feels like I'm jumping over bumbs rather than gliding over them, which is how I've felt on other similar bike, bandit, cbr, er6...

Well I'm going to try the racetech linears with 10w oil, see how it feels then.

[650]

Can't remember...is there any adjustment possible on the forks as they are?

[Hapo]

...not on my 03 S model...

[650]

Bummer. Buy my SV1000 front end then ;)