View Full Version : Locking rear wheel
Hi people
New rider here on a K3 SV650s. Passed my DAS 2 weeks ago. Last weekend went to Marlboro to visit a mate (first ever 'proper' ride). Travelled up from Weymouth in the dry - no issues and loved it. Upon entering Marlboro it started ****ing it down big time. 30 mins later lost significant engine power - 2 mins after that (and luckily in 30/40mph slow moving traffic) experiened a rear wheel lock up which resulted in me performing a 'speedway style' 45 degree skid up the A4. Got off (smoked 6 fags) and have the bike transported back to Weymouth.
The garage I bought the bike from are telling me this is due to water getting into the front sparkplug which resulted in the power loss (down to 1 cylinder) and the subsequent lock up.
Fitted a new CR8E spark plug (the one I removed was a CR9E??) and took her for a test drive where the engine is still very snatchy - not driveable really.
Garage now coming out to replace the rear s/p as they claim this is the cause.
Please can you guys give me some guidance as, whilst i loved my first 108 miles of riding, I'm now left with very little faith in a machine which, for no discernable reason, is trying to kill me!
Amanda M
05-04-06, 08:37 AM
Sorry to hear about your rotten experiences with your new bike :( The thing to do to cure the front cylinder problems is to fit a fender extender and to put some silicone grease around the plug cap. Do a search for threads about poor wet weather running or missing front cylinder and there'll be lots of suggestions about what to do. Good luck getting it sorted and getting your confidence back :D
Mr Toad
05-04-06, 08:42 AM
'ow do :D
The SV is notorious for suffering from the front cylinder cutting out in wet weather - caused by spray from the road getting onto the front spark plug and shorting it out
Firstly fit a 'fender extender' if you haven't already got one - the Pyramid plastics one does the job nicely http://www.pyramid-plastics.co.uk/catalog/popup_image.php?pID=98
Secondly, a good squirt of silicon grease around the spark plug should stop any water that does get past
hth
northwind
05-04-06, 01:53 PM
Just the grease will do it. The Fender Extender's still a good thing to have though, helps keep the bike a bit cleaner ;)
Peter Henry
05-04-06, 02:47 PM
Oh mate what a shame! In your nievety you simply popped in a new spark plug to suffer exactly the same problem! :?
Good advice as mentioned above should put the problem behind you. :)
My advice would be to learn to ride and understand the SV better. That may sound harsh, but even though there was a problem, only ham-fisted rding would cause those circumstances to occur. The SV is a great bike, but it's v-twin behaves differently to a more benign inline-four.
Give it time and apply yourself to it and you'll be surprised at just how much fun you can have on an SV.
.
northwind
05-04-06, 03:12 PM
Nah, I totally disagree with that. Usually with the 325 fault, it's intermittant, but if you lose the cylinder completely it's more than enough to slide the rear through engine braking. That's what happened to Blue Flame, who's got a few safe miles under his belt.
Yes but the second that it goes, the clutch is pulled in and then feathered till traction is regained.
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My advice would be to learn to ride and understand the SV better. That may sound harsh, but even though there was a problem, only ham-fisted rding would cause those circumstances to occur.
.
Eh, sorry Jonboy, I dont get how "ham fisted riding" can cause a rear end lock up on a motorway (apart from changing down and dropping the clutch).
Yes, it does sound harsh :-)
Edit - just read your reply above - I see what you mean......
It was harsh, but I suppose it sounded to me like an attack on the SV (which is unforgivable :wink: ). The front plug problem is almost normal and I haven't heard of any dangerous incidents, though I fully appreciate the rear can start to slide if the power is severely reduced but it's not as though the engine has actually stalled, so I figure there has to be a lack of rider input (or perhaps too much input) to have this kind of scenario occur.
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DanAbnormal
05-04-06, 03:28 PM
I guess this is why the SV650 now comes with that little rubber flap covering the front cyclinder?
I'm glad they sorted it.
Thankyou all for your help and advice.
I'd also like to mention whilst I'm not sure if I'm a ham fisted rider, I think I did pretty good in not coming off the bike!
In actual fact the car driver behind me stated he thought I must be related to Mr Rossi!
Will be greasing the bike up good and proper this evening!
Hi SV Dan
Mine's got the flap.
To all - no intention to discredit what I'm sure is a fantastic machine - just being as honest as i can be!
Thanks again.
Purns
fizzwheel
05-04-06, 03:43 PM
I guess this is why the SV650 now comes with that little rubber flap covering the front cyclinder?
I'm glad they sorted it.
But that doesnt stop the water getting in the front plug.
Fenda extenda and or silicone grease as per Northwind is the way to sort it out.
I'd also like to mention whilst I'm not sure if I'm a ham fisted rider, I think I did pretty good in not coming off the bike!
And we're very pleased to hear it too, so you can have a few kudos for that :wink: .
.
DanAbnormal
05-04-06, 03:53 PM
I guess this is why the SV650 now comes with that little rubber flap covering the front cyclinder?
I'm glad they sorted it.
But that doesnt stop the water getting in the front plug.
Fenda extenda and or silicone grease as per Northwind is the way to sort it out.
Crikey!
I was under the impression I was safe. Have riden through some pretty bad rain recently and never had a single problem. But.....I will start the preventive measures asap. Wow, I learnt something new today. Cheers peeps.
fizzwheel
05-04-06, 03:56 PM
[Crikey!
I was under the impression I was safe. Have riden through some pretty bad rain recently and never had a single problem. But.....I will start the preventive measures asap. Wow, I learnt something new today. Cheers peeps.
I think that some bikes suffer worse than others. My Curvey was fine up until it passsed the 33K mark and then it started donig it.
Liz's K5 did it once I think when it was new and then was fine until the other weekend. When it was fine out in the rain all weekend and then we put it away in the garage over night and when she tried to start it on Monday morning to ride to work it would only run one cylinder.
independentphoto
05-04-06, 04:20 PM
The front plug problem is almost normal and I haven't heard of any dangerous incidents,...........
.
Here's a recent one....
http://forums.sv650.org/viewtopic.php?t=35395
Cheers Jon..... (I know what you're saying)
Garry
That's actually different, yes it was the cylinder misfiring, but then (and flame me for being harsh again) he opened up the throttle in frustration (I'm guessing) and and the cylinder fired again, and the outcome was (sorry about this) somewhat preventable, though completely understandable.
(hope he's nicely on the mend though, as per my post in that thread)
.
northwind
05-04-06, 05:22 PM
Yes but the second that it goes, the clutch is pulled in and then feathered till traction is regained.
.
If it's slid far enough out and you do that, it'll probably highside. In a straight line, riding out the slide is probably the safest thing to do IMO.
Blue Flame
05-04-06, 05:39 PM
That's actually different, yes it was the cylinder misfiring, but then (and flame me for being harsh again) he opened up the throttle in frustration (I'm guessing) and and the cylinder fired again, and the outcome was (sorry about this) somewhat preventable, though completely understandable.
(hope he's nicely on the mend though, as per my post in that thread)
.
OK.
Here it is from my :? perspective.
Travelling down country road and cylinder packs in. Didn't open throttle in frustration but in order to ensure bike does not cut out as earlier experiences prior to 'sorting' the problem had demonstrated. Cylinder kicks in again surging me forward towards the bend.
**** pants...grab brakes...lose control...broken back. :roll:
As I have said in my post on Friday I think that there are potential lessons that I can take away from the incident. One of the lessons is that perhaps I was possibly focussing too much on the problems and not on my surroundings?
I don't know but it is something to think about and hopefully learn from.
However all of this is somewhat irrelevant when considered against the fact that if the front cylinder issue did not come into play then I do not consider that I would be sitting here with a broken back and wrist.
When looking at incidents there is always a number of causes that contribute to an accident however there is quite often one root cause that if eliminated remove the potential for that incident to occur.
In my case I fully believe that the front cylinder issue is the root cause and is one which I am seriously considering having both first an informal then a formal chat with Suzuki about.
Yes but the second that it goes, the clutch is pulled in and then feathered till traction is regained.
.
If it's slid far enough out and you do that, it'll probably highside. In a straight line, riding out the slide is probably the safest thing to do IMO.
Not if you're gentle, which is sort of the whole point of my argument (well okay, rantings :lol: )
.
That's actually different, yes it was the cylinder misfiring, but then (and flame me for being harsh again) he opened up the throttle in frustration (I'm guessing) and and the cylinder fired again, and the outcome was (sorry about this) somewhat preventable, though completely understandable.
(hope he's nicely on the mend though, as per my post in that thread)
.
OK.
Here it is from my :? perspective.
Travelling down country road and cylinder packs in. Didn't open throttle in frustration but in order to ensure bike does not cut out as earlier experiences prior to 'sorting' the problem had demonstrated. Cylinder kicks in again surging me forward towards the bend.
sh*t pants...grab brakes...lose control...broken back. :roll:
As I have said in my post on Friday I think that there are potential lessons that I can take away from the incident. One of the lessons is that perhaps I was possibly focussing too much on the problems and not on my surroundings?
I don't know but it is something to think about and hopefully learn from.
However all of this is somewhat irrelevant when considered against the fact that if the front cylinder issue did not come into play then I do not consider that I would be sitting here with a broken back and wrist.
When looking at incidents there is always a number of causes that contribute to an accident however there is quite often one root cause that if eliminated remove the potential for that incident to occur.
In my case I fully believe that the front cylinder issue is the root cause and is one which I am seriously considering having both first an informal then a formal chat with Suzuki about.
I hear what you say and there's more than a grain of truth in it. I don't want peeps thinking I was critisising, just trying to deconstruct what actually happened and be constructive.
And hey, really very sorry to hear of your injuries. But purely out of curiosity, were you wearing a full length back-protector? Just trying to find out (over a longterm period) from those riders who have sadly suffered back injury whether a back protector made any difference.
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northwind
05-04-06, 07:31 PM
Not if you're gentle, which is sort of the whole point of my argument (well okay, rantings :lol: )
.
That's expecting an awful lot. When it hits suddenly, as it can, even an experienced rider could be hard pushed to pull that off. But riding it out safely, that's relatively easy (and well done here from the sounds of it) and IMO less likely to end in Badness.
That's expecting an awful lot. When it hits suddenly, as it can, even an experienced rider could be hard pushed to pull that off.
Nah, not me :lol: . Yes okay I take your point ;).
.
Blue Flame
05-04-06, 07:57 PM
I hear what you say and there's more than a grain of truth in it. I don't want peeps thinking I was critisising, just trying to deconstruct what actually happened and be constructive.
And hey, really very sorry to hear of your injuries. But purely out of curiosity, were you wearing a full length back-protector? Just trying to find out (over a longterm period) from those riders who have sadly suffered back injury whether a back protector made any difference.
.
I didn't think that you were criticising however I did think that assumptions rather than facts were being written and I hoped that my thoughts on it would help. :)
On the subject of back protectors..... other than the built in protectors on my jacket I was not wearing an independent protector. It is certainly something for the shopping list along with the new helmet (incidentally the leathers were undamaged).
The crash was at fairly slow speed however I believe the damage was done on a vertical (as opposed to a slanting) kerb. (It was at a small bridge).
Good morning people
Trust we had a good night's sleep and didn't spend too much time worrying about watery spark plugs!
The mechanic came out last and fitted 2 new spark plugs and they're now sealed with silicon grease. Ordering fenda extenda today.
Took her out for a spin last night and she ran like a dream.
Rock on.
SVTONYB
09-04-06, 12:30 AM
I remember when I was taking lessons before my test (4 yrs ago) the instructor told me that the most common cause of rear wheel lockups was pulling in the clutch and pressing on the rear brake at the same time. He said that when we go to brake in a hurry we automatically go for both levers (after years of riding push bikes) and this mixed with standing on the rear brake causes the rear wheel to lock. He said that it takes a lot of practice not to pull on both levers (some find it easier than others) but it is a must.
[Crikey!
I was under the impression I was safe. Have riden through some pretty bad rain recently and never had a single problem. But.....I will start the preventive measures asap. Wow, I learnt something new today. Cheers peeps.
I think that some bikes suffer worse than others. My Curvey was fine up until it passsed the 33K mark and then it started donig it.
50k miles and not a twitch. I guess I have one good SV [wonder if the previous owner greased the plugs] and been very lucky. :D
mburnstead
09-04-06, 07:32 AM
50k miles and not a twitch. I guess I have one good SV [wonder if the previous owner greased the plugs] and been very lucky. :D
One would hope that in 50k miles the plugs would have been changed, thus wrecking the grease seal?
I think some bikes are just randomly more prone to it that others, I only had mine for about 12k miles but apart from a couple of carb-icing moments, I never had any problems with it at all! Just lucky I guess...
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