SV650sy - the past eight years.
 

Thought perhaps I’d just do a quick summary of eight and a half years of curvy S ownership.

I bought the bike via ebay from a lad in South Wales back in May 2010 with 19500 miles on the clock. It was basically sound but a bit neglected. Got it home and did the usual, oil, filter, plugs, lube/replace various cables, replace the broken clutch lever. Then I just rode it, replacing consumables as needed.

The bike now has just over 88000 on it and still runs beautifully, and still makes me smile each time I ride it. It deals very comfortably with commutes, joyrides and back lane scratching here in Wales, gets used as work transport, goes touring (I’ve done 400 and 500 mile days on it without any problems) and gets ridden in all weathers. I generally give it a good sluice down with clean water when I get home if it’s been ridden, as it was today, in crappy weather, and it gets half a dozen good cleans each year with an application of ACF50 afterwards.

So….
Things I’ve done to it or changed over the time I’ve owned it.
1. Five years ago - front brake and clutch levers replaced with Chinese adjustable span full length dogleg levers.
2. Four years ago - front discs replaced with Chinese Arushi items.
3. Three years ago – rear disc replaced with Chinese Arushi item.
4. Seven years ago – Scottoiler v system and a fender extender fitted.
5. Six years ago – Set of Bibio’s excellent vacuum tube extenders fitted, and a set of debrix emulators added (with appropriate damper tube modifications) to the front forks.
6. Three years ago - set of pre-load adjustable fork nuts from a 2001 curvy fitted.
7. Various headlight bulbs tried out over the years but settled on a set of Osram Nightracers last year. Huge improvement over stock.


General bits and pieces/confessions!
I’ll start with a confession for which I will doubtless be berated by someone. I have never checked the valve clearances. I’ve never even had the cam covers off. It’s still running beautifully, with no noticeable top end noise. The CCTs are the original curvy items as are the tensioner blades. All still going strong.
Second confession. I am still running on the original rear shock. It’s not particularly bouncy, the bike still handles well enough to remain comfortably focussed and in control in corners and poorer road surfaces. I’m only just over 11st in my leathers so it’s not had a hard life. I have jacked the preload up a notch to cope with carrying a pillion now and then which has improved the handling in that situation. One day though, when I can afford it I may find something a little less crude to replace it.
I change the plugs when I remember, probably only abrefreshed the fork oil
I change the oil every 5000 miles, always have done and I always change the filter with the oil. These days it uses about a third of a litre of oil between oil changes. It doesn’t smoke or leave a detectable smell in the air although when starting from cold I occasionally get a quick whiff of oil but it’s gone within a few seconds.
I’ve got various other odds and ends to get around to soon. I want to get at the sterring head bearinfs and regrease them. Although they’re showing no signs of needing it, I feel it’s something I should do. I’ve never had to change the wheel bearings either, there’s no play or noise from them still.
The air filter is a K&N reuseable type that was fitted when I bought the bike so I have the refresh kit for it to keep it clean and oiled.
I’ve changed the fork seals and refreshed the fork oil a couple of times since I’ve had the bike.
Fuel consumption seems to have improved with age. Fuel light used to come on at about 175 miles but now it’s regularly well over 190miles before it comes on. I’m not a dawdler either!
This little curvy is what I think could be described as much greater than the sum of it’s parts; it doesn’t perform any one particular function superbly, but it just does everything quite well. Taken as a whole, for me it makes it a superb all rounder and, to be honest, the nicest, most enjoyable bike I have ever owned in 46 years of motorcycling.

Re: SV650sy - the past eight years.
 

Great write up Gary. Sums up the curvy nicely, look after the oil and the engine is good for miles

Re: SV650sy - the past eight years.
 

Thanks Mav. It's been such a good bike for me that I felt I needed to give the old girl a positive review. There is a fair amount of grumbling about brakes, shocks, handling, lighting, and the like and I thought that it's too easy to be negative about this or that aspect of these cracking little bikes. They are what they are and ridden with that in mind I personally think that they are pretty unbeatable in their class.

Re: SV650sy - the past eight years.
 

Must get out on mine sometime, got to rediscover my love for riding again. Strange thing is when I got it MOT'd I took it for a quick blast, and I had a big grin, but it's been way in the garage since?

Re: SV650sy - the past eight years.
 

Get the kit on and get get out there for a spin! I was out on mine today for the 30 mile round trip into town and back, and even in the rain I was smiling. Waterproof kit on over the leathers and I was warm and dry.

Re: SV650sy - the past eight years.
 

Today was the perfect day to go out for a ride.............. But I went fishing instead, first time this year

#toomanyhobbies :-)

Re: SV650sy - the past eight years.
 

Very nice write-up, Gary. It certainly owes you nowt, and is obviously still giving a great deal of pleasure.

As for the valve clearances, if it's still starting easily when hot and cold, and the performance is still as it was, then the valves obviously aren't in too bad a shape. And even if they do go off soon, it's not bad for 10 years and nearly 70,000 miles of ownership :D

Re: SV650sy - the past eight years.
 

Great write up Gary. The SV is a very underrated bike. As you know, I've gone through a few bikes, larger capacity & smaller, but always end up back with a trusty Curvy. I've fallen into the same trap as a lot of people, going from 10 -12000 miles a year to hardly riding these days, it's nice to see an SV being used.

Re: SV650sy - the past eight years.
 

Cheers Craig. They are such characterful bikes, it really does make them an absolute pleasure to ride.


You're right about them being underrated Col. So many people get them with their eyes fixed on something bigger, faster, and flashier, and consequently never really get to appreciate these bikes as they just see them as a step on the ladder.
My old curvy could do with a bit of a cosmetic refresh really, as it is looking like a well used bike, but I don't have the money to do much about it. It would also mean I'd have to be bikeless while I did it, and I don't really want it off the road for that length of time. One day.....

Re: SV650sy - the past eight years.
 

Interesting read, but 88000 miles, wow! Let's have a party when you reach 100k.