[fizzwheel]

I'd agree with what Stu said, the Suzuki OEM lowers are the best looking ones to buy. Your dealer should be able to help with this, they arent cheap though so its worth trawling through ebay to see what you can find.

As for the riding in the rain issue, its easy to sort out. Its been covered a few times. but basically you either need

1. A fenda extenda, you attach this to the front mudguard, its extends the length of the mudguard and stops mud, muck and water being thrown up onto the front spark plug HT lead.

2. Northwind recomends some Non Conducting silicone grease / sealant stuff, which you use to seal the plug / HT lead, he reckons this does the trick and I'd be inclined to believe him.

I've got a fenda extenda on my bike and it cured the misfiring in the rain problems I had, I prefer the look of the bike without the fenda extenda fitted though. So see if you can find some grease. One tip to bear in mind is to keep the drain hole clear on the RHS of the front cylinder, if it gets blocked with dirt etc, then there is no escape route for the water to drain away from if it does collect around the front spark plug.

Don't let this issue with the SV put you off it really is easy to sort out.

Theres a few other things to bear in mind IMHO these are

1. Look at the front forks are they corroded and chipped, This is pretty common on a high milleage SV thats been used in all weathers. Its a good indication of what the bikes been used for and also if the milleage is correct. i.e if the forks are chipped and manky but the milleage on the bike is low then start asking questions. Same goes for the handlebars and footpegs.

2. Have a look at the disks and pads. What condition are they in. SV's are known for the brakes sticking on if its not been looked after. Again this is especially relevant if its been used through winter and neglected.

3. Look at the chain and sprocket and the tyres. how much life do they have left in them, and slack worn chain with hooked teeth on the sprocket mean that its going to want changing soon.

3. Electrics, some people including me have had trouble with blown fuses caused by the wiring loom rubbing on the tank. So ask about that to.

4. If its a private sale, if you can get a sneaky peak in the owners garage, have a look for stuff like, paddock stands, a good set of tools, cleaning products, chain lube etc on the shelf, It'll give you an idea of how the current owner looks after the bike.


Dont be put off by high milleage as long as you can see that the servicing has been done, either by stamps in the service manual or receipts for parts used. A high milleage bike thats been ridden is better than a low milleage bike thats been stood for ages and has got all seized up.

Use things like worn tyres, chain and sprocket as bargaining tools to get the price down. Make sure you do a HPI check to make sure that theres no outstanding finance or the bike hasnt been involved in a accident at some point in its life.

Remember that non standard parts dont increase the value of the bike. So dont let the bling bits distract you from the of the bike, better IMHO to buy a mint standard bike than sh*tter with loads of aftermarket parts bolted onto it. Things like a hugger, a scotoiler are sensible modifications though as is a race can but only if you like the sound / look of it.

If you're not sure, Walk away from the bike, or take somebody with you who does know what they are looking at. Make sure you look at plenty of bikes and never buy the first one you look at.

HTH