SK9 suddenly got noiser / more vibrations

Hi everyone,

Apologies in advance for this rather long post.
I was just wondering if anyone could give me a bit of advice regarding a bit of an issue I'm currently having with my bike.

Its a SV650S K9 Sport.
Just gone over 5k Miles
Totally stock (except heated grips and v-strom hand guards )
Serviced at about 4500miles.

Its been lovely and smooth to ride up until about 3 thousand miles on the clock, then it seemed to develop a slightly different engine note and get more vibey. The engine note seems to be less like a sewing machine and more hollow sounding. MPG is fairly constant. The revs sometimes dip slightly on idle and it seems to hunt a bit more at town speeds.


The vibrations seem to increase from 3/4k...and start to get more pronounced around 5k onwards to the point where the footpegs/hand levers/grips are vibrating like if you touch a washer on the dry cycle.
Its made my hands and even feet a bit numb on the longer rides.

The vibes are in time with the engine and not bike speed, as if I ride along at 5k rpm and pull the clutch in to coast at idle rpm the bike is totally smooth except the bumps in the road.
I can then build the revs back upto 5k with the clutch in and its the same strength of vibration as when the clutch is out.


The symptoms seemed to come and go over a period of weeks and initially I thought it was just a bit of damp somewhere.
It had its service very recently and for the first 200mile or so it was back to being perfect but now its suddenly got worse again.

Its almost the same feeling as if the bike is labouring throughout the rev range. I'm not sure if its in my head but I've noticed a slight rattley sound torwards the front of the bike (under the front part of the tank).
The chain seems in good condition and is lubed ok.

I took the bike back to the shop where I bought it / had it serviced and asked them to have a look at it seeing as it suddenly changed. A mechanic took it for a 5-10min test ride and brought it back basically saying it rides the same as others hes ridden and its nothing to worry about, even though I said it has suddenly started happening.

Its annoying me now because I know it should ride a LOT smoother and be more perky but not sure exactly where to start seeing as the shop didnt seem too interested.







Would these symptoms be the case if its firing on 3 outta 4 plugs?
Could it be the cct's have slipped / broke? (surely they would've picked up on that at the shop?)
Could a loose HT lead cap cause it to run like this?



I'm not massively bike mechanically minded so advice would be greatly appreciated as I have a rather fruity exhaust waiting to be fitted and dont want to fit that in case the shop blames it for the running problems lol

I will try and get the shop to have another look at it even though they are adamant that its running perfectly but I wondered if anyone could point me in the direction of what it could possibly be.



Thanks for reading this rather long post

I dont think this is in your head. Last week i went to Brighton and gave my k8 with 5500miles a bit of a quick run. When i got back the exhaust sounded louder and something (dont ask me what) seemed different. I then turn the bike off and restarted it and the noise was still there. I then ran inside dropped my gear came outside and thought i would go for a ride around the block just to see. I did this and the noise seemed to have gone. The loudness of the exhaust seemed to return to normal and all seemed fine. Now the bike only sounds different when its idling and i blip the throttle. I think you i msut both be nuts. Lets see what the org comes up with!

[Ratty]

Check the gasket between the rear header pipe and the collecter box. When mine failed on the thou ( common ) it would vibrate in the connection, sometime covering the slots under the clamp ( quiet ) and sometimes not covering the slots ( noisy / vibey ) if you know what I mean. Look at the joint / clamp while your assistant revs the bike and see if you can see anything vibrating in the joint.

Was a pig to change on the thou because the side stand bracketry had to come off to get the collecter pipe down, but may be easier on the 6 1/2.

Have a look and let me know.

Ratty

whats a collector box and when you say header do you mena the engine head?

[Ratty]

The header pipe is the pipe that comes out of the cylinder head. The front and rear header pipes ( on the thou ) go into a collecter box under the engine before heading off to the tail pipes.

The 650 should be similar but go to your single tail pipe.

Follow the exhaust pipe out of the back of the rear cylinder until it joins another tube with a clamp over the joint. The gasket is in the joint and can break up and move within the joint.

Does this help ? I'll be back about 4:30 am.

Ratty

[andrewsmith]

It does sound like an exhaust issue.

But to throw it into the mix; what state are your tries in?

thanks ratty. had a brief look and the clamp seems intact. when i get time ill check the gasket. What type of gasket is it, what does it look like when its failed?

Hi again,
The gasket seems fine with no leaks what I can tell.
The tyres are fine too. Plenty of life in them, no flat spots and at the correct pressure.

Its starting to annoy me because I know it isnt riding as good as it should be...

Thanks for the advice.

UPDATE
7,500miles

It still has the same really bad vibrations, surging and in the last thousand mile especially, I have noticed some kind of tapping (similar to clicking a biro pen really quickly).

The vibrations are not in time with the piston "thumps" but at a higher tempo.


I dropped it off for its 7500mile service on Friday (the same shop as it included a "service pack" for the first 2 services), asking them to have another look to see if they realised it wasnt riding as it should, giving them a brief description of the symptoms I have noticed.

To be honest I wasnt holding my breath for them admitting there was a problem with the bike but was surprised when I went to pick it up later in the day and was told they had noticed the unusual vibrations / noises and were concerned.

They said I could take it home and bring it back to them on the Monday as a "bloke from Suzuki" would be going to have a look at it but I didnt want to risk it getting worse and getting blamed for it breaking.
The shop has quite a few mechanics and some Suzuki factory trained ones so could be it be an SV650 specialist Suzuki GB chap coming out to look?

I'll let you all know the outcome. Fingers crossed the guy finds whats causing it and makes it ride as nice as it used to.

i have a friend in a very similar situation, hes just waiting on a call from suzuki then hes gonna txt me to let me know the outcome of his bike. i hope yours is ok bud.