sv650 novice questions

hi all,

i have got my sv which is my move to first big bike from 125 .

it is brilliant and very fast. i have few questions or rather want to get people opinions on it as follow:

when i open the throttle all the way in first gear the bike has huge amount of torque and power so far that it pushes me on the seat . is that the same for you guys or just my seat is really slippery etc
it is not that much of a problem but I always have to be prepared in case I need to floor it as most certainly it is going to push me back .

When the throttle in 1st gear is wide open the front wheel comes up slightly on some occasions( wheelie). I am 21 stone or so, is it because I am heavy on the rear thus the front comes up or just how it is for you guys as well.

The seat and position is really bad. I have got back and wrist pain. Sometime it can be extereme . how is it for you guys? Did the pain go away after a while when the body builds the necessary muscle or adopt to the position

My tank from full to empty does around 110-30 miles, is that the same for you guys

The engine is normally on 86 to 95 degrees when riding and around 100 to 105 when in traffic, again is that normal ?

Finally the rear brake seems really weak, almost 1/10 as strong as front, again is that usual

Apologies for number or questions asked
Thanks

[timwilky]

I would never call an SV "fast", certainly capable.

Whilst you don't want the seat to be "slippy" you do need to be able to slide your backside across the seat to achieve better body positioning for those twistier fun bends.


Most bikes even the SV will lift if you pin it in first.

But in reading most of your post. I would guess you firstly need to position yourself properly. Backside back. ball of foot on pegs, grip tank with your knees.

I have a back issue being an old man. I find that being bent over in a convex profile exagerates my problems. I therefore bend mostly at the hip and try to push my shoulders up using just my back to adopt what feels like a concave profile. I can finish a ride feeling far better using that technique.

Your wrists are there to hold you hands to your arms. They are not structural. do not load your weight through your arms. that is what your back is far.


Tank range sounds normal. When I had an SV it could get down to the 90s if pushed.

Again temps read OK. But you are on a bike so why is traffic affecting you?

Finally you only have half the brake capacity on the rear in the first place. Its job is to scrub a little or to increase the overall braking capability if you need to grab a big handful. For normal use. the front is quite adequate.

Although a badly maintained brake is a waste of space. If worried get it checked.

I had a bit of back and wrist pain in the first couple of weeks riding my SV, but it's fine now and my last bike was a high renthals. Engine temp sounds fine and so does tank range, it's the same as what I get. Although pretty much all of my riding is in the city so obviously it's going to be down on someone who only rides long motorway miles b

I still get the foooook me its gonna spit me off the back grin in first and second lol. Although my curvy that I wrote off seemed more punchy than my pointy but I think that's just coz it sounded more grunty.

pipe on pointy should sort that tho.

and stay safe, @40 I made the transition from 125 to SV and it caught me out in less than a fortnight so they are plenty quick enough for us beginners

Bags of fun tho

If you find the position too aggressive (I'm assuming you have a sport) then I could be interested in swapping your clipons and top yoke for my bars and top yoke / stem if you'd like?

I prefer the look of the clipons and want a sportier naked bike... food for thought

(my parts are immaculate off an 07)

Yeah i bought an SV (2004) 2 weeks ago now and have found the riding position a bit harsh on the wrist and find the pegs are a bit high which gives me a bit of pain in the knee's but slowly getting used to it and this is coming from a 22 year old lol Temps sound about the same as mine and yes 1st and 2nd gear are very grunty on the SV but nothing if uve ridden a 600 supersports or 1000.

The first thing that came to mind reading your post is body positioning. I find gripping the tank with knees keeps me where i want to be under braking and acceleration. Hold your self up with your back, dont slouch. Balls of feet on pegs always. Don't grip the bars just rest your hands round the grips. You can do it because you are holding the weight off them. Always stay loose on the bars, even when the bike has a headshake.

hi mate,

sorry can you clarify what this means
Always stay loose on the bars, even when the bike has a headshake.

is it when it is out of control


thanks to all for the posts

I think he basically means just keep loose on the bars whatever happens, I.e a tank slapped, just keep loose and don't try and fight it, it'll only make it worse.