Will an R1 front master cylinder fit?

[Adam Ef]

If you were nearer you'd be welcome to borrow my Abba stand and front lift bar. I've even still got the SV adaptors for it. Bit far down to Bristol though.


Getting some K-Tech linear springs and new oil in my forks was a massive improvement on my SV. I fitted emulators too, which were good but a bit of a faff to get set right. Took about 3 times refitting them adjusted and some oil weight tweaks to get it where I wanted. If I did it again I think I'd just change the springs and oil as that's what had the biggest effect. There's loads of useful info on here about it all too.

[DamoK4]

That would have been great. I actually bought by bike from Bristol, it is quite far haha. I think with the cost of doing the lines, caliper service, pads and fluid (£130) i might have to wait to get the springs done. I have been told that changing the fork oil might be a good improvement. I think i will try that. At least then i can tell the Mrs i tried the cheaper option first. I've already spent on a cowl and infills for removing the pillion seat, new double bubble screen. Stands and tools. Might be pushing my luck

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by DamoK4

I never thought about changing the springs, it's a good idea though my suspension is a bit bouncy. Unfortunately though I only have a rear stand and nothing to hoist the bike up on so it's not a diy job for me i think. The calipers are getting a complete overhaul, all new seals etc, i've ordered the bits. I will have peave of mind then knowing they are mint. I'll have a look into springs, i know a mechanic who's big into his bikes who lives on my street so i will have a word with him about it. Are the Hagon progressives good? I can buy the bits and see if he wants to fit them for/with me.

I like the idea of gunking up over the threads when bleeding, that saves time.

Filling up the brakes from the calipers with a syringe sounds interesting. I read something about that on here before i will have a look into it. A fiver sounds good to me haha

Yes you just open the master cylinder cap, put an 8ml ring spanner round the nipple and then tube over the nipple. Add a little pressure to the syringe just before you crack the nipple then as it undoes add more pressure injections the whole system with the fluid . Once up to level do a little traditional bleed (pull lever and crack nipple open and closed, repeat for the other calliper) . All done .
Make sure you are using fresh brake fluid from a sealed bottle it genuinely makes a difference (I was once tempted to use a splash from a mechanics 4 litre tub he’d had open for god knows how long ... really sloppy pressure)

It depends on the rider I guess but I found the standard sv fairly unusable for spirited riding on windy (particularly up and down ) roads mainly because of the brake dive . Hagon springs was the single best bang for buck mod I did . I used a trolley jack under the engine and a bag of sand on the back seat to take the weight off . You can either take the forks out completely or use your trusty syringe (if you bought a long enough hose) to remove all the fork oil and refill with the new springs in all in situ
It is easier with another set of hands

Aside from he brake dive , keeping the wheel in contact with the ground is obviously very important to braking and the whole job of your suspension. I’ll bet you have 15 year old fork oil in those fork legs


Side note , don’t over do it putting grease round threads (and use common sense on the seals but don’t be too sparing with them ) - it works it’s way into the fluid and dilutes it which affects its function and changes boiling point etc . You’ll see a slight pink tinge after doing the seals

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by DamoK4

That would have been great. I actually bought by bike from Bristol, it is quite far haha. I think with the cost of doing the lines, caliper service, pads and fluid (£130) i might have to wait to get the springs done. I have been told that changing the fork oil might be a good improvement. I think i will try that. At least then i can tell the Mrs i tried the cheaper option first. I've already spent on a cowl and infills for removing the pillion seat, new double bubble screen. Stands and tools. Might be pushing my luck

I’d wait until you have springs before doing oil or you’re doing the same job twice .

As Adam says linear springs to your weight are better than progressives , I think they will be more expensive you also have to calculate the rate - use k-techs website

[DamoK4]

Yea i might as well do the forks and oil at once, and spray them while they are off. They are starting to flake a bit at the top. The rest of the bike looks good so it stands out a bit. My list is getting longer now . To be honest though my maintenance will be up to date when i've done those. My rear brake can wait because its not too shabby yet

[Adam Ef]

Sorting suspension and brakes? Why not go for the GSXR front end swap!

[squirrel_hunter]

Might be a little late to the discussion here, but... Properly serviced SV650 brakes are fine, you don't need to change the M/C. I would only advise on that when doing a front end swap.

Originally Posted by DamoK4

I gave it a service the other month and changed brake fluid etc which was an improvement but I didnÂ’t give the brakes much attention. IÂ’ll have a read into how to service them and get it done .

This is slightly troubling considering the following discussion on how to bleed brakes. What process did you use to bleed the brakes? Additionally have you checked the wear in the pads? Servicing the brakes is fairly straight forward provided you have the right tools and a good manual. But they are you're brakes if you are unsure what you are doing, take it to someone who knows.

Giving the brakes a full strip clean and rebuild with new pads and lines on a bike this age is a good decision particularly if you do not have the service history.

Originally Posted by R1ffR4ff

Just to add. It's quite common on most modern bikes for riders to rely only on the Front brake. This can lead to the rear brake seizing over time through lack of use.

I still cover both brakes but mainly use my rear brake with my Front brake in slow traffic for stability and then I know it's getting used as well. It does no harm using both when you feel like it.

Now I'm not going to tell you how to ride as everyone has their own style, but I've never understood why some people mainly use the rear brake. If you look at it the disc is a single one that is small with a small caliper, compared to the front which has a bigger surface area on each disc, as well as twin discs, and in lots of cases much bigger calipers. I've always considered this a clue as to which brake is intended to be used more...

Originally Posted by DamoK4

My bike could never do a "stoppy". The brakes aren't poor but they are definitely not good.

Properly serviced and maintained SV650 can stoppy, they can even do that two up. Ask me how me and Strechie know.

Originally Posted by DamoK4

Also, without trying to go off topic, when do you get valve clearances etc looked at?

Check the service manual, and the bikes service history. If it hasn't got a service history there is no harm is doing the valve check and if needed adjustment. As with the brakes its fairly straight forward provided you have the right tools and a good manual. But if you are unsure what you are doing, take it to someone who knows.

Originally Posted by R1ffR4ff

I never over-rev the engine as I've found no need. Quick slick gear changes between 6,000/7,000 rpm and I'm up to Motorway,"Combat Speed" in no time

Now I'm not going to tell you how to ride as everyone has their own style, but you do know that they rev to 10,500 before the red line, and peak power is around 8,500. It does no harm to rev the engine as it was designed to be used.

Originally Posted by Dave20046

And don't forget plenty of copper grease

No. Do not use copper grease on your brakes. It is not needed. It does nothing. It is not recommended by any manufacturer that I am aware of on a modern brake setup such as the SV650 has.

[Chris_SVS]

Copper grease does not go near brakes

[DamoK4]

Originally Posted by squirrel_hunter

What process did you use to bleed the brakes?

Following a guide on here and youtube videos, i put a bleed tube on with a tub, put pressure on the brake, opened the bleed nipple, let it travel to the end and closed the nipple, and repeated until the brake fluid coming out was clean and free of bubbles (new unopened dot4), not letting the reservoir get low. I did this with both callipers until all the old light brown stuff was clean, then did the rear. It is very possible there is air in the line now, although it was good for a few month. I heard tiny little bubbles can form into a big one and make it spongy. I think i did a good job but theres every chance that air is in there now. Maybe after another bleed it would be ok, but i want to know everything is in good order and know when it was last done as you said.

As for the rear brake i use mine a bit too. I use the front brake 90% of the time but when plodding along at very low speeds it is easy to keep in a straight line with a tiny bit of back brake. Very easy to do very slow speed manoeuvring and u-turns etc with no worry of tipping, just a bit of back brake and keep a little bit of throttle on, just enough to not stall with the clutch biting. I passed my test in June (i think) and that is how i was taught, it is actually in the test now. My dad and my friends don't get it either but i don't know any different now

Today i have ordered some front EBC sintered HH pads and HEL braided lines, and a calliper service kit with all new seals and rubbers, stainless steel bleed nipples. I'm reading into it now and watching some videos. This site is great for learning. I am pretty confident i can do the job well with the right instructions. I'm a precision engineer so half an hour with it in the parts washer at work will get any remaining grease out of it too after a good cleaning up. It's pretty much an industrial dish washer without the soap.

I appreciate all the advice. I've spent years making one off parts for planes e.t.c but can't even change brake pads haha. Yet.. anyway.

Thanks for all the advice anyway its much appreciated, i am learning a lot as i go along

[redtrummy]

Removed my front end without any special kit. Lifted the front end up and used rope from a joist in the garage. Put a supporting jack under the engine and progressed from there. Some years ago though, looks as if I will have to repeat as the oil seal in one fork leg is giving up the ghost.