SV650.org - SV650 & Gladius 650 Forum



Guildford Massive For the Guildford Guys N Girls.

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 12-06-06, 03:01 PM   #1
Mark_h
Member
Mega Poster
 
Mark_h's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Fleet, Hampshire
Posts: 2,448
Default Can I bounce your bike?

Help!

Just been down the local garage to see how he felt about my can for MOT purposes. Apparently can is fine but my forks may well be bad. He thinks there is no damping and so perhaps low or no oil in them. He doesn't fix bikes so is unable to give an opinion but suggest I get them checked out.

I know the older SVs have cheap forks (mine's a 2001 naked) so it may be that's just how SVs are and he hasn't bounced one for a while. So I was wondering if any of you lot are any where near to Fleet and if I could pop round and compare the damping of the two front ends just by pushing the bike with the front brake on. Not suggesting you trust me to take your bike for a ride, just a quick driveway bounce.

However if you've had massive upgrades to your front end I guess it would not be much use.

Or is anyone with a stock sprung SV going to the Anchor on Thursday?

thanks in advance,
Mark
__________________
Don't want to be the quickest; don't want to be the best; just want to be the one having the most fun.
XL125Varadero -> Curvy SV650N-Y -> SV1000N-K3 -> Multistrada 1200s Twin-tastic stuff.
Minister for Sustainability
Aliquid prudentissimus delectabiles et intelligentes in adamasset lingua.
Mark_h is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-06-06, 03:15 PM   #2
rigor
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I think all SV's have relatively cheap forks .... and they do come up on the bouncy side.

Anyway, for what it's worth, I should be down at the Anchor on Thursday with unmodified pointy forks for you to bounce, if that's any help to you.

Don't think there's any real difference between the two models really (although I'm prepared to be proved wrong)

Rigor
  Reply With Quote
Old 13-06-06, 07:02 AM   #3
454697819
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi,

Without any evidence of fork oil leaking from any where, ie, out the top of the seals or out the bottom of the fork near the wheel spindle, then there is no reason to assume there is any thing like a lack of oil in the forks?

Might well be worth booking it in somewhere else!

Typically they are soft though,

hth
Alex
  Reply With Quote
Old 13-06-06, 07:40 AM   #4
Viney
Member
Mega Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: In the shadows to the left
Posts: 7,700
Default

The oil could need changing. It dos deteriorate(sp?) over time.
Viney is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-06-06, 07:53 AM   #5
rictus01
Member
Mega Poster
 
rictus01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: South London
Posts: 9,799
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Viney
The oil could need changing. It dos deteriorate(sp?) over time.


how many mile?

Cheers Mark.
__________________
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, 'Wow! What a Ride!
rictus01 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-06-06, 10:04 PM   #6
Mark_h
Member
Mega Poster
 
Mark_h's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Fleet, Hampshire
Posts: 2,448
Default

It's done 17,500 miles. I've had a couple of shops tell me now that it is offering no damping at all and either the oil is nackered or no longer actually there. It's booked into Infinity next week. they're charging me £90 incl an MOT so guess that's not too bad and hopefully they'll do a decent job.

I just hope it doesn't ride too differently than before as I have my IAM test coming up and last thng I want is a bike that feels completely different although having a front end that inspires a bit more confidence can't be a bad thing.
__________________
Don't want to be the quickest; don't want to be the best; just want to be the one having the most fun.
XL125Varadero -> Curvy SV650N-Y -> SV1000N-K3 -> Multistrada 1200s Twin-tastic stuff.
Minister for Sustainability
Aliquid prudentissimus delectabiles et intelligentes in adamasset lingua.
Mark_h is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-06-06, 06:14 AM   #7
rictus01
Member
Mega Poster
 
rictus01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: South London
Posts: 9,799
Default

17,500 miles I'd be very surprised if it's not a mix of pi** water and sludge in there by now.

A good clean out and replacement oil should take all of 30 minutes and cost you about £10 (if you do it yourself), but I'd look at spending £80 and sorting the springs myself as they are limited as standard ( and I'm being nice about that).

Cheers Mark.
__________________
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, 'Wow! What a Ride!
rictus01 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-06-06, 02:01 PM   #8
Mark_h
Member
Mega Poster
 
Mark_h's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Fleet, Hampshire
Posts: 2,448
Default

Oil changed, MOT passed. Will go and pick it up this evening. Looking forward to a step change improvement in handling.

Thanks to all of you who let me bounce their bikes and offered advice on the matter.

Will report back when I have been out and taken a few bends on it.
__________________
Don't want to be the quickest; don't want to be the best; just want to be the one having the most fun.
XL125Varadero -> Curvy SV650N-Y -> SV1000N-K3 -> Multistrada 1200s Twin-tastic stuff.
Minister for Sustainability
Aliquid prudentissimus delectabiles et intelligentes in adamasset lingua.
Mark_h is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-06-06, 10:43 AM   #9
Mark_h
Member
Mega Poster
 
Mark_h's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Fleet, Hampshire
Posts: 2,448
Default

What a difference. Just bouncing it up and down did not feel much different. However, first time I used the brakes it felt a lot more solid and did not dive as much. Then went on a nice little test ride A30 then up through Mattingly, back down A33, cross to A339 to Alton (cup of tea) back through Odium which for those in the know is a good test route. Feels a lot more planted into bends and generally a lot more secure.

Apparently it still had oil in it but it had degraded. According to the guys at Infinity, all the talk about adding heavier oil just slows the suspension down, does not make it any firmer. You'll need new springs or some spacers to make them firmer, so they recommend sticking to the recommended oil unless you have a specific need for slower suspension.

Hopefully see you all out and about enjoying the weather over the next few weeks.

Cheers,
Mark
__________________
Don't want to be the quickest; don't want to be the best; just want to be the one having the most fun.
XL125Varadero -> Curvy SV650N-Y -> SV1000N-K3 -> Multistrada 1200s Twin-tastic stuff.
Minister for Sustainability
Aliquid prudentissimus delectabiles et intelligentes in adamasset lingua.
Mark_h is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Bike in a ball - Video from Scottish Bike Show DarrenSV650S Photos 12 22-02-10 01:21 AM
Recommend me a good Bike to bike radio for Autocom neio79 Bikes - Talk & Issues 14 21-11-08 03:11 PM
Selling your bike? *Watch out for this scam on bike trader* Paul the 6th Bikes - Talk & Issues 11 16-01-08 12:09 PM
First bike - Looking at a 650S. Right bike for me? Decision possibly today. earthtodan SV Talk, Tuning & Tweaking 10 14-05-07 12:08 PM
Sharman Multicom Bike to Bike radios, complete, NOW SOLD jakeblues68 For Sale - SV's and SV related items 4 24-04-06 09:35 PM


All times are GMT. The time now is 01:45 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® - Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.