Buying a used SV650 - find a mechanic

Hi All,

This is my first post after spending some time on here as a guest. I've tried the search and am not sure this has been asked before.

I am looking to buy a used SV650 as my first bike if/when I pass my DAS in two weeks time. This is based purely on the amount of recommendations it gets as a suitable new riders bike. I guess I should really sit on one before confirming for sure, but I guess I'll get that opportunity when I go view one. Other choices were XJ6, fazer or bandit (again all based on recommendation). I have yet to sit on a motorbike!

So, I am looking to spend between £1.5-£2k and would prefer a naked (although they seem hard to find), although the s with upper fairing only looks great too. Also post 2003 (believe they are referred to as pointy).

My biggest concern about buying privately is that I have zero bike experience and have no idea what to look for. I could google a generic list, but am concerned I would not do it justice and end up with a lemon. My question is, does anyone know of a service like the AA/RAC do for cars (they will go and check the car fully), but for motorcycles? Or are there any SV650 enthusiasts/mechanics in the Farnborough/Fleet/Camberley area who would be willing to help me out? I guess I would like someone who knows their stuff about bikes/SV650s to accompany me when I purchase the bike and guide me through the checks and owning an SV650 themselves knows what to look out for.

Failing that if anyone is local and wouldn't mind showing me around their bike and what I need to check that would be great too.

Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions!

[embee]

What a great request, most sensible. I really hope someone in your area can help you out.

Thanks Embee, I've got my fingers crossed!

[DomP]

If I was near I'd love to help, I'm not saying I'm an expert but I've done enough home mechanics both on cars and my bikes to be of use. I'm sure someone on here will help you out, it's a great forum. Failing that we could give you some pointers if you go to view on your own.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

[Bibio]

my advice is buy one that is standard and as few owners as possible. look for telltale signs of dropping/crashing by looking at the bar ends for roughness, the rear brake and gear change levers for bent/replaced, exhaust for scratches, scars on the frame/plastics/tank and general wear and tear. go have a look at some nice unmolested clean examples in showrooms to get an idea of what your looking for.

mini indicators are usually bodged with wiring them up. check the ignition lock for smoothness.

most of all though never ever take the owners word for anything. its rare that people tell the truth when selling vehicles.

most SV's will have been dropped or crashed at some point as they are a new rider bike.

Thanks Bibio, really helpful advice!

In terms of maintenance is there certain things to check e.g. a car might need its cambelt doing every 40k miles and oil every 10k. Things that pop into mind from reading around:
- How often should chain/sprockets be changed and is there an easy way for me to tell if it's nearing replacement/needs it? I think I've seen on the forum it's a relatively cheap fix (£150), but guess it's something to negotiate.
- Break pads/discs - are these an easy/cheap fix? I guess on inspection I'm just looking for thick pads, although I am not sure what to look for on the disc
- I have read about a camchain tensioner issue that causes ticking noises - is that an immediate no go. How expensive is the repair?
- Valve check - when should this be done?
- Do I need to check inside the fuel tank for rust?

Is there anything else I should look out for that are common problems? I'm still hoping someone lives locally and might be able to accompany me!

Thanks!

[Craig380]

As per Bibio's advice, look for the most standard bike you can find (i.e. still has the original Suzuki big black plastic indicators, etc).

Don't overlook bikes at dealerships. SVs are often taken as part-exchange, and so the dealers are keen to move them on, so they're often not much more expensive than a private sale. This is how I bought mine, from a Suzuki dealer 20 miles away from me. It came with both keys, full service & MOT history with all the receipts to prove it, manuals, and the dealer did a full service and valve check pre-sale.

Dealing with your questions in order:

-- Suzuki's service schedule is that the bike should have an oil change every 3,500 miles and a new oil filter at every third oil change

-- A worn chain & sprockets is easy to spot. Chain: at the back of the rear sprocket at the 3 o'clock position, grab a chain link between thumb and forefinger, and try and pull it off the sprocket. If you are able to lift the chain off the sprocket so you see daylight under the chain, the chain needs replacing. Also, look at the rear sprocket: the teeth should look like a mountain with both sides of each tooth having an even 'slope' to the summit. If the teeth are 'hooked' - i.e. concave on one side - the sprockets need replacing as a pair, and the chain will too.

-- Brake discs & pads: you can see if there is meat left on the pads easily just by looking. Worn discs are spotted by feeling the outer edge and rim of the disc. If there is a 'lip' at the edge that you can feel with your fingertip, the disk is worn. They can be replaced, it's just a bargaining tool

-- Camchain tensioners were only really a problem on the pre-03 bikes (curvies). The pointies got a revised tensioner which is pretty much bulletproof and very rarely causes any trouble.

-- The factory recommendation for a valve check is every 4 years or 15,000 miles. However, SVs are well known for their robust valve gear: it hardly ever needs any adjustment providing that the owner keeps the oil level topped up and the oil is changed as per the service schedule. And of course, that's the bit that is hard to prove when buying a used bike. But if you find a decent bike, you'll probably only ever have to check the valves once.

-- Fuel tank rust: I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that fuel tank rust is not a problem on UK bikes. Owners in the US go on about it ALL the time, but that's because the petrol they have over there is crap. Unless the bike has been standing with the filler cap open, it is unlikely you will need to worry about it.


In conclusion, SVs are popular bikes and there are plenty around so you can afford to be picky. Don't rush to buy one, there will always be another good one for sale. Good luck with your DAS

Thanks Craig380, that's another really helpful response! I definitely feel a lot more confident buying a used bike on my own than I did a few days ago.


I have called a few dealers and given my price range (£1.5k-2k) they have said I am unlikely to be able to get one from them as they wouldn't take bikes that old. So it looks like a private sale is my only option at the moment.


My hunt continues, I will keep you updated and if anyone local does see this, feel free to say hi

[Craig380]

Originally Posted by korre

I have called a few dealers and given my price range (£1.5k-2k) they have said I am unlikely to be able to get one from them as they wouldn't take bikes that old. So it looks like a private sale is my only option at the moment.

Just keep an eye out, I bought my 06 plate K6S from a solus Suzuki dealer in June 2015, one owner, FSH, 7,500 miles, it was listed at £2,200, I got it for £2,000 cash.

They often come in as part-exchanges against new bikes ...

[Andy Mc]

Hi Korre


I am also a novice at biking, bought a 2010 K9 naked from a dealer a few weeks ago, never sat on one either but read so many good things about them so just got one, they delivered it to my house at a charge of course, but the chap that delivered it was awesome, he explained he was an ex Kawasaki mechanic and gave me a few pointers:


start bike up, wait for the temperature to reach optimum level (think it was 104c) and wait for the fan to kick in, then watch the temperature come down and settle, so that's checking the cooling works etc.. also listen for any knocking noises at same time


Valve clearance he said mine should be checked at about 24k, its currently on 17k (but I am not 100% as there are other comments above on that)


forks - checked for any oil on the forks to see if they were leaking.


chain - same as mentioned above


breaks - as above


checked all electronics ie: horn, indicators, hazard lights, break lights etc..


hope my little contribution helps if you cant find someone local