Front suspension noise and instability - advice please.

Hello everyone, hoping someone can offer advice.

Have SV650s '04 fuel inject in bronze. Recently took the new motorcycling club I set up out over Dartmoor in the West Country and since then the suspension has been playing up.

I know what it feels like to bottom out the sus on an SV, it happens quite often as im quite a big lad. But recently just taking it out on the roads seems to be causing it trouble. It seems as if its bottoming out on the smallest of dips in the road and making a really loud slapping noise.. its as if two large sheets of plastic are being slapped together. It also rattles with the road surface but has come on all of a sudden.. she does get left outside in the rain but since the snow she's been in a garage.

Just wanted advice before I take a look or send her down to the garage so I know what I'm looking for! Thank you in advance!

Im sure some one else will be along with more advise, but for now ill give you what i can offer.

You will notice noise's when you hit bumps from the front, every one does. What preload setting do you have the front forks on? you have a choice of 5 settings for now ill asume you have it on factory which is 3, the more lines you have on display on the adjuster the softer the preload is set up, the less lines you have showing the harder the set up.

I would recommened checking here first

HTH

Hmm.. see i havent changed anything.. it was firm and I was really happy with it and felt confident.. then one day i got back on the bike and it felt all wrong.. as if I had suspension with no pressure in at the front.. havent touched the preloads.. plus the noise is new, more like a rattle/slap not what ive been used to..

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by Tian

Hmm.. see i havent changed anything.. it was firm and I was really happy with it and felt confident.. then one day i got back on the bike and it felt all wrong.. as if I had suspension with no pressure in at the front.. havent touched the preloads.. plus the noise is new, more like a rattle/slap not what ive been used to..

checked for oil leakage round the forks?

Have a look at the preload first then you may need to upgrade the springs oil etc most people find the SV suspension naff but tbh i find my ok and i just adjusted the preload untill i was happy with it

[yorkie_chris]

Notice any other handling maladies? I'd check the rest of the front end for loose bearings etc.

What do the forks feel like to bounce on? Seriously more underdamped than normal?

Originally Posted by Tian

its as if two large sheets of plastic are being slapped together.

tell me you have checked all the fairing fasteners are still in place

[Biker Biggles]

Sudden changes in handling are often tyre pressure related-----?

To bounce on the forks feel underdamped yep.

I have checked the fairing fasteners as that was my first thought.

Tyres get checked every week before a rideout so no problem there.

It just all feels a little unsettling, but i will check again on all these things and get back to you! Thank you for advice so far.

head bearing? when did you tightened it last?

also, i'm not sure if it is the same on the new gen, but old gen sv's had very thin oil in the tubes, replacing it with heavier oil made a huge difference... no more bottoming out!