How Can I modify my sv650 to have more power?

I test drove a 2001 naked SV650 today. I liked it but am not sure that it has enough power for me. Ive been thinking of getting the SV1000 or Honda 919 but havent and probably cant test drive those. I am hesitant of the big size of those bikes as they may seem cumbersome to me.

But if I can make the SV650 more powerful without spending too much maybe it will solve my problem. What do you think? How would you recommend making it more powerful/faster and how much do you think it would cost? I dont want to have the sv 650 S look as i like the naked style though i should find a small wind screen. Your thoughts and plan of action would be great.

[Scoobs]

Not saying use this place, and not saying don't use this place, but you could try here for ideas.

http://www.jhsracing.co.uk/start.htm

[rictus01]

You'd have to clarify exactly what you're after here.

You’re talking about a naked bike, in which case I'd be very surprised if you would use it at anything like the 130mph the SV is capable of.

So are you talking acceleration?

You also neglect to mention, in comparison to what?
The SV 1000 and the Honda are very different bikes, unless you are just looking at power figure, having ridden both, they ride in a totally different way.

Your previous bikes and experience? I can only assume this is one of those "I want the fastest" type questions, in which case, don't start with an SV is the simple answer.

The SV was never designed to beat super sport 600's and never will in their intended environment, It's a economically priced, rider friendly, middle weight bike with light handling and real world performance.

The primary selling points of the SV are the price, insurance cost and V twin power delivery.

Although the performance can be tweaked to an extent, no serious power gains can be made without adversely affecting reliability/usability.

The most advantageous improvements to be made are in the area of suspension.

A quick search will show you what can be done with the SV.

But if you're after the "best ban for your buck" then a 3 or 4 year old IL4 600 is more what you're looking for.

if on the other hand you have limited funds or high insurance problems then you can have a sweet handling bike for an affordable price.

ridden well not many bikes of any discription will leave you behind by much if at all in the real world.

Cheers Mark.

rider training

Try something with the sort of power you want. You willl never be satisfied if you don't.

[northwind]

Aye, depends how big the shortfall is. I've put something like 10bhp on mine- not dynoed so I don't know for sure, I'm erring on the side of caution though- and it does make a big difference, but I never felt the SV was underpowered in the first place. If it feels drastically underpowered to you- I can't see why unless you're used to litre bikes, after all the SV will 0-60 in under 4 seconds, bone stock- then to be honest you'll not be able to fix that, just maybe make it less grating.

However...

If acceleration's your thing, chaning your rear sprocket will net you a big instant effect for not much cash. That's where I'd start.

On a carbed bike, next for cost efficiency and results would probably be fitting K3 intake cams and swapping the old intakes to the exhaust side, £125 including all gaskets, and very effective.

An ignition advancer including the specialised tool would give you better torque across the range and a little power at £50 or less.

A BMC Race RS air filter, dynojet kit, some time on a dyno and an endcan or full exhaust system would be (depending on if you buy new and what you get) between maybe £300 and a grand. Those 3 things together would get you somewhere between 5 and 15 bho at the rear wheel, probably arond 10.

But seriously, the only reason to work on the power of an SV is that you're a racer, or you like to meddle with bikes. It's far cheaper, easier, and more effective to get a bike that can do what you want from the word go. The SV's real shortcomings IMHO are the suspension, which does makes sense to upgrade for everyday use, but at the risk of repeating myself, the SV will get you to the speed limit of any UK road in under 5 seconds. Why do you need more? If you already had one I could see the argument for modding rather than making a loss on selling the SV and buying a new bike, but you're a free agent now...

I can't really say. You haven't mentioned where you are. What sort of riding you do or what experience you have. Give us a few more details to work with.
Remember that up to 60 MPH a SV will stick with a supersport 600.

After messing about on mine I can't emphasis enough to leave the engine alone. Fix the suspension by all means, but if you want more horses do the righteous thing of buying a bigger bike.

Thanks for your help.

So here is my full situation. Ive got a lot of factors that Im trying to sort out.

I started riding an 82 honda rebel 250 for a couple years. Later I drove a yamaha seca 750 for 2 years. I havent ridden a bike for the last year. It was a big bike but had a good amount of getup. I like going fast. Its very much part of my personality. With the 750, I took it to 120 MPH which is as fast as it was going and the bike was shaking pretty bad. But Ive realized that top speed isnt as important as acceleration. I wont take the bike on a track and am not looking to compete. I live in LA so the weather is sunny but this will be my main mode of transportation. The reason I am hesitant for the supersport bikes is that I dont want a bike that will get me sore by sitting position. Also, insurance is definately a concern.

I dont have much money nor very good credit. Regardless I decided that I wanted my next bike to be a nice bike so Im going to get financing. Most financing companies require me to get comprehensive insurance. But I called a dealership and they said that they didnt. I test drove their 2005 ducati monster ($6000) and 2002 sv650 ($3900). The SV seemed smoother and they were very similar in performance so I decided that given the price i should take the sv650 over that. But I think I could use a little more power. So I was thinking of the honda 919 from another dealership. They said that I would have to get comprehensive insurance but somehow she said that it would only cost me 850 dollars a year (as compared to the 2000 dollar quote i had from someone else)

So, Im going to try to track down that insurance company that she used though Im not sure she didnt do something a little shady to try to get me the bike.

Looking at the honda 919 in the show room i was a little bit intimidated by its size and bulkiness. But since I believe my 750 was heavier i should be able to handle it. If I was able to get a 600 class naked and get it as quick as a sports bike it would be ideal. Ducati had a S2R 800 cc monster coming but thats not for another couple months. Ofcourse if i could get over the rice rocket look of the sports bike and could find insurance and a decently comfortable bike then i could go that route.

So i apologize for there being so much indecisiveness but thats where i am right now trying to sort this out.

If you have any financing companies that dont require comprehensive or affordable insurance companies you recommend please let me know.

Believe it or not the 800cc Ducati doesn't have much on the SV 650 as far as power goes. Those air cooled Ducati lumps don't have the ponies that the liquid cooled bikes have.
I think the 750 SECA was the XJ750 over here?

If you want a bike to pose on I'd wait for the Monster. If you're after a practical but fun ride then get the SV. If you're handy with the spanners you can exploit more power and mid-range.