2007 SV650: Project better late than never

[GTBrandon]

Still hoping the weather holds out but as of now it’s showing rain all weekend. Keep an eye out for the thread whether it be for next weekend or later on. Anyways, sorry for the thread jack

[V1GiLaNtE]

Still hoping the weather holds out but as of now it’s showing rain all weekend. Keep an eye out for the thread whether it be for next weekend or later on. Anyways, sorry for the thread jack

All good. Next weekend would be even better. 

Back on topic. No real progress here. Carry on. 

[V1GiLaNtE]

Updates to mod/maintenance list on first page. On Friday I tackled a chain and sprocket refresh on the SV. I scored a DID 525 chain and JT sprockets kit off of Craigslist last month for about half of a new kit all together. Even better was the rear sprocket was a +2 (47T). Research shows the SV responds really well to a 15/47T gearing setup. You lose a little top end and it's a bit more buzzy on the highway, but you get all the torqz right where you need it (4500-9k). I also changed out the oil and filter. Rotella T6 5w-40. I was under the 3k mark, but this oil had a track day on it and plenty of hard riding. I took my time getting the chain installed and the MotionPro tool and instructions were great.

Initial riding impressions. HOLY MOTHER OF GAWD. If I didn't weigh 200lbs this thing would straight power wheelie in 1st and 2nd. It's not the same surge in power you expect from a 600, but it pulls like a damn mule from 5k to redline. The SV's power is extremely linear. I can feel the front end trying to pull up as I bang up to 2nd and then continues to try and lift until I hit 3rd and the RPMs drop. Blasting around country roads all day Saturday was a dream. I can go in fast on the attack with trail braking into the turns where I'm hovering right in the 6k range which allows me to drop the hammer out of the apex and it just pulls and pulls and pulls.  The +2 in the rear really woke the bike up. With another upgrade around the corner (appropriate weight springs and oil in the fork) we're looking at a great real world bike. Very balanced, flick-able, and torque for days. I'll try and get a video up or something which may help illustrate the pull. As an interesting side note, somebody on the SVRider forums figured out the SVF (10+ Gladius) airbox velocity stacks are a bit longer and fit into the SV. Lots of reports of improved throttle response and the bike pulling harder from 3-7k. All for a whopping $40 in OEM parts. I may give this a whirl seeing as that is where I spend 90% of my riding time.





GOLD FTW

[.RJ]

Do I spy a vice bolted to your workbench?

[V1GiLaNtE]

Do I spy a vice bolted to your workbench?

Yes? 

[Ryan T]

Do I spy a vice bolted to your workbench?

Every good workbench needs a vise.

[.RJ]

Do I spy a vice bolted to your workbench?

Yes? 

Want to help me rebuild the forks on my project?

[V1GiLaNtE]

Do I spy a vice bolted to your workbench?

Yes? 

Want to help me rebuild the forks on my project?

New springs and oil? It's something I've wanted to learn. Plan is to replace the RT180 fork oil as well as the SV this winter.

[.RJ]

Yeah, and emulators. I dont have a vice in my house, seppaku.

[V1GiLaNtE]

Yeah, and emulators.  I dont have a vice in my house, seppaku.

Oooooo. Come on down. We can drink RVA beer and maybe you can help tune the RT carb.

[.RJ]

you got yourself a deal. incoming soon...

[V1GiLaNtE]

[V1GiLaNtE]

Got tired of basically balancing on my toes to try and push my knees up to grip the tank. Found a set of brand new adjustable riser plates FS. Looking forward to getting my leg position setup properly.

[V1GiLaNtE]

So I thought I would give my thoughts here after hitting one year of ownership/full time riding on the SV as of last week: 

Miles Ridden - ~8,xxx
Track Days Complete - 1 @ Summit Point with Team Pro Motion
Crashes - 1 minor lowside
Tickets - 1 (I definitely deserved it, but might get lowered or thrown out in court. Squeaky clean driving record)
XP - Leveled up big time

The SV has done literally everything I could have asked of it in the last year. Sport touring doing 350 mile/6 hour day trips, ripping around Summit point, commuting through DC/NOVA/RVA, blasting backroads, and all with minimum maintenance. All in all it's just generally a good bike. It has it's downsides, but what bike doesn't? 

My two biggest complaints about the bike are the stock suspension and brakes. I've upgraded the rear shock to a ZX10R unit and that has dramatically improved the rear. For the front, I plan to throw in proper weight springs and fork oil as well as upgrade to stainless lines and I high quality fluid (think Motul). The general brake feel is "mushy" at best. 

So where does this leave me going into next riding season? (Who am I kidding I ride year round and welcome the cold weather) I'm torn on a couple of points. The SV is cheap to maintain and insure, paid for, if I binned it tomorrow I'd shed a momentary tear and easily move on. It's the Miata of the track world. I love the V-twin power for commuting and blasting the city. Inversely, for maybe not much more money I can get a bike with brakes and suspension leaps and bounds ahead and a chunk more power. I would be lying if I said I didn't want more power, but as many of you notice in the car world power just makes up for shitty driving. My first track day I could have passed guys on 600s/1000s in the turns only to lose them in the straights. The power of a liter bikes makes up for your crappy riding input by just letting the fury of 150+hp rip the straights. 

Couple of bikes I have considered:

• K5+ GSXR750 (squid boy track rat)
  
• Triumph Daytona 675 (Dat triple whistle oh baby)
  
• Ducati XXX (I love that Vtwin, but my visa will hate me for the maintenance and replacement cost)
  
• BIG ASS Adventure bike (BMW, Etc)
  
• BMW S1000rr (the tiburon)
  
• Newer R1 (dat crossplane doe)
  

 

Each one has it's pros and cons. However, I haven't actually had a chance to ride any other bike so I have no idea how any one of them will make me feel.

A Gixxer or Daytona I could pickup for not much money out of pocket after selling the SV. The rest of the bikes are getting into finance land and I can't really stomach making payments on a bike. They're too easy to write off if you crash. Additionally, IDK if making the jump to the 1000cc world is right? You see a lot of guys work their way up the ladder (250cc, 600cc, 1000cc), but if you haven't looked recently today's modern bike technology is insane. You can take a modern 1000cc Superbike and turn on all the nanny's and it'll more or less act like a 600. ABS, anti-wheelie, traction control, driving modes are all standard on most modern superbikes. So it begs to the question do you just jump to the 1000cc and weeeen yourself into insanity (who are we kidding you're gonna ride that bitch cranked to 11) or go the 600 tiered approach?

TL/DR - HALP WHAT DO I DO WITH MY 2 WHEELED LIFE?


P.S. After 8k+ miles it's time for new tires. Ordered up a set of the Michelin Pilot Road 5.

[rherold9]

Today, so many people get lost in the power hunger. Like everyone who complains about a Miata still not making 200hp. The BRZ/FRS is underpowered. It's all what you like or enjoy. If you like the Miata of the bike world keep it. If you want more power than get more power. The thing with my power is you'll get used to it and then you'll want more and more. Just like anything else. I'm biased in owning a Miata but being able to throw my car around and not give a fuck is the best feeling. More so than power.

[V1GiLaNtE]

Today, so many people get lost in the power hunger. Like everyone who complains about a Miata still not making 200hp. The BRZ/FRS is underpowered. It's all what you like or enjoy. If you like the Miata of the bike world keep it. If you want more power than get more power. The thing with my power is you'll get used to it and then you'll want more and more. Just like anything else. I'm biased in owning a Miata but being able to throw my car around and not give a fuck is the best feeling. More so than power.

Power is much lower on the desirability scale over high quality brakes, suspension, and safety (ABS, traction control). The only way to accomplish that with the SV is GSXR front end swap ($800-1k). No safety increases. So why not take that money and buy something that hits the power, brakes, and suspension category? I guess I'm telling myself what to do, but I need to ride more bikes. It's also valuable to hear other riders and their opinions.

[JPolen01]

It sounds like there are only benefits here moving up to a larger bike. Ride a few, find what you like, and buy one. No point in sinking money into the SV to make it into something it really isn't. Especially if you can recoup most of what you have in it. Winter is coming (insert GOT meme), find a bike for a good deal then.

[Sully]

If you want to ride my k7 gsxr 600, you're more than welcome to borrow it for a week or two. I wouldn't push it super hard because the tires are like 8 years old and even though they've been garage kept and feel soft and look new, we know rubber changes over time. (At least that's what we're told)

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[Kaan]

go big or go home.... +750cc please. I just dont know if i can do a 600cc anymore. but i need to live through you for a bit.

[V1GiLaNtE]

If you want to ride my k7 gsxr 600, you're more than welcome to borrow it for a week or two. I wouldn't push it super hard because the tires are like 8 years old and even though they've been garage kept and feel soft and look new, we know rubber changes over time. (At least that's what we're told)

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When can I come by? I would really love to have the opportunity to use a "modern" 600 in daily life. 

go big or go home.... +750cc please. I just dont know if i can do a 600cc anymore.  but i need to live through you for a bit.

That was what my thought is. I just don't want to deal with the 600 power band. I feel it would be insanely frustrating given a lot of the city riding/commuting I do. Is it different on the big boy bikes? Do they have the grunt in the 4-8K range?