Saml01

iTrader: (9)

I was heavily considering the 02, cheaper due to the older fuel injection system and I also really like the curvy frame.

I think im gonna shy away from the Buells. They are great looking bikes which are impressive in their own right but I need something with a developed community I can turn to for help when I need it. The SV rider forums are extremely thorough and everyone knows their ****, so that is a big positive.


One of the reasons it would be pretty cool to score a Kawasaki W650.

I have no friends that ride, most are terrified of the idea. The locals that I found on the sportbike.net forums dont like sharing their bikes, overprotective sonsabitches they are.

Theres a place by my house that sells all kinds of bikes, mostly used. Soon as I get my permit converted ill go down there and ask them to ride one. I doubt they would let me with a permit though.

I heard people referring to them as "Italian Hondas". True or False?

ZX-Tex

iTrader: (15)

99-02 is carbureted only. 03+ has fuel injection. I have a '99 but it has 41mm flatslide carburetors (not stock).

Word. Lots and lots of good information on SVrider.com, street and track. I have not been on there lately but spent a lot of time there when I was researching mods. IIRC my user name there is ZX-Tex also. There are some people that have modified their SVs into some really cool looking bikes. Carbon tanks, one-sided swingarms, crazy stuff. I bought the bearings for my GSXR fork swap from Zoran, who is one of the gurus of SVrider.com. Come to think of it, I got my flatslides from him too. I have all of the parts for the Busa piston swap, just have not done it yet. Already did the int-exh cam swap.

Mentioning all of this because you have already read it, or are about to

Saml01

iTrader: (9)

Right, thats why I am favoring the first gen bikes. It would make the bike cheaper.

But on the flipside, I am also hearing that the first gen bikes have a worse suspension when compared to the second gen and depending on how significant that is it may make sense to stay away.




Oh im way ahead of you then, im trying to figure out if im gonna have to fab a custom manifold for a turbo, or they sell kits.

ZX-Tex

iTrader: (15)

I would not sweat that at all, especially on the street. The stock forks are a lot better with a 'gold valve' kit when set up properly, but really they are OK as-is unless you are dragging your knee in the corners. I think the second-gen forks are still damping rod anyway, not much difference if any there. For me the GSXR swap was more about the brakes than the suspension. The stock SV brakes are fine, especially with Vesrah pads, but the GSXR brakes are awesome, easier to trail brake into corners for example.

The stock rear shock is probably the worst part. I cannot say how much it sucks because mine had a Fox shock on it when I bought it. But again that should also not be a big deal.

In other words, I would not just get a second-gen just for the suspension. I would be more inclined to get a the second-gen for the FI and the 41mm throttle bodies. The stock suspension is certainly good enough for a beginner. Just make sure the suspension is in good working order. Fresh oil in the forks, no seal leaks, bleed the brakes, good pads, etc.

LOL. Yeah, try fitting a 24x12x3 IC onto an SV. Anyone on SV rider successfully turbo one yet?

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Yeah, the guys complaining about the stock suspension on either gen are the ones riding on the track. The issue is that while a lot of the higher-end sportbikes are coming stock with inverted tube forks and fancy valving, the SV ships with a more conventional system. IMO, it's perfectly adequate for the street. Some folks (including my next-door neighbor, who also had a pair of KTMs) will actually swap out the whole front end for one from a higher-end sportbike, but I just don't see the point. Despite all the hype, I never felt the need to so much as change out the valving on my forks. Of course, for me the SV was simply a commuter bike that never saw a track, and I don't much care for scuffing up the knees on my suit either.




Not sure about the SV, but it seems like the bike turbo guys in general aren't real big on intercoolers. Even the high-dollar >500HP kits that BigCC makes for the ZX-14 / Busa are non-intercooled. Example: Big CC Stage 3 Race Turbo System: Hayabusa - Big CC Turbo Systems Turbo Motorcycle and Performance Bike Tuning by Big CC Racing for £10.348, you get complete system with a dyno chart showing 700bhp, and no I/C.

Saml01

iTrader: (9)

How hard would it be to fit the FI system from the 2nd gen into the 1st gen. Not actually gonna do it, but im curious. I just really really like the rounded frame of the first gen.

Guys on SV Rider dont know anything beyond what a power commander can do. I made a thread asking about tuning bikes, and only one guy chimed in knowing something remotely to what I was asking.

vehicular

iTrader: (3)

It wouldn't be worth the effort to swap the EFI onto an older bike. Your only real option would be squirting it, and you would do beter for yourself to just buy an 03-04 once you put all that effort into it.

It would ruin an SV to turbocharge it. One of the guys on sv-portal turbo'd a 1000 and it sucked. If you want to go faster, buy a faster bike, don't try to make an SV into something it's not.

Saml01

iTrader: (9)

Thanks for the warning.

Wanted to pull the trigger on this last night, couldnt do it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...lenotsupported

ZX-Tex

iTrader: (15)

Yeah do not read too much into my question about turbocharging. I was not saying it was a good idea, just wondering if anyone had tried it yet. Also I agree about swapping the FI system into the carbureted model, it would be a lot of work. The engines are the same, but all of the electronics and harnesses are a lot different. Better off just using the carburetors. The stock carburetors work absolutely fine as long as they are clean and in good condition, even for racing with a little jetting.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Sorry to hear it. Did the doctors give you any sort of estimate as to when your ***** might be ready for re-implantation?

Saml01

iTrader: (9)

I dont have any gear, and I dont have my license.

Saml01

iTrader: (9)

So how reliable and safe is it to use the various Uship vendors at the same token buying blind?

ZX-Tex

iTrader: (15)

Not sure I would buy a bike blind. I would want to see it first. I would also want a taillight guarantee ride. I pay the seller for the bike, I ride it around the block, and if all is OK then the sale is done. If not, and I do not damage the bike, then I give it back to the seller and get my money back.

All that being said, if the seller has a good reputation, and the price is good enough to offset shipping costs and hassles, then go for it. I would want to see a lot of pictures first though, and whatever service records the seller has. Though a lot of guys like me DIY their own bike maintenance because it can be expensive, especially at a stealership. So lack of maintenance records is not necessarily a big deal.

Otherwise I would try to find one locally, or within driving distance, at a good price in good condition.

Saml01

iTrader: (9)

I figured. I was really eying the one I posted up top, but I thought, it could be mint like the guy is making it out to be or it could not. Low mileage doesnt say a hell of a whole lot to me, its a big perk, but if the bike wasnt ridden that can also be deceiving.

Im gonna stick to what I can find locally.

But generally speaking, should bikes be scrutinized as much as cars? more or less?

eunos1800

A hell of a lot more.

There's very few used bikes that haven't been down the road on their side at some stage.
Add to that the fact that most bike parts are usually made to be as light as possible and you can see it can be a recipe for disaster.

I've even seen brand new frames on a jig that were worryingly out of spec.

Check things like foot pegs, handlebar ends, engine casings, under the exhaust can or any other areas that will be a contact point if the bike falls over.

Also check the frame, areas like around the headstock are common places for failure in crashes.
Look at the lock stops, if there's chunks missing chances are it's been in a bad crash.

Also worth checking the seat sub frame, if the bikes been toured then these can also fail.

If the bikes been down the road it's not just the frame that takes abuse, the motor can starve of oil if left to run on it's side.


Motors these days are generally fine, they do take a lot of abuse but that's exactly what they're designed for.

If it's a fairly new bike i'd insist on a FSH from the main dealer.


Generally though it's the frame you really want to spend most the time checking.

Don't be afraid to pop off some panels or even the tank.
On the head stock i find it's better to check it with your hands as well, feel for bumps or distortions.

If it's a aluminium frame then check for small cracks.


Lastly as i said before get a ride on as many bikes as you can that way you'll eventually learn how to spot a ***** one.
I'd even go so far to test ride and look at bikes that are considered too expensive for the year/state, that way you get a good info base on the bikes your looking to buy.

Lastly things like the oil quality, both colour and consistency as you rub it between your fingers, chain adjustment (is it near it's limit), sprocket wear (are they hooked), tyre wear (hero blobs still attached?) all give a good indication on how good the owner was to his pride and joy.


Cheers
Mark

Saml01

iTrader: (9)

Headstock is where the whole steering assembly attaches to the rest of the bike?

Where are the lock stops?

Gas tank can be removed while still filled with gas?

What are "hero blobs"?

eunos1800

Aye headstock is the bit of the frame where the forks attach to.

Lock stops are usually 2 blobs of metal on the side of the headstock.
They are there to stop the handlebars turning to far and hitting the tank.

If the bike goes into a tank slapper then it's these that'll take the abuse.
Also when a bike runs into something usually the handlebars turn so you'll see a damaged lock stop.

Gas tank will depend on the bike.
Bikes with injection are a bit trickier, so it might be easier to get the seller to hold the tank up while you take a look.
For bikes with carbs they usually have a stop tap, so just switch to off and pull the fuel pipe off, they'll be a bit of fuel so it's better done on a cold motor.

Hero blobs are usually the little blobs on the foot peg.


But over here they also call them stringy bits of the tyre that are left from the mould hero blobs too.
They look like hairs sticking out on new tyres.

Looking at the tyre you can see how far the bike has been leaned over.
The lower down the tyre the more extreme the riding usually.


Cheers
Mark

ZX-Tex

iTrader: (15)

Also look for bolts that have been drilled for safety wire. In particular, look at the bolts that hold on the brake calipers, the oil drain bolt, radiator cap, the rear axle bolt and/or axle, and the two bolts on the very bottom of the fork that face forward (axle pinch nuts). If they are drilled for safety wire, the bike has probably been raced sometime in its life. If it has been raced, it is more likely it has been crashed and/or run hard.

SV-650 cranks, apparently more so in the 1st gen motors, can fail. Not sure how often it happens on street bikes, but I had to replace a motor in my race bike after the crank sheared in half between the flywheel/rotor and the cam drive sprocket. It was a classic torsional fatigue failure that initiated at the keyway. It was at Hallett, near the end of a 6 hour endurance race. That was a messed up race. The bike was crashed twice (by my team mates) and then the motor blew up. One of the crashes was an awesome back-flip at the start due to too much throttle combined with a fast clutch release. He broke his foot when the bike fell on him. We gave him **** for that the rest of the season (in good spirit). But I digress...

I had to get another motor (used). It is cheaper to get a used street motor by far than to rebuild an existing motor, just looking at parts costs alone. There is no easy way to check for a failing crank on the motor.

eunos1800

Good point forgot about that

Saml01

iTrader: (9)

^ Great points guys, I will be on the look out for all of these.

I also read about the crank failure on the SVrider forum, and it seems to only occur in the most extreme uses.

What about mileage, how much is to much?