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Best mods for SV1kS

14K views 19 replies 15 participants last post by  ForeverNorth 
#1 ·
Just got a '03 SV1kS, partly for the street and partly for the track. It's pretty much stock except for a chopped rear fender (integrated turn/brake signals) and short turn signals on the front, with smoke windscreen. Everything else is untouched.

What are the must-have, must-do mods?
 
#3 ·
K3's have rebuildable front forks, so you can do quite well in revalving them.

sv-portal.com has loads of diy engine tricks that work, like how-to's on airbox porting, drilling STV's and other things. Switching to a K5+ flywheel (stator) drops 3lbs of rotating mass off the engine. Honestly, your biker soul will be happiest with some nice bolt-on mufflers. Less weight over the rear makes the rear shock work a bit better and the sound can be great to fearsome, depending on which brand/model you get.
 
#5 ·
yeah if you're remotely interested in putting it on the track start with the suspension. If nothing else put in springs for your weight up front. Swap out the rear shock for something better: Elka, Penske, etc. if you've got the money. Just about any bolt-ons will make the SV sound right but don't expect any real power gains.
 
#8 ·
I gotta agree with what most people here have been saying, do the suspension first. At the very least, get the forks sprung and oil weight adjusted for your weight and riding preferences/abilities (just take the opportunity to get the forks serviced - new seals, etc). And regarding the shock, if nothing else i'd get a gsxr shock. They're going for $20 on ebay... sometimes $10 lol. If you can get a shock with the right spring rate for you that's great, but i think it's unlikely and i wouldn't cheap out on that. The shock is only a few bucks... just buy the proper spring for your weight after you get it.

Needless to say after you get your suspension, take the time to set the proper sag and make the clicker adjustments as good as they can be. And in general just set the bike up right to fit you before concerning yourself with HP mods. That's my 2 cents :)
 
#10 ·
Getting rid of the stock exhaust all together and installing a nice 2-into-1 will let you drop aboot 20 pounds. Bonus is that people who don't know better confusr your bike with a 650 and are astounded at the power. :D
 
#11 ·
If your not a track racer, then upgrading the rear shock to a gsxr or zx636 would be a very worthwile inexpensive upgrade. Front springs and different oil weight oil helps up front. The STV mod is really easy and noticeable, also getting rid of the snorkel and getting tank risers makes the bike sound meaner.
 
#15 ·
There are several tricks to get things a little smoother on the SV1000. Make some tank risers, just spacers to go between tank mounting point on frame and the tank itself. From what I've read anything over 1/2'' is overkill. I made mine out of delrin, turned it down on a lathe at work. Next, remove the snorkel (brings hot air from front head to intake instead of cool air from up front). If you really get fancy, cutt that opening bigger. Save the snorkel, its bigger than the ones on the 650, and alot of the 650 guys want it. All this from what i've researched gives you about 3 peak hp, and 5 hp through the mid-range. Also there is a pump next to the air-box that pumps fresh air into the exhaust. They did this for emissions. unhook the line on the bottom of the airbox, and find something to cover the opening on the airbox that the hose attached to. This causes the flames you see coming out of aftermarket exhaust on the SV1000's when their revved up. There's also a simple timing retard eliminator (TRE) that you can do on these. I can't remember what value it is....you'll have to research...but get a resistor from radio shack and solder it in. You'll have to research this, I'd tell you more about it but I haven't done this one yet. Search for TRE on svportal and you'll find everything you need to know about this. This will fix the "hiccup" you hear when you give it a little rev sitting at a stop light-but no real gains in power.
 
#16 ·
I bought my 1k with a whole mess of mods already done on it. But, compared to a stock bike, the suspension mods were most noticeable. The Penske rear is a God-send, and to piggy-back with everyone else, either go with the GSXr forks or just get yours revalved. I've got a set of Viper titanium bolt-on cans, which add a beautiful note...and they're not too expensive, either. Just food for thought.
 
#17 ·
I would suggest the following mods in order of importance both 650 and SV1000.

1. Suspension - Most noticeable improvement in handling.
2. Tires - Great tires are confidence inspiring and a safety improvement.
3. Brakes - Upgraded brake pads and stainless lines dramatically improve stopping power and brake feel.
4. My TRE for smoother throttle response down low and improved drivability. :) http://forum.svrider.com/showthread.php?t=95450
 
#20 ·
I haven't had any issues with the stock steering damper, but a K6-K7 GSX-R750 damper has a bigger reservoir and bolts right back on. They are cheap and can be refilled with a 10 wt oil for a mild upgrade that shouldn't hurt low-speed feel too much.
 
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