Date: Friday, November
16, 2001
From: JIM DANNIELS
Hi Folks:
I've
run into several SVS owners lately who, for a variety of reasons, wish
to relocate their clipons to a more comfortable position that is both
higher, wider and further back than stock. Some are mature (old farts)
like me, some are height challenged, (most of those being women.... is
it okay to say that in these politically correct times?) and some just
find that the semi-racer crouch is not to their liking. This wouldn't
be such a problem but for the fact that Suzuki, in all their wisdom, chose
not to import the standard SV650 up here in the Great White North.
Some
owners have attempted to use higher clipons from other bikes, like Honda's
NT650 Hawk or VFR's, while others have made up extended fork tube caps
that allow mounting the stock clipons above the top tree. I've tried these
remedies and have always been left with a problem of clearance after the
change. The clipons now either contact the fairing/windscreen, a Givi
euro-flip design in my case, or the fuel tank, when the forks approach
full lock. In order to clear both screen and tank, I've found that the
new, higher clipons then had to be adjusted to some odd, uncomfortable
angle.
I finally settled on the old fashioned handlebar and riser method of making
this work. I went to my local bike wrecking yard (Zdeno Cycle in Kitchener,
I highly recommend them) and picked up two top halves of the bar risers
found on Honda Magnas, plus a slightly longer upper brake hose. The Magna
top riser halves allow for the mounting bolts to be countersunk below
the top surface of the riser. I machined the two lower halves from aluminum
bar stock, at a height that would give me a 2" increase over the
position of the stock SVS clipons. I then drilled the appropriate holes
in the upper clamp, taking care to miss the ribs on the underside of the
top tree (this is quite a stout piece, ribbed underneath, and should stand
the mounting holes without protest). The clamps were then bead blasted
for appearance sake. I should add that you could also probably use the
stock Suzuki risers from the naked SV, but I didn't care for their single
bolt mount, and I found that they moved the bar back too far to allow
an acceptable hand angle once everything was installed. For the bar itself,
I bent a piece of 7/8" steel tubing to an appropriate angle that
allows a comfortable hand position, yet clears both the fairing/windshield
and the fuel tank when the steering is at full lock. I welded 3"
pieces of round steel stock into the ends of the bar, with theaded holes
to acommodate the bar-end weights. Also, I made up and welded on a little
clip to hold the front brake master cylinder, then painted the bar satin
black.
With
some relocating of cables to behind the fork legs and the addition of
the longer brake line, everything went together slick as you-know-what
thru a goose! This moved my hands up, out and back about two inches in
each direction. The hand angle is quite comfortable, similar to that of
an old fashioned "flat bar". I also enjoy the greater steering
control I get as a result of increased leverage allowed by the wider bar.
The bar, with it's heavy inserts and bar-end weights, transmits even less
vibration then the stock clipons. The only negative is a slight reduction
in rear-view image, because the mirrors are partially blocked by my now-wider-set
arms. I've sent along some photos of my'99 SVS, so that others might see
the completed installation, and try it as a solution to their similar
problem.
Thanks, Jim Danniels.