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3rd gen. SV650 rear shock replacement.

40K views 120 replies 25 participants last post by  Troy Jollimore 
#1 ·
Hi, newbie from Italy here, who tried searching the forum but didn't find a definitive answer.
I would like guidance on selecting an aftermarket rear shock: a basic one with preload and rebound adjustments will do.

Current set-up: 2016 3rd gen SV650 (mileage close to 10k) with stock rear shock that I'm starting to feel inadequate to say the least; for crying out loud it feels like a wooden peg with a truck spring wrapped around: my mountain bike has far more comfortable suspensions.
Every road bump transmits directly to my lower back, and when I'm riding with my wife her groans can be heard from miles away.

Rider info: 180lbs (81Kg), riding mostly alone on hills around the big lake where I live, a bit of motorways for commuting, a few rides with my wife (125lbs/56Kg) on the pillion during summer weekends, occasional longer trips. I don't do track.

Model-specific shocks that I can buy on-line in UE range from € 500 up to 800: Hyperpro 460, Wilbers 640 Road, Matris M46KD are among the options, but quite expensive.

Another (possibly cheaper) option would be to buy from YSS (a Thailand-based manufacturer, probably the largest producer of aftermarket motorcycle shock absorbers according to their website) a shock that is specific for a different bike: here in Italy these shocks have been widely used and got positive reviews.
To exploit this possibility I would need to find stock ammo complete specs (eye-to-eye lenght etc.) or compatibility list: for example, would an aftermarket shock for 2012-2015 Gladius fit my 3rd gen. SV?

Thanks for your advice.
 
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#4 ·
Thanks for help, guys.
I'm torn between buying a model-specific shock (mostly Hyperpro or Wilbers that sell for some €450 in my neck of the woods, while all the rest sell for more than 550, Nitron included) or try with an aftermarket for a different model that might fit (GSXR 600/750 as suggested, Gladius but not sure it will fit) that could sell for less.
 
#5 ·
Got a confirmation from suzuki workshop: Gladius 2015 rear shock part number is the same as for 3rd gen. SV650 one.

Off to the market for a 2015 Gladius shock I go!
 
#9 ·
If you're buying an aftermarket shock, IMO it's worth the extra money to get one with a reservoir and compression adjustability. Length adjustment is also significant, not sure if the single clickers have that.
 
#10 · (Edited)
^^^^^^^ What he said. And I'll say this, those people who bought the YSS shocks and are satisfied are probably happy because they dont know what they're missing out on with the high/er end shocks but as they say ignorance is bliss.

I have length adjustment which is critical for setting the sag I believe. I have 16 levels of high speed compression, 26 levels of low speed compression, 24 levels of rebound adjustment aswell as preload adjustment and I can do it from the side of my bike with a twist of my fingers with a remote hydraulic reservoir.
 
#11 ·
Devils, length adjustment is different from preload adjustment. Preload is a collar at the spring (or hydraulic as you have) while length is typically done with a pair of nuts near the bottom of the shock. You can have proper sag but improper ride height, or the other way around.

my Penske has:
High speed compression
Low speed compression
Rebound
Preload
Length

I only have a triple clicker because I found it for the right price, I'd have been happy with a twin clicker too. I wouldn't spend much extra for the triple, but the reservoir and compression are worth quite a bit.
 
#12 ·
Guys, thanks again for the valuable info.
I'm fairly new to motorcycles, but not to suspensions.

I'm riding mountainbikes (all-mountain/enduro full suspended ones) too since several years, so I know a bit about forks and shock options.

I understand the added value of high and low speed compression regulations, as well as an additional reservoir, I have them on my enduro MTB fork and shock, and definitely like them for riding at speed on dirt trails.

I simply don't think such advanced regulations on a road (beginners) bike like the SV are that much required: on a more advanced/sophisticated bike they definitely will, on the SV they're simply not worth. I'd rather sell the bike and buy a higher-end one than spend the money to convert it.

So far a decent preload and rebound regulation will be more than enough for me and the kind of roads I normally ride on.

Besides this, I'll spend the saved money in improving the fork (I'm planning next year to fit an aftermarket complete cartridge like Andreani or Matris) and possibly the front brake.

BTW, the YSS ammo I'm buying is lenght adjustable too, having 10mm regulation from 310 to 320mm, which means +-5mm around the 315mm nominal lenght.
 
#13 ·
@Skywalker Your inexperience with motorbikes is obvious, you don't think the SV handles like a sack of **** enough to spend the money to upgrade it properly, rather you'd prefer to waste the money buying essentially a faster bike is what you are saying, all the other crap is immaterial, brakes and better suspension can all be done to the SV cheaper than what you'd buy a "high end" bike for and the SV will handle better too than most of your "high end" bikes with the proper upgrades done, but a faster engine can't really be done without spending as much as a new bike would cost anyway.

Also most people incl me can't ride an SV to its potential on the track or on the street, and you want to get a more powerful bike that isn't considered a beginners bike?
 
#14 ·
Devils, either i'm not able to properly express myself, or you totally misunderstood me.

Either way I made up my mind, bought what i was looking for, so thanks for the help, I'm done here.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Sometimes I think if I wanted a razor sharp handling bike that was track ready I would have bought a GSXR or one of the other alphabet soup bikes, maybe a Ducati 1299. I've owned stuff like that. Well, not a 1299. But I wanted a bike to go from point A to B on relatively fun and cheaply. And I could tinker around with for not a lot of money if the mood strikes. I bought an SV.
 
#17 ·
Sometimes I think if I wanted a razor sharp handling bike that was track ready I would have bought a GSXR or one of the other alphabet soup bikes.
Same for me.
I wanted a starter's bike, one that was (relatively) light, agile, and easy to work on.
The SV is perfect (for me) for this.
after 10'000 miles riding it, I'm starting to notice a few flaws, like the shock (too stiff), the fork (too soft) and (maybe) a front brake that is not that incisive.

If I can addres these flaws without investing a lot of money, I will do, because overall I like the bike and I don't need a more powerful one.
But if I have to spend half of what I paid the bike to tinker with it, I'll keep it as it is and trade it in for a better one in the future.
 
#19 ·
A third would be acceptable and it's what I have already budgeted.
I paid the bike € 6'000.
So far I replaced the muffler (€ 380), I'm buying a new shock (€ 280) and planning to ugrade the fork with a cartridge kit (€ 5/600): roughly € 1'250 for decent aftermarket parts.
I might throw in another € 4/500 for an improvement to the front brake (still undecided if I really feel the need for it), and I will be done with more or less a third of the cost of the bike, which will bring the total (bike + upgrades) in the € 7'800 ballpark.

If I were to spend some € 9'000+ on this bike buying top aftermarket components (which would surely be overkill on it), I'd rather sell it and buy a € 9'000+ new bike that won't need the upgrades I'm doing on this one.
 
#20 ·
I plan on spending around $1k (US) on suspension for a new shock and fork cartridges after the bike gets some more miles on it (right now around 2500). Other than that, I'll do a few minor brake upgrades (pads, braided lines, high temp fluid), but that's about it.
 
#21 ·
Braided lines would be a great enhancement to the SV brakes, but my bike is equipped with ABS, and switching to braided lines could cause serious problems unless the whole system is recalibrated and the SW adapted.
 
#26 ·
I spent a bit upgrading my SV. I have the following upgrades:
Penske 8983
Traxxion AR-25 Axxion Rods (cartridge emulators)
Nissin master cylinder from Blair at SV Racing Parts
Brake lines and pads
Scorpion titanium exhaust can
Crash bungs
Fender eliminator
Various other farkles

The rear shock was the most expensive, but also the most transformative upgrade for me. I could plop my butt in the seat a little too hard and nearly bottom the stock shock with preload maxed. I've since lost some weight, but I was about 220 pounds when using that stock shock. I was also a returning rider; I hadn't ridden in a couple years, so I wasn't operating the bike smoothly. Once the bike was properly sprung, my tires were better able to deal with my lack of finesse. Although I might have been better served spending the shock money on more training and track days, I'm glad I made the investment. I appreciate it more as my riding improves.

Why the SV and not a "better" bike? I like the size of it and how slow it is. I've had faster bikes. I tend to rider faster bikes faster...and I don't need to do that on public streets.

I looked into the Y.S.S. shocks you mentioned, Skywalker67. They look like well made shocks to me. Which model were you looking at?
 
#27 ·
I'll pick up a new Z-series shock this afternoon for € 280.

I wanted a simple, reliable, serviceable shock with preload and rebound adjustments.
 
#28 ·
I don't mean to turn this discussion to one in favour of our against the SV.
I chose it and I like it.
I want to improve it in those areas where I feel it needs to, to better suit my riding style.
If I can improve it without spending an amount of money that, added to the cost of the bike, will reach the price of a higher grade bike, (for me) the improvements are worth.
If the improvements + bike will cost as much as (for example) a GSX-S 750, there is simply (again for me) no point in spending money in the SV to make it look and feel like another bike that I could buy with the same money.
 
#30 ·
Will do.
Next Wednesday the workshop where I'll bring the bike for routine maintenance will also install the new shock: a few rides to adjust it and then I'll be ready to post my impressions.
 
#34 ·
And we should judge fish by how well they can climb trees too. I beat my dog at chess the other day does that mean she's a bad chess player or I'm a great one? I've ridden with guys who wobble through every turn on a 1000 and ones who blow you away in the twisties on a clapped out GS500 or a ADV bike. By generalizing a group of riders like you did then can we SV riders be lumped into first timers who are a bunch of Ducati Monster wannabes? You could throw a Ducati sticker over the Suzuki one and fool most people. I call my SV the Olive Garden, looks Italian.... but it isn't.

Anyways back on topic....

I'm really wondering about how the YSS shock is. For that kind of money, it's a doable option for a lot of people.
 
#43 ·
First report: installed the shock and made a rough setting mostly oriented to tourism.

Setting is quite a challenge if you don't want to disassemble half of the bike rear: zeroing the preload brings the preload ring very high under the saddle, and it is difficult to bring the preload wrench so up while still engaging the ring. Some help might come from removing the left stirrup for pillion rider foot peg.
Rebound setting ring on the contrary is very low and better accessed from underneath the bike.

Besides this, I went testing the setting on a 180km trip on country and mountain roads towards the swiss border.
This shock works!
Now road bumps feel like firm, gentle pushes instead of hard blows.
Even though the spring seems to be a bit on the stiff side (had to set the preload quite close to zero) I am definitely happy with this shock; basic settings, reasonable price, good behaviour on the road on a bike used for commuting or tourism.

Will report again after I'll have put some more km on it and improved the initial setting.
 
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