[kev_b81]

if all goes well and the deal doesn't fall through, i will be the proud new owner of a 05 sv650s this week...I just wanted to see what people's suggestions were with regard to mods/work to the bike

my plan:
-oil change
-frame sliders (are swingarm sliders a good idea/necessary too)? how difficult is the install?
-the bike still has original tires (1500 mi) - should i change these given the age of the tires even there is no signs of damage visible?
-clean and lube the chain

anything else?

as far as my background, im moving up from a ninja 250 that I had for 1.5years..did some of my own work to it (e.g. clean carbs, valve adjustments, oil changes, etc).

 

[silversx80]

Tires are probably a little older than 5 years; might be a good idea to replace (the ContiRoad Attacks are nice). Frame sliders are easy to install (get some motosliders). Everything else on your list looks good. Finally, snoop around the site, I'm sure you'll find stuff you want to do to the bike.

Preemptive congrats ;D

 

[bearly_sane]

Depending on your weight, you may want to consider upgrading the shock and the fork oil and springs. That was the second thing I did to mine and it made a world of difference in the ride. There are some stickies on here about how to change those out, etc.

 

[SDRider]

Sounds like a good list. I'll add a battery tender to your list though and get that battery charged back up if it hasn't been neglected. 1500 miles for an '05 is nothing...it's barely broken in.

I'd probably replace the tires just because they are probably getting hard by now.

 

[kev_b81]

thanks guys..hopefully the guy doesnt back out..we left on a handshake (he had to take care of a couple small things) but he seemed like a straightforward guy

im 5'8 165 lbs..does that warrant a suspension upgrade?

i used to have my 250 on a battery tender but now i moved so I don't have a garage..so i wont be able to put the tenderer on when I park my bike..that reminds me that I need to look into security measures

I look forward to being part of this board! just browsing it, there seems to be a wealth of info!

 

[silversx80]

I'd say to ride the bike and get a feel for it before you start adjusting suspension, you're not too bad off right now but you may want to upgrade in a few thousand miles. It'll make the ride more compliant and stable.

The most common upgrades are fork springs, fork oil (SonicSprings is a good place to go) and a shock swap (off a GSXR or Kawi ZX). You'd be better off with an aftermarket shock from Ohlins, Penske or Elka but they're pretty expensive. New fork internals make a world of a difference too. Race Tech has some cartridge emulators that aid in damping and Traxxion Dynamics has an emulator drop-in kit (what I have) which is incredible.

 

[yo419g0tamin]

Welcome, as a new comer (kinda) myself I find this a great board always someone to help, some bashers but you will always have them, +1 on the springs and oil for forks and the shock upgrade mine is a different story kinda as I'm 6' 3" 190lbs and tires are a must I say, SLIDERS (get them now) I have had two drops not crashes and my bar ends, clutch lever and shifter are damaged with scratches to my lower fairings and abit on the mirrors.

 

[Lost1888]

If your parking outside get a cover and a disk lock, cable lock, and a lock for your cover. Unless you are in a real secure place you feel safe parking your bike at. For you I would get some good gear if you don't have some already. Helmet, Jacket with armor and some boots.

All the other stuff mentioned is a good place to start for the bike. Especially tires and sliders!

 

[ASCSurveyor]

-For security buy insurance.

-For crash protection get motosliders.

-Make sure you have gear.

No point in spending a lot of money on the bike if you've never ridden it.

 

[kev_b81]

thanks guys..luckily i have all my gear already since ive been riding

when you guys recommend sliders, do you mean swingarm sliders too?

 

[silversx80]

I bought mine with the motosliders because I needed spools too. Two birds.

 

[suzukisvnut]

I'm relatively new to the sv's as well as i had a ninja zx-6 before. From what i've gathered after spending many hours on this site is that the sv650 forks and shocks are absolute crap after 5,000 miles. http://www.traxxion.com/ will hook up your front forks for just $250 while the rear shocks will also need upgrading. A lot of ppl end up using gsxr shocks but you need to make some adjustments to make them fit. I haven't decided what i'll do for my rear shocks.

 

[bcj]

If the bike already has spools on the swingarm, probably not value in getting new ones. If not, get them in the same package with the frame sliders. You'll be wanting a rear stand eventually or be able to use a borrowed one.

A battery tender won't be needed if you ride it regularly. If you're out and around on it for an hour within 2 or so weeks you'll be fine. If you pull things apart for servicing that will take longer, taking the battery out and having a tender inside would be a good thing. A batt charger, trickle charger and tender are different things. The chargers won't shut off when they reach the peak. The tender will.

New tires. New brake fluid. Clean, Lube & adjust the chain.

The SV650 was designed for 160 lb. riders. You shouldn't have any issues with the shocks from anyone but the mod junkies

 

[kev_b81]

one of my friends mentioned that this bike is really twitchy at low speeds but there is an easy mod to make it less "twitchy"

is this true? if so, what is the mod?

 

[dream36realms]

it is a little touchy and there are several things you can do to remedy it even though that touchyness is not bad and you get used to it quick.

1. Install a Yamaha R6 throttle tube. cheap and easy under $20 mod will cut back on the amount of throw needed to go WOT
2. PAIR removal and block off. Same as removing it from your car, it will help a little but not much.
3. aTRE. This will be the best thing to get rid of that problem just do a search for it.

None of these will dramaticly change the bike since it is generally tourquey down low. I wouldnt worry about it too much because it isnt like it will pop up on one wheel and toss you into a house or anything (ask me how I know).

 

[Jan Zoellner]

it is a little touchy and there are several things you can do to remedy it even though that touchyness is not bad and you get used to it quick.

1. Install a Yamaha R6 throttle tube. cheap and easy under $20 mod will cut back on the amount of throw needed to go WOT

And that helps the touchyness in exactly what way?

Ciao
Jan

 

[daviddowns2000]

one of my friends mentioned that this bike is really twitchy at low speeds but there is an easy mod to make it less "twitchy"

is this true? if so, what is the mod?

What does your friend mean by "twitchy?" I wouldn't say my '05 is twitchy in any way.

Ride the bike for a month or two and see if anything bothers you. If it does, come back and ask how to fix or improve it. Unless something is broken, worn out (unlikely at 1500 miles), or defective, chances are very good that you will find it to run and ride perfectly fine just the way it is.

Clean, lube, and adjust the chain, change the oil, check the tire pressures and coolant level, change the brake fluid, and just go out and get used to riding it for a while.

 

[kickinitSVstyle]

Great idea for a thread, kev_b81. I'm about to buy my first SV like you, "if the deal doesn't fall through."

 

[kev_b81]

just wanted to say im officially the owner of a 2005 sv650s

ahh a good day now i just wish it was a little warmer out!