[Tsunami]

I've always heard that the SV's have crappy suspension. I being a newb and 100 lbs can't tell one way or the other.

So what exactly is wrong with the suspension and what upgrades can I do to it? I've heard of heavier fork oil and i'm getting a real cheap gixxer rear shock that i heard works well on SV's.

 

[ls14ever]

I've always heard that the SV's have crappy suspension. I being a newb and 100 lbs can't tell one way or the other.

So what exactly is wrong with the suspension and what upgrades can I do to it? I've heard of heavier fork oil and i'm getting a real cheap gixxer rear shock that i heard works well on SV's.

If you weigh 100lbs. Set the sag and let it be for now. The suspension problems are mainly for heavier people.

 

[Rich Williams]

Think about going round your favorite corner. Now put a nice bump right in the best spot in the corner. If you have to slow down before the bump then the suspension isn't doing its job. Under ideal circumstances, you could ignore the bump and the suspension would still keep the tires planted correctly and the bike wouldn't bobble when it hit the bump.

I weigh 145 with gear and the roads in NJ where I ride are very bumpy. If you go round a corner, hit a bump and it feels like there's a hinge under the seat that is bending back and forth - that's the crappy suspension not doing its job.

I did my forks first. I figured while I had them apart I'd do as much as I could for $200. I put in heavier oil, springs and emulators. A definite improvement. The front end felt much more compliant and the front tire stayed on the road soooooo much better.

I went the gixxer shock from ebay route for the back. That too was a big help. The bike is so much more comfortable to ride, and I have much more confidence going into any corner.

I don't know if being 100 lbs means the suspension is OK. If you've got a few $ for mods, this is the best place to spend those $'s.

-Rich

 

[Tsunami]

my husband rides my bike too until we get one for him and he tells me its a bumpy ride. he tells me that the suspension is too stiff, but i could've sworn i've always heard that it was too soft!

i did feel a lot of bumps on the front end when i went riding over the weekend. i felt like i was riding a galloping horse. and thinking back i never felt that on my EX500.

 

[Vee2win]

I think the harsh ride is more due to the piss poor damping curve of the rear shock. Over large bumps, it is over damped and rather than soaking it up, it just sends the force right through the bike and to the rider. On smaller, more gradual bumps..it is probably just fine. At least, that is how my '03 acts.

the front forks will ride better if you instal emulators. The springs are probably fine for you though. I completly got rid of the front end harshness when I installed emulators (even with much stiffer springs). Basically they let the fork soak up large bumps better than the stock forks. there are other benifits, but that is the main point of the upgrade. Spring stiffness will have less of an effect on how ths suspension soaks up large bumps than the damping curve in my limited experiance.

I think if you ask the SVraceShop guys...they may say the same thing.

 

[NOsquid]

Don't fix what ain't broken. Don't get caught up in the forum hype.

 

[Benda]

Don't fix what ain't broken. Don't get caught up in the forum hype.

word.

 

[{PMS}fishy]

From what I found with the stock end, was that it had no damping what so ever, it dives horribly under breaking, even though it was over sprung for me. As well as it flexes alot, chatters over bumps, and doesn't do a very good job of keeping the tire on the ground, and pointed in the dirrection you want it to go.

I swapped to a GSXR 1000 front end, mainly becuase my buddy wrecked his bike, and gave me a really good price. The front end is still a bit over sprung, but tracks much better, doesn't dive under breaking, and is overall a better ride.

Don't call it hype untill you have tried both. The stock suspension is fine for putting around, but inspires no confidence, and with out serious work, simply sucks.

You get what you pay for, and Id rather have the bike come how it comes, with the price that it caries, than it be more expensive with better suspension.

The best part about the SV, is all the stuff you can do to it.

 

[andyauger]

Change the fork oil

You should change the fork oil. 15W if you weigh under, say, 175#, 20W if you're heavier. Other than that, learn to ride, put a few thousand miles on the bike (say 25,000 or so) and then think about making major changes. It may be true that the SV suspension leaves something to be desired, but a new rider will not be able to tell the difference. I've been riding for a long, long time and have taught many people to ride. The SV, with its cheapo crappy suspension, will ride rings around many "better" bikes.

 

[Tsunami]

i just bought an 01 gixxer shock from my buddy since it was only 20 bucks. figured if it wasn't a good fit, i can always ebay it for double the price. i did hear that its shorter than the stock rear shock although i haven't really done much research. is that true and is it more trouble than its worth?

 

[Benda]

Don't call it hype untill you have tried both. The stock suspension is fine for putting around, but inspires no confidence, and with out serious work, simply sucks.

i think what we're trying to say is, ride the stock stuff for a while until you can determine for yourself that it's not working well enough for you.

 

[B.a.]

unless your really nailing the turns or racing the stock rear shock and the front for that matter are good enough. the best thing to do first is just try playing with the preloads. i probally weigh near 200 with my gear on. i bumped up the rear shock 2 clicks and gave the front 2 full spins and the bike handles much tighter. but as some one else said thats not the problem its once you hit the bumps. although the rear shock isn't exactly excellent at dampening, for probally 75% of the people out there it will work fine. unless your out there dragging or coming close to dragging your knees i see no problem with the suspension. although i will say that i've logged about 7,000 miles on my 05 naked in the last 2 months and i will tell you i'm thinking of upgrading the front and rear. but then again i do alot of riding and ride pretty hard and next year i might think of doing track days. but in the end i can run my mouth all i want, but the most important thing is what you want. if you have the money on hand and want to go for it who i'm i to tell you how to spend your money.

 

[SVandST]

The stock suspension really does suck and you don't have to be a racer to tell the difference. A good suspension will help keep the bike under control during track riding but it will also give a better ride during normal street riding. You only know what you've tried. It comes down to what you want (and can afford) to spend. But if you take money out of the equation, those who say the stock suspension is just fine I doubt have riden a well set up bike. Believe me, you'll notice the difference.

 

[DucOwner]

I've always heard that the SV's have crappy suspension. I being a newb and 100 lbs can't tell one way or the other.

So what exactly is wrong with the suspension and what upgrades can I do  to it? I've heard of heavier fork oil and i'm getting a real cheap gixxer rear shock that i heard works well on SV's.

If it's okay for you now, just leave it alone. If you decide it needs help later on, there are many options. Enjoy it and make him get his own bike! ;D