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Hack to thrash

17K views 186 replies 16 participants last post by  MDM 
#1 ·
So, my long term 'hack' bike is getting a new lease of life, although it probably isn't going to be too happy about it...

After I sold my CCM Supermoto when I was made redundant when Streetfighters magazine folded, I needed a cheap ride, so bought a damaged repairable SV650 for 600 quid. It got used and abused for the following four years, with just oil changes, tyres and a set of Fatbars fitted in place of the standard clip-ons, the fairing trimmed and some heated grips fitted.

But last Autumn I decided that it was high time that I did something interesting, so the SV is getting some treatment, and being prepped as a track bike, for track days, Minitwins racing and hopefully some tarmac hillclimbs too.
So far, the bodywork is off, the standard can is off, some race rearsets have been fitted and a Honda Hornet race nosecone lined up for the pointy end.
Pics soon.
 
#11 ·
Put your phone under your pillow at night with a voice recording on repeat... 1 up 5 down - 1 up 5 down - 1 up 5 down - 1 up 5 down - 1 up 5 down - 1 up 5 down...……………………………………………………………… :yeeha:
 
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#15 ·
from the factory the shift knuckle on SVs points up, so if you flip it up vs down how it is now it'll be normal shift

there are occasionally problems with crashes pushing the shaft in and breaking the case with it pointed down, too. https://www.brgracing.com/collections/motorcycles/products/suzukisv650reverseshiftkit some places have made special parts to get around that. not all that common, but it happens at times.
 
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#16 ·
Thanks Junkie, I was happy to get used to the race shift, but the crash damage issue might persuade me to go back to a standard shift. I'd initially fitted it all as standard, for a normal shift, but there was clearance issues that I couldn't sort as the bike was squeezed in between my bike lift and the wall, and I couldn't really see what I was doing... But now I have a bit more space. ;-)
 
#17 ·
If you want to run reverse shift I'd recommend weakening the knuckle. I forget exactly what people do but they'll remove some material from the knuckle, so in a crash it just snaps the end off instead of damaging internals. Way cheaper than the BRG kit.
 
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#18 ·
you want to join the sv group on fb, tight knit group, and my buddy Sergei knows almost everythifng there is to know about them. I am continuing to pick stuff up as I get more and more of them. He parts them out, and I supply about half of his bikes, so always parts available. restoring another one right now. if you have clearance with the frame, washers underneath rearset. just pulled some nice svparts.com rearsets to throw some functional by mildly tweaked stock foot controls, and this was required on the shifter side.
 
#21 ·
just gave him 2 more tonight. he made the mistake of opening his mouth and giving me money. really built 1g track bike, and a 2g fuckpile. the group is just called sv650. guaranteed you bought parts that came off bikes i picked up lol. did you buy a gsxr front end from him? if you did it probably came from me. hes starting to understand that volume increases profit.
 
#22 ·
I'm not on FB anymore after a BS ban just before xmas, was just curious which one

no, none of my front ends came from him. PAIR shit, airbox lid, chain guard, controls, coolant res, clutch cover... I think that's all I've bought from him.

I'd like to find a good 2nd gen tank if you come across one
 
#25 ·
Managed to get a few bits done over the weekend...
Fitted the QD fuel filler, the high flow Pipercross air filter and the 'sharks fin' to the underside of the swinging arm (drilled and tapped and threadlocked)
 

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#26 ·
Also decided to have a bit of a fettle with the gear linkage, and it's now reset as a normal road change.
It meant that the shift rod was very close to the rearset backplate - as in rubbing against it close, so I marked it up with a Sharpie and introduced it to the flapper disc. Clearance created, and a little bit taken off to give some clearance for the shift rod adjuster nut at the peg end too. It now has a very clean shift, just like the standard one was, nowhere near as awkward as it was with the 'race' shift, no doubt helped by ensuring that the linkage angles were all perpendicular to each other...
 

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#27 ·
Started setting about doing the valve clearances, in the process getting distracted by fitting new coolant hoses and struggling to get the airbox and carbs off thanks to seized fasteners... Copious penetrating oil and the threat of the grinder will ensure they're off tonight, but will mean that new clips are needed for the front carb boot and front airbox sleeve. I'll order them from Suzuki once I know if I need any replacement valve shims. And I have a pair of injection model cams that I may fit while I'm in there too, I just have to check if I have the right ones... (If I remember right, they need to be injection exhaust cams to go in place of the carb model inlet cams, I think...)
 
#32 ·
a lot of the things they had me do would disqualify you I reckon, skimming barrels, reworking busa pistons, taking off the magnets and machining down rotor assembly / generator thingy, drill out oil gallery and fit cooler to first gen bike , :D
 
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