Looking to buy SV1K -strange test ride?

[gromit]

'Scuse any who ride an SV1000 as this is double posted over on the sv-portal.com forum, but feel reasonably safe in posting it here as well. Apart from the possible bollocking I might receive for being an incompetent plonker. :sunny:

Took a nekked 03 SV1000 for a ride today, and have come away a little confused over its handling traits.

Ok so its the cornering that's got me puzzled. I have owned/ridden sports bikes in the past, although my last bike was a road going XR250; I accept that they are chalk and cheese...

Here's the deal: I feel pretty much like as I lean the bike to go around the corner, it wants very much to turn the bars toward the corner; in effect quickly sharpening the steering. It doesn't feel like what I had imagined "tip-in" to be, however perhaps this is what this means? If I want to turn a corner just by leaning, it is quite an effort to keep the bars in a straight line, making for quite some work in corners.

Also, when on a longish corner giving it a little gas in each gear, it seems to want to stand up between each change; with the effect of essentially wobbling between the gears which feel darned unsettling and not at all smooth on a wider powered corner.

Could this all be related to tyres? Both front and rear are well worn with perhaps 1.5mm in the center. Both tires are also different brands. Perhaps I am I just being a pussy? Is this something I should expect? I went with the cash in my pocket and all set to buy it, as I had seen it previously and it is extremely tidy and very low mileage, but I came away very unsure and didn't close the deal.

All other similar bikes I've ridden are quite smooth and predictable as you lean, and this seems a real fight at each corner. Or I just let it turn the bars and drop around corners with the bars at an angle?

I suspect it is just tyres but don't want to part with me hard earned cash without knowing for sure.

What digs?? :mellow:

[chickenfunkstar]

Sounds ok to me, although the bars should be turning away from the corner. It's virtually impossible to keep the bars straight on a corner, they'll always turn toward the corner on low speed turns and away from the corner on high speed. I suppose there would be a particular speed between normal steering and counter steering where the bars would keep straight.

I'd also advise against shifting gears in the middle of corners, particularly at speed.

[DEATH_INC.]

AAhhhh, I found this when I first started riding road bikes......the turning in thing....it makes the bike wanna stand up and wobble everywhere. Some of it may be due to the tyres but I think you'll find it's normal and you just haven't noticed it before, but because yer riding a trailie and they don't do it yer feeling it now. It's funny, when myself and a couple of mates made the change (No, not THAT one!) we had all sorts of trouble even riding a roadie, in fact one of my mates crashed a gpz1100 up the curb cause he couldn't turn the thing when he testrode it......

[gromit]

Hmmm. :sherlock:
Still seems a bit weird as although far from an old hand like I say I have ridden quite a few road bikes, including just the very other day where I went for a test blat on the hi-and-sung GT650R, and nothing of the sort here.

Any (well experienced!) Welly riders keen for a :ride: on the very bike to check it our for me, pretty soonish before it sells? PM me if keen and we can arrange for a dozen or so :drinkup: whatever the outcome. :beer:

[sugilite]

I can almost assure you the feeling of the bars turning in your hands would have been due to a under inflated front tyre...usually is...

[onearmedbandit]

Quite simply if the tyres are squared off (from your post it apperars they might be) the bike will be initially reluctant to turn-in, then fall quite quickly. A round (or oval) tyre shape (across the face of the tyre) gives a much more progressive, predictable turn-in.

[Nutter34]

I'd go wiith worn tyres too. My Zed had a tendency 'stand up' over bumps mid corner when the tyres were shagged. The problem went away with new tyres....

As for the tip-in, remember, you are on a bigger v-twin, with more compression, resulting in more engine braking. Is the tipping feeling happening on entry with a closed throttle or is it on exit, on the gas?
Different bikes have different charcteristics..... me dunno the SV's.....
The Zed generally falls into slower corners and I have to get on the gas to drive it out and get it upright.

Another possibilty, nakeds tend to have slightly wider bars than sportbikes, maybe the input is feeling exaggerated due to this..... or maybe your inputs are causing it.......

[Lou Girardin]

The tyres won't help, but I've also heard that the nakeds are quite twitchy on turn in - not as stable as the faired bike.

[Grahameeboy]

I have the 05 SV and this happened to me and still does a bit despite having pre-loads upped........I think it is just a suspension set up thing.....in bike tests they said that SV has a tendancy to do this on fast bends.....plus the speed on the SV is very deceptive and when I took one for a test ride I was hitting corners too fast......

If front tyre is scolloped this wll not help so I reckon it is tyres and suspension...

[Crisis management]

Sounds like a poor tyre selection to me, worn and mismatched tyres do horrible things to handling. Couple of other points, you have to expect the bars to turn to go around a corner, the front has to steer into the corner to turn, leaning the bike alone will not do it. When you change gears in a corner (or in a straignt line) the rear will squat, the front rise and the bike will want to sit up as the fork angle changes in the corner - thats normal - its caused by the effect the chain drive has on the suspension loading.
At the risk of sounding an asshole, are you sure you are ready for a 1000cc road bike? Its a big step from an XR250. Is it worth considering an intermediate sized road bike first, maybe you should test ride a variety of bikes to check where you feel comfortable.
Feel free to abuse me if this sounds all a bit like a nana......

[imdying]

Took a K3 faired for a ride yesterday. Tip in was teh ghey. Rear tyre was so squared off that it needed plenty of inside bar pressure to get her down. New tyres would fix it right up I imagine. Big pussy cat to ride though, easier to plod around town on than the 6r, would be a big but nice step up from an XR250, if you're level headed. Subtley quick though, mucho potential to get into trouble real quicko...

[Teflon]

Did it have a 60 series on the front? i get a similar feeling going from a 70 to a 60, but you get use to it.

[gromit]

...are you sure you are ready for a 1000cc road bike? Its a big step from an XR250. Is it worth considering an intermediate sized road bike first, maybe you should test ride a variety of bikes to check where you feel comfortable...

Nah no abuse here. :dodge: Im definately no pro, but as for bigger bikes I did own an FZR750 for quite some time. Different kettle of fish but still closer than the last bike, which was just to go through the legalities of getting my full licence after how many years of sneaking around.:Police:

In saying that you do get used to what you ride I guess, so yeah it is quite weird after hoping off the XR and this is why Im checking with you guys for ya thoughts as to whther its more likely a rider or bike issue. I dont wanna miss out on a nice bike cos of some rotten tyres.

Uncle B has offered to go for a ride on it, and he has had an SV before so hopefully this might be somewhat revealing. I can handle the jandle if it just proves im a plonker.:scooter:

[gromit]

Did it have a 60 series on the front? i get a similar feeling going from a 70 to a 60, but you get use to it.

I confess to not checking the profile, but the owner reckoned they were the original tyres. Which doesnt make too much sense to me as I woulda thought they would be the same brand front and rear from factory. Michelin pilot road front and metzler (something) rear. Factory was 70.

http://www.motorbikes.be/en/Suzuki/2003/SV%201000/

[sugilite]

[QUOTE=. Couple of other points, you have to expect the bars to turn to go around a corner, the front has to steer into the corner to turn, leaning the bike alone will not do it. [/QUOTE]

Initiating a bike to turn left, you actually turn the the bars to the right to get the bike to lean over, visa versa for right hand turns....sound implausible? Try doing a series of turns one handed, the truth is out there :yes:

As mentioned, it's most likely an under inflated front, sure worn tires do horrible things to handling, but bars turning in your hands is not usually one of them...I'm the used worn tyre expert, I've not had a new set of tyres for 3 years now, I keep buying second hand tyres for racing due to budget constraints! (I've prob been through 15 sets in that time)

[Crisis management]

"Initiating a bike to turn left, you actually turn the the bars to the right to get the bike to lean over, visa versa for right hand turns....sound implausible? Try doing a series of turns one handed, the truth is out there " quote


this is counter steering which flicks the bike into the "opposite" direction but don't try holding the steering that way.....correction, please try holding the steering that way and let me know what happens!

[Devil]

I test rode a naked SV1000 as well and experienced the same problem. It was the tyres. Seems too many people had been demo'ing its burnout ability!
Once a better tyre was on, the handling cleared up.

Go for one, great bike. Very easy to deal with.

[sugilite]

[QUOTE=this is counter steering which flicks the bike into the "opposite" direction but don't try holding the steering that way.....correction, please try holding the steering that way and let me know what happens![/QUOTE]

Are you familiar with what the word "Initiating" means?

[gromit]

Thanks for all the input people!!

I just got a phone call from the buyer. He thought when I returned from the ride and told him what I thought was going on that I was, well being a :spudbn:

Anyways so he think to himself that he'll take it for a spin (It has been sitting in the garage for some time) and soon as he gets out hes like you know "Oh my gosh" and stuff.:confused:

Sewww now hes gonna take it in to get a service and look into some new tyres and get back to me. There is hope yet....:ride:

He also checked the pressures, and not sure about the front but the rear was like 18psi..:no:

Ill keep you posted with the developments as they arise...

[sugilite]

Glad to be able to give input...
you can bet the front was down as well...
They are good bikes, I'm sure you would be pleased with it if you decided to get it...

[avrflr]

Ditto the comments about underinflated, worn, mismatched tyres. I followed one of these bikes along the riverhead-coatsville road on my old gsxr1k3. I was impressed at the way it handled, including a left hand sweeper at 200+. Whenever anyone tells me they want to buy a sports twin I tell them not to forget the SV.

[Toast]

Shit tyres are going to be a problem anytime...but the fact that the bars, turn in to the corner, after the initial counter steering input, is not.

If you're hard on the gas with the rear coming around (quicker than the front, oversteer), the front wheel will be pointing to the outside of the turn. A more neutral cornering position, rolling the throttle on smoothly, will have the bars return pretty much to center, if I can recall correctly (still re-learning myself)

Just because those flash pics of 500cc GP riders show the wheel pointing to the outside of the turn, it doesn't mean that's what we're doing for every corner.

[Crisis management]

Are you familiar with what the word "Initiating" means?
Ouch.... a case of over enthusiatic posting resulting in another bloody display of my foot in mouth. I should have been a contortionist, it wouldn't hurt as much.

[Mental Trousers]

Sounds like too much trail to me. Either jack the back up a little or drop the front and see how it goes.

[sugilite]

Ouch.... a case of over enthusiatic posting resulting in another bloody display of my foot in mouth. I should have been a contortionist, it wouldn't hurt as much.

No worries bro, I'm often afflicted with the same condition! Yoga anybody? :pinch:

At least we actually read the thread right through before posting! (see above post :scratch: )