Loan of an SV?

[slofox]

do I still want THIS bike?

Same question has occurred to me in recent times.

I have had the fronts done but not the rear - yet anyway. I have also put a Two Bros slip on on it. I am tempted to look at a power commander as well.

Just now I think the answer to that question, for me anyway, is "yes". I will hang onto it for a while yet. So far, nothing else has ticked all the boxes. Besides, I am yet to realise all the potential of this bike. I like its stability, I like the light weight and its flickability. It goes fast enough and is damned economical to boot.

I'll give it another year and then ask the question again...

[Pussy]

Hey Miss L.... be wary of the cheap crap Taiwanese emulators available, too.
They're made of aluminium, and get eaten in to by the springs very easily. They also have very soft poppet springs, which once compressed, don't return to their original length.
They are a cheap copy of Racetech ones.... avoid them like the plague

[Jacko2]

Hiya Girl.
"Forkoil" may still have his. It had the front work your talking about done.
Give him a PM, he's on the shore, nice guy.

[erik]

I've got emulators in my sv, but its got 0.90kg/mm springs for me (80kg) on the track so it probably wouldn't be a good comparison.

If you get the correct weight springs for yourself and set the sag and change the fork oil, it can make a huge difference. I'm quite happy with my bandit with just new springs and oil.
You could try that and then install emulators later if you're still not happy. Even just setting the sag and changing the fork oil can be an improvement.

[Gremlin]

If you're going to keep the bike, get the work done, the front suspension in the SV650 is terrible.

However, if you're not going to keep the bike, you'd be surprised by how basic they are, once you have ridden some other bikes. Ask Zapf, he found the same thing when he rode a SV650 after several other bikes in between.

[Robert Taylor]

I've got emulators in my sv, but its got 0.90kg/mm springs for me (80kg) on the track so it probably wouldn't be a good comparison.

If you get the correct weight springs for yourself and set the sag and change the fork oil, it can make a huge difference. I'm quite happy with my bandit with just new springs and oil.
You could try that and then install emulators later if you're still not happy. Even just setting the sag and changing the fork oil can be an improvement.

Disagree. The Bandit is not a good comparison because at least it has cartridge forks and the oil flow dynamics are quite different. At least the damping makes an attempt at being speed sensitive within the constraints of budget build.
With bikes such as the SV ( with damper rods ) 60% or greater of the problem is VERY POOR HYDRAULIC CONTROL. There is simply next to no low speed ( fork velocity ) damping control giving that soggy feel and a propensity for almost uncontrollably blowing through their stroke on especially aggressive application of the front brakes. But yet when you ride over something abrupt the fixed orifice damping holes choke off in flow rate and that manifests itself as a jackhammer feel coming straight through the bars at you.
This whole issue is exacerbated by standard fitment progressive springs which are too soft in their start rate meaning that the forks will ride lower in their stroke. In the later reaches of stroke they ramp up in rate too aggressively.
Simplistically: Springs are about position, damping is about controlling rate of change of position. A lack of ability to properly control rate of change of position is the number one issue here.
Given a choice I would fit RACE TECH EMULATORS ( and not shonky poor performing Asian copies ) BEFORE fitting springs.
There are settings for road use and there are settings for track, they are quite different. As I have also mentioned in another thread there is a lot that can get overlooked when fitting emulators, they are best fitted by technicians ( not parts fitters!!!! ) that have a LOT of experience with such work.

[erik]

Disagree. The Bandit is not a good comparison because at least it has cartridge forks...

The bandit 400 has damper rod forks, very similar to the sv.

[Robert Taylor]

The bandit 400 has damper rod forks, very similar to the sv.

Apologies, assumed it was a 1200 but the content of the post is still 100%relevant. I would still choose to fit emulators before springs, in most cases.
Properly fitted and tuned emulators and springs are the very first and very best mod you can ever do to an SV650.