Just Added an SV650 to the Stable

[DrMikey]

Found an '01 that's been sitting in a shed for a few years. Needs chain, sprockets, cables, fluid changes, etc., but should be rideable with some TLC.

Sold my original SV in '02 and have missed it ever since. Rode a cruiser for awhile (I lived in Des Moines then, so it wasn't a bad thing. That's been covered in another thread). Since the cruiser, I returned to my BMW roots. Now live in a part of the world that is made for riding an SV, and can add a second ride to the stable.  Long term plan is to give it the cafe treatment.

Can't wait to to take it out on the alphabet roads around here. Should be ready by next weekend. Here are a few pics:

As she was straight out of the shed:


Grungy!


Lever busted, but functional:


D'ya think I should get a new chain?


Cleans up nice, though:

[Sport-Touring]

[stromgal]

  Congrats!

I was just admiring my son's (former Hickey's wife's) SV when I was over there today, and thinking "man I love that bike."

[rauchman]

Very cool.  My 1st bike was a brand new 2002 SV650S in silver.  Loved that bike.  Enjoy!!!

[Volfy]

Great platform for a project bike.  Seems like everybody loves the SV.  Everybody... except Suzuki, who treat it like a red-headed stepchild.  If only they would get their heads out of the GSXR's ass and pay the V-twin line some due respect, the SV's could do for Suzuki what il Mostro does for Ducati.

[Dan K]

I rode an SV and didn't really care for it.  Had an upgraded suspension, lowered bars and handled like wood. Took way too much effort to make that bike do the things it can do. To each their own.

- Dan

EDIT - Just re-read that...sounded too negative.  As a disclaimer, the SV I rode was owned by the guy who was buying my Daytona 675, and (with cash in hand) gave him a test ride while I joined him on his SV.  He actually bought the Daytona and left me the SV with the keys and instructions to ride it as often as I could before he came back to get it. I rode it a few times, and it was a solid performer, but I guess I was comparing the handling to the Daytona, which is an easily handled scalpel...

Anyway, not trying to rain on your parade. Enjoy fixing up that bike!

[stromgal]

Lever busted, but functional:

Both of the levers on my Strom look similar.  With a file, you can smooth them nicely into 'shorty' levers.  

[DrMikey]

So, after a new rear tire, headlight, chain, sprockets, choke cable and a couple months of tinkering and puzzlement, the naked SV is finally on the road.  Took it to a shop, Rod's, in LaCrosse to have the carbs cleaned.  The hope was that they could find what I could not.  Apparently they did.  They set the idle circuit and sync'd them, and it goes like I remember mine went back in 2000-2002.

Man, this thing is more of a hoot now than it was then.  Of course, Des Moines was my locale with the first SV.  There are something like 8 curves in all of Polk County, so it's prolly not a fair comparison.  Southwest Wisconsin county roads are the SV 's bread and butter.  With a set of grippy Michelins it can be flogged here such that the Marquis de Sade would blush.  But, as an old italian once said, a motorcycle with new tires is like a new girlfriend: "You gotta holda her hand before you kissa her. If you try to go too fast, she get away from you, and-a you get hurt".  Thanks, Guido.

It vibrates more than I recall my '00 did, but now I like to run a lower gear and dial up the revs more than I did then.  A bit buzzy through the seat above 5K.  Still very smooth at traffic speeds.  The ride feels smoother than it did then, too, but it is still a featherweight compared to just about anything else I've owned in the last 10 years.  Wouldn't want to take it around Lake Superior again, or even to Green Bay for that matter.

But man, it's a blast going naked in the summer sun.

Cheers.

[antimatter]

I added an '07 SV650 to the stable myself.  After a lot of debate, I'm beginning to understand all the fuss about a lightweight street v-twin.  Mine really needs some suspension upgrades, which I'll try to get around to next year.

[Tusk]

Contact J.D. Hord at Hordpower.com for any parts and/or service work you may need. I've been dealing with him for my HawkGT for many many years. He's a V-twin Guru and specializes in Ducati's, SVs and Hawks.

There's a bit of a revivalry between HawkGT and SV owners...but there's one undeniable fact. "Getting 90hp out of Hawk...near impossible (reliably). Getting 90hp out of an SV? Easy." (quote from J.D.)

Glad you revived and are enjoying the "barn find"!  

[VTWIN]

NICE BARN FIND. I got my '03 SV 1000s last Dec. and I absolutely LOVE this machine. She is by far my favorite bike I've owned over the last 20 years. The guy I bought it from is a coworker and he did tons of upgrades ie. GSXR 1000 front and rear suspension, power commander, yoshi pipes, fender eliminator, and several other things. He hooked it up and changed his mind.  He bought a Harley and I came off one. That won't happen again I just put new Michelin Pilot tires on and can't wait till I can take her to the NC mountains.  Enjoy!!!!! Merry Christmas

[Dutch]

I wasn't down the road 30 seconds with my first ride on an SV650 and remember thinking "Oh yeah - that's what all the praise is about".
Perhaps the new Yamaha 3 cylinder has some of that rare quality with Japanese bikes - character.