sv 650 info

[tkent02]

Good info, thanks. Are the water pump seals easy to replace or do you have to take a bunch of stuff apart?

[Jedz123]

I did mine relatively easily Tkent. The cost for the seal assembly was $25 if I remember correctly (i'll pass that info on when I dig it up) I want to say with 90% certainty the the 650 and 1000 use the same part... You do have to remove the clutch cover to do it, there is a c-pin that holds the pump to the cover. I had my cover off so I could send the clutch basket out for re-manufacturer. The pump seal was leaking on mine but figured while the cover sat on my bench while I waited for the basket, I might as well do it.

[RichDesmond]

Hi all,

I'm looking at a first gen sv650 with the gsxr front end swap already done to it, what is considered high mileage for these bikes? This one has 24k on the clock. year 2000, asking 2k. Thanks for your help!!

greg

They seem to wear out around 130-140k miles. Number of examples of that for both SV's and V-Stroms.
Wheelies are death on them, both gens. Oil pickup is in the front of the cases.
GSXR fork swaps can be good or bad, depending on the year/model of the donor bike and the setup expertise of the swapper. GSXR forks are all shorter than SV forks, and the triples have more offset. Both those reduce trail, which can lead to stability issues and lack of front end feel.

Overall they are great bikes, I've had a number of them (racing and street) starting from the day they were released in '99. The can be made to handle astonishingly well if you're willing to spend the money on a good shock. My race bike handles better (much better actually) than my Ducati 848. They are also a very fun street bike, ranking up with the RZ350 out of all the bikes I've owned.

Let me know if you have any other questions about them.

[RichDesmond]

...The Gen 1 are favored because they are the lightest of the bunch...

The weight is very close, the first gen frame is a bit stiffer though. It's also easier to turn the first gens into Superbike trim for racing, because they start out carbed.

[Tim Tom]

The weight is very close, the first gen frame is a bit stiffer though. It's also easier to turn the first gens into Superbike trim for racing, because they start out carbed.

Ahh. I knew there was a reason the early models were preferred for racing, I had heard it was because they were a bit lighter. But it makes sense they'd be easier to upgrade.

[Z32650S]

I echo Rich's comments. I have owned both a race and a street SV for almost a decade and can say they are a blast to ride and make for great reliable bikes all around (track or street).

They come stock with a pretty bulletproof engine and are relatively easy to work on if you choose to add power. I have upgraded the cams, air filter, pipes and jetting, suspension among a bunch of other things on these bikes (I like to work on bikes). They will only start to self destruct if you go on pushing power beyond 80hp with stock engine internals. Also, plenty of used and new performance parts are still being made for the carb 1 gens (99-02). GSXR front end swaps are very popular as noted before just be sure the Speedo is working correctly with 4 equally spaced earth magnets on the front wheel or disc. This maintains the Speedo calibration. You will also want to check the R/R to see if it is OEM or, if you're lucky, has been switched out for an upgraded MOSFET unit. Do a stator & R/R check with a volt meter at the battery. You should have a steady 14-14.5v (approx.) at the battery @5k rpm. OEM R/R are known to fail as they are the self destructing shunt type.

They are relatively noisy engines (endearingly referred to as angry sewing machines, lol). However, you will want to ensure the cam chain tensioners are working well and that no chain slap is heard. Some examples are available on YouTube. Hope this helps you in your decision and getting a good deal. Cheers.

[tas850g]

I've converted my '04 650N into a race bike and I strongly agree with everything Rich has said. If you want it to handle well then get a Penske rear shock and stiff'n up the front fork springs. It rides/handles like a pogo stick with the stock shocks/forks.

$1800 is a good price for that SV with the GSXR front end, if it's in good shape, and runs well. On occasion you can find them for $1500 but it doesn't happen too often. 24k miles is low mileage.

[greg78gs750]

Well, the dream is dead. Wifey put the kibosh on the idea. She's probably right. But....I had another idea....enjoy!

https://www.gofundme.com/gregsmidlifecrisis

[Gamma1]

Hi all,

I'm looking at a first gen sv650 with the gsxr front end swap already done to it, what is considered high mileage for these bikes? This one has 24k on the clock. year 2000, asking 2k. Thanks for your help!!

greg

I have a 2001 SV650 with 65000km on the clocks. Runs great. Have all the parts to do a GSXR front end conversion with ZX636 swingarm and GSXR 5.5 rear rim for this spring.