1999 Suzuki SV650

Update your progress on your various car projects.

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TireSmoker
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Post by TireSmoker »

I had a little free time today, so I finally tackled the 'mufflerectomy' on my SV. Basically, just cutting and removing part of the baffle inside the stock exhaust.

I bought a complete stock exhaust system from a guy in Parma a few weeks ago so that I could keep my stock system intact just in case I messed it up or didn't like the results. I had looked up video clips of this mod on Youtube and wasn't sure if I'd be happy, hence my desire to keep my stock setup. The spare was $70. (complete). For comparison, an aftermarket slip-on starts around $300, with full race exhaust systems *starting* at $600.

I used a dremel with flex extension, #426 re-enforced dremel cut-off discs, and a 51mm holesaw. So, I did all the work with the pipe off the bike and then swapped exhaust systems. Bikes are so easy to work on. Thanks to Chris (VeeDub) for the holesaw and the assist today.

Here the inside of the stock muffler.

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Next, this is the only material removed from the pipe.

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Finally, this is what the inside looks like now.

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It sounds soooo much better. No idea if there's any better performance, but I like the sound. It sounds like a real twin. Time and money well spent. Definitely worthwhile.

-Dave
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Getting ready for spring

Post by TireSmoker »

With the warm weather on Friday and Saturday, I was able to get the SV out a little bit.

Towards the end of last season, I noticed the rear brake not working well and feeling soft. The last time I rode it, it had no rear brake at all. After poking around, I find the resivoir under the rear seat area. It's bone dry. But, to get the cap off the resivoir require loosening the rear body work to get it out the way. After a midnight run to Walmart for DOT4 brake fluid, I was able to get the system filled and bled. It seemed ok in the garage, but when I rolled down the driveway, it went soft on me again. Brought it back into the garage and started actuating it by hand and it now appears to be leaking right out of the caliper somewhere. Used calipers on ebay are ~ $30. Not sure what a new one costs.

I installed my bar-end mirrors that I bought as a b-day present to myself. They really clean up the look of the front end.

I also replaced the tail/brake light bulbs with a couple of those drop-in replacements using a small LED grid.

Even without the rear brake, I decided to take a small ride Saturday night while the weather was still nice. I bought a new jacket during the motorcycle show this winter and like it a bunch. I definitely get less wind up my sleeves. Hopefully I've never need the armor padding in the shoulders and elbows, but nice to know its there.

-Dave
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Ready to Ride

Post by TireSmoker »

I won an auction on ebay for a used rear caliper ($25), and it turns out the place is "Cycles R Us" in Chippewa Lake (Chuppa Lake). So VeeDub and I took a ride down there to pick up the caliper. They also had a motorcycle junkyard about 3 miles up the road, so we stopped there too. Junk was the operative word.

I warmed up the garage a bit and turned on the finale of 12 Hours of Sebring race on the Speed channel. I was able to swap out the caliper without much difficulty. Two 12mm bolts, two 14mm bolts, and the brake line fitting. The replacement caliper had decent looking pads mounted in it, so I left them in there. I was able to remove the cap for the rear master cylinder without removing the bodywork like I did the first time, so that made the job easier.

The caliper has two bleeder screws, one on each side of the disc. I bled the inside first, and the outside second. I got a firm pedal after a few cycles. I threw on my helmet and gloves and a regular jacket and went for a quick spin around the block in the 30-degree weather. Brrrr. Rear brake feels good.

Brought the bike back in the garage, put it back on the rear stand and gave it a good cleaning. Waxed the painted surfaces, cleaned and lubed the chain, it's just about ready to go. I still need to change the plugs and air filter, and will probably just do the oil then too. (oil has 2k on it). Lastly, I still need to check the valve clearances, as that was due at 15k, and I'm at 17k now. If I do those 4 things, I'm done with most maintenance for a long time. I have the air filter, just need to pick up the plugs.

-Dave

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edit: posted better pictures taken the next day.
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Post by TireSmoker »

Took it out for a ride yesterday, and boy did it love the cold air. It just ran awesome. The mechanism that holds the face shield on my helmet got messed up after I dropped the helmet last year, and I've been very ginger about opening/closing the shield. It popped off on me again, so I went riding without it.

I found out from a friend that the shield mechanism should be replaceable -- I thought I was going to have to buy a new helmet. That would certainly save me some money.

-Dave
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MostMint
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Re: Ready to Ride

Post by MostMint »

Image

Quotes from your dog:

"Finally caught one of these, where's my treat?"

"Where am I supposed to ride on that?"
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TheRookie
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Post by TheRookie »

"I thought *I* was man's best friend"

"Where's my sidecar?"

"And I thought chasing cars was hard!"
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Post by TireSmoker »

Yeah, that's one of the downsides of the bike -- can't take the dog. She doesn't hang out the window of the car nearly as much, so I'm not sure how much she'd enjoy something like a side car.

Speaking of chasing cars, I did have one dog run parallel to the road as if he were trying to chase me today. (prob behind invisible fence) Annie was never a car chaser, fortunately.

TireSmoker wrote: I found out from a friend that the shield mechanism should be replaceable -- I thought I was going to have to buy a new helmet. That would certainly save me some money.
Well, it turns out that the mechanism is replaceable, and relatively cheap, at $11/pair. Good thing, because I somehow managed to break the replacement while trying to put the new visor ($25) back in. So, after buying a second set of mechanisms, I got it back together properly and now have a working helmet again.

-Dave
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Post by TireSmoker »

Just a quick maintenance update --

18,860 -- 2 new spark plugs (NGK CR8E) and air filter (stock suzuki)

Rode 340 miles in central and SE Ohio yesterday with a couple guys from SVrider.com. I started 2009 with something around 17,300 on the odometer and I'm already over 19,000. I love this thing.

-Dave
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Post by TireSmoker »

Had another great ride this weekend with Mike R. and his Ducati. We rode some really fun roads, staying in Ohio the entire time. We took Rt 11 --> Rt 7, so as to get out of NEOhio quickly and got off somewhere around Lisbon to gas up. Now done with our freeway stint, we took off down Rt 164 and were rewarded with a very nice road, with one S-section that had a left-to-right transition at the same point it had a downhill-to-uphill transition. Hard to describe, but it definitely qualified as "road porn." (don't worry, it's a safe link) We should've stopped to take a picture, but we didn't. Actually, we should've turned around to ride it again. We were trying to make our way to Zanesville to find "The Triple Nickle", State Route 555, a real roller-coaster ride that runs for 60 miles. See it HERE. This is one of the most challenging roads I've ridden -- LOTS of blind hills.

But the real point of my post is my dismay after discovering that my rear tire, at 19,850 miles is mostly used up. I don't even have 5k on it. Now, I realize I've ridden it kind of aggressively, but I didn't buy sticky soft race compound tires (or at least, I didn't think I bought tires like that). The front is somewhat more worn than I thought it would be too, but I think it will last a little while longer. Two new tires + mount/balance is somewhere around $250. Maybe I'm just being cheap. I just thought they would last longer. I'm sure the rear will be used up after my next roadtrip.

The front brakes also have a sticky point. I distinctly remember when I test-rode the bike how smooth and fluid the action was for the front brakes. I loved it. Now, there is a slight "sticky" point between very light braking and much harder braking, making it more difficult to smoothly modulate from light braking --> medium braking. Hopefully new pads and fresh fluid will remedy that.

We spent the night in Marietta at the Lafayette Hotel, right on the Ohio River. Had some drinks, a steak for dinner, and watched the Cavs lose game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

For whatever reason, we decided not to ride 555 on the return trip. We talked about it during our first stop on Monday morning, while we were still close enough to turn around. (waiting for a slow moving Sherriff's van to get up the road on Rt 26.)

I also had my first "off" -- Like 555 (and a lot of places in central and southern Ohio) there are many blind hills and unmarked turns. We were on Route 260 in Wayne National Forest. I was in front and the pace was pretty moderate, almost tame, especially compared to the day before. I came up over a hill, the road went right and I couldn't make the turn. I went straight, locking the rear tire. Thank God there was 1) no traffic in the other lane 2) a grassy field on the far side of the road, as that's where I ended up, about 10-20 feet off the road. Just beyond the grass was Creighton Ridge Cemetery. Mike pointed to the cemetery's sign and then to me as to say "That's where you're gonna end up." Mentally, I had crashed. Luckily though, no physical crash, just a small bruise on the ego. I know my bike and its limits and my own limits, but its hard to prepare for what you don't see. I don't know what happened, other than I just lost my focus at the wrong moment.

The rest of the ride was enjoyable and uneventful. We had to cut it short a little bit, as Mike was planning on skipping a family picnic, which he later found out he wasn't allowed to skip. :-) So, we skipped going back up Rt 164 in favor of a more direct route. We made it home safely, where I promptly washed off all the bugs and road grime and put it away.

-Dave
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Post by MostMint »

On the brakes my first guess is you have water in the fluid
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Post by TireSmoker »

MostMint wrote:On the brakes my first guess is you have water in the fluid
I hope a fluid change will remedy it then.

-Dave
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Post by TireSmoker »

20,600 miles

Oil Change + Filter

After checking the manual, it only states to use 10W-40 SF/SG grade or better, I used regular Pennzoil 10W40 which had a grade of SL, as opposed to "motorcycle oil". We'll see what happens.

-Dave
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Post by Basement Paul »

I think you need the motorcycle oil as it lubricates the drivetrain too. I might have some in my cabinet if you want it from the Honda...

-BP
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Post by TireSmoker »

It's a huge ongoing debate amongst the motorcycle community (about the same as whether or not WD-40 will ruin the o-ring/x-ring seals in a chain). But the owner's manual just has a 2-sentence blurb about the oil. I assume SL >= SF/SG and that I should therefore be good.

Some guys love spending money on their various lubes. Not me, I just want stuff that works.

-Dave
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Post by GMJohnny »

At work, we say " engine oil is better than no oil at all! "
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