1999 Suzuki SV650

[TireSmoker]

Well, I bought a new (to me) motorcycle tonight, a 1999 Suzuki SV650. It's a 650cc V-twin with 4 valves/cyl. It has 13k miles. 72hp, 390 lbs, (5.4 lbs/hp) and a gas tank nearly double the size of my Yamaha's. They are well reviewed as great all-around bikes. It has very good power, agile, and amazing brakes. I left a $1000 deposit, and will pick it up this weekend when I have the remaining balance.

Previous owner is an older gentleman, maybe early 50s who is the 2nd or 3rd owner and put the last 8000-9000 miles on it. He owns several different bikes, including a '69 BMW R69S (i think) and an '06 Suzuki V-Strom, which replaced the SV650. I forget what the third bike was.

It is in really nice condition. It will, however, need 2 new tires by the end of the season.

-Dave

[TireSmoker]

I brought the bike home tonight, getting caught in the rain, although I missed the worst of it.

More pics here. http://photos.studly.net

[markss327]

Previous owner is an older gentleman, maybe early 50s

Sheeesh Dave, that'll be me in a couple of months. Thanks! Just kidd'n.

Nice bike. I'm, partial to Suzy's Had 4 of 'em. Like the frame. HUGE tank, HUGE brakes, and, it's blue!

No center stand?

[TireSmoker]

This thing is mint. It is easily one of the nicest pieces of equipment I've ever owned.

You can tell that the previous owner, Richard, is an enthusiast when you talk to him. But he said he was getting some arthritis in his legs that made this bike uncomfortable for him, hence the sale.

No, no center stand, which is why it came with that 'MotoGP' style stand (what's it really called?). Blue is my favorite color and goes well with the natural aluminum frame. The tank *is* huge. Richard says he'd get 180-200 miles to a tank. And it runs on 87 octane. (even with 11.5:1 compression, according to the manual)

The seat kinda sucks, nowhere near as comfortable as my Radian's seat -- or maybe it just hasn't been molded to my butt yet.

-Dave

[wxo]

Hmmm...huge tank, uncomfortable seat. Somethin's gotta give.

[TireSmoker]

The huge tank is an asset, not a detriment. I just mean that is has more-than-adequate cruising range. It does not interfere with comfort.

The seat is definitely going to need improving if I'm going to ride it for several hours. Unlike my Radian, this bike has plenty of aftermarket support, including seats.

I've put about 130 miles on it this weekend and I'm really liking it. The handling is great, the brakes are great, it sounds cool, and is easy to ride. It has plenty of power for me. I'm really happy with my purchase.

-Dave

[markss327]

So, does this mean the Radian will be for sale?

[TireSmoker]

So, does this mean the Radian will be for sale?

Probably. I still like the Radian a lot, but this is just a better bike all-around. If I had the money and the garage space, I'd keep 'em both, but I'm not sure that's practical right now.

-Dave

[Basement Paul]

A more important question: which one is faster?

-BP

[TireSmoker]

The SV, by a long shot. I went to Thompson with it tonight, but only got 3 passes in. I went 12.99 twice in a row, and in the first round I broke out, running a 12.89. I was running an 8.80 bike and I had him covered, but it was late and I didn't care if broke out to get a good ET. 12.99 was satisfying, but 12.89 puts me solidly into the 12s. The Radian ran high 13s last time I raced, although I'm confident it would be a little better since my tuneup.

-Dave

Code: Select all

Reaction          60-ft          ET        MPH
.0635              2.11          12.993  100.15
.1295              2.05          12.999  99.84
.0352              1.98          12.890  99.41

[Fred32v]

12's with a 9 year old ride. Very nice.

[Blue_69_malibu]

isn't your motor cycle supposed to be faster than your 38 year old street car?

[TireSmoker]

Well, it has been a month since I purchased this motorcycle and I've already put 2,000 miles on it, and I haven't even ridden it much since I got back from the trip! The bike has 15,000 miles on it now, so it's due for some maintenance.

The rear tire is pretty bald, and the chain is making a bit of noise, with plenty of side-to-side slack too. Chains and sprockets are like cams & lifters -- you replace them together. I'm told typical wear intervals are anywhere from 12-20,000. Front tire, rear tire, chain & sprockets, I'm probably looking at around $400 and a couple hours of my time. Also, the factory service manual also calls for checking the valve clearance, checking/tightening all chassis bolts, and changing spark plugs at 15k. And last but not least, it's due for an oil change, and I'll probably do the air-filter too. Previous-owner Richard kept good records of what he did and when.

Once I get all this stuff taken care of, I should be good for many, many trouble-free miles for the next few years with just oil changes/chain adjustments. I have routinely gotten 50-55 mpg on each tank, which give me a solid 200 mile cruising range with the 4.2 gallon tank.

As I've discovered, zip ties are not a good way to attach a license plate, at least on this bike. I've owned three different Yamaha Radians and most of them had their plate zip-tied on at one point or another. With this bike, I lost my plate four days after I got the bike. I thought it had been stolen and reported it to the police, who told me there's been several incidents of criminal mischief in my area. Lovely. So, I get another plate (had to pay full price) and re-attached it with zip ties. Someone stole the first plate, right? Well, then one of them broke during my trip, and then another week after I got back, the 2nd plate went MIA after riding to work one day. What the hell?? I'm using my old Radian license plate now and it's held on with screws and nylock nuts. I've never lost a license plate before this. I was lucky that I never got stopped by the police after the plates had fallen off.

-Dave

[markss327]

I've owned three different Yamaha Radians and most of them had their plate zip-tied on at one point or another. With this bike, I lost my plate four days after I got the bike...

It's the vibration frequency of the mid size twin...

[TireSmoker]

Maintenance Day, 15,513 miles.

After finally wearing out the marginal rear tire, I ordered two new tires, as well as a new chain and sprockets. Chains & sprockets are sorta like cams and lifters -- change them as a set.

I decided to make today Maintenance Day on the SV. I pulled both wheels off the bike and headed down to the brand-new Suzuki dealer in Mentor. Got both tires changed & balanced for just under $50. I picked up an oil filter and oil (they didnt have an air filter)

A few weeks before I got the SV, I bought one of those motorcycle jacks, figuring it would come in handy. The only problem is that it won't work as-is with this bike, because there are no frame rails under the engine. So to get the front end off the ground, I used the hook in the ceiling for my trouble light, a ratchet strap and two handlebar soft-straps that I just picked up in Carlisle. Had my engine hoist been here, I could've used it instead. (friend has it)

After dropping the wheels/tires at Suzuki, I had a lot of grunge to clean off the swing arm and underneath. Lots of Simple Green and the pressure washer. Next up was replacing the chain and sprockets. Chris just used the whizwheel and cut the old chain apart. Mounting the new sprockets was pretty straightforward and all fasteners were torqued to spec.

Having the right tool for the job is essential. We didn't have the right ones for doing the new chain's masterlink. It was a rivet-type (as opposed to clip-type). We got the rivet-type one on the chain, but it wasn't right, and since we didn't have a chain splittling tool either, we ended up whizwheeling it apart too and getting a clip-type link. (only $6-7).

But, at the end of the day, I have two new tires, a new chain, and fresh oil. Once I get a new air filter, 2 new plugs, and check the valves, I should be good for another 10-15k miles.