converting a FI bike to Carbs ?

[RandyO]

been havig serious problems with my V-strom 1k, wire harness has cancer, sensor issues and ECU issues, never was happy with the FI even when it was running right, not as reliable, especially for cold starts as the carbs on my 1st gen SV650. Converting to carbs could very well be the cheapest way to fix my Vee

Thoughts?

how would I go about it ?

[SRTie4k]

I think by the time you found all the parts to make a conversion (if you can find them at all) and tune it, you'd have spent the same amount it would cost to fix the electrical issues you have now.

[Paul_E_D]

This doesn't answer your question, but sometimes complete wiring harness replacements aren't as expensive as you might think. Did you price that out?

[RandyO]

This doesn't answer your question, but sometimes complete wiring harness replacements aren't as expensive as you might think. Did you price that out?

price for parts that I need new are $3k± even with the substantial discount I get at my dealer, ECU alone is $1k (retail over $1200)

[SRTie4k]

Have you checked ebay, advrider, vstrom forums for parts?

[Kurlon]

You'll have two issues to sort. The first, tossing the throttle bodies and shoving carbs in their place, will be the easy one. The second is coming up with an ignition system, you may be able to adapt flywheel/pickups/etc from a first gen SV, maybe not. I'm not 100% on how many differences there are between the different generations of that motor. Plan on a whole new wiring harness from scratch... not sounding like a fun project.

[gamorg02]

that seems like a headache just waiting to happen. even more so than fixing the current electrical.

[TheIglu]

If your wiring harness is shot, are you sure your ECU is shot too?

Sounds like a good time to find a part-out donor bike.

[jwm2k3]

Anyone got any wooden wheels i can put on my bike? Im just not into this newfangeled 'cast' idea...

[e30addict]

Maybe look into how different the wiring harness is on your bike vs. SV1000, SV650 or DL650.

Might vastly improve your odds of finding a cheap donor making that another alternative for a cost effective fix.

[PhilB]

I'm thinking that if you like the older carbed version, you could probably just go find a good low mileage one of those and buy it for less than it will cost to fix or convert the one you have. Transfer any of your good farkles from the one you have to the "new" one, and voila!

PhilB

[RandyO]

If your wiring harness is shot, are you sure your ECU is shot too?

Sounds like a good time to find a part-out donor bike.

I'm more likely to find a used bike and use mine as a donor to upgrade suspension, pretty sure ECU is shot, had a problem with it last spring as well, corrosion on a couple of the pins

[RandyO]

I'm thinking that if you like the older carbed version, you could probably just go find a good low mileage one of those and buy it for less than it will cost to fix or convert the one you have. Transfer any of your good farkles from the one you have to the "new" one, and voila!

PhilB

suzuki never made an older carbed version, I have thought of getting my SV on the road instead, with a used motor, I could rework my rear shock to fit the SV

[RandyO]

You'll have two issues to sort. The first, tossing the throttle bodies and shoving carbs in their place, will be the easy one. The second is coming up with an ignition system, you may be able to adapt flywheel/pickups/etc from a first gen SV, maybe not. I'm not 100% on how many differences there are between the different generations of that motor. Plan on a whole new wiring harness from scratch... not sounding like a fun project.

I doubt that 650 ignition bits will fit a 1k, I'm thinking my best help/advice would come from someone who had turned a TLS into a flat tracker, I know for fact that TL flat trackers have been converted to carbs,

[DaveZX6r]

Honestly. I'd just go thru the bike first with an fsm and multi meter and start testing parts and making a list. Get the sv on the road for now. And just buy used parts on eBay piece at a time. Hell when I had my fzr one of my ignotors went, it was 250 from dealer. I ended up getting an entire wire harness with all electrical parts including the cdi box ignitors spark plug wires boots etc for 150 shipped. Remember you don't NEED new just working lol.
Getting the carbs working will be easy its getting the ignition components together that will get pricey/ complicated.

I think by the time your done converting parts over to carbs it will be alot more work a money than just keeping your eyes open and waiting for some good deals.

[RandyO]

SV needs engine, rear shock and rework forks. have already gone thru bike with test meter, harness is trash fzr's are common compared to Strom 1ks, used ECU's with no warranties other than claiming to come from a running bike are $500+ and I have found none for 07 or newer

[DaveZX6r]

Oh one more thing ax far as the ignition goes I believe that dynojet actually makes custom prograble cognition modules for custom builds. They are pricey but might help in that respect.

[DaveZX6r]

SV needs engine, rear shock and rework forks. have already gone thru bike with test meter, harness is trash fzr's are common compared to Strom 1ks, used ECU's with no warranties other than claiming to come from a running bike are $500+ and I have found none for 07 or newer

Blech i didn't realize that. Although if you can find a local place with an ecu you could always go there and ohm it out before paying. I didnt realize it was that hard to find parts for the stroms. sorry dude.

[nhbubba]

Looks like the SV1k and TL-S were EFI too. So no OEM setup to look too for the DL1000.

All I can add is; good luck, hope you are riding again soon.

Argo in Raymond has an '06 DL1000. Price is not right, but close to your parts guestimate.

[RandyO]

Looks like the SV1k and TL-S were EFI too. So no OEM setup to look too for the DL1000.

All I can add is; good luck, hope you are riding again soon.

Argo in Raymond has an '06 DL1000. Price is not right, but close to your parts guestimate.

ya, the only carbed versions I know of are converted TL engines for flat trackers, parts bike would need to be 07 or newer

[nhbubba]

...parts bike would need to be 07 or newer

Bummah.

Is this because of the early EFI issues?

[Rossco]

Honestly. I'd just go thru the bike first with an fsm and multi meter and start testing parts and making a list. Get the sv on the road for now. And just buy used parts on eBay piece at a time. Hell when I had my fzr one of my ignotors went, it was 250 from dealer. I ended up getting an entire wire harness with all electrical parts including the cdi box ignitors spark plug wires boots etc for 150 shipped. Remember you don't NEED new just working lol.
Getting the carbs working will be easy its getting the ignition components together that will get pricey/ complicated.

I think by the time your done converting parts over to carbs it will be alot more work a money than just keeping your eyes open and waiting for some good deals.

This

I say start searching on ebay, you should be able to find parts eventually. In the meantime, why not pick up an old 80s UJM to ride around? I'm pretty sure you could get something for less then a grand, then sell it for about the same.

[SSearchVT]

It all depends on what type of fuel injection it has. Early release throttle body in an open loop system (no ignition or mixture feedback) could be as simple as pulling out the old (including the fuel pump) and dropping in a set of carbs. As far as there never being a carb'ed V-Strom - does the block trace back to earlier carb'ed bikes? Engineers are typically lazy - they don't move casting bosses or change designs unless they have to. Earlier model parts will take effort to hunt down, but should be bolt in...

[Paul_E_D]

I like the "buy a used bike and use yours for parts model. If I were your, I'd look into "hardening" whatever bike you do end up getting on the road. Encasing ECU in liquid tape, greasing the hell out of all connectors, etc.

[nhbubba]

As far as there never being a carb'ed V-Strom - does the block trace back to earlier carb'ed bikes? Engineers are typically lazy - they don't move casting bosses or change designs unless they have to.

I take offense to that. Engineers are not so much lazy, but rather QC and cost constraints are very, very real. For everything you change there is an order of magnitude of QC checks that need to be updated, documentation, diag checks, etc, etc.

With that off my chest.

That's kind of what we were looking for; an example where the DL1000's engine was used in a carb'ed bike. I am only aware of the TL-S and SV1k using that engine. Both were apparently EFI from day 1.

Anybody know anything else.