likely cost to adjust suspension/ergos on an SV?

[feralchimp]

My SV has quality suspension bits and Woodcraft rearsets. The rear end rides very high, and is likely also over-sprung for my weight. The ergos (even with upright bars instead of clipons) are so tight and aggressive that I'm constantly pushing myself back from the tank, and I imagine I'd have trouble getting or maintaining good body position on the track. I wasn't close to using up the ground clearance on Penguin's EX300 on Friday, so I'm pretty sure I can get away with a bit less clearance on the SV. But after Friday, I *need* to get back to the track, and I know this SV is the most reasonable platform for that. I've been having stupid thoughts about selling it to get a motard, just for the ergos.

Maybe the answer is "call GMD Computrack and do what they tell you" but funds are a little tight, so all opinions welcome.

[TheIglu]

For adjusting the suspension/ergos, just put it up on stands/blocks and adjust it as you deem necessary to get it to feel comfortable. No need to pay someone to do something that simple.

If you really want, ride it out to my place and we'll set it up exactly like my SV. It's the bees knees for both sport street and track fun duty.

[jasnmar]

(Disclaimer, I'm neither an SV or suspension expert, the correct answer is Peter Kates, that said, there's some stuff you can do).

You can find proper (starting) spring rates by going to RT - Digital Product Search (this assumes Gen 1, there's a similar Gen 2 page) and see what's right for you.

For the rear there is usually (assuming it's aftermarket) some numbers printed on it, so you can look up the existing rate and see how close it is to what you need. Do you have an aftermarket shock now?

The front requires some disassembly to investigate what's in there (unless you already know).

Prices for spring components are also there, so you have some idea what parts will be.

Also take a look at Suspension and Springs for setting sag. Again, this is just a starting point.

What makes you thing the rear is "too" high?

[feralchimp]

If you really want, ride it out to my place and we'll set it up exactly like my SV. It's the bees knees for both sport street and track fun duty.

That's a generous offer, man. I may take you up on it.

[OreoGaborio]

Is this 1st gen? 2nd gen? What year? What subframe is on there? The '03 subframe is different (higher) than '04+. If you have an 03 you could swap it out.


For me, I prefer getting right up on "top" of that gas tank... so much so that I run the higher '03 subframe on my '06. Is that "up front" seating position causing you issues getting off the bike?


Another option: Tank grips... got any? I never bothered with them until a couple years ago.

[boosten lebaron]

Peter would be the easiest and best place to go but you can get by doing it yourself. Start with the simple thing first like ride height and sag. They will tell you if you need new springs for your weight. Then it's just a matter of a couple hundred bucks or less to get the right spring rates. After that you can just play around with the settings until it rides like you want it too. If you go to a teackbday Peter is usually there to give you a hand setiing it up too.

[TheIglu]

Yeah, what year? My offer makes no sense if yours isn't a 2nd gen non-S like mine.....

[feralchimp]

What makes you thing the rear is "too" high?

Thanks for all the pointers. There's a Penske shock on it now, and Chip said he had it dialed in really well for him. I don't really have a good basis for saying it's "too" high; it might be just the right height for someone Chip's speed bombing ass into turn 9 for all I know. Just feels really high to me...high enough to distract me from other stuff I should be concentrating on, and probably higher than my max speed/lean angle necessitate?

[TheIglu]

How low are the triples on the forks?

[feralchimp]

Mine is an '03; not sure whether it was originally an S. Never had it on the track, but the front end feels great on the road. Racetech gold valves and stiffer springs in the front; very planted. Chip put a steering damper on the front; not adjustable but feels better on the highway than any other bike I've had.

[Petorius]

I have your answer. Its that fucking seat. I sold it to Chip because I hated how it pushed me forward into the tank, exactly like you are describing. That is the OEM 'Gel Seat', but there is another more common OEM seat that has a different shape. Find one, buy it. You will not regret it.

Edit- They are year-specific, due to the subframe issue Pete mentioned. So make sure you buy a 2003 seat, if you decide to take my advice.

[TheIglu]

Internals, clickers and dialed in ride height is something PK would be good for.


Getting is reasonably close and comfortable as far as ergos is something I could possibly help with.

[maxim_X]

I can't say for never seeing the bike, but rear ride height effects more than just ground clearance. Seeing as Chip had that set up nice for the track, if you didn't change anything the ride height should be right. The springs, I assume, are matched now, so just lowering the rear could change the geometry and handling without giving you the right spring rates. What I'm getting at is that for a track bike ergonomics and suspension adjustments are generally not related and independent of each other. Is it just a comfort issue? Have you tried raising your clipons? Do you have tank pads? There are rear set adjustment plates available on SVracingparts.com. You can bolt them on and lower or raise the rear sets to your liking.

[OreoGaborio]

I have your answer. Its that fucking seat. I sold it to Chip because I hated how it pushed me forward into the tank, exactly like you are describing. That is the OEM 'Gel Seat', but there is another more common OEM seat that has a different shape. Find one, buy it. You will not regret it.

Edit- They are year-specific, due to the subframe issue Pete mentioned. So make sure you buy a 2003 seat, if you decide to take my advice.

I think you can use an '04 seat as well with minor modification (shave a piece that sticks out from the bottom)

[nhbubba]

+1 to tank grips. Really does help, a lot.

I had the bars vs clipons discussion with chip once or twice. For the street, I prefer bars. But after having tried both, I think I prefer clipons on the track. Much easier to manage body position when my outside elbow lands on the tank. It gives you that reference point and helps me align my shoulders. Feel where the tank is on my thigh. Feel where the tank is on my elbow.

I think you may be better served converting that bike to clip-ons or "clubman" bars if you are serious about doing a lot of track time on it. Especially if you already have rearset pegs on it.

Clip-ons are problematic on an SV-N like yours because you cannot make them work without modifying the brackets for the headlight. For a track-only bike with no headlight this is a non-issue.


If you lower the rear it will effect how the bike turns in. You will need to lower the front as well.. which will put the seat angle right back where it was. Not the right way to fix this, IMO.

[feralchimp]

How low are the triples on the forks?

I'd need to look to get a measurement, but I don't think they're very low. I had the forks off last year to change the fork seals, and put them back in so that the top of the fork tube is just slightly higher than the upper triple.

[TheIglu]

Then it's probably what everyone else is saying. Seat/subframe.

[feralchimp]

Lol, dude you may be right about that f'ing seat. It is thick as hell, and I *do* have a stock seat that I haven't tried. I expected the height of the rearsets to feel worse with it, but maybe the push forward is the biggest issue. I'm going to put the stock seat on tonight in the garage, put on the leathers, and give it a test-sit.

[nhbubba]

Really, I'd start by slapping a pair of tank grips on it. It really might be that easy. Maybe.

[feralchimp]

ergonomics and suspension adjustments are generally not related and independent of each other. Is it just a comfort issue? Have you tried raising your clipons? Do you have tank pads? There are rear set adjustment plates available on SVracingparts.com. You can bolt them on and lower or raise the rear sets to your liking.

Yeah, I definitely want to avoid ruining the good work Chip did getting the bike geometry setup right. As far as I know, never having pushed the bike at all (and probably not pushing it near its limits when I finally do get it on track) this is just a comfort issue. Adjustment plates are probably exactly what I need.

[feralchimp]

You guys always come through with the quality advice.

[OreoGaborio]

You guys always come through with the quality advice.

I get most of my advice from Shitty Life Pro Tips

[Petorius]

+1 to tank grips. Really does help, a lot.

Clip-ons are problematic on an SV-N like yours because you cannot make them work without modifying the brackets for the headlight. For a track-only bike with no headlight this is a non-issue.

If you lower the rear it will effect how the bike turns in. You will need to lower the front as well.. which will put the seat angle right back where it was. Not the right way to fix this, IMO.

Another +1 on the tank grips. It really changed my track game.

As for clip-ons on the SV-N, it can be done. I had Woodcraft clip-ons with the stock headlight brackets, although I had an aftermarket headlight, so maybe that was part of it. I had to take the top triple off to get the clip-on clamps under the headlight brackets.

As JC pointed out, ergos should really be independent from geometry, but I'll make one comment regarding ride height- SV rear-ends tend to get jacked up really high because you lose fork travel as you drop the front end with the stock conventional forks (think of the distance between the lower triple and the fork slider). You also will have a clearance issue with the wheel, eventually. The angle of your swingarm matters too (anti-squat), so even if you had USD forks you wouldnt be able to just drop both front and rear to help ergos without messing up something else.

Hmm, now that I say it, maybe this has something to do with my bottoming issue...

[feralchimp]

Stock seat makes the bike *way* less annoying to ride. Got some rearset adjustment plates from svracingparts, but unless I can flip them over somehow they'll only let me move the rearsets up and back. Even flipping them, the rearsets would move down and further back. Tabling that issue until I resolve the issue that caused it to fail inspection: plate illumination is inop. It had one of those nifty bolt-with-embedded-LED setups but upon further investigation the wires ended at the other side of the bolt. Replacement has shipped but not arrived, so it's been Surf250L all week. F'ing righteous out.

[Petorius]

It had one of those nifty bolt-with-embedded-LED setups but upon further investigation the wires ended at the other side of the bolt. Replacement has shipped but not arrived, so it's been Surf250L all week.

Oh man, I just found some of those in my garage and I was in Somerville on Monday. Could have made the handoff.