2003 sv650 parts & advice :-)

[Alvecchio]

Just picked up a 2003 sv650 that was crashed. Looking to make it a dedicated track bike(maybe race bike?) for next season. I'm new to the 650s and would greatly appreciate any advice on some things they benefit from on the track. My goal for this bike will be a little at a time as I'm not a seasoned racer by any means. I have a wishlist of some things I know I would want and would like input on where to score some parts it needs.

Here's what it needs(to my knowledge)

-A radiator(bent in the crash)
-Upper fairing stay...actually I think the left side fairing stay is the only straight one.
-brake lever
-shifter pedal

On the wishlist...
-race plastics
-woodcraft stuff(sliders, rearsets, clipons)
-ss brake lines/fluid/pads
-gmd worked front end
-new chain
-exhaust
-better rear shock(ideas?)

I'm sure I'm missing something. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Alex

[csmutty]

http://www.nestreetriders.com/forum/...the-track.html

[SVenpointsixtwo]

A GSXR 750 or 1000 shock will transform the rear end feel completely. Lots of take-offs kicking around, but be sure to pick up some 1/2" raising dogbones to compensate for the shorter shock.

The stock SV650 front end was pretty bad too, especially for track duty. I would recommend swapping it with USDs from a GSXR, or the beefier, adjustable standard forks from an SV1000. I actually have a set of forks/triples/calipers/stabilizer off my SV1000 from when I swapped it for GSXR components, if you're interested. It'll all bolt right up.

[Alvecchio]

Thanks for the fork offer but I forgot to mention I wanna keep the bike ss legal.

On the shock, I'll keep an eye out. Any ideas on price or where to get that link?

[darkduc7]

if youre looking to make it more track freindly, i'd skip the gsxr shock and go penske. it will treat you far better in the long run, and set your swingarm up to the right height.

[Charlief]

if youre looking to make it more track freindly, i'd skip the gsxr shock and go penske. it will treat you far better in the long run, and set your swingarm up to the right height.

I absolutely agree. The Penske I got from GMD has totally transformed the bike. I also have the stock front done with .95 springs and racetech gold valves. Best money spent.

[Alvecchio]

Arent the penske shocks a little pricey? Or am I thinking elka?

[darkduc7]

Arent the penske shocks a little pricey? Or am I thinking elka?

they are pricey. but....

1. it will correctly setup your swingarm geometry

2. fully servicable/rebuildable

3. youll get it sprung/valved for your weight

4. youll never feel the need to upgrade as you better on the track, or if you start racing.




from what i hear, the gsxr shock is a great step up for like 100 bucks, for the street, but do it right the first time if youre looking to progress. im in the same boat, in the market for a penske for my sv. i cheap out on a lot of things, but for this bike, on the track, i think suspension should be the focus of your cash. plus crash protection.

[Alvecchio]

What does a penske shock offer that a gixxer shock doesn't? I'm just trying to weigh out cost/benefit. I'm just barely intermediate trackday worthy(tonys) on my er6n so between a new bike and being new to track riding I'd think a 65 dollar shock would make more sense than a 600 dollar unit thus far no?
I don't mind spending money but value is important to me also. If a penske shock will be only a little better for ME and my own situation(not racing yet) but 10 times as much then I'd rather go more affordable for now. I'm catching on relatively quick but I don't wanna push it yet. Hell I originally thought I'd bump up to the yellow group with Tonys pretty quick after watching some videos but actually being on the track and wanting to master the basics put my bar a little lower than I'd originally set it.
I'd like to consider getting into racing next season but I'm taking one step at a time.

[BLACK SQUIRREL]

I have A set of SV650 Calipers Stainless lines with New Carbon Loraine Race spec pads You can have for 80.00 if your interested.

[Alvecchio]

I have A set of SV650 Calipers Stainless lines with New Carbon Loraine Race spec pads You can have for 80.00 if your interested.

How old and what condition are the calipers in?

[darkduc7]

What does a penske shock offer that a gixxer shock doesn't? I'm just trying to weigh out cost/benefit. I'm just barely intermediate trackday worthy(tonys) on my er6n so between a new bike and being new to track riding I'd think a 65 dollar shock would make more sense than a 600 dollar unit thus far no?

its certainly a step up for cheap. from what ive read, it just doesnt offer the geometry the proper penske will, and it wont be sprung/valved for your wieght/application. im not saying its a bad choice, but suspension is the most important thing on any bike, especially on a lower powered bike where youre going to wanna shine by carrying corner speed. a gsxr unit will certainly keep you happy for a while, but i guess its all about what youre looking to do.

im skipping all cosmetics on my sv just so i can afford the right springy parts, its gonna be ratty!

[Kurlon]

What does a penske shock offer that a gixxer shock doesn't?

Correct valving and spring rate for your bike and setup.

The gixxer shock is setup for a different linkage system with a correspondingly different rate of action. Weight distribution is different between those machines, how they transfer weight, etc. Yes, it may be 'better' than the stock cheapest thing Suzuki could find boinger but it won't be right. For all the gain you'd get by swapping in a gixxer unit, you'd get that same gain again if not more on top of it by going to a proper unit built for you and your bike.

Plus, you're not throwing money at a shock that is likely already worn out before you get it, and isn't serviceable without spending BIG bucks.

If you're going to spend money on suspension, don't half ass it, do it right the first time. It's cheaper in the long run than trying to evolve it in small steps.

[darkduc7]

thats what i was trying to say, but you said it better

Correct valving and spring rate for your bike and setup.

The gixxer shock is setup for a different linkage system with a correspondingly different rate of action. Weight distribution is different between those machines, how they transfer weight, etc. Yes, it may be 'better' than the stock cheapest thing Suzuki could find boinger but it won't be right. For all the gain you'd get by swapping in a gixxer unit, you'd get that same gain again if not more on top of it by going to a proper unit built for you and your bike.

Plus, you're not throwing money at a shock that is likely already worn out before you get it, and isn't serviceable without spending BIG bucks.

If you're going to spend money on suspension, don't half ass it, do it right the first time. It's cheaper in the long run than trying to evolve it in small steps.

[Alvecchio]

Correct valving and spring rate for your bike and setup.

The gixxer shock is setup for a different linkage system with a correspondingly different rate of action. Weight distribution is different between those machines, how they transfer weight, etc. Yes, it may be 'better' than the stock cheapest thing Suzuki could find boinger but it won't be right. For all the gain you'd get by swapping in a gixxer unit, you'd get that same gain again if not more on top of it by going to a proper unit built for you and your bike.

Plus, you're not throwing money at a shock that is likely already worn out before you get it, and isn't serviceable without spending BIG bucks.

If you're going to spend money on suspension, don't half ass it, do it right the first time. It's cheaper in the long run than trying to evolve it in small steps.

Alright you sold me. Haha.

On a serious note I understand fully what you're saying and it does make perfect sense and seem like the wiser choice. Like i said, i don't mid spending the money if it's gonna be worth it. Sounds worth it. Plus I got all winter to score a shock.

How bout the motor. It's got 18k on it. Sounds and feels healthy and strong but again I'm unfamiliar with these engines. Anything I should be looking for? I'll be draining the coolant and switching to track/race friendly fluid and changing the oil and filter.

[BLACK SQUIRREL]

How old and what condition are the calipers in?

Perfect condition Caliper were cleaned and rebuilt used for 2 race weekends then put in a box as spares.

[darkduc7]

Alright you sold me. Haha.

On a serious note I understand fully what you're saying and it does make perfect sense and seem like the wiser choice. Like i said, i don't mid spending the money if it's gonna be worth it. Sounds worth it. Plus I got all winter to score a shock.

How bout the motor. It's got 18k on it. Sounds and feels healthy and strong but again I'm unfamiliar with these engines. Anything I should be looking for? I'll be draining the coolant and switching to track/race friendly fluid and changing the oil and filter.

seems that we have the same project this winter. just yours is a 2nd gen, mines a 1st gen.

im checking my valve clearances and doing a 2nd gen cam swap. other than that im leaving the motor alone. if you need help checking the valves, i might be able to help.

you might also look into getting your airbox desnorkled. i also know of a guy selling a hindle exhaust for 200 bucks.

btw, there is a couple shocks out there right now that might work for you. one is an ohlins and i think one penske. the penske is easier to get serviced/uses common seals, ect, but the ohlins is tasty. i think the ohlins is 500. set up for 170lb rider

[Charlief]

My bike is not pretty. Hell its even been called shitty..... but it handles well and I have a blast on the track. I ride in the yellow group at Tonys TD.

I'm not fast by any means but the bike goes where I point it and does not wobble in any of the turns. Comparing it to the stock suspension is night and day. Before the upgrades going into T3 and T6 would cause me all kinds of trouble.

The shock was about $720 (8983 Penske) and the forks were done by a friend. The racetech kit was about $200 I think...not sure on that. The timing of the shock purchase was perfect for me...Penske lowered the price and I bought it on tax free weekend from GMD!

Install of the shock is easy and took all of 30 minutes.

If you're trying to find a used one online....good luck. They go quick and usually are only about $100-150 below new. Plus they might not have the proper spring or may need to be rebuilt.

The shock and tires are the only things I paid retail for....everything else was used/ebay/homemade. So the money I saved on those items went towards hight priced goodies.

Have fun shopping! ya got the whole winter!

[SVRACER01]

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What does a penske shock offer that a gixxer shock doesn't? I'm just trying to weigh out cost/benefit. I'm just barely intermediate trackday worthy(tonys) on my er6n so between a new bike and being new to track riding I'd think a 65 dollar shock would make more sense than a 600 dollar unit thus far no?
I don't mind spending money but value is important to me also. If a penske shock will be only a little better for ME and my own situation(not racing yet) but 10 times as much then I'd rather go more affordable for now. I'm catching on relatively quick but I don't wanna push it yet. Hell I originally thought I'd bump up to the yellow group with Tonys pretty quick after watching some videos but actually being on the track and wanting to master the basics put my bar a little lower than I'd originally set it.
I'd like to consider getting into racing next season but I'm taking one step at a time.

*sigh* I don't know....what does a Porshe offer that Hyundai wouldn't. Don't put a gsxr, zx, or any other oem shock on there if youre looking to improve handling.
People look at the weight on the shock spring and automatically assume that its better than stock because its a heavier spring.
That's preposterous. There is so much geometry and leverage involved in shocks.

For arguments sake:
Let's say that a stock Sv shock is rated at 400lbs
And let's say a gsxr shock is 800lbs
(idk what the real #s are)

The gsxr shock must be better because it has a stiffer spring and its adjustable. But why is it stiffer? The weight difference between the bikes is minimal. The gsxr makes more HP but why should that really matter, at least not enough to make the spring twice as stiff.
The reason is leverage. the way that the shock linkage is set up on each bike is different therefore creating different forces on the shock. For example I think Ginos hawk has 1000# shock on it but a busa might have a 600# shock.
So if you put a gsxr shock on it may be way too stiff and no amount of available adjustment is going to make it better.
You are much better off buying an aftermarket shock (penske,elka,ohlins) that is designed for the leverage that your bike produces. As far as I know a Penske gsxr shock doesn't work on an Sv so why would an oem gsxr shock work on an sv?
It's big money I know, but worth it.
As PK would say: if you can't afford to do it right, then how will you afford to do it over?

[Jim]

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Is a GSX-R shock is SS legal? Figured I's toss that out since you mentioned wanting to keep it SS legal.

[Kurlon]

You can change shocks, but not the mount points on the frame/swingarm.

[Alvecchio]

Svracer thanks for that outlook. That does make sense. I'm pretty savvy to mechanics but don't know about race shock design so I have no real means of comparison, hence the post. I understand what you mean about the mounting points and leverage as the linkage goes through it's motions. I didn't know if there were some interchangeable parts that work well enough to just be a bolt in.
Looks like I will be hunting for a penske or equivalent shock.
How about fairing stays. Where might I score some? Checked argos. They don't do parts anymore and the place they sent em to doesn't have any.

[SVRACER01]

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Vortex

[OreoGaborio]

Keep your eyes peeled for a used Penske or Ohlins shock.

If you're hellbent on putting some other bike's stock shock in there till you either find or save up for a Penske or Ohlins, then whatever... it's not gonna be WORSE than the stock shock, but you're gonna wanna get rid of it if you ever ride a bike with the right shock so you'll just end up swapping shocks twice instead of once. I'm more of a subscriber of the "do it right the first time" method.

+1 on vortex fairing stay. Not many other options out there.

Racetech springs & Emulators are the typical go-to for fork upgrades. That's what I raced on last year until I had Peter Kates work his magic & put together a custom cartridge set-up, but the emulators were good enough to get me into the sub 1:20's.

Exhaust I wouldn't worry about too much right now. That can come later. Concentrate on getting the bike track worthy first (suspension & tires) then worry about trick bits later.

[Alvecchio]

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Vortex

ah i'll have to check that out, thanks