sv 650 info

[Guest]

Hi all,

I'm looking at a first gen sv650 with the gsxr front end swap already done to it, what is considered high mileage for these bikes? This one has 24k on the clock. year 2000, asking 2k. Thanks for your help!!

greg

 

[Nessism]

If it was crashed and the front end replaced the gauges may not be the originals. 24k miles is nothing as long as it's the true mileage and the guy didn't ride too many wheelies (which starves the engine of oil).

 

[marvinsc]

What Ed said, if the bike was maintained 24K is nothing. What year model? Mine is an 06.

 

[Guest]

right. I "think" it wasn't crashed, he has the original front end to go with it. No way to know on the wheelies, (I have heard of the oiling problems with these) guy SAYS no wheelies, but you know about po's....heh. Thanks for the response!

 

[Guest]

year is 2000.

 

[marvinsc]

24K on a 16 year old bike qualifies as lightly used. I really do like mine, the power to weight ratio seems perfect and it has all the torque you will ever need down low.

 

[SVSooke]

I'd still have my 06 SV650S if it wasn't such a bear on my wrists and if I didn't miss the wrenchingYeah I coulda changed the bars but it just would have mucked up the lines IMO.Like my 85 750EF at least as much as the SV.

 

[marvinsc]

Don't think I could deal with the S model bars either. Glad mine is an "N".

 

[Guest]

thanks guys. Now I gotta convince my bride I need a third motorcycle......

 

[lurch12_2000]

I have a 2003 SV650 naked model and it's fuel injected. The 2000 is a carb version as they switched over in 2003. Prices are trending good for these bikes. The non fairing model sitting position and h-bars are more upright and comfortable and I prefer. 2up riding is not really an option with the passenger peg location, so don't try to sell your wife on that. Solo riding is excellent. A great bike that handles well and has great power band, but not the balls of the old GS1100E. Very light but stable. Unless you are getting a great price on that 2000 I would keep shopping some more. With a 4.5 gal tank and approx 45-50mpg you should get a 175+ mile range without wondering where the next gas station is. These bikes have been known to have been abused with stunting on the street or beaten up at the track so pay attention to the owner history. I bought mine off the original owner, all stock, with just 12k on the clock in excellent condition. Just needed a new set of tires, oil change and some riding. I have no problems with the suspension on the street and wearing the new tires close to the edge, but I only weigh 165lbs. Even the stock setup is light years ahead of the old GS suspensions.

Note....btw, how is my old GS1100ES doing?

 

[Jedz123]

If it was crashed and the front end replaced the gauges may not be the originals. 24k miles is nothing as long as it's the true mileage and the guy didn't ride too many wheelies (which starves the engine of oil).

VERY VERY common swap is to go to the GSX-R front end on the SV650's. Allot of people go that route on perfectly good running machines... Oil starvation is only found in the Gen 1... They got that right by 2003 (or Gen 2).

 

[Guest]

hey lurch, the es is running great. Planning to get the exhaust ceramic coated this winter. One reason I would get another bike is so I could heap abuse on it at the track rather than the ES....though she DOES LIKE IT, I would hate to send that bike downrange. Also, I could ....trackify and potentially repair an sv much easier than the es.....

Im figuring that worst case scenario I could take the gsxr front end back off and sell it for whatever (500?) and flip the sv for what i would pay for it. Could probably get it for 1800.....

 

[Tim Tom]

SV650'S make great track bikes. There is club level racing class for them, Superlight twins I believe, so there are plenty of parts and information out there regarding bike setup, making more power, whatever you'd want to know. The Gen 1 are favored because they are the lightest of the bunch. I wouldn't be scared of the mileage, and the front end swap leads me to believe he took care of the bike fairly well. I say go for it!

 

[tkent02]

Is there anything about the SV's engine that would make it wear out faster than the typical 100,000 plus of the average GS?

I wouldn't think so since the Weestrom uses a slightly detuned version of the same engine and they seem to last forever.

 

[Jedz123]

The SV650 has a weak bottom end for the original engine is based off a 400cc twin. IN STOCK FORM it will last forever its when you add power that reliability becomes an issue. The magic number is 85hp. When you start to reach that or go past it your asking for inevitable crank shaft failure. Great bike stock anyway, it will never getaway from you. If your looking for more power and bullet proof bottom end your better off getting a SV1000... . But on that end of the coin the torque produced by the 1000 is very hard on stock clutch baskets and sending those out for re-manufacture is an inevitability... Once re-manufactured correctly they will last the life of the bike.

Also Be sure to replace water pump seals. They tend to leak every 20k miles or so causing coolant to mix with oil. It seems the 1000's are more prone to this issue however they do go on the 650's as well...

 

[tkent02]

Good info, thanks. Are the water pump seals easy to replace or do you have to take a bunch of stuff apart?

 

[Jedz123]

I did mine relatively easily Tkent. The cost for the seal assembly was $25 if I remember correctly (i'll pass that info on when I dig it up) I want to say with 90% certainty the the 650 and 1000 use the same part... You do have to remove the clutch cover to do it, there is a c-pin that holds the pump to the cover. I had my cover off so I could send the clutch basket out for re-manufacturer. The pump seal was leaking on mine but figured while the cover sat on my bench while I waited for the basket, I might as well do it.

 

[RichDesmond]

Hi all,

I'm looking at a first gen sv650 with the gsxr front end swap already done to it, what is considered high mileage for these bikes? This one has 24k on the clock. year 2000, asking 2k. Thanks for your help!!

greg

They seem to wear out around 130-140k miles. Number of examples of that for both SV's and V-Stroms.
Wheelies are death on them, both gens. Oil pickup is in the front of the cases.
GSXR fork swaps can be good or bad, depending on the year/model of the donor bike and the setup expertise of the swapper. GSXR forks are all shorter than SV forks, and the triples have more offset. Both those reduce trail, which can lead to stability issues and lack of front end feel.

Overall they are great bikes, I've had a number of them (racing and street) starting from the day they were released in '99. The can be made to handle astonishingly well if you're willing to spend the money on a good shock. My race bike handles better (much better actually) than my Ducati 848. They are also a very fun street bike, ranking up with the RZ350 out of all the bikes I've owned.

Let me know if you have any other questions about them.

 

[RichDesmond]

...The Gen 1 are favored because they are the lightest of the bunch...

The weight is very close, the first gen frame is a bit stiffer though. It's also easier to turn the first gens into Superbike trim for racing, because they start out carbed.

 

[Tim Tom]

The weight is very close, the first gen frame is a bit stiffer though. It's also easier to turn the first gens into Superbike trim for racing, because they start out carbed.

Ahh. I knew there was a reason the early models were preferred for racing, I had heard it was because they were a bit lighter. But it makes sense they'd be easier to upgrade.