SV650 motor rebuild

[Champ]

Figure I'd post this over here for fun.

2009: I bought a SV650 track bike with a blown motor (leaned out and piston went boom).  Bought used motor on ebay to swap in, have been running that since with no problems.

2012: Decided to rebuild the blown motor.  I had since bought basically a whole nother motor from somebody looking to get it out of their garage.  It was completely apart and in boxes - about 95% complete but missing a crank.

I am taking bits from both the blown motor and the motor in the box and making one whole one.  The blown up motor was +2mm overbore, this current one will be stock bore with JE forged pistons - going to run "stock" class races, so can't have the big pistons.


Blown motor taken apart:


Hard to tell in this picture - but the piston got so hot it changed the color of the rod below it:


Blowed up good:


So onto the rebuild - I had the JE pistons from the engine in a box, but the cylinders were corroded so I couldn't use them.  Found a guy selling 2 sets of cylinders/pistons/heads.  I had 2 sets of heads from before (blown motor, engine in a box) so this gave me 4 sets, or 8 total.  (V-twin = 2 cylinders)


Took the transmission apart and cleaned it all up - it was corroded a bit from sitting in a shed:


I'm waiting on parts right now to put the motor all back together, but it has got all new bearings (crank, transmission) pressed into the cases and everything is clearanced that needs to be.  Waiting on some o-rings I forgot to order, it's frustrating!   

I decided to take the motor out of my bike in preparation for the new one, did this yesterday - you can see the 2 motors apart.  Black one on left is what's going together, silver one on right is mostly junk:


Nice day out in MN got to work with the garage open 

[Eye of the Tiger]

Stock class! 

[Champ]

Here she is from racing this year:

[Champ]

Stock class!  

Gives me an extra race  I am making the trade off for more track time vs. a marginally faster (and cheaper) bike.

No brainer.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Never seen an SV with the full fairing kit. I guess that's standard for racing. I'm not sure if I could race bikes. I think I'd hurt myself badly.

[Champ]

Never seen an SV with the full fairing kit. I guess that's standard for racing. I'm not sure if I could race bikes. I think I'd hurt myself badly.

This is my wifes bike (we have 2 SV650 race bikes, she races also but took last year off due to pregnancy) that my friends and I raced a 5-hour endurance race:


Both these bikes are gen1 (99-2002) SV650's, but with different bodywork.

[S204STi]

Nice!

I dig the garage, btw.

[Champ]

Nice!

I dig the garage, btw.

Thanks that's why we bought the place!  Not sure why more people don't finish up their garages - gives us an extra 1,000sq ft of basically living space.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I always liked the SV's, and I don't understand why Suzuki quit making them. Not like I could afford a new one, anyway. I'd love a 1st gen.

[Middle_Path]

I always liked the SV's, and I don't understand why Suzuki quit making them. Not like I could afford a new one, anyway. I'd love a 1st gen.

I researched bikes for quite a while a couple of years ago for racing/riding. That was the bike I wanted. They quit making them?

[Champ]

I researched bikes for quite a while a couple of years ago for racing/riding. That was the bike I wanted. They quit making them?

2009.

Kawasaki still makes the Ninja 650 which is quite similar (little different rear suspension, parallel twin instead of V).

[Eye of the Tiger]

Well, it left a giant hole in Suzuki's lineup. Now the only standards that they have are the little 250's. At least they still make V-Stroms, if you can count those.

[S204STi]

Out of curiosity, do you run against many EX500s?

[S204STi]

I always liked the SV's, and I don't understand why Suzuki quit making them. Not like I could afford a new one, anyway. I'd love a 1st gen.

The Gladius was supposed to be the replacement for the unfaired SV650.  I'm not sure that any seasoned riders take that bike as seriously as they did the SV650 though.

Edit:  In fact, it's not even on their webpage anymore.  I guess they axed that from their lineup.

[Eye of the Tiger]

The Gladius was supposed to be the replacement for the unfaired SV650.  I'm not sure that any seasoned riders take that bike as seriously as they did the SV650 though.

Yeah, and that lasted, what, a year or two? I don't know why they stopped. Popular as they were, sales must have slowed down...? People are probably only buying cruises and crotch rockets. Typical.

[S204STi]

In the sportbike world, 250s seem to sell really well, then Liter-pluses.  I even read that 600cc bike sales took a major dive last year.

[Eye of the Tiger]

In the sportbike world, 250s seem to sell really well, then Liter-pluses.  I even read that 600cc bike sales took a major dive last year.

Cuz people r dum. 
Guess in a few years you'll either be able to get a 250 or a 1300. Guess I should save up for a 'busa, cuz I'm done with tiny bikes.

[S204STi]

if I ever start to make decent coin, I'm totally going for a Speed Triple.

[MX793]

The Gladius was supposed to be the replacement for the unfaired SV650.  I'm not sure that any seasoned riders take that bike as seriously as they did the SV650 though.

And the Gladius was canned (for the US market at least, they may still offer it elsewhere) pretty quickly.  As was the GSX650F, which was supposed to be an entry level middle-weight sport bike like the SV-S (although much heavier than the SV, and with a more upright seating position than the SV-S).  I think Suzuki's been hurting pretty badly in motorcycle sales the past few years.  I know that in 2010, they imported practically no bikes for US sales and it seems their lineup has been cut down considerably.  Gladius, SV650, GSX650 and GSF1250 were all dropped.  The SV was pretty old, so I'm not surprised about that one being phased out, but the GSF1250 lasted all of 3 model years in the US and the GSX650 I think was only around for 2 (maybe 3).  I don't think the Gladius was around more than a year.  Looks like their 2012 lineup has been posted and I'm not seeing the GSX1250 (which was new for 2010 and basically replaced the half-fared GSF1250).  Hopefully they just haven't put everything up yet.  I saw an article previewing the 2012 model, so I'm hoping they still have some additions to make.

[Eye of the Tiger]

if I ever start to make decent coin, I'm totally going for a Speed Triple.

Oh yeah, they still make those. I'd be so happy with a Street Triple. At about $9k, it's actually pretty good deal.

[S204STi]

True, and it's a complete riot to ride.  Plenty of power, honestly, and the editor of CW has even done some sport-touring with a pillion passenger on one.

[S204STi]

And the Gladius was canned (for the US market at least, they may still offer it elsewhere) pretty quickly.  As was the GSX650F, which was supposed to be an entry level middle-weight sport bike like the SV-S (although much heavier than the SV, and with a more upright seating position than the SV-S).  I think Suzuki's been hurting pretty badly in motorcycle sales the past few years.  I know that in 2010, they imported practically no bikes for US sales and it seems their lineup has been cut down considerably.  Gladius, SV650, GSX650 and GSF1250 were all dropped.  The SV was pretty old, so I'm not surprised about that one being phased out, but the GSF1250 lasted all of 3 model years in the US and the GSX650 I think was only around for 2 (maybe 3).  I don't think the Gladius was around more than a year.  Looks like their 2012 lineup has been posted and I'm not seeing the GSX1250 (which was new for 2010 and basically replaced the half-fared GSF1250).  Hopefully they just haven't put everything up yet.  I saw an article previewing the 2012 model, so I'm hoping they still have some additions to make.

Yeah, I'm a tad concerned about the US bike market.  Seems everyone is struggling in this economy.

[Eye of the Tiger]

True, and it's a complete riot to ride.  Plenty of power, honestly, and the editor of CW has even done some sport-touring with a pillion passenger on one.

Although, quite frankly, I am a lazy fat guy, so I might want a cruiser. I would have to seriously look at a Yamaha V-Star 950 in the same price range.

[S204STi]

Used Burger King.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Used Burger King.

Those things are all kinda crazy looking. How about one of the new V-Maxes... used in about 10 years, of course, cuz they're $20k new.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Now you got me thinking... well, my mom still might give me her 1200 Sportster/nightster... so I might just be riding that. And keeping it. It's up to her, but it's just sitting there rotting while she makes up her mind.

[MX793]

Those things are all kinda crazy looking. How about one of the new V-Maxes... used in about 10 years, of course, cuz they're $20k new.

Absurdly powerful, absurdly heavy, and not much range considering the horrible fuel economy and relatively small tank.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Absurdly powerful, absurdly heavy, and not much range considering the horrible fuel economy and relatively small tank.

V-Max? Yeah, I know. Just absurd. 

[Champ]

Out of curiosity, do you run against many EX500s?

No - they run in the class below mine.  There are very few that run anymore - they aren't the "hot" bike to have for the class and are spendy to go slow.

Our org. has a spec ninja 250 class, which is slowly becoming one of the largest grids out there.  Super competitive races because all the bikes are the same - and CHEAP.  1-2 sets of tires a year, 1 tank of gas all weekend.  No motor tuning so bike cost is very low.  It also runs at the same time as the class that an EX500 would be in - so many people have just switched.

[S204STi]

Wow.  Impressive.

Yeah, I was curious about tuning the ol' EX500, but there isn't much out there anyway.  It's in rough shape anyway.  Wish I could upgrade to a newer, nicer model, but that's not in the cards anytime soon.