Scratching an itch..

[Taipan]

Are they the right heat plugs?

[Count Steer]

Errr. It's been a while since I've removed any plugs but when I did I think I'd have been v pleased to see a light tan/sandy colour like that.

[mangocrazy]

That would tend to indicate that the front cylinder is running hotter than the rear, which is not normally the case. (Or to put it another way, the rear is running cooler than the front). Either way, I'd say the front plug colour is pretty much spot on. I'd be turning my attention to the rear cylinder.

[Bustaspoke]

Thanks for the input,the plugs are the correct one's.
I've done 5ooo miles on the bike since I bought it,it's coming up to 18000 miles on the odo,starts on the button & runs fine.
I've changed lots of plugs over the years,usually a light tan colour or grey, but never seen one a yellow ochre!
Anyway I'm not fixing what's not broke,so until I do the shims they're staying in there

[Taipan]

I’ve had a few SVs over the years and been on the forums on snd off but have never heard of an end can causing a valve to burn

[Bustaspoke]

This turned up for the SV650 yesterday



Fitted it in the afternoon,checked nothing was rubbing,all seems good.I then went on the Street Triple forum & Powerbronze were offering a 10% discount to forum members
I took the bike for a spin on the back lanes earlier & no grit or gravel got stuck between the tyre & hugger



Next mod is fitting a top yoke conversion kit that I bought last year

[Bustaspoke]

Seeing as it was hosing it down again today I started on my Top Yoke conversion for the SV650.



I've bled the new brake lines & fitted the top yoke & bars,the clutch cable looks like it'll reach ,but the wiring for the left switchgear looks like I'll have to reroute it.Tomorrow I have to reroute the throttle cables & remove the security Tork bolts that the ignition barrel is mounted to the original yoke with.



I measured the height to the centre of the bar with the clip on's fitted 91 cm,with the Renthal's it's another 15 cm higher.

[Bigyin]

Renthals should help with wheelies

[Skub]

It looks betterer too.

[ChrisW]

They look like Ultra Lows? I'm got them on mine, they're a nice width/rise.

[Bustaspoke]

So earlier today I finished the top yoke conversion on the SV650.As is often the case when working on the bike for the first time a couple of thing were a proper PITA,but most things went smoothly.
The major PITA was removing the ignition barrel from the top yoke as it's mounted with a couple of security Tork bolts secured with red Locktite.
I didn't have any security Tork bits so I ordered a set from Amazon.After looking online people say don't try & remove the security Tork bolts without applying heat to melt the threadlock.As the top yoke was close to the petrol tank I decided to unplug the ignition barrel & do the job on the bench.
One small problem with this approach.Suzuki in their wisdom decided to locate the plug from the ignition switch to the wiring loom above a small tube that runs between the two frame down tubes/ spars behind a plastic cover that fits behind the radiator,adjacent to the infamous 'Green connector of death' & another connector.What a utter PITA this was to access,god knows what Suzuki were thinking when they designed it.I knew it was going to be awkward as soon as I realised where the connector is located,lots of negative comments on the web from SV650 owners having to deal with this problem..



There's a plastic panel secured with a couple of those hideous plastic rivets behind the radiator,after a lot of cursing I finally got the panel off & here's the connectors



Try getting at those connectors from above

After succeding in removing the ignition barrel & top yoke I took a hike down the road to my mate's as he's got a heat gun.We got the bolts out.I walked home & he went to the local bike night on his XJR.

[Bustaspoke]

This morning I fitted the shiny new top yoke,ignition barrel & risers.I had fitted & bled the new longer brake lines yesterday & the feel at the lever was great,much better than the old spongy lines
I plugged the ignition connectors together & refitted the plastic plate that sits behind the radiator,but instead of using the plasic pinsagain I used a couple of plastic tie wraps,makes it much easier for removal later.Next refit the radiator,then concentrate on the top yoke.
I was wary of the throttle cables sticking & I wasn't happy with the first couple of attempts,but I got it sorted.
One thing that Iwasn't sure about was how to mount the remote brake reservoir,I had no instructions with the kit & no hardware to mount the reservoir.Last month I bought a brake reservoir mount from Ebay,with a few joints on it so I could make it work.
Here's the mount



And a closer view if anyone's looking for one



After bolting everything together I took the bike out for a test ride & I'm happy with it ,
Here's the view from the cockpit



I'll try & rotate the bars a little more forward,but it's just fine tuning now.

[Bustaspoke]

Renthals should help with wheelies

I'm crap at wheelies but somehow with the clip on's I had the front off the floor a couple of times last week

[Bustaspoke]

It looks betterer too.

Yes,I think so

[Bustaspoke]

I've had this SV parked up since March,but last month I put it back on the road as it's MOT was due & I plan on using it as my Winter hack bike once again.Anyway,when I went to start the bike it wouldn't engage the starter.After messing around for a while I thought that somehow the clutch switch was playing up,I sussed it out & now it only starts with the clutch lever OUT,when you pul in the clutch lever it won't start.i took the lever off the other month to see if it would fit my new SV (it won't) & somehow it seems to have reversed it's polarity when I've re fitted it.
As expected the bike passed it's MOT,I really enjoy this Gen II on the back roads around here & I'd buy another if they still made the Gen II's,but they don't so I bought my SV650X.
I changed the oil the other week & got a shock,I've done dozen's of oil changes over the years & the bike's only done 2000 miles since it's last oil change but the oil was the dirtiest I've ever seen.It wasn't emulsified,I always warm my bikes up properly & very rarely do a short journey so I wasn't expecting this.
After I drained the oil I noticed these two small pieces in my oil drain tray.My magnet wouldn't pick them up & on inspection they're some kind of very hard plastic with very small metalic flakes in them.All that I can think is that they're parts of a cluth friction plate,any idea's/thoughts?



I went out on the bike for a spin this evening & it's great,as it always has been,but I'm now wondering if there's anything else floating around in there & potentially blocking a oil way
When I changed the oil last time I used Castrol semi synth,it's what I use on my Street Triple,but the previous owner had been running the bike on something else,I think it was full synth Motul.

[Ian]

Cam chain guides? My 7R has one in the cam cover that has a rep for disintegrating

[Bustaspoke]

I was wondering about the pieces bing from the cam chain guide,but in my ownership it's had a easy life & the motor's quiet,no camchain noise.
I'm also wondering if it's from a piece on the stator/ignition pick up.
Someone on the SV650 forum posted a similar issue but no solution.Here's a image of his problem

[Bustaspoke]

Well according to our knowledgeable mechanic friend the 2 little pieces are road grit,he says he's seen it plenty of times & Aprillia's seem to collect it more than most.As the oil was really dirty I think I'll give it another oil change after 500 miles.

[Yorick]

Well according to our knowledgeable mechanic friend the 2 little pieces are road grit,he says he's seen it plenty of times & Aprillia's seem to collect it more than most.As the oil was really dirty I think I'll give it another oil change after 500 miles.

How's grit get in?

[Bustaspoke]

He says that grit gets in when people dont clean around the oil filler before removing the dipstick & the shape of the Aprilia side cover seems to hold grit.He also said that he's not yet seen it cause a problem because the little pieces of grit sink to the bottom of the crankcase.
Myself I think that the little shards of grit could have been flung fom the front wheel & stuck on the underside of the crankcase & got dislodged when I undid the sump plug.TBH I don't know how the grit got there..