SV 650 Race Setup

For being an inexpensive entry-level bike the SV makes an amazingly good race platform. The most important components, the engine and frame, are very good and the suspension is easily modified. Our philosophy is to not get too wrapped up in changing the bike. A good basic suspension setup and the standard pipe/re-jet mod are all anyone to needs to be competitive.

Suspension

The SV, like most street bikes, suffers from 2 main problems, fork springs and damping that are too soft and not enough rear ride height. We'll deal with the front first.

There are 5 main variables in the front end, spring rate, spring pre-load oil viscouscity, oil level and ride height. Spring rate is simple, most guys like .90 kg/mm springs, if you're significantly heavier or lighter than the "average" racer go up or down .05 kg/mm. Cut your spacer so that it comes up flush with the top of the fork tube. Oil weight comes down to a choice between 25W (made by mixing 20W and 30W) or 30W, mostly depending on your weight. If you're light enough to use the .85 springs start with 25W, otherwise use 30W. Oil level is something that there's a fair difference of opinion about. A lot of smart/fast guys run oil down around the 120-130mm level, (BTW, oil level is measured with springs and spacers out, forks completely compressed.) however we feel that lets the front end dive too fast under braking. 110mm is our preferred level. It boils down to personal preference, how you like the bike to feel. Set the fork height so that 10mm of tube, not counting the cap, is showing above the upper triple.

You may be wondering about Race-Tech emulators. We've tried them, felt that the difference they made was barely perceptable, didn't reduce lap times and basically weren't worth the time and money. To re-cap, our front end setup looks like this:

.90 kg/mm springs

30W fork oil

Oil level 110mm

10mm of tube showing above the upper triple clamp.

Total cost of the parts needed is about .

For the rear suspension we have good news and bad news. The good is that stock it's not as bad as the front, the bad is that it's going to cost some to upgrade it. A little Q&A on the rear:

            Can I race on the stock shock?

Maybe. It depends a lot on how much you weigh and how fast you are. If you're a 145lb prov nov, go for it, it'll be fine. If you're a fast expert who weighs 230, no way in hell.

            What are the upgrade options?

Call Max McAllister at Traxxion Dynamics, tell him you want a Penske shock. He'll set it up for your weight. Yes, it's expensive, about , but it's the only way to go.

            Any way to improve the stock shock?

Not really, it can't be re-valved. However, you can raise the rear ride height a bit. Obviously, dial in the maximum pre-load. Beyond that, you can make shorter dogbones for the rear linkage. 10mm shorter will buy you a little ride height and not mess up the linkage ratio too much. We only recommend this if you're on the light side, less than 165 lbs.

            I've heard some guys run a GSXR shock. Good idea?

Lousy idea. The GSXR shock is a bit too long and waaaayyy too soft. GSXR shocks typically have springs in the 425 lb range, the SV needs more like 650. Big difference. A GSXR shock could be re-sprung and re-valved, but by then you've spent a good percentage of what a Penske costs.

            What's the ideal length for an aftermarket shock?

13 7/8", measured eye-center to eye-center, seems to be a good average setting. It'll depend somewhat on tire profile and riding style.

Engine

            Should I buy a pipe?

If you're just starting out, no. The 4-5 hp a pipe will get you won't matter. After you've gotten a little faster (and maybe gotten the first ride-hand low-side out of the way) then think about it.

            Ok, I'm faster now, which pipe?

M4. Great product, great support. They've raced SV's themselves and I'd venture to bet that they have more dyno time on SV's than anybody else in the world. Get the high mount with the basic aluminum can.

            What jet kit is best?

You don't need no stinkin' jet kit!!!<g> As much as we'd like to sell you one, they don't have much value for the SV. The stock main is big enough, all that's needed is to turn the fuel screws out 2 1/2 turns, replace the stock 15 pilot jets with 17.5s and shim the needles 20 thou. This will smooth out some of the off-idle abruptness. We've got the shims and jets in stock. Lot cheaper than the full kit.

            Which air filter?

Stock.

            Does raising the front of the tank help?

Yep, sure does. We were surprised, but it makes a noticable difference, at least at tracks with a long straight. 10mm seems to be enough, but a little more doesn't hurt anything. Just be aware that this is illegal in WERA's D-Superbike class.

Other odds and ends

            What about rear-sets?

There's a number of good brands, our favorite are the Woodcraft CFM's. Get a set of their levers also, they're trick 3-piece units that let you replace just the part that's broken.

            Steering dampers?

We've used just about them all , from cheepo linear ones up through the WER and Scotts rotory types. It's expensive, but the Scotts really is the best, very smooth, progressive and adjustable. Be pretty hard to damage in a crash. The cheap linear ones work ok, you've just got to get a little creative in mounting them so they don't get taken out in a crash.

            Bodywork?

First off, you've got to decide if you want much, if any, at all. The downside is that it's expensive to buy, expensive to paint and then when you crash there's that much more to fix/repair/replace. Plus it adds weight to the bike, never a good thing. On the upside, it looks nice, and it simplifies the belly pan issue. The other extreme, which we ran back in '99 and '00, is a simple number plate bracket up front, a homemade belly pan and a Sharkskinz tail. Light, cheap and crashworthy, but kinda dorky looking and provided no wind protection. Now we're using just an upper, from an FZR600, with the tail and belly pan. Looks great, crashes well, doesn't add a lot of weight and gives a nice bubble to tuck into. The bracket for the upper is a custom item we have made, we sell those along with the fairing and windscreen. Belly pans are for sale also.

That's it for a basic SuperSport prep.