Step
1: Strip off all the bodywork.
At first blush, it is not obvious how the upper fairing comes off.
Start by removing the mirrors and then remove the windscreen. Under the very front of the windscreen is a plastic fastener.
Push the centre with a screwdriver and then pry the fastener out with
your fingernail. The fairing
assembly is now free of the steel mounting bracket.
Don’t forget to unscrew the side fairing mounts to the frame.
With a bit of pulling and pushing you should be able to remove the
fairing assembly. There are a few
electrical connectors that need to be unplugged as well.
Obviously
the fairing mount and the dashboard need to be retained if you are not using an
aftermarket fairing stay.
Step
2: Strip off the tail section and
passenger seat. Remove the seat for
ease of working in this space. The
tail section should come off almost all as one piece. There are a number of electrical connectors under the
passenger seat that need to be disconnected.
The undertray should be left in place because all the electronics and the
battery are mounted to it. Tuck the
loose electrics into the space right behind the battery and zip tie everything
in place.
Step
3: Raise the fuel tank and remove
the airbox. This is required to
gain access to the electrics and a few other parts we want to remove or modify.
Step
4: Remove the sidestand and
sidestand switch. A race stand is
required before this step. The
sidestand comes off with the two large allen bolts.
The sidestand switch is held on with the two bolts directly above.
Trace the cable for the sidestand switch back to its connector.
Should be a large green connector tucked under the back of the fuel tank.
Disconnect the connector and pull the cable out.
With the switch removed, cut the wires about 2 inches from the connector.
Solder the ends together to short circuit the system and plug the
connector back into the wiring harness. Start
the bike and make sure that it can be put into gear without killing the engine.
Step
5: Unbolt the radiator and pull it
forward without removing the hoses. Unbolt
the fan and horn. Trace the wires
back to the connectors and disconnect them. Replace the radiator.
Step
6: Remove the left handlebar switch
pod. Trace the electrics to its
connector (yellow) mounted inside the frame up against the steering head.
This is a major bitch to disconnect.
Once the connector has been separated and the switch pod removed the
clutch cutout will need to be jumped so the bike can start.
These are the two black and white or grey striped wires on the middle
pair of poles inside the 10 pin connector.
The best way to jump these wires is to cut them free of the connector and
solder them together.
Step
7: Remove the rear brake switch.
It is bolted to the inside of the frame behind the right footpeg.
Unplug the electrical connector and remove the switch and its spring.
Tuck the remaining wire under the tank with the other wires held there.
Step
8: Find the overflow hoses for the
coolant and the fuel tank. Pull the
loose ends up so they can be re-routed to a catch tank.
A very convenient place to position a catch tank is to the right of the
shock in the spot previously occupied by the rear brake switch.
Once a catch tank is fabricated and mounted, cut the three overflow hoses
to length to fit into the tank. You
may have to swap hoses around to get a good fit.
Step
9: Remove the PAIR system, which is
an emissions system and has no place on a racebike. This is a large rubber tube that runs from the bottom
of the airbox to the top of each cylinder head.
Unplug the pump and remove it from the airbox. A blockoff plate will need to be fabricated from carbon,
plastic or aluminium. Remove the
reed valve housing and reed valve from the top of each cylinder head.
Again block off plates will need to be fabricated from carbon of
aluminium.
Step
10: If desired, the shift pattern
can be reversed to the race pattern by flipping the shifter linkage upside down.
Step
11: Installing a pair of frame
sliders on the SV650 is a bit different from other bikes.
The engine mount goes all the way across the bike requiring the sliders
to come with a full length mounting bolt. One
of the best on the market is made by Motosliders (www.motosliders.com) which
come with an extra strong, full length bolt to prevent bending and aluminium
slider inserts to ensure the mounting bolt/engine mount stays tight.
You will need a pair of 17mm sockets to remove the stock engine mount.
Step
12: Suspension Basics. There are a number of shops offering fork upgrades for the SV.
Most of the major manufacturers also offer rear shocks although a
reworked GSXR unit can be had for a lot less.
Practically brand new GSXR shocks can be bought on the internet for very
little. The models that fit the
2003 SV650S are: 2001-2003 GSXR 750 and GSXR 600.
Make sure the shock you are buying is 12 7/8” centre to centre to match
the SV shock.
I
had my GSXR shock revalved and resprung by a suspension expert so I don’t know
exactly what was done to it. The
GSXR shock will bolt right in to the SV shock mounts but the battery box will
need to be trimmed extensively to get everything to fit.
One
of the things you will find attached to the front of the battery tray is a small
electrical box that contains a tip over switch. The jury is still out on whether this needs to be removed or
not. While it could potentially
cause problems if it tripped accidentally, it is kind of a nice thing to have in
a crash to stop the fuel pump spewing gas over a still hot racebike.
Due
to the rules I have to race under, I did not replace the injection computer or
install an aftermarket exhaust. Both
of which are good ideas if your racing organisation and class rules allow it.