COPY OF EMAIL SENT TO SUZUKI GB ON FRI, 29 OCT 1999

I obtained your email address by rining Suzuki GB on 01293 766000 and asked for an email address to send feedback to. I hope you can deal with this email, if not, please forward to someone who can.

My name is Kevin Jones and I own a March '99 UK registered SV650S. I also own and run the largest (unofficial) SV650 website on the internet and as such receive on average 45-50 emails per week from owners and potential owners. The site has been running since Dec 1998 and is called http://www.sv650.org

My reason for writing is that there are two issues with the SV that keep cropping up again and again. I am writing on behalf of all the readers of my site and I hope to be able to update them on the outcome of this email to you.

I will briefly explain the two issues :

*****

1) Cam Chain Tensioner. Many many owners, including myself, experience very noisy engines especially when run-in and hot. The noise is like a ticking and the idea that the cam chain tensioner may be causing a problem was mentioned. Several people have gone back to their Suzuki dealers and have had the cam chain tensioners replaced. Other have gone back and been told the noise is normal.

I note that the Hayabusa is being recalled for a cam chain tensioner replacement.

Have you had anyu feedback from your dealers with regard to this on the SV? Will any action be taken by Suzuki GB or information released to dealers or SV owners?

2) Water in the fuel. The problem of surging and loss of power has been long reported on the web site and after many reports the problems have either been related to front cylinder spark plug problems (mainly getting covered in mud and road grime) or related to water entering the fuel.

It would appear that if the breather pipes under the hinged tank get crimped then they do not perform as desgined and water is unable to move away from the filler cap. When the cap is openned water gets into the fuel. Also there does not appear to be a seal between the tank and fuel filler and it is suspected that water may seep in there.

Most cases of surging or carburation problems have been reported after bikes have been washed (not pressure washed) and left in the rain.

*****

So far, we (myself and the website readership) have been unable to get any response from Suzuki GB about whether Suzuki GB accepts these issues as known faults
or whether there is any action that will be taken by Suzuki GB.

I understand that you may not be able to answer some of my questions directly but I would hope that you could reply to me with some positive response.

You may feel that I am unjustified in requesting feeback from yourself and/or suzuki GB and that we should each communicate with our dealers instead. This may be the case but it is clear that www.sv650.org has influenced many people to buy SV's worldwide and presents the bike as a fantastic motorcycle thats worth trying/buying (I am a fan of the SV afterall!!).

You need only read some of the readers comments (the whole site is based on readers comments and feeback) to get a feel for the high's and the (not so many) low's of the SV.

Any positive feedback from yourself/Suzuki GB would be gratefully received.

Many thanks for your time,

Kevin Jones, Shropshire, UK
Email : sv_650@yahoo.co.uk
Website : http://www.sv650.org