Front Suspension
Try this from sv650.org FAQ list great site try it.
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Here's a piece for your FAQ section. Oh....OK then....
My reworking of the SV continues - just thought I would send the lazy way of changing the fork oil and adding spacers - without removing the forks!
Lets face it, removing the front wheel, mudguard, calipers, forks etc is a right pain - there is a better way and it can be done in under 15 minutes! You need a thin bamboo pole about 3 foot long, 2 metres of 10mm flexible pipe, a bent nail, 1 litre of fork oil and a selection of 35mm washers. You are now ready to convert the washed out front suspension without removing the fork legs and it can be done in under 15 minutes!
First loosen the fork caps, now jack up the front wheel clear of the ground.
Remove the fork caps completely - dont worry about the caps popping upwards with spring tension, there is none!
Remove the metal spacer tubes from inside the forks.
Attach your bent nail to bamboo stick with tape, grovell inside forks and pull up to remove spacer washer, then grovel again and remove the spring.
Remove bent nail, insert bamboo pole into one leg, until it goes to the bottom - careful, the bottom has a recess in, get it right and you will feel the pole go down another six inches.
Pull back out and mark oil level on bamboo stick with black marker pen for reference later.
Attach pipe to bamboo stick right at the end and again send to inside of forks, down into recess. Suck on pipe and all the oil will magically drain into can. Catch what can! - Whoops sorry you need a can to catch oil in! Process takes about two minutes and does remove all the oil! Drain second leg same.
Pour 480ml of 15 sw oil into first leg, insert bamboo stick and careful top up to reference mark made earlier. Follow suit with second leg. (Mr Suzuki was a full 30mm different from one leg to the other in my SV - you now have two perfectly balanced legs - 489 ml is the correct amount per leg)
Insert springs, then amount of washers to increase preload that you require - I inserted 15mm each side and it feels not bad. The washers must be 35mm exactly, anymore and they will not fit inside the legs. I managed to find some at 35.5mm and had to grind the .5mm off.
Just drop an equal amount in each leg and top off with the original suzuki washer.
Insert the spacers and tighten up the fork caps - you will have to push down hard as you tighten as your washers are now doing their job.
Lower jack and burn rubber up the street!
Some people prefer thicker 20 sw oil, or more spacers, around 19mm not uncommon. With the rear set on number four, the front now feels matched, doesn't flop when braking and has helped no end with the pitching (UK roads).
Rates about a seven on the improvement scale. You could do better and fit aftermarket springs but not for the £8 the above cost inc the oil.
So there you have it - the laziest way of uprating the SV front yet!
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