For the last few months in my spare time I have been cleaning up and putting together a beat up Suzuki SV650S along with odds and ends from my parts bin. I picked it up for $200 with a street-legal title, not running, and in some really sorry shape:
The bike had been spraypainted all over in different colors, nothing masked or disassembled and it was just a mess!
So there was lots of pressure-washing, scrubbing, paint-stripping, sandblasting, polishing and I managed to turn out a nice clean roller:
So... rebuild the SV650 engine... or break the mold? Yep, you guessed it!
The frame was nice and narrow, so I tried to put a CR500 engine (2-stroke baby!) in it, and it fit in there nice and snug!
I bought a tweaked CR500 frame for a couple bucks and hacked-off the engine cradle from the bottom. Its not aluminum of course, but steel is compatible with my welding equipment.
The engine was bolted to the cradle, and I set the bike plumb to earth and jacked the engine up into it. I also made sure the engine was straight, then began to cut out and weld together the fittings that allow me to bolt the cradle into the SV frame using the SV engine mounting hardware.
The end result in the rear (I neglected to take pics of the front, but the next time I take it apart I will take some more pics and post):
Then the engine was bolted into place and I rolled it outside for some more pics:
The SV uses a 525 chain, the CR uses a 520. This was a problem as the rear sprocket on the SV won't mesh up with the CR chain. Both the 520 and 525 chains have the same length links, but the 520 is thinner. I grabbed my calipers and found the 520 is about 2mm thinner. So I grinded the SV sprocket's teeth down to spec. Tested with the CR chain, FITS PERFECTLY. I removed 4 links from the CR chain, and it fit onto the bike well.
So I was glad that all this worked out so well, but I knew the exhaust was going to be a b!tch. I got a cracked FMF Gnarly pipe for $30, cut it into sections and welded it back together to fit what is now the SVCR!
...and lastly this is a semi-completed SVCR500S which is where I am at now:
Some things left to be sorted out:
1. Extending the kickstarter shaft to allow the kicker clear the frame.
2. Electrics
3. Exhaust Silencer(s)
4. Cosmetics/paint/bodywork
5. Honzuki SVCR500S decals!
On the kickstarter shaft extension I am open for suggestions from anyone, it needs to be about 3in longer. I will construct a bushing to support the middle of it to stop the extra leverage from breaking the case.
For the electrics, I may just wire everything custom, I don't think I will be reusing the SV harness, there are many extra things on it that aren't useful anymore. I will need a good stator. I guess an E-Line or a Service Honda ingnition will provide all the power I need.... but NO BATTERY NEEDED = WEIGHT SAVINGS!
YAY!
I think I am going to go with a pair of GP-style exhaust silencers from TZMike on a custom Y-pipe after the expansion chamber.
the dual set up should end up looking similiar to this:
As far as the bodywork, well, its going to be streetfighter for a while until I feel like spending the money to put new plastic on it.
Stay tuned! More to come!