Excellent video. That's a beautiful bike. I'm building something similar from my crashed street bike right now and I'm sorting out bodywork. This is a great look on that bike!
Very well done, Thank You. The only thing I would question is the wider rear tire...a narrower tire turns left/right easier and like you said, there are some really good 160 tires available now :).
You are 100% correct about that. I did feel it a bit at first, but I have also installed a Penske shock since then (video coming next month) and the bike has transformed.
I got only one question here: why not SV1000 ? What's the reason to choose the 650 over 1000. I'm racing my sv650 for 2 month and it's obviously killed by all the cbr/gsxrs on the fast straight sections. At this budget you put into this bike you might wann buy a decent gsxr / cbr600 pc37 and dozen other bikes. I know it's kinda fun to make it on your own but you just took the GSXR and put it into the sv650 frame - cost wise you could get like 2 gixers in the cost of this project.
My understanding of the SV1000 is that it’s added power doesn’t compensate for its added weight when you consider then you’re up into a class against Ducatis at a local level. If you look at the MotoAmerica classes, you’ll find the SV650 fits into the Twins Cup category, the SV1000 (non-S) fits into Super Hooligans, and the 600-750cc in-line fours are Supersports. Although the displacements are similar, the twins just don’t produce the horsepower required to keep up with the fours. They had to make an exception this year to allow the Panigale V2 into Supersport and that requires 955ccs to keep up. Until the Yamaha 700s and the RS660 came out, the SV650 was the dominant bike in Twins Cup. If we’re just talking track days, none of this really matters because you’re really only competing against yourself, right? If you’re racing that’ll lose other bikes shouldn’t be on the track with you.
Thanks for the anwser. To be perfectly honest the only thing lacking for me is just a pure straight power of 650 that's why I'm looking at 1000 with such interest and wondering - why 1000 is not as popular as 650.
I get it, believe me. Getting worked on the straights can get old, but I try to reframe it as an opportunity to improve my cornering skills. I know some people try to get more power out of the SV, but like you I would rather just get a faster bike if that was my goal.
shes a beauty! nice vid also. too bad shes alrdy done, would have loved to see u work on the project and watch along with the creation. like it that things are done on a budget instead of blowing a ton of money. personally i would gone for a carbon front fender, i think that would rly stick out with the white some carbon
Thanks! Watch for several new videos for this bike as I walk through the process of upgrading the fork springs and oil, change the rear shock to a Penske (used because budget), and clip on risers all step-by-step. Please subscribe so you don't miss out on those.
Good video, I have a similar project but for the street where I adapted the suspension of the GSXR1000 K4, on a SFV650 Gladius, now I was looking for the steering damper and a fast gas, could you give me more information? Was it easy to install?
The steering damper was very easy to install. Be sure to get the one for the SV, not the GSXR. All you need to do is pull the steering stem nut and place the damper plate over the triple and replace the nut. Next you pull the bolts at the front of the tank and place the bracket there. Lastly, mount the damper. Sorry, I’m not familiar with “fast gas”. For more information on the build see ulteriormoto.com/blogs/budget-sv650-track-bike-build
Yes, they are all from the same kit which also includes the unused front fender and tank/air box cover from that bike. It’s cheaper to buy the whole kit than just the parts needed.
It is not noticeable whatsoever. It essentially limits the speed of bar movements so that normal speed inputs are unaffected, but high speed movements are prevented.
Building a 2003 Suzuki SV looking for some help what gearing you think I should get in the back shock thinking of buying a wrecked GXR1000 for the front end and back shock and rims and tires what year is fit thanks
Gearing will depend on your speed as a rider and the track itself, but I run 14/45 which is stock for the naked version. The stock S version is 14/44. The best GSX-R forks to get are the 600/750 from 2004-5 but only because they have the same steering stops. There are many other years of 600, 750, and 1000 that will fit with not much compromise. Search for GSXR fork swap on svrider.com. Regardless, you will need to service the old forks, so check out my video on that. The best retrofit rear shock now is the ZX10 rear because it is slightly longer than the GSXR on my bike. I used the best available at the time. That said, you're better off looking for a Penske or Ohlins shock because at this point the retrofit options are so old they will need a rebuild anyway. It's better to invest in a superior shock. Subscribe for updates on that. I recently upgraded to a used Penske and I will have a video about that in a few weeks. If you still want to go the retro route, search for the shock swap chart on svrider.com
Hi, nice walk around video. You didn't mention what you had to do to/with the front wheel, perhaps you got a complete gxsr front end. Are the steerer/head bearings the same, what about trail and rake? Have you done any tuning mods to the engine? One suggestion I could make would be a radial front brake master cylinder, should give more feel, Brembo MCS 19/21 allow adjustment in the pull ratio on the fly. Talking of brakes, what pads do you use?
Glad you liked it! I bought a GSXR wheel to match the front end. As I recall, I used the GSXR head bearings which worked well with the SV chassis. I haven’t done the rake/trail math, but this GSXR front has 30mm offset and I believe the SV was 28mm, so it is steeper. The stock SV geometry is sort of a chopper compared to the gixxer. In all the times I’ve had Dave Moss make adjustments, the subject has never come up, so it works really well as is. That said, I know the MA guys worked with a variety of offsets. Check out LWTRacer’s channel for really in depth info. I am interested in reliability, so I leave the engine stock. Thanks for the MC suggestion. I will look into that. I’m using EBC HH pads.
With the GSX-R 600, you are getting a much faster and more capable machine all around, so that is a good way to go. Funny though, in upcoming videos you will see that I replaced the GSX-R shock and fork springs, so the list of parts from that bike are diminishing. Since I made the front end conversion, cartridge kits for stock SV forks have gotten much better, so that also an option.
Hi Roger, thanks! Yeah, the shock was plug and play fitment, except for the stock battery tray, which I have fabricated. You'll just have to remove the rear wheel and take the weight off the swing arm. I will be replacing it with a Penske soon and make a video showing how that is done. You can somewhat see the battery in my bodywork video around the 9:00 mark, though it's obscured by the ECU. I used an AntiGravity 4 Cell which is tiny and less than a pound. I'm not perfectly happy with the tray yet so I haven't covered that portion of the build in detail.
Nice build, but putting a 180 wheel conversion onto a stock bike is completely pointless. It detracts from the flick-ability and quick handling that the SV is renowned for.
The SV is not quite as popular as it once was, but you will find plenty of them in lightweight twins classes. To give you an idea of their popularity as track bikes, just look back a few years at the MotoAmerica Twins Cup. Now it is dominated by the R7 and RS660, but before those bikes came out the field was almost entirely made up of the second generation SV650s. They were running very large grids and I can only recall one Ducati and one Kawasaki in the mix. At Daytona last weekend, I only saw two SVs on the grid. That's good news if you want to pick up an affordable SV race or track bike.
@@ulteriormoto that IS good news as I think I might pick one up and reverse engineer it, rather than figure out how to build a race bike the hard way. 🍻
I tell you the reason because the GSXR600 is better; because is cheaper to buy a 600 already modified than do your own Frankenstein, not more funny, but cheaper.
Crazy, right? Granted the 2003 was slightly heavier than subsequent years due to the steel subframe, but that’s pretty decent without using any expensive lightweight or custom materials.
Excellent video. That's a beautiful bike. I'm building something similar from my crashed street bike right now and I'm sorting out bodywork. This is a great look on that bike!
We'd love to see how it turns out!
with so many gsxr parts perhaps maybe you just wanted …a gsxr? Teasing of course. This was still great work
At this point I’m seriously considering ordering SV650 stickers because nobody knows what kind of bike it is. 😆
That is a great example. Really nice work and sensible upgrades.
Glad you like it! dig your profile pic.
Very well done, Thank You. The only thing I would question is the wider rear tire...a narrower tire turns left/right easier and like you said, there are some really good 160 tires available now :).
You are 100% correct about that. I did feel it a bit at first, but I have also installed a Penske shock since then (video coming next month) and the bike has transformed.
Great walkaround and a sweet bike - congrats.
Glad you enjoyed it
yep, stocks had pre-loads! great vid. you should throw a screen shot of your weight savings spreadsheet!
good idea!
That’s a really nice track bike and I love your garrage
Thank you
I got only one question here: why not SV1000 ? What's the reason to choose the 650 over 1000. I'm racing my sv650 for 2 month and it's obviously killed by all the cbr/gsxrs on the fast straight sections. At this budget you put into this bike you might wann buy a decent gsxr / cbr600 pc37 and dozen other bikes. I know it's kinda fun to make it on your own but you just took the GSXR and put it into the sv650 frame - cost wise you could get like 2 gixers in the cost of this project.
My understanding of the SV1000 is that it’s added power doesn’t compensate for its added weight when you consider then you’re up into a class against Ducatis at a local level.
If you look at the MotoAmerica classes, you’ll find the SV650 fits into the Twins Cup category, the SV1000 (non-S) fits into Super Hooligans, and the 600-750cc in-line fours are Supersports. Although the displacements are similar, the twins just don’t produce the horsepower required to keep up with the fours. They had to make an exception this year to allow the Panigale V2 into Supersport and that requires 955ccs to keep up. Until the Yamaha 700s and the RS660 came out, the SV650 was the dominant bike in Twins Cup.
If we’re just talking track days, none of this really matters because you’re really only competing against yourself, right? If you’re racing that’ll lose other bikes shouldn’t be on the track with you.
Thanks for the anwser. To be perfectly honest the only thing lacking for me is just a pure straight power of 650 that's why I'm looking at 1000 with such interest and wondering - why 1000 is not as popular as 650.
I get it, believe me. Getting worked on the straights can get old, but I try to reframe it as an opportunity to improve my cornering skills. I know some people try to get more power out of the SV, but like you I would rather just get a faster bike if that was my goal.
Great build!
Thanks!
Stunning bike!
Appreciate the love 🤘🏻
shes a beauty! nice vid also. too bad shes alrdy done, would have loved to see u work on the project and watch along with the creation.
like it that things are done on a budget instead of blowing a ton of money.
personally i would gone for a carbon front fender, i think that would rly stick out with the white some carbon
Thanks! Watch for several new videos for this bike as I walk through the process of upgrading the fork springs and oil, change the rear shock to a Penske (used because budget), and clip on risers all step-by-step. Please subscribe so you don't miss out on those.
Very nice video! Good info
Glad it was helpful!
Good video, I have a similar project but for the street where I adapted the suspension of the GSXR1000 K4, on a SFV650 Gladius, now I was looking for the steering damper and a fast gas, could you give me more information? Was it easy to install?
The steering damper was very easy to install. Be sure to get the one for the SV, not the GSXR. All you need to do is pull the steering stem nut and place the damper plate over the triple and replace the nut. Next you pull the bolts at the front of the tank and place the bracket there. Lastly, mount the damper.
Sorry, I’m not familiar with “fast gas”. For more information on the build see ulteriormoto.com/blogs/budget-sv650-track-bike-build
I may have missed it, but is the tail bodywork the matching rear for the front fairing from the gsxr?
Yes, they are all from the same kit which also includes the unused front fender and tank/air box cover from that bike. It’s cheaper to buy the whole kit than just the parts needed.
Nice Bike 🔥🔨
Thanks ✌
Does the steering stabilizer effect your control at turns?
It is not noticeable whatsoever. It essentially limits the speed of bar movements so that normal speed inputs are unaffected, but high speed movements are prevented.
Where did you buy the throttle from thanks and what is the website for the conversion for the back wheel
For the full write up on the build as well as links to the parts, hit ulteriormoto.com/blogs/budget-sv650-track-bike-build
Building a 2003 Suzuki SV looking for some help what gearing you think I should get in the back shock thinking of buying a wrecked GXR1000 for the front end and back shock and rims and tires what year is fit thanks
Gearing will depend on your speed as a rider and the track itself, but I run 14/45 which is stock for the naked version. The stock S version is 14/44.
The best GSX-R forks to get are the 600/750 from 2004-5 but only because they have the same steering stops. There are many other years of 600, 750, and 1000 that will fit with not much compromise. Search for GSXR fork swap on svrider.com. Regardless, you will need to service the old forks, so check out my video on that.
The best retrofit rear shock now is the ZX10 rear because it is slightly longer than the GSXR on my bike. I used the best available at the time. That said, you're better off looking for a Penske or Ohlins shock because at this point the retrofit options are so old they will need a rebuild anyway. It's better to invest in a superior shock. Subscribe for updates on that. I recently upgraded to a used Penske and I will have a video about that in a few weeks. If you still want to go the retro route, search for the shock swap chart on svrider.com
Hi, nice walk around video.
You didn't mention what you had to do to/with the front wheel, perhaps you got a complete gxsr front end.
Are the steerer/head bearings the same, what about trail and rake?
Have you done any tuning mods to the engine?
One suggestion I could make would be a radial front brake master cylinder, should give more feel, Brembo MCS 19/21 allow adjustment in the pull ratio on the fly.
Talking of brakes, what pads do you use?
Glad you liked it!
I bought a GSXR wheel to match the front end. As I recall, I used the GSXR head bearings which worked well with the SV chassis. I haven’t done the rake/trail math, but this GSXR front has 30mm offset and I believe the SV was 28mm, so it is steeper. The stock SV geometry is sort of a chopper compared to the gixxer. In all the times I’ve had Dave Moss make adjustments, the subject has never come up, so it works really well as is. That said, I know the MA guys worked with a variety of offsets. Check out LWTRacer’s channel for really in depth info. I am interested in reliability, so I leave the engine stock.
Thanks for the MC suggestion. I will look into that.
I’m using EBC HH pads.
Love the bike! Would a GSX-R 600 make sense to buy directly, since many parts of the build come from that model?
With the GSX-R 600, you are getting a much faster and more capable machine all around, so that is a good way to go. Funny though, in upcoming videos you will see that I replaced the GSX-R shock and fork springs, so the list of parts from that bike are diminishing. Since I made the front end conversion, cartridge kits for stock SV forks have gotten much better, so that also an option.
Great video was it easy to fit the rear shock? Where's the battery
Hi Roger, thanks! Yeah, the shock was plug and play fitment, except for the stock battery tray, which I have fabricated. You'll just have to remove the rear wheel and take the weight off the swing arm. I will be replacing it with a Penske soon and make a video showing how that is done. You can somewhat see the battery in my bodywork video around the 9:00 mark, though it's obscured by the ECU. I used an AntiGravity 4 Cell which is tiny and less than a pound. I'm not perfectly happy with the tray yet so I haven't covered that portion of the build in detail.
Nice build, but putting a 180 wheel conversion onto a stock bike is completely pointless. It detracts from the flick-ability and quick handling that the SV is renowned for.
Yours is not an unpopular opinion, but I also consider that all twins cup bikes use the 180, not that they had a choice.
It's got to be the most modded sv?
I appreciate the sentiment, but the engine is completely stock, for example. For some extreme builds, check out @lwtracer for his MotoAmerica SVs. 💪🏻
the gsxr front end are bolt on ? if not what you ha to do to fit it ?
Bolts right on-2004/5 is the best.
which fairing mount was fitted?
For the upper fairing we used the stock 2017+ GSXR1000 stay. All other brackets were fabricated for this application.
Someone explain to me the advantage of this over racing a GSXR600. I know there is a reason, but I don't see it.
It depends on which class/pace you prefer. A GSXR600 is a much faster bike, for sure. One could also ask why not a GSXR1000?
@@ulteriormoto I think I get it. There are faster and slower, but it's still a solid bike to run at the track.
The SV is not quite as popular as it once was, but you will find plenty of them in lightweight twins classes. To give you an idea of their popularity as track bikes, just look back a few years at the MotoAmerica Twins Cup. Now it is dominated by the R7 and RS660, but before those bikes came out the field was almost entirely made up of the second generation SV650s. They were running very large grids and I can only recall one Ducati and one Kawasaki in the mix. At Daytona last weekend, I only saw two SVs on the grid. That's good news if you want to pick up an affordable SV race or track bike.
@@ulteriormoto that IS good news as I think I might pick one up and reverse engineer it, rather than figure out how to build a race bike the hard way. 🍻
I tell you the reason because the GSXR600 is better; because is cheaper to buy a 600 already modified than do your own Frankenstein, not more funny, but cheaper.
Have you had any engine work done? Or is it a stock power plant?
Completely stock power plant.
2016 r1 front cowl and fairings are plug and play
That’s the first I’ve heard of that. Surprising the fairing stay matches up. I assume there is some fabrication for mounts to the frame.
42 lbs!!!!
Crazy, right? Granted the 2003 was slightly heavier than subsequent years due to the steel subframe, but that’s pretty decent without using any expensive lightweight or custom materials.