Associate
- Joined
- 20 Jan 2006
- Posts
- 285
- Location
- Kent
I don't often post on here, but thought I'd share my recent pass and new bike with the rest of you Bikers here.
Back in the day when I was 16 I had a Cagiva 50cc race rep and very much wanted to progress to the Mito 125cc when I was 17, but my parents moved and I had to take my driving test so I could drive myself and sister to school to finish our final respective years off.
Roll on a number of years, and I thought to myself it would be an ideal opportunity to do my bike license before I buy house/get marriesd/have kids etc etc.
So about 2 weeks ago I finshed up and passed my MOD 2 as part of DAS. Having ridden when I was younger and driven for many years I didn't have any problems as such with the tests and passed both tests with 0 minors. However I did have to jump on a different bike at the last minute to do my MOD 1 with as I was struggling to get the bike I had to do a stupid U-Turn - the bike in question - a brand spanking new Triumph Street Triple (Wasn't I lucky!!!). Other than that though the bike was fantastic and thoroughly enjoyed riding it so much that it is my number one choice for my next bike.
Now for my bike - pretty standard first bike.......Yes a SV650 - chosen predominantly for the cheap insurance for a new rider and I picked this up at a good price from an engineer at my old mans work.
While I'd been doing my DAS I'd been cleaning preparing/modifying the bike to improve its weaknesses mainly in the suspension department.
List includes;
Uprated Fork Springs, Thicker fork Oil, and replaced the seals during the work.
Rear Shock from 2011 ZX6R
Sprint Steering Damper
GForce Exhaust
Hel braided brake lines and EBC HH pads (painted the calipers)
New Grips
I was properly looking forward to my first ride, but I have to say it wasn't too enjoyable, the bike felt soft and a bit wallowy and I didn't really have much in the way of front brakes. The positive side though the exhuast sounded nice and throaty. So after sorting the tyre pressures (should really have checked these - an error in my haste to have my first ride), I also added a bit of preload on the rear shock and added a couple of washers into the front forks for preload also, adjusted the chain tension, and re-bled the brakes, off I went for my second ride.
Much better, bike goes exactly where I want it to, and it rides lovely, so am a happy chappy. Just need to do something with the front brakes they are better but still not great - need to inspect the pistons and see if they are moving freely, because I dont think they should be as bad as they are still. Other than that she's lovely and will be a good first bike to get me me up to speed and improve my cornering.
However after being spoilt and riding the triumph during my DAS though; I want more power - the sv picks up and intitially goes like the triumph but thats it, the triumph keeps going and going in comparison, whereas the sv you seem to run out of revs and need to change up - but hey I'll have to make do with my measly 70bhp until next year and concentrate on my cornering and gaining experience. The one thing I do like about the SV over the Street Triple - being shielded by the faring at speed!
Here are a couple of pics of my SV
Now all we need is some decent weather!!!!
Back in the day when I was 16 I had a Cagiva 50cc race rep and very much wanted to progress to the Mito 125cc when I was 17, but my parents moved and I had to take my driving test so I could drive myself and sister to school to finish our final respective years off.
Roll on a number of years, and I thought to myself it would be an ideal opportunity to do my bike license before I buy house/get marriesd/have kids etc etc.
So about 2 weeks ago I finshed up and passed my MOD 2 as part of DAS. Having ridden when I was younger and driven for many years I didn't have any problems as such with the tests and passed both tests with 0 minors. However I did have to jump on a different bike at the last minute to do my MOD 1 with as I was struggling to get the bike I had to do a stupid U-Turn - the bike in question - a brand spanking new Triumph Street Triple (Wasn't I lucky!!!). Other than that though the bike was fantastic and thoroughly enjoyed riding it so much that it is my number one choice for my next bike.
Now for my bike - pretty standard first bike.......Yes a SV650 - chosen predominantly for the cheap insurance for a new rider and I picked this up at a good price from an engineer at my old mans work.
While I'd been doing my DAS I'd been cleaning preparing/modifying the bike to improve its weaknesses mainly in the suspension department.
List includes;
Uprated Fork Springs, Thicker fork Oil, and replaced the seals during the work.
Rear Shock from 2011 ZX6R
Sprint Steering Damper
GForce Exhaust
Hel braided brake lines and EBC HH pads (painted the calipers)
New Grips
I was properly looking forward to my first ride, but I have to say it wasn't too enjoyable, the bike felt soft and a bit wallowy and I didn't really have much in the way of front brakes. The positive side though the exhuast sounded nice and throaty. So after sorting the tyre pressures (should really have checked these - an error in my haste to have my first ride), I also added a bit of preload on the rear shock and added a couple of washers into the front forks for preload also, adjusted the chain tension, and re-bled the brakes, off I went for my second ride.
Much better, bike goes exactly where I want it to, and it rides lovely, so am a happy chappy. Just need to do something with the front brakes they are better but still not great - need to inspect the pistons and see if they are moving freely, because I dont think they should be as bad as they are still. Other than that she's lovely and will be a good first bike to get me me up to speed and improve my cornering.
However after being spoilt and riding the triumph during my DAS though; I want more power - the sv picks up and intitially goes like the triumph but thats it, the triumph keeps going and going in comparison, whereas the sv you seem to run out of revs and need to change up - but hey I'll have to make do with my measly 70bhp until next year and concentrate on my cornering and gaining experience. The one thing I do like about the SV over the Street Triple - being shielded by the faring at speed!
Here are a couple of pics of my SV
Now all we need is some decent weather!!!!
