Suzuki SV650SF - Shock Swapout
From A 2007 Kawasaki ZX14

PROJECT # 11

Why swap out the stock SV shock with a shock from a Kawasaki ZX14?

Easily answerred. The stock shock is somewhat inadequate for my bike's role as a 2-up sport/tourer. Sure, the stockie did its job but I am sure was screaming in pain whilst touring 2-up with 60+ lbs of gear. The sping rate on the stock shock is ~430 lbs/in and the the ZX14 is a whopping ~540 lbs/in. Much beefier for hauling my 230 lb (240 lb suited up) ass around and therefore a way better alternative when 2-up and loaded down with gear. In addition there is also adjustable compression and rebound which is a bonus.

Initial ZX14 settings (adjusted before putting shock on bike) I used are:

20mm of preload (measured by how much thread is visible above the two lock rings)
Compression damping; 2-1/2 turns CCW from fully shut down. This is on the reservoir end.
Rebound damping: 1-1/2 turns CCW from fully shut down.

TOOLS REQUIRED 3/8" Rachet Wrenches 12mm 3/8" Socket 14mm 3/8" Socket 17mm 3/8" Socket 4mm allen Wrench 6mm Allen Wrench 3/8" Torque Wrench No.1 Phillips Bit Special Tool Blue Loctite Front Stand Rear Stand Hoist ODDS and ENDS 2 x 10mm washers Coffee (a must have) TIME TO COMPLETE MOD 30-45 minutes without having to do the plastic shield thingy removal. 60-90 minutes having to do the plastic shield thingy removal It took me around the 2 hour mark as it was the first time doing this, working out how the plastic shield thingy came off, come up with the special tool and a couple of cups of much needed coffee.
OEM shock I removed from my bike after ~11,100 miles on the odometer. The spring rate is relatively soft, rated at ~7.7 kg/mm (~430 lb/in).
	2007 Kawasaki ZX14 shock. A much beefier/stiffer shock with the added bonus of adjustable rebound and compression. No cutting required. Spring rate is ~9.7 kg/mm (~540 lbs./in).
Remove side covers Remove front seat Remove rear seat Put bike on front and rear stands. Loosen the top and bottom shock bolts Loosen the rear dog link Then I attached the hook from a 3/4 ton electric winch in the center of the rear sub-frame cross brace and lifted rear end of bike just a tad to take the wieght of the rear stand. Remove rear dog link bolt Remove top and bottom shock bolts and pull stock shock out through the bottom.
Shield thingy that was removed Really crappy pic of the special tool to remove the front screw on the shield thingy but you get the idea	The 2007 ZX14 shock would not fit because the reservoir hit the plastic sheild thingy that is the front of the battery case so that had to go. I used a 90 degree phillips screwdriver to remove the bottom 2 screws. The front screw proved to have almost zero room and then I remembered a member on svrider.com made a special tool by getting a No. 1 bit and taping it using electrical tape to a small ring wrench. This tool worked perfectly as there is next to no room but with a few cuss words I was finally able to remove the screw and the plastic sheild thingy.
Slip the new shock up from the bottom Insert top shock bolt and nut (with blue Loctite) and tighten to ~36 ft/lbs Insert bottom shock bolt and nut (with blue Loctite) and tighten to ~36 ft/lbs Insert dog link bolt and nut (with blue Loctite) and tighten to ~56.5 ft/lbs	Yeah I know there is spot rust on the chain. In my defense there is still salt on the roads and next weekend is my 'start of riding season' maintenance day. I will be trying out the new Zirox Chain Cleaner.
	Installed 2007 ZX14 shock on 2008 SV650S. See that with sheild thingy removed there is ample room between reservoir and battery now. A test ride for about 20 minutes proved that this mod was very worthwhile. I didn't realize how spongy the rear shock actually was . It looks I believe to be money and time well spent.

PROJECT # 12 - TBA - There is always something else

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