40% power gain on Ninja 250? Yeah?

40% power gain on Ninja 250? Yeah?

Author
Discussion

darkyoung1000

2,025 posts

195 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
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As a SV650 owner, (not the S) I can say that even one with only minor modifications (end can) is able to carry a fair bit of speed through the corners. The rear tyre is quite wide in comparison to something like the GS 500E and you can lean it over at a fair angle... I went out to Whitby & back last night, and I really didn't have to slow much at all on the road back to Pickering!

It's comfortable enough to ride 2 up long distances and its naturally comfortable speed top (in my hands at least) feels to be about 80mph (although it will of course go more quickly).

All this and with only 33hp...

Good luck with whatever project you go for though.

Cheers,
Tom

HertsBiker

6,300 posts

270 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
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genuinely fascinating. Your thought processes are close to mine.
CB - if you want a chat, PM me. I'll be at work tomorrow so can pick up emails then.

SpinningPlates

1,299 posts

187 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
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Perhaps gearing an SV650 down would provide you with your low top speed but supreme acceleration, and then tweak the suspension and brakes etc for brilliant handling?

cyberface

Original Poster:

12,214 posts

256 months

Saturday 26th June 2010
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Kawasicki said:
cyberface said:
I can't imagine anything more frustrating than owning a *sports* machine that is designed and built to be ridden hard - and only being able to ride at 10% unless I had absolutely no regard for the laws of the land, speed limits, or safety.
I would advise against modifying the sv650, if you make it more competent at speed, you will spend more time at speed. You really should think about this. DO YOU WANT TO GO FAST OR NOT? A sorted sv650 will be friggin' rapid on a country road. 65bhp, 170kg and good tyres and suspension will mean big corner speed leading to BIG speed on the following straight. Which is great, if that's what you want. Buy an old aprilia RS125, or an old RGV125, ride it and enjoy it. You might actually spend some time under the speed limit!
You know what I mean - I *do* want to go fast, I'm a petrolhead FFS! smile The problem is with more than 100 bhp at the rear wheel, you can bumble round a corner slowly, and then be well over 120 mph on the next straight. This, to me, isn't what I like about biking - I like the thrill of cornering fast, high G-forces round *bends* and not just straight-line speed.

Yes, a modded SV650 will be very quick in the corners - and that's what I want. I'm keeping the engine standard, and with 70 bhp you're going to have to work hard to get over 'jail' speeds on twisty roads. Yes, on a dual carriageway, with lots of room, wind it on and hang on for a minute or so and it'll get up to 125 (IIRC) but I'm more concerned about flagrantly illegal speeds on the short straights between corners on twisty A roads and B roads… even though I'll be able to go quick on the SV, I reckon even riding *well* (and I'm not Rossi) I'd be doing well to be going over 100 mph at any point on a twisty road. Which fulfils my requirement w.r.t. avoiding jail and 'crazy' speeds.

The problem with the 250 was that I had to bail out of so many overtakes on my favourite twisty roads because I didn't have the power-to-weight to accelerate past the car… that not only did my 'hoon' rides get interrupted by being stuck behind cars, but also safety was compromised. As someone put it - not enough power to get out of trouble...

HertsBiker said:
genuinely fascinating. Your thought processes are close to mine.
CB - if you want a chat, PM me. I'll be at work tomorrow so can pick up emails then.
Hi fella - if you mean me by 'CB' then sorry - things have been crazy at work AND I've been in the middle of a major server upgrade - email has been down. It's back up now though, so email me if you like - would appreciate your experience in these matters!

cheeers
wavey

cyberface

Original Poster:

12,214 posts

256 months

Sunday 27th June 2010
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Just got back from a test ride on the SV650…

rofl

Ha ha ha, that bike is SO much fun… the example I was testing hadn't been prepped for sale, it'd been obviously used as a commuter since both front and rear tyres were pretty much flat down the middle, and still had 2 inch chicken strips either side.

<<<<cut>>>>>

Will start a new thread about this one, doesn't really belong in a thread about the Ninja 250…

Ninjaboy

2,525 posts

249 months

Monday 28th June 2010
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I agree with the OP in what hes trying to do but i think it would cost the earth now with all the detunning thats been done. I had a KLX250 2000 model on carbs which but out 30bhp the new version on FI is about 20-22bhp and is so tame in comparison its a diffrnet bike. I just don't think the new engines would be easy to tune up.

HertsBiker

6,300 posts

270 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
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cyberface said:
Just got back from a test ride on the SV650…

rofl

Ha ha ha, that bike is SO much fun… the example I was testing hadn't been prepped for sale, it'd been obviously used as a commuter since both front and rear tyres were pretty much flat down the middle, and still had 2 inch chicken strips either side.

<<<<cut>>>>>

Will start a new thread about this one, doesn't really belong in a thread about the Ninja 250…
yeah was you I referred to as CB ! I've had 2 SV650's and loved 'em. Will be getting another one some day as the weight is spot on. Sad that the Ninja isn't quite as powerful as thought, I quite liked the idea of all handling and lowish power. Will email when back in the office. It really is way too easy to end up doing mad speeds on bikes, simply because you can.