Finaly a detaled How To, Swap clipons for handlebars

[kc8rev]

Here it is took me several hours to type it and get it right, This is a highly detaled how to, for swaping your stock SV650S clip-on handlebars to SV650 Naked handlebars.

All pictures are at the bottom of the second post.

For anyone who hates having a sore back, wrists ect. this swap is for you, the 2 inches up and 1 inch back is worth every penny of the aproxmit $300 price tag.

Please note this information is intended for the 2003+ SV650S models


To start I would like to qualify myself, I have preformed the swap of SV650N (naked) handlebars on to an SV650S (2003+ model year) on my own bike as well as max_boost’s bike (pictures of his bike are in the 4 post), both with very successful outcomes, although I am no mechanic.


Disclaimer: Everything stated herein is for reference and is accurate to my knowledge. However I am sure there are things that I am unaware of and I do not make any representation that this information is complete or totally accurate. Therefore any user of this information must be responsible for any outcomes and your own actions.


As this guide is not all inclusive to performing this swap, you should have a good mechanical ability as you will be removing and replacing many key parts of the bike including brakes, ignition, steering components ect. If you do not have this ability don’t try this or find your self someone who does have the ability.


In order to swap the clipons on a SV650S to the handlebars of the SV650N you will need the following items.

• SV650N handlebars - $55.60 new, part number 56111-17G10
• SV650N clutch cable - $10.11 new, part number 58200-17G00
• SV650N upper triple tree and bar clamps - $220+ new or around $100 used
• SV650N brake line - $60 new (I opted for Goodridge stainless lines - $90 new)
• Security torx number “T40” it must be the security version (with a hole in the center) this is to remove the ignition - $5-$20
• Small (8 oz) bottle of Dot 4 brake fluid - $4
• A nice afternoon with 4-6 hours to kill
• Typical hand tools and a drill
• Common since – Priceless

The following items are recommended but not required

• Longer throttle cables, available from www.convertibars.com - $60 new
• Vacuum brake bleeding kit - $20-$60 new
• Garage with lots of tools
• Some schmuck to help you

As for the wind screen there is enough clearance and you do not need to cut or modify it in any way. I have heard of people re-using the SV650S brake lines and clutch cables but have no idea how they just don’t seem long enough, and I prefer a seamless final product that I know I won’t have problems with. As a side note, you will need to remove the gas tank and this is made much easer with as little gas in the tank as possible.


On my personal bike I went with all of the above with exception of the longer throttle cables which to some extent I regret (but not enough to change them out now). On max_boost’s bike he decided to go with all of the above. The handlebars and clutch cable I ordered from www.babbittsonline.com (good prices and service), upper triple tree and bar clamps came from e-bay (these can be hard to find at times) my stainless lines I got through JP Cycles, security torx from Home Depot (you must buy a hole screwdriver set to get the one bit you need), the bleeding kit you can get at any auto parts store and finally my common since came from my brother.


Once you have all your parts you can begin.


Stripping the bike

• Remove the electrical switches by removing the 2 screws on the bottom
• Remove the handlebar ends/weights
• Remove the clutch cable from the hand lever
• Remove the left hand grip, this can be hard as it is glued, you can kind of role it back on it self and twist and turn it enough until it comes off
• Remove the clutch hand lever
• Remove the throttle tube/assembly from the clipons, you will need to completely disassemble it. As in remove the cables from the tube, so don’t just slide it off
• Using the brake bleeding kit suck all the brake fluid out of the master cylinder reservoir
• Attach the brake bleeding kit to the bleeder valve on the brake calipers and use it to remove as much fluid from the lines as possible
• Remove brake line from the master cylinder and calipers being very careful to not get any brake fluid on your paint, or any dirt/debris in your brake calipers
• Remove the master cylinder/brake handle being careful not to pump the handle as it will make bleeding the system much harder
• Remove the upper triple tree by loosening the bolts around the shock tube then removing the main nut in the center, you will need a 32mm wrench/socket or a big crescent wrench
• Pull up on the upper triple tree
• Remove the ignition by first cutting the zip tie that holds the wiring on to it, use your security torx bit to remove the screws (they will be difficult as they have red lock-tight on them)
• Now is a good time to reroute the electrical switch wiring so it does not go between the fork tubes, see pictures
• You will now need to get access under the gas tank, start by removing the passenger seat, under it you will find a metal prop rod you will need this to support the tank
• Remove the black plastic side badges just under the drivers seat
• Remove the 2 bolts holding down the drivers seat, then remove the seat
• Remove the 2 bolts holding down the gas tank, located just behind the handle bars
• The tank will now freely pivot up, use your prop rod to support it (like a car hood) the pointy end goes in one of the bolt holes on the frame and tank rests on the circle end (I recommend putting a zip tie through the mounting tab on the tank and securing it to the prop rod to insure the tank will not fall and brake the hinges) see pictures
• Remove the air box cover (now is a good time to check your air filter)
• You will now need to remove the bottom half of the air box, though I found you can only partly remove it as described below
• On the bottom half or the air box there are 2 band clamps that attach the air box to the throttle bodies, loosen these screws then gently pull up on the air box
• When the air box is free of the throttle bodies you can remove the 2 hoses and electrical connector on the left side of the air box, by removing this you should be able to rotate the box out of your way
• At this point it’s a good idea to cover the throttle bodies to insure nothing can fall into them causing engine damage
• Onto the throttle cables, if you are re-using the stock sport cables use option 1 below, if you are installing longer cables use option 2 below

Option 1

• You will need to reroute the cables back through the frame, stock they go through the left side of the frame, you will need to pull them back and route them through the right side. When doing this you will need to be careful not to kink the throttle cables (I did this on mine) you may need remove the throttle bodies and or cables to prevent this (see option 2 for removal instructions)
• When rerouting the cables you must insure that throttle function is not impaired in any way, because of how tightly the cables bend it may take a few tries to get it just right. To test this reattach the throttle tube/assembly and test by opening it to wide open throttle several times, if it does not snap right back when you let go something is wrong and you must correct it
• See pictures for help routing the cables

Option 2

• You may think you can remove and reattach the throttle cables with out removing the throttle bodies, do your self a favor and save the time, frustration and swearing by just removing the throttle bodies (as max_boost and I learned)
• Just as the air box was held on by band clamps as too are the throttle bodies loosen the clamps, this will seem next to impossible as the screws are buried in the frame but with a long philips driver and some patience you can get to it
• Now gently remove the throttle bodies, you do not need to remove any electrical or fuel connections to do this, be very mindful of what parts you can and can’t leverage on. (throttle bodies are very sensitive and very expensive)
• There should be enough slack in the electrical and fuel lines to move the throttle bodies enough to work on throttle cable removal
• The cable removal itself is hard to explain but simple enough to figure out, again take note as to which cables go to what side of the throttle tube/assembly
• After cable instillation reinstall throttle bodies

Stripping the bike – Part 2

• Remove the plastic cover just above the shifter on the transmission end of the clutch cable
• Remove the clutch cable from the transmission (there is a small medal tab holding the end in place that you will need to bend)
• Completely remove the clutch cable from the frame taking note of how it is routed

See next post for rebulding the bike and pictures.

[kc8rev]

Re-building the bike

• Install the new clutch cable in the opposite manner of removal
• At this point you can put the air box back on the throttle bodies and reconnect the hoses and electrical connectors
• Reinstall the air cleaner and air box cover
• Drop the gas tank and reinstall hold down bolts
• Reinstall drivers seat and side badges
• Put gas tank prop rod back into storage and reinstall passenger seat
• With your electrical switch wiring rerouted from several steps back you can begin handlebar assembly
• If your handlebar clamps are not already installed on the new upper triple tree you will want to install them now insuring they are straight
• Install the new upper triple tree in reverse order of removal
• Install new handlebars, when installing the handle bars if you look on the bars by the left clamp you will see a small dot punched into the steel, this is for alignment it goes in the middle between the upper and lower part of the clamp
• When installing the bar clamps the dot on the upper part of the clamp must face forward, install and torque the front bolts then the rear bolts
• At this point you will need to remove a rubber piece left in the original clipons, it is located approximately 3 inches in the bar, to remove it use the bolt from the bar end/weight, it will thread into the rubber piece and you can wiggle it out
• Slide on the clutch hand lever (no need to tighten it yet)
• Slide on the left grip (you can glue it if you want but I did not and haven’t had any problems)
• Install left bar end/weight with the rubber piece you remover earlier
• Install left electrical switches
• Remove the small aluminum bracket for the brake fluid reservoir, you will use this later
• Slide on the master cylinder/brake handle on the new bars, no need to tighten yet
• As you have noticed by now there are holes in the handlebars that help hold the electrical switches in place, because the naked model uses a different throttle tube/assembly it is in the wrong spot for the sport throttle tube/assembly
• As I recall the new hole must be drilled 9.5mm towards the center of the bike from the old hole (measure from the center of the holes)
• Because I am not 100% sure of my measurement I recommend rechecking it, to do this loosely install the electrical switches and throttle tube/assembly then measure how much it hangs off the handlebars
• Drill your new hole with the proper size bit
• Now get your self a q-tip and some paint (rust proofing paint is the best) get the q-tip thoroughly saturated with paint, insert it into the newly drilled hole and remove. This will prevent rust
• After your paint has dried for a few minutes you can install the right electrical switches
• Install throttle tube/assembly
• Install new brake lines according to manufacture instructions (note torque spec on the banjo bolts is 16.5 ft/lbs) no need to bleed them just yet
• As for the stainless steel brake lines I routed mine behind the fork tubes and max_boost routed his in front (I have Goodridge lines he has Galfer)
• Now to hold the brake fluid reservoir you will use the same bracket you removed earlier only you will need to flip and rotate it, then attach one end to top bolt of the brake handle clamp (see pictures)
• Find a comfortable position for the clutch and brake levers and tighten them in place
• Bleed the brake system being sure to use dot 4 fluid (you can find a how to on brake system bleeding on the internet)
• Adjust clutch and throttle cable tightness
• Reinstall the plastic cover just above the shifter on the transmission end of the clutch cable
• Recheck tightness of nuts and bolts
• Road test and enjoy!
• Maybe send yours truely a thank you

After your road test you may notice that the windscreen is not quite as effective, being you are sitting up more. I replaced my windscreen with a Givi, the added 2 inches helps a lot, particularly on the expressway. As a side note when replacing the windscreen you will already have the front cowling off, so just do your bike the favor and change the coolant that you have been neglecting for years.


If you notice any major mistakes or have preformed this swap your self and would like to correct or add something please let me know and I will make corrections as needed.



UPDATE: I'm posting a PM by MoDaddy with the parts he used to preform his swap just incase anyone wants to do it a little differently. "I used Outlaw risers, Moose Racing MX bars, Galfer brake lines, OEM SVN clutch cable & stock throttle cables (rerouted)."
P.S. I'm glad to see that this post is making pepole's swap go easyer and hopefully it's used for years to come. Thanks kc8rev 10-28-08

[slattmattery]

Common since – Priceless

Common sense...? Oh, the irony.

Other than that though, looks pretty well written.

[max_boost]

I don't have detailed pics but here are a few of my bike. Thanks again for the help.

[smithwessn]

Nice write up.

IMHO- Those bars just don't look right on the S. They don't look bad, just not quite right.

Although I've always been more of a function over fashion kinda guy myself so I can understand why you would make the swap.

[Aucar3]

Great write up. I'm about to do the same swap myself... The only part i'm lacking at the moment is the throttle cable. Thanks for all the tips. I was wondering how I was going to mount the resevoir, but you have answered my question. Thanks a bunch!

I didn't realize it was such a pain to get the throttle cables off. I'll be sure to set enough time aside to do that.

[cfreger]

Very nice job.

I usually leave it to others here to be the spelling/grammar police, but since I see this destined for the Tips and Tricks section (and because it's too darn funny to pass up), I'll correct one little faux pas:

"Disclaimer: Everything stated herein is for reverence....

Unless you mean that this write-up is so awesome that we should all bow down to you (hey, it's good, but it's not that good), I think you mean:

"Disclaimer: Everything stated herein is for reference...."

Again, nice work.

[Morpheous]

I have an upper triple and bar holders/bars on the for sale page if anyone is doing this mod.

[Thumper650]

Nice write up, i did the same thing to my girl friends 05 SV650S as she didn't like the clip-on ride position.

I wish i would have such a great write up to follow; however like you i trudged thru it on my own. I got a set of 3" longer cables from Motion Pro and picked up the Triple Tree off Ebay for $50.

[scoobinater]

Nice work!

I did the same swap a couple of months ago. My wrists appreciate the comfy new riding position.

Great idea for attaching the brake fluid reservoir; I've been forgetting to permanently mount mine (it's been zip-tied and I'd forgotten about it). I will give your method a shot.

.