Aprilia SXV550 Winter Project | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Aprilia SXV550 Winter Project

All done, shipping out on Monday.

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Motor is finally back home. I'm hoping to finish cleaning parts this weekend and mount it up next weekend.
 
Was getting ready to clean up the forks when I noticed this:

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Boxed up the forks and sent them to Allen to get sorted. He has a fork leg to replace the damaged one. The fork oil was black so I'm not surprised.
 
Looks like a solid baseline of zero maintenance by the previous owner.
Yup, just about. I am a bit disappointed about the forks, but at least everything will be fresh.
I'm going to check all the bearings this weekend. They will probably be dry but hopefully in okay condition.
 
Forks came back today. I went ahead and had some heavier springs installed.

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I also installed the fender eliminator and exhaust this week:

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I expect to have the bike reassembled this weekend. There are just a few more items to be cleaned and I need to have one thread helicoiled.
 
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Made some great progress today with the help of a friend, but did not get everything done. All that's left is wiring, and some small miscellaneous items.

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Mounting the engine was fun. I hoisted up the bike with a tie-down, slid the engine under it on a stand, and lowered the bike on to it.
The cleaning was very time consuming, but the bike looks great as a result. I also found out I need a new torque wrench, after I broke a bolt in the lower triple :sad3:
 
Yet another setback. On Monday I was priming the fuel pump, getting ready to start the bike, when I noticed fuel pouring out of the airbox. There is a leak at the delivery side of the T fitting, as well as the front injector side. Both leaks are at the clamps. I messaged my engine builder to see what he says, since they were not leaking when I sent it. Hopefully it's sorted out quickly, since I was planning to break in the motor on the 10th at Grand Bend.

On the bright side, the bike is 95% complete. All that's left is to fit the plastics, overflow bottle, and sync the throttle bodies.

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Great news, the fuel leak fixed itself. I suspect the lines were dry from sitting for so long and didn't want to seal. To make sure I left the lines pressurized for a while and didn't see a drop of gasoline.
Took the bike for a quick ride around the block today. What an animal! Can't wait to get in on the track next weekend. I will post some final photos over the next few days as I get everything buttoned up.
 
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Buttoned everything up today, ready for Grand Bend on Saturday. The speedo sensor doesn't work so street riding is on hold until the replacement arrives. Besides that, all that needs to be done is a throttle body sync. I also don't have the hand guards mounted as I need to figure out how to clear the brake lever.


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I've loved this bike since I first saw one in '08 but the maintenance schedule scared me off. Great job.
 
I've loved this bike since I first saw one in '08 but the maintenance schedule scared me off. Great job.
The factory schedule is a bit odd. I think it was oil every 3k, pistons and valves every 9k. It's more like oil every 1k, pistons and valves every 25k. More if it isn't raced or tracked extensively. I expect to do bearings, gaskets, and rings after 10k, and that's probably early. I also have the updated Asso pistons in there, so they should last a while.


Poor bike. It was blown up, rebuilt, and immediately sent to the track lol
Lol, I like to think that's where it belongs. Mixing it up with the sportbikes is going to be fun.
 
Great day at the track today. The ape was a blast! It's also deafeningly loud, so earplugs are mandatory.
The shakedown brought up some small issues. The battery went flat part way through the morning and got bad enough that the bike wouldn't idle, so that ended my day two sessions early. After I verify the charging system is okay, a new battery is in order. The radiators also seem to be filled with milky coolant from before, so they will need a few flushes to clear out the gunk.

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The stator is done. All 3 phases are grounded and I'm getting 3-5V from each at idle.
This is getting a bit ridiculous. I was really not expecting this since it's a beefed up Rick's Electric unit. So right now I'm running a total loss system.
 
Sure, I'll probably be doing the supermoto day at Shannonville in June. I will PM you in a few week with my plans.
 
Finished up the big stuff today. Speedo sensor was installed last week and stator this morning. The one in there was pretty burnt, so let's hope this one lasts.

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I plated and insured the bike this morning, and rode it on the street this evening. Words cannot describe the insanity of this machine. It was great on track but mental on the street. License suspension is imminent.
Besides that I just have a few small tweaks to take care of, none of which really affect rideability. Supermoto trackday is on June 14th and I'm very much looking forward to that. I have a 15T front sprocket for small tracks so putting the power down is going to be...interesting.
 

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