Looking for a more reasonable riding position and better low-speed leverage on my brand new SVS, I installed a set of Hawk GT clip-ons this weekend. My thanks to Bill Metz for advice and Robb Z for a nice used set from his parts bin. The installation went fairly smooth - took about 4 hours - but here's some things you'll want to be aware of:

The Hawk GT clip-ons are designed to be installed on top of the upper triple clamp, therefore when installed below the SVS triple clamp, they can't be positioned all the way up against the bottom of the clamp. Without grinding on the uprights (scary), they end up about 3/8" down the fork tubes - not a problem, since they will give you plenty of relief mounted as such. 

Before you start, go to your local shop and purchase a longer intermediate brake hose - the one that runs from the master cylinder to the junction block mounted lower on the forks. The stock hose is about 11" (center of banjo to center of banjo) - you'll need one about 14" long. The selection wasn't real good in town, so I ended up with a 16" hose - no problem, plenty of room in there for an extra bend or two. While you're there, be sure to pick up DOT4 brake fluid and some 3/16" clear tubing for bleeding the brakes. 

You'll need to fabricate a new bracket to mount the plastic brake reservoir. I built one out of some scrap aluminum sheet - kind of thin triangular with the narrow side down - which bolts to the 'stress-relief' hole in the Hawk uprights. The wider top part has two holes to which the reservoir mounts. You'll need to put a couple of bends in the bracket to keep the reservoir level. 

The 'bar' part of the Hawk clip on is shorter than the stock SVS, therefore you'll need to slide all the controls on as far as you can. In order to get the clutch bracket in far enough, you'll need to grind some relief into the inside edge of the bracket - use care, grind/check, grind/check - you know the drill. The SVS clutch cable ends up with a really odd bend, but seems to operate well - maybe a bit stiffer pull than stock. I'm going to see if I can 'bend' the pre-formed steel tubing a bit. Maybe a cable from a naked SV might work better. 

Tank/fairing clearance and the angle of your clutch and brake controls dictate the rearward bar-angle that you can use. I ended up with about a half-inch tank clearance. Fairing clearance is really close - full lock will find the choke lever touching the windshield (with choke on) at full right lock. Even better is the new safety feature - at left lock, the engine stop switch grazes the windshield and shuts of the motor. Nothing a little Dremmel work can't solve. Check and double-check your control positioning carefully to make sure the clutch, throttle and choke work properly at all positions between right and left lock. Adjust and use wire ties to get it right. You don't want the thing rolling on the throttle for you on a slow turn. 

Since the bar end weights are screwed directly into the solid aluminum, you'll need to find some way to mount them into the steel tube Hawk bars. Easy for me - I just robbed the longer screws and rubber mounts from a GR650 parts bike in the basement. If you don't have access to a real set, you can make these with a cylindrical rubber bushing - about an inch long, with a diameter to fit inside the tube and a screw hole through the center. You'll also need a longer screw and one of those nuts with a built-in washer. Epoxy the nut to the rubber bushing so it doesn't fall off inside the bar - don't ask me how I know. The left bar is really about .25 inch too short for all the doodads Suzuki puts there, so you'll need to squish the grip together, then tighten the bar-end weight.

END RESULT: My hand position has raised about 3 inches, moved back about an inch, outward an inch on each side, and I think more importantly, changed from being angled downward to an almost horizontal grip surface. I've been riding a standard-style bike with K&N super bike bars for years and find the Hawk bars to be very familiar - like a mini-super bike bar; a little narrower (26" vs. 28"), a few inches lower, but with the same upright grip angle.

After a test ride Sunday afternoon, I love 'em. Comfortable on highway drones, very stable in the corners, much better control around town, very little wrist/back pain, and a whole bunch easier to move around in the garage.

WARNING: Not an install for the inexperienced novice, but well worth the effort when complete.

Comments from other SV650S owners:

on 06/18/01 DR. Bo wrote:
.....does the reservoir wiggle a bit too much with sheet stock used as mount?? (Probably not as if it did you would have that in the article.) Did you remove the wiring (going to the left handlebar) from the coily thingy on the right, directing it up from below??

I used a chunk of .065 aluminum sheet from a True Value hardware store for the new reservoir mount - it has held up well and doesn't seem to wiggle around on the road.  Moving that wiring looks like a better idea Doc, I'll rework mine as you suggest.

on 09/21/01 Carolyn Boyce wrote:
I finally got the write-up together for the Great Clip-on Swap that I did last weekend. Thanks to all of you who made suggestions througout all of my complaining about my wrist pain -- and a big thanks to Tom Chapel for inspiring me to do the Hawk bar swap in the first place.  Here are the before and after pictures: