One of the few things I dislike about the SV is how long the throw is on the throttle. Particularly when riding on the track, I’ll have to readjust my hand on the throttle to spin it up to higher RPM.
While I would assume this was done by the fine folks as Suzuki to make it easier for newer riders to control the throttle (larger hand movements equate to smaller throttle adjustments) it’s quite frustrating for a more seasoned rider. The amount of throttle movement required is controlled at the carburetor/FI linkage, so any changes to this need to be done at the throttle tube end.
1/4 Throttle’s are available, but can be rather spendy. However, an R6 throttle tube is almost a direct swap. The portion of the throttle tube that the cables wrap around are slightly larger in diameter on the R6 tube. Almost impossible to discern to the naked eye but it’s enough to shorten throttle movement and decrease the amount of hand movement required to move the throttle linkage.
The hardest part about this modification is actually finding an R6 throttle tube and making sure you get the right one. Avoid trying to find a used one, as it’s easier to just click over to your favorite parts retailer or walk into your local Yamah dealer and ask for part number; 5SL-26240-01-00. That’s the exact R6 throttle tube needed. The cost is an exorbitant $7.46.
Installing the tube on the Gen-I (curvy) SV and the Gen-11 Naked is as simple as taking out the old one and inserting the new one. However, the Gen-II S models need a little bit of modification. On the Gen-II S-models the throttle will only open to about 90% unless you cut away a little bit of material.
Take the OEM SV throttle tube on the Gen-II S and match the notches. The pink marks in this image represent the material that needs to be cut away from the R6 tube. Remember, you ONLY need to cut away material on Gen-II S-model SV’s. Gen-I’s and Gen II nakeds require no modification. However. we recently learned that because the Gen II nakeds use a different throttle housing, that the stops on the throttle tube do not direcly line up with the stops inside the Gen II S's throttle housing. If riders allow the throttle to slap closed, over time the mis-aligned bits will wear out and allow the throttle to skip past the stops. With this knowledge, we really do not recomend this mod for Gen II S-models.
For additional clarification; you need to cut/modify the R6 throttle tube on Gen II S-models only! For all Gen I's (S and Naked) and Gen II naked models, the R6 throttle tube requires no modification.
For $8 bucks, this is one of the grooviest mods to make to your Gen I or Gen II naked SV. The difference, while not great, is enough to make spirited riding easier because less hand/arm movement will be needed which means it makes it easier to manage body position and be smooth on the bike.