How to Remove the Gas Tank on Your SV650

Having the gas tank out of the way while working on your SV650 will make routine maintenance even easier — spark plugs, anyone? It certainly helped during my recent electrical wiring adventure. For some reason I expected that removing the tank would be a difficult task, but it turned out to be pretty simple.

Step 0: The Lay of the Land

Here are the areas of the bike we’ll be dealing with in this article:

Step 1: Gather the Required Tools and Materials

Tools:

• ratchet wrench
• 6in extension
• 10mm socket
• small vice grips or similar clamping tool
• pliers
• old towel or other soft cloth, at least a few feet square
• shop towels or rags
• 4mm and 6mm hex bits and bit driver, or allen wrenches

Optional: a second set of hands is extremely helpful during the removal process, as the tank can be unwieldy — especially if it has any fuel in it.

Step 2: Remove the Seat

As always, the first step to SV650 maintenance is removing the seat. Use the 4mm hex (allen) bit to loosen the 2 bolts on the plastic trim covers below the seat. There’s a cover on each side of the bike. Remove both covers and set them aside.

Then, use the same 4mm bit to loosen the 2 tank bolts. I like to use a T handle bit driver to reach these bolts.

Next, use the 6mm hex bit to loosen the 2 bolts holding down the seat. There’s one on each side of the bike.

Once the seat is loose, lift it up by the edge closest to the gas tank, then pull the seat forward until it slides free.

Step 3: Disconnect Fittings Under the Tank

There are three fittings under the tank that need to be disconnected: the fuel line, an electrical connector, and a hose fitting the purpose of which I’m not sure of. Here’s a picture of the fittings and their locations:

First, use the pliers to loosen the clamp on the fitting in the lower left corner of the picture. Pull the clamp upwards until you feel it clear the raised flange at the end of the fitting. Then, pull the hose free.

The electrical fitting in the lower right side of the picture is easy to disconnect. Don’t forget to unhook the little clip holding the connector together.

Removing the fuel line is slightly tricky. Use the vice grips to clamp off the fuel line a few inches from the connection fitting. Now would be a good time to spread a rag or some shop towels below the fitting to catch any gas should it escape while you disconnect the fuel line. Use the pliers to pinch the gray clips together, then pull the fuel line free.

Next, prop up the tank and locate the drain and vent tubes. They originate from the right side of the tank. I’ve highlighted them here with green lines:

Look down near the exhaust pipe and find the flexible clamp holding the tubes near the engine. Loosen the clamp and free the tubes. Grab the tubes near the top of the frame and gently pull upwards until the tubes come free. You’ll see that one of the tubes is connected to a plastic T fitting. Disconnect the tube connected to the shortest “leg” of the T.

Step 4: Remove Hinge Bolt

The final step is to remove the bolt holding the gas tank to its hinge. Stand on the right side of the bike and locate the bolt. It’s in a recess just below the bolt that secures the seat to the frame.

And a closer look:

Use the socket wrench and extension to loosen the bolt. Once it’s good and loose, pull it straight back toward you until it comes completely free of the bike.

If you have a towel or cloth, spread it over where you’ll be resting the tank after you remove it. This is where having a friend comes in handy. Lift the tank as if it were propped open, then pull it straight up until it clears the hinge. Watch for the aluminum tube inside the hinge pivot. The gas tank bolt runs through this tube to secure the tank to the hinge, but the tube can slide out unexpectedly. Once the tank is free, move it to the resting spot, but keep an eye on the fuel fitting for any leakage. If the tank is close to empty, no fuel should leak out of the fitting, but on a fuller tank, you may want to tilt the tank slightly by placing a short block under one edge for extra security.

That’s all there is to it!

Putting the Tank Back On

Simply reverse the steps. Hold the gas tank as if it were propped open, then fit the tank back into the hinge. Don’t forget the aluminum tube! Push the gas tank bolt through and tighten. Keep the tank propped open and route the vent and drain tubes back to their original positions. Reconnect the three fittings. Lower the tank and put the seat back on.