SV650 - lacks power intermittently - rain on plug?

[eifion]

I was just leaving the office today, my SV650 started up fine, then when I went to pull away it stalled. Started it up again, pulled away, stalled. Did this a couple of times and I did notice it was idling slower than usual, 1000 rather than 1500 rpm.

Managed to pull away with much clutch feathering, bike refusing to pick up speed, then all of a sudden bam, revs and speed pick up and it's back to normal. Cuts out into rubbish mode, then back to normal again a few times. By the time I got back into town (10 mins at NSL) it seemed to have sorted itself out, was idling at 1500 and pickup from low RPM was smooth and immediate.

This is a 2001 naked SV650, 38k miles on the clock, and in the year I've owned it it's the first hint of trouble it's ever given me.

It had been raining during the day and my bike was parked under trees, is it possible that a load of rainwater had run off the trees just at the right angle and somehow got between the plug and HT lead, causing it to run on one cylinder intermittently, and by the time I got home the head from the engine would have dried everything out?
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SR125 -> 6 year gap -> SV650 -> Deauville -> NC750X -> Vstrom 650

[SQL]

I posted this somewhere else for someone

https://i61.tinypic.com/144cjet.jpg

[eifion]

Bike was absolutely fine this morning. Must've been the rain and not imminent engine-death. Will get a small can of WD40 to put under the seat.
____________________
SR125 -> 6 year gap -> SV650 -> Deauville -> NC750X -> Vstrom 650

[MCN.]

Lack of power is standard on SV's.

[Pigeon]

There is also a little drain hole at the base of the cylinder head. If this is blocked, and rain gets thrown up from the front wheel, you get a head full of water and an SV325.

Fender extender should solve this issue.

I occasionally blast WD40 up it plus poke it with a pipe cleaner.