New to riding a sportbike so the suspension "feel" is somewhat a mystery too me. As of now i swapped out the rear shock and the internals of the forks to match my weight.

1.The SH feels super rigid and "bouncy".

2. I also notice now my front end seems light almost to the point of tank slappin, just feels lite and loose.

3. Scary to ride...need some advice

 

http://www.kfgracing.com

this is GP suspension North... barry set up my suspension when he was down at PIR ( portland ).

a basic adjust is like $45.00.

worth every penny !

tim

 

Set your sag first. Since you only have to worry about rebound damping in the front try a baseline of around 1 turn out from full damping. What is your rear setup? My rear shock is stock and it feels ok now but took a lot of messing around to get it there. Did you change to higher spring rate springs? If so you will need more damping to control them. Putting some zip ties on your shock shaft and a fork tube will help you determine how much travel you are using. The tank slapping feeling is usually caused by geometry not suspension. Where are your forks in the triples and what is your rear ride height. If your rear shock is adjustable try lowering the rear to get more stability.

 

ok that makes sense, my rear shock is resprung Hyper-pro for 290 lb rider. currently adjusted to the highest setting, span wrench will cure that. forks are set with clip-on right at the cir-clip. I have set an appointment with GP suspension this weekend at Pacific Raceways. get adjusted and watch a little trackdays.....zwoehr you still local ?

 

TRINC : called Barry and they got me on the books for this Sunday, Thanks for the info

 

Ok... First of what are you running, where and what is your weight?

The rear is aimed for a 290 rider, whats your weight?

 

As said, set the sag right... Use the wifey to help steady the bike with you on it....put a ziptie on the forkleg... bounce it and let it settle then move the ziptie up, lift it and let it settle then move the ziptie up... Compare the middle point to resting point... Rear, just pick a point to measure and get it ballpark... That should help immensly...

 

front RT gold valves .95 spring (i know i need 1.0 ) my weight distrobution is NOT correct feels like 60% back tire, since the fork and rear shock switch....my current weight 280 lbs 6'3. I love this bike but it is build for a 150 lb japanese rider :}

 

Ok, just guesswork here... But with lighter than optimal springs in front, and heavier than optimal rear... Well... Hardest setting isn't the right option... I'd say the lighter half of the settings...

And actually, the 1.0 springs would be right for track, the .95 probably good for some road comfort with some control still...

In front, get it baseline, ie sag with the preload, and then figure it out tfrom there...

BTW... I know what you mean on stock setup... I'm 6'4" 210 lbs... Not good with stock stuff...

 

I'm in Seattle. I PM'ed you my email if you want to get in touch. Unfortunately there's not much you can do about weight distribution besides replacing and removing parts. Some people refer to changing the geometry as putting more weight on the front, etc. There actual effect is negligible. The bike will feel very different after geo changes, It's just not changing what many people think it's changing. A suspension pro should be able to set you up with sommething you will be comfortable with.

 

barry is a good guy... you may not get ' ideal settings ' but he'll get the best results with what you have. he's also good at no pressure suggestions of what it would take to get things better.

tim

 

Here is a bit of reading for you which can give you an idea what is going on and how to set stuff:

http://www.feelthetrack.com/tuning_guide.htm

I would still have someone that knows what they are doing set it for you but after reading these articles, it won't sound like a foreign language when the guy is tell you what he is doing.

The tire guide is also pretty good for checking you set up.

 

Thanks all.....great feedback

 

Awesome info on that site 8541hawk, thanks

 

Not to be condescending, but have you checked the tire pressure? An over inflated front tire can make the steering feel too light.

 

No worries. Once you get a good base line, then we can tell you how to go out and dial it in for your riding style.

It's pretty easy once you get the sag and a good base line set up.

For me the best "Street" set up was approx. 28mm of sag in the rear and between 35-30mm in the front. 35mm works well for most and is a bit more comfortable to ride. I'm both a big guy, at 6'3" and 250 or so and a late braker, so I run a bit stiffer fork to limit dive. I also pay for it having a harsher front end.

 

chickenstrip, tire preasure checks OK, thanks

 

Watch a few of these to learn more:

http://www.feelthetrack.com/

 

Thanks for sharing ........im a newbie to this forum ......hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii