Had my 03 F4i now since last fall. I started with the major stuff, like it was slipping from second gear, the tires were square shouldered hockey pucks and the ride height/suspension? Totally screwy...

I got through all the big obvious things, did a nice paint job, got a wind screen that was not painted over, put on some SS front brake lines and generally cleaned up all the crappy things I found as I worked through this bike.

I made some good progress with the suspension set up, but spongy stock brake lines and stock fork springs made for some sketchy cornering and braking at any pace.

I recently got the proper fork springs for my weight...Racetech 95kgs. Installed those and put on some Stompgrip tank grip pads, upped the oil viscosity to 10w and re-set my sag to the new springs....Big Difference!

This bike feels good now. Before, I could ride "around" it's flaws...it's vague front end feel and diving strange brake behavior with those rubber lines and soft springs....but it was 'sketchy' doing anything but just very moderate sport riding.

I often ride with a friend who's pretty good with his R-1. Been to the track with him, me on my wifey's old F-2...and we often ride the canyons and coulees of eastern Oregon together at reasonably sane pace. Well, today with the newest changes...the SS brake lines, the stomp grip pad on the tank and the front fork revisions....all is good with the f4i now. What an excellent bike, like I had a feeling it would be, eventually.



For a pretty modest investment I now have a bike that will perform very well indeed. I bought this bike mainly for the track, and it will be interesting to see how it stacks up against the R1 at our local tight track Oregon Raceway Park
this June at our first track day. On the ORP circuit his R1 torque is not a factor, except in some small ways. I can't wait...
Don Hanson

 

I'm kind of in the same boat you were. Front brakes are a mess. Suspension seems soft. Mine has nice paint tho. I'm in the process of a rebuild as well.

 

It will be worth the effort. Very nice bikes, capable of keeping you up with most anyone you ride with anywhere....except maybe a big fast wide open track like Willow Springs or Daytona...and then you could probably just tuck into the draft....
Have fun with it.

 

hey can you link me to the stomp grip you bought?

 

Really like the wheels a lot man.

 

Wheels and Stomp Grip..

The wheels are a bit too 'orange' colored for my taste, I think. Next time I have the tires off I'll probably change them to a true gold color. I've had good success painting my wheels with normal rattle can paints after washing them with Simple Green, then dish soap and water, as the whole prep.

Stomp Grip is available lots of places. Google, Amazon, I don't have my receipt handy. Follow the instructions carefully for your install and do allow the proper time for the adhesive to cure. My last bike, I went out riding before the 24hr curing period passed and the pads slipped around a little, leaving a messy gluey 'halo' on the edges of the pads.
You can use a tennis ball or a boat fender properly to apply pressure to the pad, from the concave center of your tank's knee dents outward as you stick it down. I began by outlining the pad's intended position with blue masking tape before beginning the stick-down process... One of the better handling improvements I've done to the bike, especially important if you often ride in textile gear...My Aerostitch is quite slippery on a painted tank.