RE: Spring tensioning. That's the preload setting. What are your current static and loaded sag values? Adjust preload to correct those to ~10-15mm and 20-25mm respectively. After that only adjust the spring to reflect loading changes and if you start taking it to the track ( lower sag for track usage )

Dampening and rebound - set the rebound after the dampening so that the bike returns to it's resting position without over shooting the resting position.

Dampening - very personal - start soft and crank it up. Remember that a smooth freeway and a bumpy road are very different. I've got a very firm dampening setup... the more dampening the less travel for a constant force. Find out what your max force ( i.e. normal braking or normal cornering) and set the dampening so it uses the maxium travel range with a bit to spare. IF you ride harder after that you might need to add more dampening. If you ride on a bumpy road you might need to soften it so that it doesn't kill the kidneys.

Tire slipping doesn't all have to be suspension related, but certainly if the suspension wasn't properly done it could unload a tire when the weight is transfered...

Exercise - put the bike in one gear and leave it in that gear. Pick a gear like third that has a huge range of speed. Don't be ashamed to use second - I've done this exercise in first. Don't touch the brakes. Ride slowly at first. Find a twisty road you like. Only moderate speed with the throttle - ease of before the turn, ease on during the turn. Forget about straight away speed this has nothing to do with this exercise.... this is a throttle control exercise and NOT A SPEED exercise. When you feel like the road has become one sweeping line that flows well - ride it again like you normally do. I think you'll find it very different. NOTE THIS WELL - THIS IS NOT A SPEED EXERCISE. Picking the right gear will make or break this exercise. This isn't meant to be a put down - I've got years of street experience and this is what I do at the start of every season.

I might have over emphasized that this isn't a speed exercise - but I want to make it clear so that people don't speed down the straight, not use their brakes and enter a turn hot. This is all about throttle control and smoothness - the fundamentals of going fast.

 

well said mang...
the rear too soft will make you run wide coming out of turns and make you lose the amount of clearance you have...so if the rear is totall compressed, you can't lean as far over before you start dragging parts.

as far as tire slipping...if you are smooth, and the road is good, then you shouldn't have that happen whatsoever. too may people blame it on the tires, then get a stickier tire to mask inadequacies in their riding skills.

also as i previously stated in a related thread, you weight should not be entirely on the inside peg!!! thing of a top spinning and if you push in on the side it's tilted on, it will push the bottom of it right now...so instead, you hook on with your outside leg and take the weight off the inside peg.

 

LOL Man this is all way too confusing. I wish we had motorcycle tracks in Wisconsin so I could learn how to ride the fun roads well and learn about weight transfer and how to corner like a pimp. haha It looks like people put all their weight on the inside peg when they're turning though they are all leaned off the bike on one side I don't know how they wouldn't be putting all their weight there. Maybe I just have TOO much weight! lol

Mike

/cry

 

Don't worry about weight transfer then... keep it simple first.

You don't need to hang off on the street. Infact, if you're ridding hard enough to REALLY need to hang off then you're probably going too fast.

The problem with forum questions is that people don't have the personal background... so some advice can be sent that is way too low a level for someone and other advice given could be at way too high a level. Suggesting someone fresh out of MSF should be hanging off their bike is probably not a good idea - but on a forum such as this we can't tell who's where.

 

well, most people do put it on the inside peg...but not ALL of the weight...otherwise, it will push the bike out and add more weight to the inside...

so try to hang off like a monkey, but to keep you from falling off, you lock the inside of your outter leg against the tank...try that...

yea tracks are great...wisconsin? i'm so sorry not too much twists out there mang!

 

You may want to try dropping your rear pressure a bit. Check how warm your tires feel when you are done with a spirited run.

I run 36/36 for normal street riding on my Pilot Powers.

 

Ya dude Wisconsin sucks for riding all the twisties are crappy roads full of gravel in a lot of places and cracks and potholes and tar and junk. I want to take a bike trip but no one to go with I should just run solo, I want to go to the dragon! =D

Mike

 

I though you should transfer weight to the outside after the apex. Is that what you mean?

 

O...M....G..... Now I know what the kidney workout was all about. I hardend the thing at the bottom of the spring and on the little aluminum can and OW! Man every little bump killed me and we have REALLY crappy roads here. I think I'll set it back and just get new tires.

Mike

 

Wish you had a track in Wisconsin??????? Are you ****ting me? Heard of Road America in Elkhart Lake? They have track days there quite often. Check one out. As for ****ty roads, I dont know what part you are in, but we ride from Minneapolis over to Wisconsin just to get to the good roads. They arent a track day, but ammusing none the less. Right along the river, you cant miss it. If you are over on the other side of the state, you have Elkhart Lake. Give it a search, you will like what you see.