My F4 kinda does the same thing. I think it parts setting and part tires. Not all vehicles handle or run the same. You can go to a car lot and driver two fo the same cars and they will run and feel differant then each other. Bikes can be the same way.

 

get a new front tire....7-8k is usually when you should replace them anyways. funny tho, when my front tire was goin bad, the bike tended to dive into the corners real bad. kinda scared the crap outa me the first time it did it, thought i lost all the oil in my forks or messed up a spring or somethin it dove so low. but after that i got used to it and it got to be hella fun

 

Im going to say tire pressure. Or suspension.

 

yes i would say tire pressure too i had almost the same thing going on i took it to the dealer and they told me my tires were way below what they were supposed to be aired them up problem solved.

 

Yeah. I noticed if the front is low it will tend to stand up on me.

 

Jules - Thanks. I'll let it be known now that my first response to the guys there was that it was probably my tires... but while there might be, by this logic, an initial "fight" to lean it over... once the bike was actually PAST the edge of the "square"... it should be stable. Your contact patch would be the same on a rounded tire, or a squared off tire (once your past the "edge"). So I can see initial increased effort, but once you get low... I don't think it should cause me to KEEP fighting it.

Mike - In response to your question... fuel was about the same. Both bikes showing "full", if I recall correctly. So Fuel would not be an issue. Also, when you say "moving up a few clicks"... are you talking both rebound AND dampning (top and bottom adjusters), or just one or the other? Also... on the rear... what would bumping up preload a turn or so do for me?

Dizzie - My front tire is starting to square off, this is true... but I've still got sufficient tread left that there's no way I'd replace it... it just doesn't need it! To be fair on this issue, most all of my driving is highway commuting. I'm not a wheelie/stoppie kinda rider, and I save most all of my truely hard launches for the drags. Tires last a long time with me. (These Metzelers rock!) That... and my bike certainly doesn't "dive" into the corners... I'd like to find a happy medium between fight and dive.

Pitbull - Again, as stated before... my tire pressure I'm running is the stock tire pressure that honda says I need to be running. I'll double check them once more... but I really don't see tire pressure being the issue on this one... but keep the thoughts coming!



*Again, thanks for all the responses! I REALLY appreciate them. If indeed it's tires... then I'll just have to live with the fighting... I ride on the street all the time, and though they REALLY aren't THAT squared off... I can't just pitch them and get new ones with them having PLENTY of tread left on them. I'd feel like I was just throwing money away. However... if it's suspension... then any of you suspen

 

I have been having issues with my F3 forks too, I'm gonna tear them down Wednesday and give them a once over. Hopefully new seals and oil will cure my issue. My old front tire was even wearing diffrentlly from one side to the other. Rh was almost gone and LH was not so bad. I was told suspension so that's where I'm going to check.

 

Well, since bike weight didn't make an apparent difference then, I would look at rear shock first. The adjusters for compression and rebound IIRC start out about a quarter or half turn out. I moved mine on my F4 shock another half turn as I use my bike for commuting and the stiffness wasn't helping me any. Also, my shock was set at preload #3 and I moved it to #2 as it felt like it wasn't absorbing the straight line bumps I hit in normal travel. I do notice that with the setup as it currently is I do work slightly harder when making turns, but I feel a lot better going in a straight line. Considering I live in cleveland I won't be hitting any mountain twisties any time soon.

I believe that the softer the setup is the more the bike will feel heavier or mushier in it's travel. I want this for street riding, but for riding the curves I think that harder is better. You get a better feel with a slightly harder suspension as well. About the only thing I can come up with a comparison with is like an F-1 car. the suspension is very hard which allows the car to turn side to side quickly without rolling over. Also like sport suspension setups with corvettes or how Energy Suspension bushings make your truck turn better. (mushy suspension = slow turning ability)

I would suggest going one click up on the preload to start (which you should try based on your weight) I can't remember which direction the compression and rebound damping says is firmer, but all you need is a basic screwdriver to make small adjustments. I would firm up compression to keep the bike stiffer. Do maybe 1/4 turn increments. I'm still working on tuning my F4 shock but based on what my F2 shock felt like the newer one is like heaven. I can also tell the difference in feel with every change I make.

Of course, I could be way off base on everything I've said, but I have noticed differences on my bike based on these small changes I've made.

 

If a bunch of different guys reported the same thing... how could it be suspension? I assume they all have different weights from you. Probably tire pressure or need new tire(s). The front sounds bad, yeah, I know you say you don't want to replace them, tread being still good and all, but if that's the case then you really can't complain about it standing up. All the tweaking suspension in the world won't help, unless it's been a long while since you changed fork oil or if the rear shock is really old or out of adjustment.

 

Overall, Tires usually make the biggest difference on turn in. especially at low speeds.
I am unfamiliar with the profiles of the tires on either of the bikes, but I do know that there can be a huge difference in turning characterisitcs between tires. take a Pilot Power vs Diablo Corsa. both are excellent tires,but have 2 very different feels. The PP will lay over into a corner very easily, becuase it has a triangular profile, the DC have what it referred to as a "nuetral" turn in. the profile is very rounded. You feel this in the way the bike wants to turn in. Now, take any tire and put 7-8K miles on, and the "turn in" feel will be drastically changed. (I often have to change my front tire becuase the sides are worn well past the treadbars, but the center still looks brand new) I would not think tire pressure will play a huge part in it, unless the pressures are way off the accepted range(generally 32-38psi) anywhere in that area and I would imagine you would be ok, but I could be wrong.

Suspension adjustments will come into play, but not significantly at those low speeds. Plus, the suspension should be set up for your weight and riding style. being that more than one person rode the bike, at low speed, low probability of suspension settings. Although, you do need to set up your sag for your weight. that has to be done....period. it is very simple, and a very good thing to learn how to do. there are many, many good articles out there on how to do it, find some and read them. then take 10mins and set your sag. then the rebound needs to set based on your riding style, then after all those are set, you move on to compression for general "plushness" of the ride. ( by the way, generally preload should be used to set your sag, not how stiff your suspension is)

now, once your start putting some speed and throttle in your turns like out on the open road, then your suspension will become a major player in how the bike behaves in the corners....but thats all another story.