Suspension Questions For Cornering
 

Well, after a year of keeping it timid on the straights between corners and using mostly engine braking to match speed for a corner, I've stepped it up a bit to brake into corners from excess speeds. I've always been worried about entering a corner with upset balance for the various things that can happen to a bike that enters a corner with upset balance.

I plan on hitting a track around 3 times this year as costs of tires and track time is a bit high. Right now on the street my suspension feels great, but when I gun it through straights and brake, the nose dive makes me feel unsettled setting up a line through a corner. With a stock suspension setup, can I simply set my front suspension to nearly full stiff for a track? What about for the streets?

I don't mind a harsh ride at all, but there have been a few hairy times when I'm on a downhill slope and about to enter a corner where I feel I overbrake because I hesitate before I begin to lean. Uphill or on a flat road is rarely an issue, but again when it's on a flat road, if my nose dives too hard, it makes me hesitate before I enter the corner.

yea i want to know about this too. my bike nose dives so hard im practicly looking at the ground. and yes i do have new seals and oil up there.

Although I only took a few rides after I feel like I got my suspension sorted, I just set the front preload to almost max and messing with my rear rebound actually helped a lot. Now my bike feels comfy on harder corner entries, but remains capable of running over bumps without much issue.

A lot of people will suggest that you start with making sure you've got good static/rider sag levels. It's a good way to start. I went another route:

I used this as a baseline:
http://www.sportrider.com/suspension...ngs/index.html

I used this to troubleshoot:
http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0...ble/index.html

I couldn't tell you whether my suspension is 100% well sorted, never ridden on a bike with suspension tuned perfectly, but I can tell you my tail no longer wobbles when i'm gassing out of a turn and my bike does what I tell it to on turn-in and is definitely miles and miles and miles ahead of what I started with.

Most track days will have someone there servicing suspension. Thought about riding up to one of them and having that done without going on the track :p

Need to look into this myself but first I gotta get the feel for her first before I go tinkering with it.

Those suspension guys are probably sitting in the staging areas or tech areas where you'd more than likely have to pay entrance to get to anyways.

Unfortunately, they don't really have "suspension gurus" at track days in Korea (from what I hear). I'll be going to scout the "local" track this coming weekend and plan on going for my track license once I my leathers get here.

This is the actual baseline for any proper motorcycle suspension setup:
http://www.gostar-racing.com/informa...ion_set-up.htm

I think its very hard to have a suspension setup that works for everyone. Personally, I like mine a bit softer than most aggressive riders. I like the front to plant in a little, but also like to feel the bike "drop" into the corners. It seems to give me more feedback than a stiff suspension would. In fact, too stiff, and I think the bike becomes squirly and unpredictable in the corners. But again I'm against the norm here, but it works for me. A lot of people crank things so stiff, the suspension doesn't work like it should, and usually its done to correct bad driving habits. The softer your suspension, the more the bike will react to your inputs. If your inputs are not fluid and smooth, your bike will pick it up and react by feeling loose.

The other thing to consider, braking hard into a corner doesn't mean to brake hard all of sudden. Anytime that is done, the nose it going to dive. It needs to be progressive as you enter the corner. Once your into the corner, the braking should be linear and not get any harder. What I mean is, you should have made your hardest braking before the bike is leaned over. You can keep the same amount of braking while in the corner if your speed is still too high, but adding more is just asking for trouble. Just note that the further you lean over, the less you should apply the brake... again here, progressively let off the brake as you speed is scrubbed off.

A soft suspension, progressive braking is the best setup for me on the street. I want to leave room for the suspesion to step out if I encounter potholes or dips in the road while in the corner. If your supensions set too hard, you stand the chance of your suspension loosing contact with the road.

If you practice smooth, linear, progressive techniques, you will be faster and smoother. Just watch any great motorcycle racer. It looks like they arent even trying, yet , their speeds are far faster around the track than those that look like they are working their butt off.

Another important thing here is also, many riders don't utilize their rear brake. I make it a point to use it all the time. I've found, especially coming into corners, the rear brake will help ballance the bike out.

But, I'm nothing more than a novice rider, so the things I've mentioned may not be correct for your riding condtions or style. I just thought I would share my experience.

Yeah, I'm still learning to read my tires and stuff and as I'm starting to gas it earlier and earlier out of a corner... my previous "ideal" suspension setup is becoming less and less ideal. I prefer the softest suspension setting that my bike will allow me without having the rear end get all squirrely on the way out and a front end that doesn't get unsettled when braking hard over bumps.

I've yet to even tap the tarmac with my knee so I'm sure there will be many many suspension adjustments to make as I get better, faster, and lower.

well
there aint much that you can do

all that can be done is to slow down until you balance your byke

Thank you captain obvious. I was considering charging in even harder with unbalanced suspension until you chimed in.

Lol that's funny. I missed this one but I have never touch my suspension and flys around the curves. I don't know how close my knee gets but I know my pegs scraps big time and I hate it. But when I feel it gettin squirrelly I push down and give it gas till the tire "hooks"