COFSTA

Its WOOHOO time!




(thats woowoo for you Scott )

Oh Yummm!


Brick

Purdy stuff!

Looking forward to this ride report!

Took the GS on a 100 mile ride this afternoon to try the new shocks.

Observations:

1) I didn't realize just how much I had been "reading" the road surface for bumps/cracks/holes/etc., in order to "prepare" myself for the jolt. I think we must all do it unconsciously, and the degree of resulting body tension is dependent on just how bad a shape our suspension is in. So, suddenly I found myself tensing up for a jolt that never happened--or was greatly diminished. I loved it. Damn, my old shocks sucked.

2) 90 felt like 80, 80 felt like 70. The feeling of "attachment" to the surface is greatly enhanced at higher speeds, esp. on rough pavement, and the perception of speed is decreased. This could getcha in trouble.

3) Cornering at speed with undulating pavement, no problem, no more pogo-ing. Like invisible rails.

4) Bike feels much more under control when "flicking".

5) Roads with lots of pavement cracks which formerly felt jittery now feel like smooth asphalt.

6) I didn't bottom out once!

And at the end of a ride, I feel more relaxed due to less jolting. I liked it.

beemerbob wrote:I didn't realize just how much I had been "reading" the road surface for bumps/cracks/holes/etc., in order to "prepare" myself for the jolt. I think we must all do it unconsciously,

Welcome to my world ...congrats, I'd love to have the scratch to put a "real" shock under the SV!

Excellent... I gotta do it too!


Brick

That's great the suspension met your expectations, Bob. It reminds me when people would brag about scraping pegs until everybody figured out it simply meant bad suspension. They keep adding new features to bikes but the suspensions remain mostly crap.

LeeDavis wrote:That's great the suspension met your expectations, Bob. It reminds me when people would brag about scraping pegs until everybody figured out it simply meant bad suspension. They keep adding new features to bikes but the suspensions remain mostly crap.

You are so right. Except I was grinding off hard parts when I wasn't even leaned over, lol. Thats how bad it had gotten--and it sneaks up on you gradually.

This won't turn me into Rossi, but I sure will enjoy riding a lot more. Which is what its all about, right?

Money well spent... Bike candy. We don't need faster bikes.. just better springs and shocks. BobL.

LeeDavis wrote:That's great the suspension met your expectations, Bob. It reminds me when people would brag about scraping pegs until everybody figured out it simply meant bad suspension. They keep adding new features to bikes but the suspensions remain mostly crap.

Scraping hard parts is multifactorial. I will find a way to scrape hard parts regardless of good suspension, good technique, wheelbase, ride height, etc. Which is a sign I need to back it off anyways. But suspension is surely a factor.

007 wrote:Scraping hard parts is multifactorial. I will find a way to scrape hard parts regardless of good suspension, good technique, wheelbase, ride height, etc. Which is a sign I need to back it off anyways. But suspension is surely a factor.

Agreed, but I think Lee was referring to the normal semi-agressive twisty riding that we usually do. And I was scraping badly doing just that.

Yup, before Bob got his new suspension we were riding and Bob mentioned on the radio he'd been scraping all day. We were running a brisk pace but not to the extent where the bikes should have issues handling it. Actually, most manufacturers use decent suspension components but then they're usually undersprung, poorly configured and can't be rebuilt or modified to suit the rider. The only solution is to replace everything. Makes no sense.

My FJR is a typical example: FJR stock rear shocks are a good monotube design, but are set up so they can't handle more than a single 150# rider with no luggage. What is Yamaha thinking?!

YMMV... I've always found that stock suspension is good enough for perhaps the first couple of years but that it goes away after that. ALL suspension should be services every couple of years. That being said and the fact that I'm a cheep old bastard... I don't always follow my own advice.
The other thing I found with after market suspension is the many vendors seem to think we want "race" suspension. What I want is up graded and compliant suspension. What I had on my FJR was too stiff. I know I can get the kind of suspension I want... I just need to be able to relate to the vendor what I really want.
I do intend on putting Ohlins on the Super Tenere as I've now got two years and 52,000 miles on it. Been very busy getting my headlights working. And I am in the process of adjusting the valves. Three of the exhaust valves had tightened up a bit. The word on the Tenere forum is that they do that. So the plan is to adjust all 4 exhaust valves into the middle of the adjustment range. That way at the next check, 26,600 miles (or 30,000 miles) none should be out of spec.
I also sold the Givi luggage and got the Traxx bags. I also got the Denali 2 lights I'm putting on it.
I'm planning to ride Baja, Mexico this February... wanna go along?


Brick

Coincidence! I just turned on heat for the garage and am waiting for it to warm up a little to do a valve clearance check on the FJR. Hoping everything is within tolerances so I don't have to do shims.

Brick wrote: I also got the Denali 2 lights I'm putting on it.
I'm planning to ride Baja, Mexico this February... wanna go along?
Brick

I just put the Rigid Dually LED lights on mine. They will probably x-ray a deer. Crazy bright. Probably gonna need to find a way to dim them some. Rigid makes amber snap-on lenses, like fog lights. I have read the amber gives the best "conspicuity" for daylight riding. The Denalis are dimmable aren't they?

Baja huh? From where to where? Got a group going?

Baja from here to San Diego all the way down Baja to Cabo San Lucas... the tip. Then back home. I did this in 2009 great trip.
There are 3 or 4 of us so far.

Wanna go?


Brick

Brick wrote:Baja from here to San Diego all the way down Baja to Cabo San Lucas... the tip. Then back home. I did this in 2009 great trip.
There are 3 or 4 of us so far. Wanna go?

Brick

Dunno--any mass beheadings down that way lately?