| Author | Message | ||
     1125rcya |
Time to rebuild my 2009 1125R shocks. I do not know all my options that could be done to customize my stock shocks. If and what changes can be made to help me at the track? 165-180 lbs. I have no problem with the stock fill of my shocks, but that doesn't mean the faster I get, I will still like the fill of them. Simple things I.E. springs, valving...? Maybe from whom to buy from as well! Any knowledge would greatly help. Thanks Mike | ||
| Stirz007 |
Shock(s)??. Mine only has one. Do you mean forks? And by 'fill', do you mean 'feel'? Not hatin', just confused. Rebuilding the (rear) shock is not so easy, and often best to have someone with the right tools do that job. Rebuilding forks is pretty easy for someone with reasonable mechanical skills and tools. Lots of things you can do for not much money: heavier/lighter fork oil, less/more air space, lighter/heavier springs. For more money, cartridge upgrades. For even more money, upgraded forks and/or shock. The stockers aren't bad for track days. The first thing to do is get a good suspension guy to set you up and then you can tweak it from there. (Message edited by Stirz007 on November 20, 2012) (Message edited by Stirz007 on November 20, 2012) | ||
| 1125rcya |
Lol, yeah by shocks I meant forks and by fill I meant feel. Why would I want to go with a stiffer spring? Does the stiffer spring have advantages/ disadvantages ? Does the stiffer spring make the front sit lower? What would the cartridge do? Thanks | ||
| Thefleshrocket |
I switched the stock 5wt fork oil with 10wt and have been happy with the improvement. I haven't done any track days with it, but I've been happy with the suspension for fast twisty roads. I also changed the heavier early-'08 fork springs for the slightly lighter late-'08+ fork springs. I think the earlier ones are 1.0kg/mm and the later ones are 0.95kg/mm. I can't tell a lick of difference, and the zip tie on the fork leg ends up at about the same place. | ||
| Rodrob |
Oh boy... what a can of worms. Suspension setup is almost as much art as science. Welcome to the mosh pit. IMHO- Race suspension has a primary function: Get the maximum traction under the most conditions. Street suspension has the added function of providing rider comfort. At some point every rider must decide how much of one they are willing to sacrifice for the other. (not to say that racing suspension cannot be comfortable. It can and should, but usually only on the track) Stiffer spring = stiffer ride, higher front under equal weight. Less dive under braking. Cartridges= better (more precise) damping and greater range of adjustment (better traction). There are some decent books/videos that you can get to give you some basic knowledge. I started with the Traxxion Dynamics video. There are basic rules to follow, but IMHO it mostly comes down to how you feel on the bike, as the rider has the single largest effect on handling, assuming the suspension is in the ballpark, which the stock 1125R is. There are folks here who have a lot of experience, but for them to be of help, you have to know what result you're after. See if you can find a way to describe what you might want to feel better. (After 3 seasons of racing, I am just beginning to communicate effectively with my suspension tuner) How does the bike feel entering a corner: Stable, or wobbly, or stiff, or tippy, or good? How does it feel mid corner? How does the bike feel exiting a corner? Do you feel confident or apprehensive? Under what conditions does one become the other? Anyway, just some ideas to help point you in the right direction. There are those here who know far more than I. Best of luck. | ||
| Dannybuell |
heavier oils take longer to warm up and thin down. you just might find yourself in a less than confident position until the fork oil warms up. when I first got my CR gp suspension did mine right away. My S1 has had gp suspension service for years. | ||
| Stirz007 |
I agree with Rob's assessment. The variables are such that suspension tuning is somewhat of a voodoo science. For your weight, the stock springs are probably 'in the zone' for sport/track day riding. My big carcass is closer to 200+, so I went to a stiffer spring rate. A lot will depend on the track conditions (smooth or bumpy, sharp turns or sweepers, etc) and how you ride. I'd also agree that books and videos are a great resource to help understand how the basic variables of preload, compression and rebound affect the 'feel'. And then, geometry set-up is another variable, as in raising or lowering forks in the trees..... Rob - I WISH I had a suspension tuner... good on ya!. I am lucky in that I do have some buds in the pit that are better at it than I. The usual approach is to trade beer for help in checking my initial set-up on race weekends, then make little tweaks during practice sessions to try to dial in a little better. I'd offer these humble suggestions to the OP: Get some suspension tuning books/videos and study up - this helps with the 'language' mentioned. Get a suspension guy to do an initial set-up with all your gear on. Keep a record of these settings as your base line. Make only one change at a time. If you are doing a track day, you can get 5-8 sessions a day, so you can experiment quite a bit. But then again, ambient temperature will have an effect on settings, too (we can see 40 degree changes over the day at my home track). Before dropping a bunch of coin on upgrades, try to optimize what you already have. All things being equal: Cold temps or heavier fork oil will slow suspension response. Less air space will 'harden' suspension, more air space will soften it. and on and on and on...... | ||
| Rodrob |
and on and on and on...... Well said. My "suspension tuner" is virtual. As you said, a collection of buds with more experience than I. Fortunately for me, I happen to hang with some of the best. | ||
| Nuts4mc |
google: Dave Moss Catalyst Reaction OTT On the throttle there are U-tube presentations that may help...Mr. Moss has the philosophy of letting the bike's suspension do the work not the rider... make/take a note book to record your settings test on a "known" road or track to compare results patience and small changes are needed trying to reach perfection in/on an imperfect track/road/weather condition is wasting your riding time and enjoyment. good luck |
