| Author | Message | ||
     Petebueller |
I have an XB12R, and I find it prone to head-shake related to front wheel deflections. I have what I think to be a good handling set-up, but I find that while the set-up is sensitive to compression damping, it is relatively insensitive to rebound damping. It is pretty easy to tell when there is too much rebound damping, but there is a very large range where I cannot tell any difference. I have fitted a steering damper to help with the head-shake, but it has been suggested that before any adjustment is made to the steering damper, the rest of my suspension set-up needs to be correct. When I have asked whether increasing the rebound damping could reduce head-shake, it was suggested that the question is best put on this forum. Any advice would be appreciated. | ||
| Petebueller |
Anyone have any thoughts? | ||
| Clutchless |
if you ride hard you can have a slight head shake when the transition from weight on the front end goes to the rear in acceleration or decel. My xb (although a S not an R)had a terrible headshake when I bought it due to the previous owner had the rear suspension set as soft as possible and the front as hard as it could go. I dont know why, or what the guy was trying to do but it was seriously unsafe to ride the bike for me being 155-165 lbs. and the previous rider weighing in at over 250 lbs. SO....I concur what your saying is true and point you tword the aggressive settings for your R, it made my bike straighten up and fly right. I think they call these the higbee settings or something? It will make your bike react to road imperfections, not just bounce over the top. Also will bring that self correcting nature out in the bike, it wont stand up, but if you like riding with no hands it will make the bike run very true will little input. Best of luck. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/384 2/107725.html#POST779561 <-------- suspension settings!!! | ||
| Petebueller |
Until a couple of weeks ago I hadn't thought about the difference between Firebolt and Lightning setups. I gathered that the head-shake on the Lightning could be pretty bad if the rear was too soft. If I have it too stiff on the Firebolt I find it catapults. It seems that the difference in the weight distribution with the riding position is important. I only have a Firebolt manual. I might go looking around to see if the factory proposes different preload and damping settings for the Firebolt and the Lightning. I have had a few head shakes from wheel deflections in corners. I haven't managed to push it hard enough to get a shudder from a change in weight distribution. | ||
| Clutchless |
I am pretty sure they do. The weight distribution is a big thing with the difference in riding position. I have only "heard" that people set their Lightning up with Firebolt settings after they rig up clipons and say the specs are dead on. I started with those factory settings in the manual and checked out those aggressive settings and made my own little adjustments to the stock recommendations. Not very much that anyone would notice besides me (couple half turns here and there). Basically it sounds like your bike is sitting a little to far forward or back on the suspension making it skim across the road or put too much pressure down, either or, I dont really know. Its just making a "unfavorable riding condition'. Have you had your head bearings checked recently? That could also cause a head shake under certain load changes. | ||
| Clutchless |
http://buell2.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/buell2.cfg/php/ enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=283&p_created=11166207 49&p_sid=xgh6gVii&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRf Ynk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD05MiZwX3Byb2RzPS ZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9JnBfY3Y9JnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9YW5z d2Vycy5zZWFyY2hfbmwmcF9wYWdlPTE thats a long link sorry but I think it might help in your search for those settings. its got all the stock settings for xb models | ||
| Petebueller |
Hey Clutchless, what a link! That went straight to favourites thanks very much. The head bearings are OK. The first wobble was at around 2000km so the bike was pretty new. Its only 9 months old now with 15000km so they should be OK I like the setup with my compression damping. It is firm, otherwise my bike tends to float and wallow in corners. The rebound damping I think needs work. I don't think I have enough and it may be what gives me the shakes when I kick of debris or out of a rut at low speeds. | ||
| Clutchless |
glad to help you own the corners.  |
