| Author |
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Cringblast
| | Posted on Saturday, February 13, 2010 - 09:02 pm: | 
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Pw,
Since riden the CR have been trying to get
it flickable like the XB but totally different bikes. I set up the suspension
per the manual but did not help. Feels like the back end wanted to wash out into the turn and not very good feeling.
So I started tweaken a little. Increase rebound 2 clicks rear, allowed more compression front and decrease front pre load.
after added 1/2 turn preload and more compression. Got it riden good but not totally great. Talk to someone who can set u up.
If u make changes write them down so u can keep track with what u do and can put things back if something does not work.
Tire pressure for street i run 36 back and 35 front.
Just 2 cents worth.
C. |
Ratbuell
| | Posted on Saturday, February 13, 2010 - 09:08 pm: |
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One thing that nobody has mentioned - he's got a CR.
Clubmans feel funky until you get used to them.
Picture this - regular bars, your hands are at 9 and 3 on a clock face. They spin opposite each other; left goes to 10, right goes to 4.
Clubmans are totally different. Hands are at 10 and 2. Left goes to 11, right goes to 3 - you're not 'turning a stick' that pivots on steering centerline, you're moving that stick back and forth in FRONT of the steering centerline.
I have the high bar kit in my garage, bought it with my bike because I thought I'd hate the clubmans. But, at 6'4" with a nearly 37" arm...with a little practice...I'm LOVIN' the clubmans now.
Now that I'm used to them.
For the other side of the thread: GO DARWIN. Personally, with all the riding I do, and all the miles I've covered, and all the titanium I have in my lower extremities...I'm damned glad that I have a slew of 100hp bikes and only ONE bike that puts over 140hp to the ground ( http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/290 431/533374.html?1264792149 ).
If I tried to ride the 140hp bike every day...I'd lose sight of the "holy s**t this thing's fast!" perspective, and I'd be dead.
I'm no newbie.
I've hit the ground hard enough to know it sucks (and to get enough titanium inserted that I set stuff off by pulling into an airport *parking lot* - I'm VERY familiar with "the box" now).
I know my limits, and I know 90% of the time if there's something wrong, it's my hamfisted adjustments and not the bike.
Take your time.
Read the book.
Pay attention to what you're reading. The answers are in there. The Elves are a smart bunch. |
Moosestang
| | Posted on Saturday, February 13, 2010 - 09:15 pm: |
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One thing that nobody has mentioned - he's got a CR.
I just assume everyone has a CR. |
Froggy
| | Posted on Saturday, February 13, 2010 - 09:33 pm: |
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If you don't have a CR you are a loser. |
Captain_america
| | Posted on Saturday, February 13, 2010 - 09:49 pm: |
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I would have to agree with Froggy lol.
And ya I learned to sit up against the tank, while sitting almost on the side of the seat with all your weight pretty much on the outside foot peg from my dirtbike.
This pretty much transfers over to the street. Except for the steering is completely different and your already against the tank.
I'm not a 21yr old dumba$$ on a 1125... |
Froggy
| | Posted on Saturday, February 13, 2010 - 09:59 pm: |
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quote:I'm not a 21yr old dumba$$ on a 1125...
Hey! I take offense to that!  |
Captain_america
| | Posted on Sunday, February 14, 2010 - 12:45 am: |
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Why your like 23-24! LOLOLOLOLOLOL! |
Mountainstorm
| | Posted on Sunday, February 14, 2010 - 10:33 am: |
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Unless I am hauling ass I don't do a lot of jockeying around. I ride it like a 250, knees on the tank, head down, torso on the airbox, shoulder into the turn. All the rest seems to be on autopilot, the countersteer input, weight difference on the pegs...
If I try to play road racing and hang off the bike and all that it feels faster...but it isn't. The bike is nicely balanced and set up that it pretty much goes where I look. |
Macchiato
| | Posted on Sunday, February 14, 2010 - 11:25 am: |
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Pwillikers, I would have to site operator error as the cause of your woes. The 1125 is possibly the best handling motorcycle ever produced.
I have some book and video suggestions if you're interested.
(the XB is very nice however its demoted in my mind due to drive train) |
Pwillikers
| | Posted on Sunday, February 14, 2010 - 09:29 pm: |
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Thanks for the replies.
To answer some of the questions:
I weigh 180 lbs. Tire pressure is 34F, 35R. I'll reduce it for the track.
I've owned twenty-five or so bikes. I currently own four. Almost all the road bikes I've owned have been sport bikes. I've ridden several dozen track days and attended several track schools. I've never raced. I'm in the upper half of the guys at the track days in terms of lap times (with a much slower bike: MZ Skorpion Sport) so I'd say I'm a fairly capable sporty rider. I don't think "operator error" is involved. 
I know what it feels like for a bike to handle (im)properly. You do need to initiate turns with counter steering. However, you absolutely don't want to constantly counter steer mid-corner to maintain a line. The ideal attitude/spring rate/sag/preload/damping should be set so, were you to remove your hands from the bars mid-corner, the bike would continue at the same lean and maintain the line as before.
In fact, it's dangerous for a setup to require counter steer while turning. Assume you're mid-turn, really cranked over at the limit and counter steering to maintain your line, were you to hit a bump and your wheel to momentarily leave the ground, your pressure on the bars would momentarily have no resistance and would shove the wheel out of line. When the tire returned to the tarmac, a number of bad things could and usually do happen.
My suspension setup question was to the track riders / racers. I've found the manual's suspension recommendations very stiff and wildly variant from SportRider Magazine's recommendations. I wondered if there was some sage guidance to be had.
For reference:
The Buell Manual's official recommendations:
LOAD, LB., 170-190
FRONT FORKS:
PRELOAD: TURNS IN FROM MINIMUM: 7
COMPRESSION: TURNS OUT FROM MAXIMUM: 1-5/8
REBOUND: TURNS OUT FROM MAXIMUM: 1-1/2
REAR SHOCK:
PRELOAD: NOTCH (#1 IS LIGHTEST SETTING): 4
COMPRESSION: CLICKS OUT FROM MAXIMUM: 18
REBOUND: TURNS OUT FROM MAXIMUM: 1
SportRider Magazine's recommendations:
FRONT
Spring preload: 14mm showing;
rebound damping: 3.25 turns out from full stiff;
compression damping: 3 turns out from full stiff
REAR
Spring preload: position 5 from full soft;
rebound damping: 4 turns out from full stiff;
compression damping: 20 clicks out from full stiff.
I assume SR's "14mm showing" refers to the length of fork tube showing above the top triple clamp and really has nothing to do with spring preload for which they give no recommendation. I suppose they assume you'll set the front preload to achieve the proper front sag for your weight. My cr was delivered to me with 14mm of fork tube showing. I've not changed that.
This is the only potentially unclear SR recommendation. All the others describe both compression and rebound damping settings, for both the front and rear, to be significantly reduced from Buell's recommendations. I agree with SR. The Buell factory settings are stiff.
Interestingly, the SR rear preload recommendation is increased from the Buell recommendation by one ramp notch (and given the weight of their rider, perhaps two notches). This would be the logical recommendation to quicken turn-in, obviate mid-corner counter steer and thereby alleviate my original criticism.
So one last question. Have any of you go-fast guys raised the fork tubes much more than the 14mm? How much? What's the limit? I'd rather go this route than crank up rear preload to the point that the sag numbers get out of range. Thanks again. |
Dannybuell
| | Posted on Sunday, February 14, 2010 - 09:36 pm: |
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Pwillikers;
I am sorry, I did not mean to patronize/talk down to you.
dannybuell |
Swampy
| | Posted on Sunday, February 14, 2010 - 09:59 pm: |
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Try sliding a knee up into the swell of the frame while hanging a cheek off the seat. It really makes a difference as to how much pressure you have to put into the bars to stay into the turn. It is almost a natural thing as the frame shape just seems to be made for that. |
Pwillikers
| | Posted on Sunday, February 14, 2010 - 10:10 pm: |
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Absolutely no offense taken. I love you guys. How could I not? You ride 1125s. |
Syonyk
| | Posted on Monday, February 15, 2010 - 11:00 am: |
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Interesting. I've noticed the "need to maintain countersteer pressure to follow a line" bit too, and it felt somewhat wrong to me, but as this is my first sportbike, I attributed it to some quirk of desired handling for sportbikes. I'll try some of the stuff in here & see if I can tweak that out. My previous bikes have all been more than happy to stay in a lean/turn once put there. |
Dannybuell
| | Posted on Monday, February 15, 2010 - 11:39 am: |
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Syonyn; Listening to this subject and the actual interpretation can seem difficult. When I heard my more experienced riding buddies explain it to me I was absolutely confused.
As I understand their statements so many decades later and so much riding time later. There are three states to a tire Left-Center-Right. there is a natural tendency for the tire to turn on that side of the tire once you have started the turn.
This is where the subject begins.
Some riders feel that they can have more control if they gently resist the turn in with the bars as they are increasing the turn in rate with various types of pressures; ball of foot peg with leg, hip, and upper body movement. If all of these elements converge at once, the gentle pressure to turn in becomes greater. This is the fun part because you have the tire in your control to this point and the payoff is that you can now change directions mid turn. Something unforeseen happens right in front of you. Your chances of successfully correcting the turn or even standing the bike up and stopping are so much better.
the low-sides I know about were when turn in was uncontrolled.
I hope this helps.
dannybuell |
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