| Author | Message | ||
     Tommymac92 |
I am planning on using my 1125r for track duty this comming summer and was thinking about sprucing up the suspension. I would go with heavier springs for my weight but for a rear shock is the showa an acceptable choice or should I drop the coin on the ohlins. I am only a mid pack intermideate level rider so it snot like I will be racing or anything that intense. Also any thoughts/options for the front end as well. | ||
| Stevel |
In my opinion, the Showa race units sold by ERB are just fine. They are fully adjustable and different springs are available for different weight riders. The big issue I have is that the bike is built for tall riders and I am relatively short. Reducing the seat height with the suspension upsets the frame/swingarm geometry. For me, the subframe must be lower. Changing the subframe is not a trivial task, as all the side panels must be remade as well. | ||
| Dannybuell |
Find the racers/ricers in your AREA or online. They will direct you to a suspension tuner. The valving and the springs should be synchronized. They work together to give the best result. I have been lead to believe owner motorcycle suspension settings are for fine tuning, not weight compensation. | ||
| Nobuell |
The Penske 8983 is a great shock at a reasonable price. The nice thing about Penske is the ability to call them and discuss the best setup for your bike, riding style and weight. You may also consider getting your forks updated with either new valving or cartridges. Race Tech upgraded mine with new valving. The updated suspension, properly setup will make a huge difference to the bikes handling. After upgrading the suspension, I recommend having the track suspension tech get the bike setup. Most track day organizations have a suspension company at the track for support. It will be a small cost but a big result. | ||
| 99buellx1 |
I would talk to the local suspension support guys at the track. Having a product that they can fully support with tech knowledge is very useful. Also, if you have used them for your suspension purchase/maintenance, they will generally give you better trackside support when needed. Even if you don't purchase through them, talk to them, involve them in the process, and then setup a time to have them do the initial baseline. Having a good relationship with the suspension guys/gals is a big asset. | ||
| Nobuell |
99buellx1 Good advice! | ||
| Thefleshrocket |
I'm about 225lbs ready to ride and I've found the 1125's stock suspension more than acceptable for hauling ass on the backroads. The only change I've made, aside from dialing in the damping and setting the fork tubes flush with the top of the triple, is 10wt oil in the fork. I've never done a track day with my 1125, but I've done about a dozen on other bikes and was one of the fastest riders in intermediate. That doesn't make me an expert on suspension or track days--just giving you an idea of my level of experience. I'd recommend that you try 10wt or 15wt fork oil and dialing in the shock before you go spending any real coin on the suspension. Unless, of course, you've got the budget for the upgrades. In that case, spend away! | ||
| Buellmojo |
I am very heavy, and a suspension guy set up my Speed Triple for me...the bike is completely stock...yes a heavier rear spring is needed, but it is close with the stock one. The point...I believe my 1125R was more generous, for a fatty like me, with the stock suspension, then my Speed Triple is... so what you have, might be sufficient for what you are asking of it for now...It just needs set up properly is all. | ||
| Nobuell |
I weigh about 200 lbs. My bike is track only so it weighs much less than stock. Working with my suspension guy, we increased the front and rear spring rate quit a bit over stock. The bike is very rigid when riding around on the street. Smooth as glass at speed on the track. Street setup vs track setup are very different. If you are serious about the track, spend the bucks for a correct suspension setup. Good tires and suspension are the best bang for you bucks. | ||
| Solson1041 |
nobuell, what exactly should you spend those bucks on? Advice from a tuner? Is the stock hardware capable of the things a person would need if they're the "correct" weight? | ||
| 99buellx1 |
I'll throw my ideas in for you too, Solson. First thing I would do, and did (note, this is for track use scenario): Pay for stock suspension setup, tuning and advice. Depending on lots of factors, the stock equipment may be just fine. These factors might include, pace, weight, riding style. What the assistance can help with is getting the stock stuff to perform at it's full potential, and pinpoint where changes or upgrades may be needed. With this help you can put your upgrade money in the right places without just assuming what you should get. Example: You may need a different spring rate than what the "weight chart" says because of your riding style. If you just buy blindly you may need to put more money into the components you just purchased, and nobody wants to have to do that. Second: Tire guy. Talk with the tire guy, get the compound that's right for your bike, pace and track conditions. Also, throughout the day, see what they recommend for the proper tire pressure, pressure can vary depending on the air temp and track temp from the morning session to the mid-day session. Track that, learn it. Why is this so important? Example: You just paid to get your suspension setup and some advice. You go out, feeling good, start to wick it up a bit and are noticing some lack of grip in the rear. You come in and notice that your tire is getting all chewed up, your first thought "what a waste of money, my suspension is all jacked up! Shock must be set wrong, and it's killing my grip and my tire! I'm going to adjust the preload on the shock, and take out some compression." Could be true. ....or, you could be running 4lbs too much pressure in the rear tire, and the suspension is set perfectly. Without talking to the right people and going over how things are set, it's very easy to chase a simple issue around and around only to cause more issues. Third: Buy the components that the suspension guys/gals recommend, if you need to go that route. I'm not saying you need to buy through them, but getting something that they are familiar with and have technical knowledge on will be a great asset in the long run. The support that you will be able to get will be much better if your tuner knows exactly how the products function and are able to tweak to the full potential with less guesswork. This in turn will save you money. Less guesswork, more results, everyone wants that. Fourth: Ride. Rinse. Repeat. Everything above is always a variable. Settings are not a one and done thing. As your pace quickens, things will need to change, as the temperature changes, so will your settings, as the holidays come and go, so may your settings! Talk to the people that make the track so great, everyone is happy to help, and eager to help, it's a great big family that just want's to help you have fun. Lean on them. My main point, don't just throw the stock suspension because it's stock. I raced my first season on stock stuff and got podium finishes. Learn first, change later. | ||
| Nobuell |
99 hit it right on the nail head. I my case, I worked with the same suspension tuner over the course of a season. He was able to tweak the stock suspension improving the bike quite a bit. Towards the end of the season, he provided me with recommended upgrades. He was able to provide options for the recommended upgrades. In my case, at a minimum, I needed increased spring rates front and rear. I could have had the stock suspension re-valved or new front cartages or new shocks. I opted for new front cartridges and a penske shock. The suspension upgrades made a significant difference. It is all a matter of bang for your buck and ultimate riding goals. It is very much the same with the track tire guy. Talk with him about pressures. Talk to him about tires. Once again, his recommendations will be based on your capabilities and ultimate riding goals. There are some very good DOT tires that can be used without warmers. When you start getting faster, track tires and warmers may be required. Budget will always be part of the puzzle because there are ripple effects. For instance, track tires will require warmers. That means you will need a generator and the track tires will wear much faster than street tires. The bottom line is that track riding can be done inexpensively but the price starts going up fast as you become more serious and skill level increases. | ||
| Solson1041 |
Those answers were 100% what I was hoping to get, thanks so much guys! Even though I didn't open the thread, I 'm actually in a place where that advice is enormously relevant, I'm gearing up for my second season of track days, and thus far I've just been running on stock settings and focusing on myself and riding consistently, I can't find a reason to start looking at suspension settings while you're still trying to get a feel for things like body position and throttle control at a track's pace. Thanks for being on here, helping us track newbies out! | ||
| 99buellx1 |
Have it setup, if you don't have it set optimally, you will be amazed at the difference in handling. If the bike isn't at 100% how can you be expected to ride at 100%? Having it setup properly is also safer, IMO. |
