Bugger - Suspension

[BoltonSte]

So I finally got my bike back after having some considerable work done ('99 S) this has resulted in my radiator being swung slightly forward at the bottom (not fastened to the engine). And a gixxer 6 front end.

Anyway, the preload was backed off about halfway, on the way in today I broke from about 40. Front dipped tyre hit radiator (bent to buggary, but doesn't seem to leak) and destroyed my fan. As well as cutting into the tyre but only into the tread.

If I put stiffer springs in will this eliminate this in the future? Or am I better going back to the stock front end? What springs would I want as I'm circa 15 stone?

Ste

[weazelz]

can you get the rad back out of the path of the tyre?

[John Burt]

Why is the rad forward??? You don't really want to minimise suspension travel by whacking up the preload or having immensley stiff springs - you'll jhust be defeating the object of thast lovely new front end.

[BoltonSte]

It's forward because of the TL engine that's currently in it, it looked like there was room, although apparently not. I think I'm going to have to see about ducting or trying ducting/radiator ala VTR I think.

Ste

[northwind]

If you're clashing with the GSXR 600 front end, you almost certainly will with the standard front end- the GSXR front's shorter but the travel's not massively different. It might work if you were hitting on an impact, but on braking? I'd be surprised.

How much of your travel are you using just with the braking, out of curiosity? Too much from the sound of it ;)

PS, TL engine :salut: Pictures are needed. NOW!

[BoltonSte]

Well I think I may be onto something, just checked the Rad without the fan and it looks like a new one will fit and miss the front tyre by a god inch. This was with the forks preload fully off and tie down straps as tight as I could get, then me bouncing the bike.

So I've just won a pair of R6 fans off flea bay so I should be sorted with/without ducting and a swich. Thing is would have been fine at home but over here in the states it's in the 90's at the moment.

Northy, not too sure on the travel, but I did have the preload half backed off and it's running stock springs. When I get back I'll be upgrading my springs to suit the bike/me better so I'm hoping everything will be sorted.

No pics yet still too miffed, but will be back this year with the bike and joining the penn massive.

Ste

[Robw#70]

Put the bike on a paddock stand with a trolly jack under the engine (and pref somone to staedy the bike), jack it up until the forks are fully extended but the wheel is still on the floor, undo both fork caps completely and lower the front until the forks are bottomed.

This will give you the max clearence you need, you can then mount/modify the rad as required, if fans are a problem, then large computer fans work well and are alot shallower than bike ones, RS components, Maplin etc have a good selection so you can have a measure up and get the biggest possible for the room you have, an R6 fan is not much smaller than an SV.