Forks Lowered

[muddycoffee]

I'm sorry if this has been covered in depth before but I just spent a while looking and couldn't find any reference.

I have had my SV over a year now and I just noticed that the forks look like someone has lowered them in the yolks a bit. The top of the tube, where the cap sits is 6mm above the yolk clamp.

I know that there is some advantage to some people to do this but I am tall at 6'2" and I would have thought that making some part of the bike smaller would make me more cramped on it.

Should the caps be dead level with the top of the yolks?

If it would affect the handling I would prefer the bike to feel safer, as I am not confident when cornering at speed.

[fizzwheel]

Dropping the forks through the yokes. Lowers the front end which will make the bike turn in a little faster. I'm just over 6ft mines been lowered a little and I feel fine on it.

When you say you are'nt confident when cornering which particular element(s) are you struggling with ?

Can I ask how long you have been riding. How many miles you do a month and what sort of miles are they. Do you just commute or ride for fun ?

Also can I ask when the last time you checked your tyres pressure's was ?

If you are not confident in cornering at speed fiddling with the bike may help it might not. At best it'll fix it at worst it might knock your confidence even more.

[Biker Biggles]

That 6mm sounds correct for the naked bike.The faired ones are meant to be flush with the yokes but the naked one is supposed to sit slightly lower at the front.

[chazzyb]

That 6mm sounds correct for the naked bike.The faired ones are meant to be flush with the yokes but the naked one is supposed to sit slightly lower at the front.

As BB says, naked's forks are meant to be 6mm through top yoke. Mine were flush when I bought it.

[instigator]

My curvey faired number was lowered, through the yokes. Turned on a 6 penny, was really quite fun!! Making a quick turning bike turn quicker...

Not that it done my fork seals any good. :(

[muddycoffee]

Thanks everybody. So it sounds about right. And it should help the cornering.

Fizzwheel.
I have been riding since 1987, but I have had a 10 year break from bikes after being left behind on a GPZ600R. At the time all my mates had 550s and 600s and I just couldn't keep up when we went out as a big bunch. At the time it was an almost new bike and I thought it should have been great handling, and I just couldn't throw it around like the 250s I had had before, but it turns out much later, that those bikes had strange handling with 16" wheels. Anyway I didn't know that at the time and I thought I wasn't good enough to be riding with my mates.

I have had my SV just over a year now and I do about 10 miles a day on my commute, and have rode it all year round. I go on longer rides regularly of between 40 and 100 miles, often with pillion. I enjoy riding the bike and often get a lot of confidence when I have been on it for a few hours. I think I am making decent progress now and I am sure that if I would have bought a bike which was easier to ride like this a decade ago instead of that GPZ I probably wouldn't have had such a long break from motorcycling.

A year ago I found passing over the tram tracks (we have tracks along some of the roads) and changes in road surfaces frightening. But now I don't have much of a problem with that any longer.
I still have a problem with turning left over a large sleeping policeman which our council insists on putting in some of the local t junctions.

[jambo]

As stated, the 6mm sounds about right for the naked bike. This won't make the bike any more cramped for tall riders as what affects this is position between Bars, Pegs and seat. Moving the forks up and down in the yokes won't affect this :wink:

[fizzwheel]

OK cool. Sounds like you are doing the right things. Its just a matter of time and putting the miles in your confidence will come back. The SV is great for buildng confidence on IMHO.

The only other thing to think about is maybe some advanced training. IAM or a Police Bikesafe course. You'll get loads of tips and its bound to build your confidence up.