Sports touring tyres on a sports bike - what adjustments are needed

Colin.These were the pressures from the computer in the tyre shop.he double checked because I queeried it and he showed me on the screen.



Unless the diet has gone very well we will be the same



P.S. I have just had all the suspension reworked on the Sprint so it has stiffened up a bit anyway-----probably still a little on the firm side but I will have full panniers for the next 2000 miles,the reason I have left it on a firm setting. It doesn't cost to muck about with the tyre pressures and as rule of thumb when the steering feels neutral,tipping into corners clean,[little or no countersteer] you are not far from the ideal settings

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

and a full turn out compression on the left hand fork (only wanted 1/2 turn, but to compensate for not being able to adjust the left).

I thought it was rebound adjuster had seized?

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

I thought it was rebound adjuster had seized?

Sorry, blonde moment.

[yorkie_chris]

What, blonde that you changed rebound instead? Or that actually comp had seized?

Personally I would advise one change at once.

let me come and ride it and see how it is..it might be fine when you have slimmed down.




I am probably your target weight ..

Blonde moment in that I wrote compression, 'cos I was still thinking about the rear shock. It was front rebound that I gave a full turn back. That seemed to help the front wheel stay in contact with the road surface and the forks move a bit better instead of skipping from one bump to the next, and reducing compression on the back seemed to help the kick in the **** as you hit bumps. Maybe rebound on the back could have done with a little adjustment too, but I was carrying a pillion anyway. I'm going to set static sag, put everything back to factory, drop the tyre pressures down to 32/36 and start again with a solo rider.

Back to standard, pressures at 32/36, set static sag (with a very impatient wife holding a measuring tape), then a test ride on a local road which I know is very bumpy with a screwdriver (the one where I decided it needed sorted in the first place). A bit of fiddling later and the rebound is out 1 turn further than standard at the front (actually two but I can only adjust one fork) and 1 1/2 turn further out on the back, and compression is two turns further out at the front, and 1 1/2 turn further out at the back.

I can ride the road as fast as I like in comfort, the forks are using all but 10-15mm of the travel tested with a tie wrap, and it still handles fine in the corners and dives nicely under braking but not excessively, good weight transfer but no more.

Thanks very much folks, I'm a happy man heading to ROI tomorrow morning. It's amazing how getting the suspension sorted makes the rider immediately more confident and quicker.

Sometimes the old guy doesn't talk rubbish,the extra clicks will accomodate the additional weight of luggage and pillion

[yorkie_chris]

If those forks are same needles and stuff as showa use on GSXR then if you are out further than 2 turns adjuster is not doing anything, it is all on ports.

I've no idea chris, its ideal for that bumpy road but having ridden through wales today im going add a half turn of rebound back in again, the forks are extending too quickly on the throttle out of corners just very slightly and running a tiny bit wide. Just 2 or 3 times in 200 miles, but its there