Does faster cornering come with experience?

Really. Damping has nothing to do with spring rate, nor does preload.

As for suspension, try unwinding the rear preload and trying taking a pillion.

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

Really. Damping has nothing to do with spring rate, nor does preload.

As for suspension, try unwinding the rear preload and trying taking a pillion.

If you looked up you'll notice I noticed I made a ****in typo and went back to correct it as soon as I realised.

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

To make the most of what you've got. To ride it better.

IMHO yes springs and oil do make a difference but I'm not convinced that its a big a difference as sometimes its made out to be. I think alot of the perceived difference is because you've put new oil into an old bike that kid of thing. Also it can also be in the riders head, rather than the bike being radically better to ride.

I've ridden standard and re-sprung SV's and to be honest I can't hardly tell the difference, yes there is a difference but you dont feel it till your pushing the bike hard into corners. I never really began to feel that I was pushing the bike hard to its limit and maybe beyond mine till I'd clocked up nearly 20K's worth of milleage on my SV.

As a novice rider you might not feel the difference. I'm still of the opinion that when you start riding, learning the correct technique for cornering and braking, is going to reap bigger rewards than throwing money at your bike upgrading x, y, z is.


IMHO

fizz, i was only suggesting that people play with the settings they've got on the stock bike, a full fork upgrade is overkill like you say but surely using the little bit of adjustment suzuki give the SV is better than nothing? i agree that you'll not get better by upgrading your bike, or buying a "better" one, but if it's free then take advantage... you'd adjust the seat and mirrors when you get in a new car so why not set up your bike to suit your weight?

stuart, seeing as we're unlikely to change one another's opinions, there's little point in me engaging with you, your opinion is your own, feel free to have it, but i don't think you're right saying adjusting your suspension is a waste of time, even for novice riders...

i sussed how the bike dives and squats within a few days of picking up the SV, i know exactly what fizzwheel is saying about settling the bike before cornering, and that wasn't what i was reffering to in my previous posts. Even if your bike is level and smooth if you hit a bump mid-corner having just the preload misadjusted will make the bike feel wrong, simple as, if adjusting your suspension was pointless no manufacturer would be adding weight and expense by putting it on their bikes

anyways, no doubt you'll have a lot more to say

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

Even if your bike is level and smooth if you hit a bump mid-corner having just the preload misadjusted will make the bike feel wrong

Umh... OK I see what you're saying and I agree with you, but ( theres always one isnt there )

Even on the GSXR with all kinds of adjustment and much better front all over all, If I hit a bump mid corner its still going to unsettle the bike and frequently it does. I think my bike to me feels pretty well setup I've certainly got not complaints, it feels planted and gives good feedback, but a bump is a bump and it still gets upset from time to time.

What I mean is that if you learn to corner better, faster, smoother you'll have a lot more in reserve in order to get you out of those kind of situation, rather than perhaps relying on the bike to get you out of it. Suspension setup IMHO is always compromised to some degree, you're never going to get a bike with a "perfect setup" its not achievable.

Settling the bike with the throttle and driving through the corner is what I always try to achieve. I'm relying on me to set the bike up for the corner rather than relying on the bike getting me round or trusting that the suspension is perfect, if you get what I mean.

Originally Posted by stuartyboy

If you looked up you'll notice I noticed I made a ****in typo and went back to correct it as soon as I realised.

Stuartyboy, Hey, Don't take it personally. You will find that Flamin Squirrel is one
of the ,shall we say, more opinionated members of the Forum. I have had a few 'run ins' with him and its best to leave it at someones own opinion, and move on.
After all, its only a Forum.

SVRob

You can't go far wrong by joining the IAM

http://www.iam.org.uk/eshop/membershipshop/sfl.htm

They aren't the slipper and pipe brigade that many believe, you'll get v. good advice. Now's the time to do it before you pick up bad habits.

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

stuart, seeing as we're unlikely to change one another's opinions, there's little point in me engaging with you, your opinion is your own, feel free to have it, but i don't think you're right saying adjusting your suspension is a waste of time, even for novice riders...

Can you tell us where the benefits are then?

They don't let you adjust the suspension when you're learning after all.

Not all novices are the same so throwing suspension settings into the mix before they've had a chance to get to know the bike is a waste of time "in my opinion".

For example - what if the novice set his front preload wrongly and it bottomed out going into a bend at too fast a speed?

Fizzwheel has said it already. Stick with what you have and get to know it first.

Experience is the key to faster cornering. Surely the standard set up on a bike, is the standard because it is standard for the standard rider, as a novice, then standard is good! So why start changing it until you become non-standard!!


Well it amused me, and made perfect sense

Originally Posted by stuartyboy

They don't let you adjust the suspension when you're learning after all.

The training school that did my DAS must be pretty damned unique then!!

But then, I had the same bike for about a week (either 4 or 5 days) and no-one was using that bike whilst I wasn't on it. So first day was setting the bike up for my weight etc.

EDIT: Tomcat, I wouldn't say the standard setup is for a standard rider, I'd say it's for the average japanese rider (short ar*es).

Originally Posted by Baph

The training school that did my DAS must be pretty damned unique then!!

I stand corrected They didn't at mine.

Feckit - I'm away out for a ride!

You lot can chat amongst yourselves