Almost tank slappers, it is me or the bike?

[L3nny]

This has happened to me 3 times on the blade now. I have exited a bend in 3rd, full throttle and gone over a bump. This had caused the hadlebars to violently shake. I ease off the power and all is good but I am worried one day this is going to end badly.

Is the suspension set up wrongly or am I just not riding it properly?

Would a damper help?

yes a damper would help massively

The rear suspension is working too hard. Get the suspension set up for your weight and it'll help a great deal, the shock may even be past it's best or in need of a service. Sure a damper will help/stop it, but the blade doesn't usually suffer with head shake so you'll only be masking the real issue.

I'd personally get your local suspension guru to take a look at it and set the bike up specifically for you and the riding you do.

Regards

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by L3nny

I have exited a bend in 3rd, full throttle and gone over a bump. This had caused the hadlebars to violently shake.

I've had similar on my GSXR, and that has a damper fitted. OK it was more of a wobble than a shake, but the cause I would think is the same.

I.e theres alot of weight transfer to the rear of the bike on hard acceleration like that so the front goes light, you clip a bump, up the front wheel comes, and then that sends it into a wobble.

I'd say suspension set up, plus what you are doing with the bike is the cause. If Mr Honda didnt think your bike needed a damper, more than likely it probably doesnt...

Oh and I moved this thread to Bike Talk, a little more relevant here than in Idle Banter IMHO.

[L3nny]

The front does seem to get very light under acceleration but I have read on other sites that this is a common issue with the 929 and they reccomend a damper but before I splash out I want to make sure this is the problem as they are expensive.

[JamesMio]

I had something very similar on mine last year, opened up just as I hit a bump - front end came up, shook it's head a bit and settled back down again.

Never had it since, and I just put it down to a combination of me being a bit too eager on the throttle, and the suspension being set up like a pogo stick when I first got it.

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by L3nny

The front does seem to get very light under acceleration

So does my GSXR, its what a sportsbike with that level of BHP does. Try short shifting into 4th and using the torque to fire you out the corner rather than than firing it out on the revs in 3rd. Should help keep the front end down. I also find the leaning a little on the bars to keep some of my weight forward helps to.

I wander if your rear shock isnt setup right, or is past its best. Better to fix the cause of the problem than try and mask it with an aftermarket damper IMHO.

A set up should only set ya back around £40, will make the bike feel like a new machine and may also iron out the head shake issue. It's a sound investment.

It appears myself and fizz are singing from the same hymn sheet.

A set up is cheap, easy and is worth every penny, even if it isn't the root cause of the head shake (though I would recon it's a major part)

[L3nny]

Cheers Fizz, I am planning on taking it to a suspension specialist when I have the time. Do you think it needs firming or softening up.

After it happened today I left the bike in 6th all the time. Which still accelerates more than quickly enough but it's more fun keeping it in the power band.