Ktech or Recetech?

[Bibio]

Having completed my front end swap and rear shocky swap I have come to the conclusion that GSXR front end is a bit ‘choppy’.

Let me explain a bit more. I had a Nitron ‘sport’ shock built for me and its one lovely piece of kit but its showing up the front end which is a GSXR 600/750 k4-5.

I have tried to set the front up as best I can but no matter how much twiddling I do it’s either to soft or to hard. I know that I’m never going to get it right for every road situation but I ride mainly pot holed B roads (for fun) so I would prefer a little more ‘plushness’.

I was overtaking on a nice straight A road the other night when I hit what is like a small speed hump (must have been a pipe repair) while accelerating hard to get past the line of slow moving cars. After I hit the ‘hump’ the front end gave a rather large shake of the head, no not a tank slapper but it was not nice none the less. Either my headstock bearings are not at the right torque or the valving on the front end is wrong.

Don’t get me wrong the bike is lovely on smooth roads and the odd bit of knackered tarmac but when it comes to bumpy and holed roads the front can’t cope as well as the back.

So my question is:

Has anyone changed the stock valving and shims on their GSXR front end with an after market kit and if so how much of an improvement was it?

You don't need aftermarket stuff on those forks, just re-shim stack valves, they are good.

You say you have twiddled with the settings and can't find a good compromise.I am not try to teach my Granny to suck eggs but have you tried a couple of lbs p.s.i. variation on the tyre pressures at the various suspension settings????

Head shake whilst under hard acceleration over a bump.

The stock SV does that as well. Go ride the A823 up to Knockhill here http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF...,339.6,,0,6.57 and you are starting from slow speed as you cross the give way over the B914, then you are accelerating immediately into the first two bends, second bend is faster than the first one, so you can accelerate between the two, but it's on exit from these bends before you can properly get the hammer down. There are a few bumps and ripples in the tarmac as the road straightens out and climbs the hill. Under full throttle my SV would start shaking it's head as it straightened up, then get itself out of shape 2 or 3 times as it was under full throttle all the way up the hill. The bike was stock at that point other than a couple of teeth up on the rear sprocket.

As there is not a lot of weight on the front forks at this point, as the bike is trying to lift the front wheel, and squash the rear tyre into the tarmac, I always put that head shake down to the rear shock tying itself in knots.

Impossible for someone else to say without riding the bike, but from your description, is it not your rear shock adjustment you need to be looking at in this case? I'm no suspension expert, I can ride a bike and tell you what it feels like, but I can't necessarily tell you why that is.

[stormingjoe]

doesnt the fork conversion drop the front down as well, and have you increased ride height at the rear, all changes the geometry making for an unstable bike. not having enough sag on the rear can also give similar symptoms.

Originally Posted by stormingjoe

have you increased ride height at the rear?

You obviously haven't met Bibio

[Bibio]

Originally Posted by zadar

You don't need aftermarket stuff on those forks, just re-shim stack valves, they are good.

i would not know where to start zadar, so easy option is drop in stuff

Originally Posted by Dicky Ticker

You say you have twiddled with the settings and can't find a good compromise.I am not try to teach my Granny to suck eggs but have you tried a couple of lbs p.s.i. variation on the tyre pressures at the various suspension settings????

not tried tyre pressures but i fear that it would not stop the 'choppyness' of the front.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Head shake whilst under hard acceleration over a bump.

The stock SV does that as well. Go ride the A823 up to Knockhill here http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF...,339.6,,0,6.57 and you are starting from slow speed as you cross the give way over the B914, then you are accelerating immediately into the first two bends, second bend is faster than the first one, so you can accelerate between the two, but it's on exit from these bends before you can properly get the hammer down. There are a few bumps and ripples in the tarmac as the road straightens out and climbs the hill. Under full throttle my SV would start shaking it's head as it straightened up, then get itself out of shape 2 or 3 times as it was under full throttle all the way up the hill. The bike was stock at that point other than a couple of teeth up on the rear sprocket.

As there is not a lot of weight on the front forks at this point, as the bike is trying to lift the front wheel, and squash the rear tyre into the tarmac, I always put that head shake down to the rear shock tying itself in knots.

Impossible for someone else to say without riding the bike, but from your description, is it not your rear shock adjustment you need to be looking at in this case? I'm no suspension expert, I can ride a bike and tell you what it feels like, but I can't necessarily tell you why that is.

i very much doubt that its the rear as it feels so planted.

dont get me wrong the bike is bliss on nice A roads and does everything i ask, but i like to ride nice quiet B roads with lots of bends. i know what you are saying about riding a standard SV and the head shake out of corners with dips and ripples but there is very very little of that with this one. my main complaint is the sudden jolt of ridges as the front cant cope, its as though its getting oil locked.

Originally Posted by Sally

You obviously haven't met Bibio

just so you know the shock had been MTM and is 10mm shorter than standard which takes the back end down 20mm. the front has been compensated by dropping the yokes 6mm which equates to 21mm as the GSXR forks are 15mm shorter than the SV.

Originally Posted by Bibio

i would not know where to start zadar, so easy option is drop in stuff

Than you talking full cartridge change. AK20

[Bibio]

that would be nice but funds wont stretch that far unless they take buttons lol.

i'm ok at striping and building the forks but i would not know where to start with choosing the correct shims hence why i would like to change them for something that comes in a box. 2-300 is about my limit price wise. thats why i was asking if it made much of a difference or would it be better just to leave as is.

Have Yorkie re-shim it for you.