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**Doc** · 11-07-2006, 05:36 PM

Adjust Suspension

HOW TO... Adjust Suspension

Link to the Sport Rider website. http://www.sportrider.com/tech/suspension/

And from RRW.

"Lets begin by doing a baseline damping set-up, starting with the shock rebound adjuster. It is located at the base of your shock (unless you ride a Buell) and will be either a small screw or a knob of some type. Almost every adjuster works like a mixture screw on a carburetor. If you turn it in, oil flow is restricted, and the suspension moves more slowly. If you turn the screw or knob out, there is less restriction, and the suspension will move faster. Almost all racers refer to this as �harder or softer,� and that confuses people. The way to think about it is �faster or slower,� since that is what you are actually trying to accomplish by turning the knobs. Just so you don�t say I tried to mislead you, �faster� does not mean you will go faster. Man, I crack myself up. . .

Anyway, turn the knob way in until you can push on the seat (with a friend balancing the bike off of both stands), and watch the back end rise. It should return very slowly. If you can�t get it to rebound slowly enough, then a revalve is in order. There is no Band-Aid for this situation (ala, mount your pogo-stick and ride Cap�n). If it does appear that you have plenty of damping available, then back the screw out until the back end of the bike rises pretty quickly. This is difficult to describe on paper, so I will explain it as well as I possibly can. In real time it should take about a second for it to rise from a hard push. If you can�t make it to �one,� then it is too fast. Again, you should be able to watch it damp, but it should still be fairly quick.

If you push lightly on the seat (like leaning on it), you should be able to get some action out of the suspension. If you can�t , then this is a good sign that you have an overly-preloaded spring. If you have the correct sag number and the bike tops out and has no initial plush action, then your spring is too soft (hint, see previous installments). Set your compression knob, which is located on the shock reservoir, to the softest setting. Stand on the left rear of the bike with your left foot on the peg, lean over the bike, and use your left hand on the seat and your right hand on the pipe. This will allow you to really mash the bike. Feel how much resistance, if any, it puts up on the down stroke. Then put the adjuster in the middle of however much adjustment you get. You should feel a difference. If you don�t, then continue on. Set the adjuster to full hard and back it off a click (set Fox to �8�). There should definitely be a difference by now. If there is none, then off to the suspension shop it needs to go.

If you have a Fox shock on a GSXR750 or a Honda Hawk these are two popular shocks that work poorly. Current Ohlins GSXR shocks have little or no rebound damping. Not that the units themselves are bad, the valving doesn�t work. This is easy to have fixed by a suspension shop. It�s a definite bummer to have a new $1,000+ shock revalved and resprung before you even use it, though. The real problem here is that when the end user (that�s you) buys an aftermarket shock, they install it and assume that since they have just invested a ton of money that they must have a good working component. If you think your shock doesn�t work better, then let the manufacturer know. That�s the only way that the product will improve. The trick is finding someone who will take you seriously, since they are the manufacturers and you are simply a Novice club racer. Penske wins in the support category, hands down.

Penske has the best out-of-the-box valving for road racing motorcycle shocks right now. For your edification, any of these shocks could be valved to work as good as the next. Only a shock-dyno will tell the subtle differences. Your wallet will feel the difference immediately. My pick of the litter for Novice racers is a Gold-Valved stock shock, retailing at $350 with the correct spring. Some models of bikes benefit from a ride height adjuster, and then you may want to buy an aftermarket shock; these bikes are F3s, FZR400s, and definitely Honda Hawks. If you ride a Hawk, don�t get caught in the 900RR stock shock swap, or you will have pissed away money that you could have used to buy a real shock.
Those of you shopping for aftermarket shocks have to watch for a couple of other things. Progressive suspension makes O.E.M. replacement shocks that have nothing to do with racing. WP is in some sort of restructuring mode and we�ll have to wait to see what comes of that. Ohlins has passed their distributor rights several times in the past few years and I�ll let you figure out what that means on your own. Fox, although having good parts availability, has the most embarrassing shipping system in the entire motorcycle industry. They will tell you themselves over the phone, that even if you order next day air, the fastest your stuff will leave the premises is three days! Brenda at Fox is very helpful, but her hands are tied usually.

If you decide to invest the duckies and buy an aftermarket shock, I have often referred to the Fox Shock as the 350 Chevy of shocks. It is affordable and simple to maintain, and retails for $595. However, Penske sells a shock that they call �entry level� for $725 that is way more bang for the buck than the Fox. It is upgradeable at any time by changing the reservoir. This allows you to grow into a more technically complex shock as you riding and tuning skills improve.

Back to the compression adjustment. What I like to feel here is some sort of definite resistance to compression. If you are unsure about this step, then set it in the middle and ride it. Come in and turn it in full-hard, minus one click, and go ride it again and see if you notice a difference. If your shock is valved correctly and is working properly, then you should definitely notice a difference. For baseline set-up, just think of your compression adjuster as three settings: Slow, medium, and fast.

To summarize, a shock should:

1. Have a spring that is plush initially but provide adequate bottoming resistance.

2. Should provide resistance to compression.

3. Should provide rebound damping, but not too slowly.
This should bring an end to a thoroughly shocking experience. That�s okay, I didn�t laugh at that one either.

Now we have reached a fork in the road, I mean frame.

Stand to the left side of the bike and use your left hand to push on the left bar. Your fork should have the same initial plush action as the shock with little effort on the bar. It should sag about 15mm under its own weight. If you bike sags more than this, then you probably haven�t changed the stock fork springs. This will put you on the �List� with the three-toed sloth, the iguana, and Frank (it�s a Budweiser radio spot. . .). Stop reading my column and go directly to The Crash Page. Do not collect contingency or trophy.

If you have compression adjusters (at the base of the fork), turn them most of the way out and push on the fork. Grab the brake and stroke down firmly on the front end. Try to push it to the bottom with quick, even force. After you push, let the fork rise freely, but just lightly hang on the bars, so that you keep pressure on the brake. The rebound damping on the fork should appear quicker visually on the fork than on the shock. Mike Ciccotto, AMA Pro racer for the Hooters Racing Team has a pretty good tip for a baseline set-up on your fork. If you compress the fork, it should rise, top out, and stop. If it can rebound fast enough to top out, and start back down again, then it is too fast. Conversely, if you can watch it rise to top-out, then it is too slow.

Set the compression adjusters to the middle and feel the change. This mental process should go the same as the shock. If you are unsure about this step, then go ride the bike along at about 10 or 15 mph. Snatch the brake and see if the fork slams the bottom. If it does, then dial in compression just until this goes away. Use as little as possible. If you have to turn the screw all the way in and it still hits the bottom hard, then it�s revalve time. Don�t misunderstand me. The fork should dive; it should not hit bottom. There is a definite difference.

The above mentioned philosophy should be executed whenever possible with your suspension: �Use as little as possible.� The problem with rebound damping is that it provides a false sense of stability. Race Tech�s Paul Thede warns that you can actually improve the feel of a motorcycle by dialing in rebound damping long after you have passed the point of maximum available traction. Take note that this is particularly dangerous with the fork. Too much rebound damping here will cause �packing,� which means that the suspension compresses, but can�t return quickly enough before encountering the next irregularity in the pavement. This means your suspension is stuck down and you are on struts. This makes you fall down and go boom! You will then have to dig into your spares kit that you have been amassing for these months. You do have a spares kit, don�t you?

Movement in your suspension is a good thing. It�s supposed to move, and too many �Expert� racers think that stiff is fast. The most common thing I see racers getting all worked up over is their zip-tie. �My zip-tie is all of the way at the bottom. I need my suspension stiffer.� A zip-tie wrapped around the fork is very commonly used as a travel indicator. It�s pretty much useless information for many reasons. Many forks do not travel the entire length of the visible fork tube. Conversely, some do use all of the travel. If you have a zip tie on this type of fork, and the fork hits bottom, then you will damage the dust seal and potentially the fork seal.

Choose the correct springs for your fork from my Top Secret Traxxion Dynamic Fork Spring Rate Selection Chart. I�m only going to print these numbers once so pay attention. The correct spring for your shock will sag 20-25mm and have 4-5 mm of sag under its own weight. I�ve hinted at this before. If you are smart, you will not forget that I have said this, and that is all I will ever say about this subject. You will not need a zip tie or a stick, because you will have the right springs and it won�t be an issue.

If you can feel you fork hit bottom, then it�s time for a change. But if you are using all of the travel, and you can�t feel it hitting bottom, then why would you want to restrict that by stiffening the fork? This is actually optimum. If you are happy with the way the fork works, but can feel it hitting bottom, then you can raise the level of the oil in the fork to stop this. The oil level in the fork controls bottoming resistance and comes into play only in the last portion of the stroke of the fork. Oil is not compressible, but the air above it is. It acts as a second spring in your fork. This is a tuning variable you may never use, however, and is relatively complicated for most racers to perform trackside since most bikes now have cartridge forks. Incidentally, if you have a fork seal that begins to weep, your bike will not do anything dramatic or handle any worse. The bigger concern is that the oil may get onto your brakes. If the thing is puking oil, then I would not ride anymore until it is fixed. Have both seals replaced, because the other is about to go, and this will ensure that you have the same oil type and viscosity in both forks at the same level.

Back to travel indicators. There are devices that you can buy and fit to the back of your bike like the Ontario Stick, developed by all around guru-guy Kaz Yoshima. The primary reason they don�t tell you anything useful is that they only record the sharpest hit or greatest compression. Jeff Ryan, General Manager and Technical Director at Penske Racing Socks confirmed this for me. Let�s say that your bike handles totally bitchin� and you can�t believe that life could get any better. But just before the start/finish line there is a huge pothole, or a jump, or a �g-out� type depression. The indicators on both ends of the bike will be bottomed out and you are going to get off of the track, look at them, and assume that you need higher spring rates. Even worse, you might over-preload your springs and dial in all sorts of compression damping. You will leave the ballpark and be lost in the parking lot. The only way to actually know where your chassis is really working is with a data acquisition system. This is usually beyond the realm of what we are attempting to accomplish within the restraints of a club racer�s budget. As I�ve said before, you are the only sensor we have to work with, so you�ll have to do. If there were a $100 stick that could tell you what spring to put on your bike, I�d knock you over to be the first to buy one, but as of this date, save your money for something less trick, like new tires.

Now we have to check for balance. This is the most important thing to strive for in set-up. Most people think of suspension as the front wheel moving over a bump and then the rear wheel moving over a bump. In reality, they work together. Think about a bump moving under your bike at 100 mph. Let�s be extreme and just call it 50 mph. Do some math with me -- 50 mph is 880 in./sec. and that means that on your 53.5-inch-wheelbase bike it takes 0.0607-second for the bump to pass from the front of the bike to the rear of the bike. For all intents and purposes, this minuscule amount of time is irrelevant.

To check for balance in a static environment, take your bike off the stands and stand to the left side of it. Put your left hand on the left bar, your right hand on the tank, and your right foot on the left peg. It�s a twister!!! Leave your left foot on the ground, or you may need your spares again. Push down evenly on all three of these points. This will take some practice, and will seem awkward. What you want to be able to feel is the plushness in the bar, and also at the peg. Remember, light pressure should get the suspension to move. Now push lightly on all three points, and if everything is right, it should work very uniformly, down and up. If it passes the soft push test, mash it hard and the results should be the same. Even compression and even rebound. Have a friend stand 10 feet back and watch the action of the suspension. It should look like one bike on one shock, right in the middle.

If it doesn�t, then make it so. Fine tune the spring preloads to make the bike balance. Don�t get too worried about changing the sag; it only serves as a starting point and is not to be etched in stone. Tune the damping to get the action to match at both ends. Suzuki TL1000S, TL1000R and most Ducati models have a peg and swingarm pivot arrangement that is not right for this method to work well. The new ZX Kawasakis are a little difficult to feel this way. You will have to feel each end separately. A sure-fire method is to ride the bike along slowly and lift up slightly and bounce on the suspension, like a jockey on a horse. The results should be the same. Balance, Daniel-San, balance.

Now, for the first time ever, you are actually ready to go for an enjoyable test-ride. Pay close attention to what your bike does as you ride. Soon we�ll tune out your chatters, wallows and wobbles, just in time for you to win your first National Championship. - Max McAllister"

**Doc** · 11-07-2006, 05:46 PM

F2 Tank MOD

F2 Tank Mod

File Not Found

http://www.wildnkrazed.com/BDTech/Tank.html

**Doc** · 11-09-2006, 10:26 AM

Adjusting Valves

Adjusting Valves

NT650 Valve adjustment.

As told by Ken Lawas. Source: Factory service manual and
frustrating experience.

Adjust every 8000-miles, although all six were under on my
bike after 4300-miles.

MINIMUM TOOLS I'D BRING
10mm combination wrench, 10mm 3/8-in long and short sockets.
Needle-nose pliers. Socket cap screw 3/8-in sockets. Philips
driver #1. Socket (17mm?) 1/2-in and drive to turn crankshaft.
Regular 3/8-in drive and 3/8-in torque wrench (7 to 17 ft-lb).
Feeler gauges (0.006 and 0.008-in at least). Ignition wrench
set (I think the adjustment screws are about 5/32-in). Did I
use a 9mm wrench for something? Various 3/8-in extensions
with different reach 10mm sockets were needed to use torque
wrench on each lock nut.

PREP
1. Remove seat (with key).
2. Remove tank (rear bolt, front bolt, then thread rear into
front pin and pull. Fuel lines-turn off petcock.)
3. Remove airbox (front nut on stud, unclip wiring harnesses,
remove purge lines, unclamp from carb throats.)
4. Remove horn (one bolt--clearance needed for radiator).
5. Remove radiator mounting bolts. (two in bottom, one in double
shear at top with nut). Careful--mounting bracket is weaker
than torque needed to shear Locktite.
6. Remove mounting stud for thermostat (same stud as air box).
7. Remove fan mounting bolts (three) and electrical connector.
8. Remove inset plug wires (one from each cylinder).
9. Remove the two valve-cover mounting bolts from each cover.
10. Remove valve covers. Rear is obvious. Front must be carefully
snaked under thermostat, through the front of the frame, rotated
down behind radiator (fan moved aside) and pulled out horn-side.
At least this is how I managed to do it. You may be able to
leave the fan and horn in place, but it isn't worth it.
11. Remove crankshaft bolt cover and timing mark cover (left side
of crankcase).

ADJUSTMENT
1. Turn crankshaft counterclockwise until timing mark is aligned
(FT for front cylinder, RT for rear). Cylinder must be on
compression stroke (all three valves closed). You can feel the
compression when turning the crank. Double check by noting that
followers are not on cam lobes and there is free play between
valve and adjustment screw. If not, make another 180-degree
rotation of crank.

2. Measure clearance. Push down on cam-side of rocker and note
largest feeler that will slide between screw and valve without a
lot of friction.

Exhaust should be 0.008-in and intakes should be 0.006-in (give or
take 0.0008-in). (The two intake valves are on the carb side of
the head. The one exhaust valve is on the exhaust header side of
the head.)

4. If adjustment is necessary, loosen lock nut on valve adjustment
screw. Press rocker against cam and adjust screw so that the
appropriately-sized feeler slides over the valve stem with minimal
friction. Hold the adjustment screw and tighten the lock nut.
This is what the manuals say. Reality is that the adjustment
screw turns a little when you torque down the lock nut. I had
luck adjusting the screw until the next highest feeler just fit,
then hold the adjustment screw and crank the lock nut down with a
combination wrench. Now, set your torque wrench for 17 ft-lbs and
torque down the lock nut. Measure the clearance again. You will
often get lucky and it comes out just right.

5. Clean the valve cover gasket mating surfaces and apply a thin film
of oil.

6. Replace the covers and torque the bolts to 7.2 ft-lbs.
7. Apply anti-seize to the crank bolt cover and timing mark cover
plugs and tighten them down to 7.2 ft-lbs.
8. Replace everything. I used threadlocker on the upper radiator
mounting bolt.

----- End Included Message -----

> Make sure you don't overtighten this cover bolt. Spec says only 11
> ft/lbs.

I thought it was 7.2 ft-lbs, but maybe I made a mistake.

-Ken
[email protected]
'90 Red

**Doc** · 11-09-2006, 10:36 AM

HOW TO... Adjust your chain.

The stock chain adjusting spanner works well in the same
manner, by engaging it with the notch in the eccentric, and pushing it
(gently) with the nut on the sprocket bolt. However, knowing how tight (or
loose, actually) to make the chain is the most often error I've ever seen on
Hawks. Literally 75% of the street ones I've seen have it TOO TIGHT. This
munches the sprockets, wears out the chain, and can be far more catastrophic
that you would think, as it can wear the countershaft and countershaft
bearing and seal badly. I have an example of what NOT to do--a countershaft
that is destroyed from a countershaft sprocket that managed to strip the
retaining clip with a chain that was too tight, and not detected until too
late. Now all it needs is a complete motor teardown and insertion of the
countershaft. I can hardly wait.
The geometry of the hawk countershaft, rear axle, and swingarm pivot dictate
that as the suspension compresses, the chain gets tighter. Therefore, the
chain should be adjusted for proper tension AT FULL SQUAT. To check the
chain tension, it helps to have two people. Not mandatory, but it helps.
Do this by:
1. Soften the preload to 1
2. Put the bike on the sidestand, or better yet, a rear stand. Do NOT use
the centerstand for this excercise.
3. Lay face down across the passenger seat so that your head is on the left
side of the bike, with the seat about mid chest. Tilt the bike so that it
is up off the sidestand, if that's the stand that you are using.
[If on the sidestand, have someone else steady the bike while you do this]
4. Reach down and grab the swingarm underside as near the sprocket as
possible, or right on the cush drive/rear spindle assembly, and pull it
towards you firmly, compressing the suspension. If you're a person of
diminutive stature, you could have your big lunk friend do this part, while
you do the other.
5. While the suspension is as compressed as possible, check the chain
tension. Your helper can do this, since you're usually blue in the face
from straining to compress the suspension.
6. Adjust the chain to reflect a 1" free play while fully compressed, and
you will notice that it seems REALLY loose while the suspension is not
loaded. Oh well.
Don't forget to reset your preload, and tighten the eccentric pinch bolt.
Yeah, yeah, the chain will rub on the slider more 'cause it's so loose, big
deal. It's only under deceleration, and when the suspension is not loaded,
and the part where the chain touches the frame is never under tension, so it
will take approximately forever to cut all the way through, and if you don't
like it, buy one of the neato chain rollers from Vernon Davis (no relation),
Hawkworks will tell you how to reach him.
An alternative to this procedure is to have the two heaviest people you know
sit on the bike while you check the chain tension.
Your chain will last MUCH longer when run at the proper loosness.
Thanks,
jim

At 07:31 PM 4/3/97 -0800, Brother Frank Santorella wrote:
>This is how I do it.
>
> Very large screw driver, with the blade large enough
> that it fits in the slots of the adjuster.
>
> Loosen the pinch bolt, engage the screwdriver tip into
> the slot in the adjuster, holding the screwdriver paralell
> to the ground, rotate the wheel to the rear so that the
> sprocket bolt taps the screwdriver. This will turn the adjuster,
> thus tightening the chain. Tighten the pinch bolt.
>
> A fine adjustment can be had with this method.
>
> Never use a hammer.

**Doc** · 11-09-2006, 10:39 AM

Poor mans Carb jetting

Hey Fellow Hawksters,
>
>Here's a bit of rejetting trick which worked great for me. It got rid of the
>annoying stumble around 3k rpm, the warm up is much quicker and the bike
>generally runs stronger. I got the idea from the parts manager at my
>friendly local Honda dealer (he also happens to be a fellow Hawkster). This
>should work for anyone running an aftermarket exhaust system, but I'm sure it
>will also work for bikes with stock exhaust. You could do this for as little
>as $0.00 or it could cost as much as $2.00 (hella cheaper than the Factory
>kit).
>
>Description of mod:
>
>All stock Hawks have #138 main jet for the front and #132 for the rear
>cylinder (I think it's because the rear cyl runs slightly hotter?). Anyway,
>what I did was to take the #138 jet from the front cylinder carb and moved it
>to the rear cylinder carb. I then installed a new jet one size larger (#144)
>for the front cyl. (my friendly local Honda dealer let me trade in the old
>jet for the one I needed... my net cost $0.00)
>
>Next I raised the needle by inserting a .030" shim under the clip (flat
>washer for #2 screw works great). You have to use a shim to raise the needle
>because the stock needle only has one groove for the clip (of course for $60,
>the Factory jet kit gives you a nifty needle with multiple grooves).
>
>Finally, I drilled out the "tamper proof" seal covering the pilot screw and
>turned the screw out about 2 turns for each carb.
>
>Net result is a total dissapearance of the annoying stumble around 3k rpm,
>much better cold start performance and stronger feeling everywhere...
>everything you'll get with the $60 Factory kit for nothing... or almost
>nothing.
>
>I'm running an aftermarket exhaust (HRC RC30 carbon canister) but when I had
>to reinstall the stock exhaust to attend a CLASS school at Laguna Seca
>recently, I left the jetting as modified and the Duck... er, the Hawk ran
>just fine (no stumble, good cold start).
>
>Hope this helps somebody.
>
>Ken
>'89 Poorman's Duck
>'77 CB550F Rat Bike

**Doc** · 11-09-2006, 10:40 AM

Clutch Replacement made easy.

Clutch replacement made easy. You don't need any special tools or impact
wrenches.

1. remove the exhaust system
2. drain the oil
3. remove the oil line from the side cover
4. remove the side cover (you might have to GENTLY tap it, to get it
loose)
5. remove the 4 bolts holding the pressure plate in place
6. un-stake the 27mm nut, holding the clutch center
7. with the springs in place, put a washer under each of the 4 bolts, and
GENTLY
snug them back down. (the washers now take the place of the pressure
plate)
8. put a rag in the gears between the clutch basket and the crankshaft
gear
9. loosen the 27mm nut
10. remove the 4 bolts, washers and springs
11. remove the 27mm nut
12. remove the clutch center
13. remove the clutch plates
14. reinstall the new clutch plates on the clutch center
15. hold everything in place and reinstall the 4 bolts, springs and washers
16. slide the clutch center into place
17. put the rag in the gears and torque the 27mm nut to 94 lbs
18. stake the nut in place
19. remove the 4 bolts and washers and install the pressure plate
20. torque the 4 bolts to 9 lbs
21. remove the rag
22. install the side cover, torque the bolts to 7.2 lbs in a criss cross
pattern.
23. install the oil line and torque to 12. lbs
24. install the exhaust system
25. put in about 2 1/5 quarts of oil (if you replaced the filter)
26. adjust the clutch cable
27 have fun doing wheelies with your new clutch

# 7. the washer trick, was supplied by Monique von Buttlar with this
you have no need for a clutch holding tool or an impact wrench.

if you have any questions, fell free to e-mail me at

[email protected]
brad glustoff
So. Cal. USA

**bill-ns** · 11-09-2006, 01:13 PM

rear brake line re-routing

Rear Brake line through the swingarm MOD

Go9 Racing Rear BrakeLine Mod

http://www.wildnkrazed.com/Go9/R_BRAKE/index.html

Bill

JR · 11-09-2006, 06:41 PM

F3 forks into the Hawk

Honda NT650 Hawk GT F3 fork tube upgrade

http://www.hawkworks.net/tips/F3forks/F3forks.html

**NT696** · 12-13-2006, 09:21 AM

How-to link --> motorcycle tire changing

A very long and detailed explanation on how to change your own motorcycle tires.

Guide To Changing Motorcycle Tires

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/tire-changing.html

A link to a simple wheel balancer for single-sided rims.

Honda Motorcycle Wheel Balancer

http://www.marcparnes.com/Honda_Motorcycle_Wheel_Balancer.htm

Honda motorcycle wheel balancer products by Marc Parnes - learn how to balance your own motorcycle wheels, complete parts list and prices included.

**Crash** · 12-27-2006, 12:10 AM

I'll make your clutch swap even faster and easier... Throw 2 or 3 take off tires on the shop floor and lay the bike on its left side. Now you can forget draining the oil. Remove your rear cylinder header, leave the exhaust in place, jus trotate it back out of the way, remove the clutch cover, swap clutch, (I use and electric impact gun since I don't carry a clutch wrench) replace cover replace header and exhaust. Done. You don't even have to re-saftey wire your drain plug or oil filler cap.

Also you can forget much of what Max Mcallister has to say. Max sells Penske shocks not Fox or Ohlins so of course he finds them superior. I have run Fox, Penske, and Ohlins and I prefer the Ohlins. For me the Penske seemed to fade quickly and required a very heavy spring and lots of compression dampening. It also need to be rebuilt every 2 to 3 weekends. The Ohlins required much less spring and much less compresion. So who is correct? Max? Me? Neither.

Bottom line no one can dictate suspension to you since its very personal and a set up that works for your buddy wont work for you. If you get your suspension sorted out for your given style and your lap times drop guess what? You need to start all over again since you are now again at the limit of your set up and it must be adjusted to accomodate your new riding style and speed. Remember its a different race track when you are doing 1:21's than it was at 1:23's.

**Doc** · 12-27-2006, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by Crash

I'll make your clutch swap even faster and easier... Throw 2 or 3 take off tires on the shop floor and lay the bike on its left side. Now you can forget draining the oil. Remove your rear cylinder header, leave the exhaust in place, jus trotate it back out of the way, remove the clutch cover, swap clutch, (I use and electric impact gun since I don't carry a clutch wrench) replace cover replace header and exhaust. Done. You don't even have to re-saftey wire your drain plug or oil filler cap.

Also you can forget much of what Max Mcallister has to say. Max sells Penske shocks not Fox or Ohlins so of course he finds them superior. I have run Fox, Penske, and Ohlins and I prefer the Ohlins. For me the Penske seemed to fade quickly and required a very heavy spring and lots of compression dampening. It also need to be rebuilt every 2 to 3 weekends. The Ohlins required much less spring and much less compresion. So who is correct? Max? Me? Neither.

Bottom line no one can dictate suspension to you since its very personal and a set up that works for your buddy wont work for you. If you get your suspension sorted out for your given style and your lap times drop guess what? You need to start all over again since you are now again at the limit of your set up and it must be adjusted to accomodate your new riding style and speed. Remember its a different race track when you are doing 1:21's than it was at 1:23's.

Very good tips there! Where in New England are you Crash?