I am new comer to the track scene and had a couple of questions. First suspension, should I ride with stock suspension and get it set for me or should I go ahead and upgrade? Second if I upgrade where is the best place to go on the internet to purchase? Lastly I know this is probably a no-brainer but is Ohlins the best or what?
I'd say if you're still new to the track and running beginner or slow intermediate level speeds, just set up the stock suspension. Set the sag, make sure you have the right springs, and focus on improving your skills. Use the money you saved and spend it on track time and tires. (Music to Monte's ears!) On the other hand, if saving money isn't an issue and you know you're going to be riding the track for the next few years, go for it. It's a good upgrade. Ohlins makes quality stuff. Is it the best? It's pesonal preference. Penske makes good stuff as well. YOu can also send the stock stuff out to get rebuilt with upgraded internals. It's all a matter of how much you want to spend and what you're going to use it for.
There are definitely cheaper alternatives to ohlin's products, yes they are just as good. penske makes a good shock, i have used 3 of them on 3 different bikes. i would start with the forks, make sure you have the correct springs, a racetech valve kit makes a world of difference compared to stock. you can most likely find a good/used penske shock for 300-400 bucks if you shop around. get it freshened up and resprung for your weight and you will be good to go. its wise to start off with suspension and not worry about what pipe will give you that extra 1/2 hp so you can get 1mph faster on the front straight. don't forget the steel braided brake lines and some good pads that won't fade away
I'll second what's been previously said. Get your bike properly sprung for your weight with the proper rate springs. Kenny from Superbike Italia travels to a lot of the southern dates and does a great job setting suspension, as many on this board will attest. when your skills begin to outmatch your stock suspension, then you should begin to consider upgrading your shocks & forks. Ohlins, Penske & Elka are all excellent products, but I'm kinda partial to Ohlins myself. Kenny can also hook you up with them when you're ready. until then, save your $ for tires & gas. Cheers, Lance
Upgrade if you can aford it. Buy it off someone who will give you support at the track. Hard to set up a bike over the internet...
Lots of good information already provided - another thing you may want to consider when and if you do eventually upgrade.... Olins (and every other company in the business) makes several different levels of quality with various levels of features and functions representing a range of budgets... Don't fall into the trap of believing that all Olins are 'Olins'.... the lowest level RT Olins model is absolutely nothing like the WSBK or MotoGP level Olins. Furthermore, by simply upgrading the internals in your stock front forks, you can easily match and, yes, surpass the lower grade Olins front forks. Lots of options out there....
Thanks to all! The only other question I guess I have is when do you know you are outriding your suspension? Does alot of slipping and sliding occur?
You originally mentioned that you are a newbie to the track - that being said and that your screen name refers to a gixxer, it is very doubtful that you are over-riding your stock suspension. However, depending on your weight, that might affect things a bit. Before you do anything, have someone with the right skills look over your tires - they can often tall a lot just by seeing how they are wearing after a few track sessions. Also, a tie-wrap on the front fork's lower tube to see how far the fork compresses. As was probably mentioned already - find a qualified suspension person work with you (set static sag first and foremost) - it will be the best $$$ you can spend... Slipping & sliding? There are probably other variables at work besides suspension needing to be properly set - what tires are you running and what condition are they in?
I am currently running Bridgestone Battleaxe my last gsxr I had, had pilot powers I really liked them alot.
I was running Bridgestone Bt-014's for a while last year and when you start to get faster they can get REALLY greasy! :shock: :shock: It doesn't add to much to confidence when you're tires are getting slippery :shock: :shock: ..........Although I must say the way you're tires look when they are greasy sure make you look alot faster than you are :lol: :lol: 8) . At least that was my case :lol: :mrgreen:
I, too, am curious about suspension upgrades... can any of you suggest a good suspension shop that will do a rebuild (respring and revalve) on stock forks?
penske really isn't any cheaper the ohlins. Elka is, but not penske. In fact, for the gixxer 750 the penske triple clicker is $100 more then the ohlins shock