Suspension refresh...what can I expect if anything?

Well as you know my bike is not a Ducati but I did the Ohlins 20mm piston and spring kit in the front and a simple servicing to the rear shock this July with Kenny. The results were noticeable and positive. It gave me a little newfound confidence which is always nice. And the bike really does handle better.

Let's chat about it over a brew. :cheers:

 

I did springs and a Penske double on my SV, and it was a big improvement. I haven't compared my current setup (triples, cartridge, TTX, & link) vs a stock 1098, but I'm sure it's a huge difference. We should do a little A/B comparison sometime...

 

Get with Matt Carr and get him to do your suspension. He even has a shock dyno and knows how to use it!!! They got some education from someone from the Andretti Indy team as to some things to test and what to look for. He's pretty much on it in regards to suspension - especially on the Ducs.

 

The difference in power is 1/3 of what it was when I moved up from my SV650. You can do-weeet! :thumb:

 

Refreshing your suspension is not an instant time dropper. You still gotta ride hard and push it to drop times.

 

My story, for what its worth....

2 years after I started riding I tore into the susp on my 05 GSXR 600. I was a mid to upper I group rider then running BT-003 R/S tires. I never slid the front and rarely slid the rear.

I cleaned everything in the forks, added springs to my wieght (.9 I think) and raceTech valves (whatever stack they gave me). 7.5 oil and made a custom spring spacer to get me within the preload range that I thought was good.

For the rear I replaced the stock shock with a Penske triple that I bought used and then sent to the factory for refresh and test. used 450lb spring I think.

Set up the preload and comp/rebound based on watching Dave Moss videos.

First track day at nelson ledges, OH. At I didn't notice much of a change. I wasnt fast enough or sensitive enough to notice anything definate. But I will say that afterward... while thinking about the day... I started to realize that I wasnt thinking about the bike when leaning into the turns like I use to. There are bumps and asphalt patches in the final turn that I could never get out of my head. After these changes though, without realizing it.... I wasn't thinking about them. I think this is what they refer to when they say it gave them confidence. Just the ability to concentrate on other things rather than a bump. For me, it was not obvious but it was there.

Now its two years later, Im mid A pack. I can now feel the front when its going away and I slide the rear running much better tires. I havn't touched the suspension. No adjustments at all. It could be argued that I advanced more quickly because I didnt have and stock suspension problems, I dont know. If I had to do it over again I would wait like you did until I NEEDed the upgrade and could really feel the difference.

Please post back to this thread once you've got the job done and let us know what you felt.

T.J.

 

Nathan I'm sure you realize that money spent on suspension is the best money spent on a motorcycle (along with tires and track time). It's just a question of whether it's $1,200 on minor upgrades or $3k-$4k on the Full Meal Deal.

 

you can do suspension a lot less than you think, I have the 30mm kit and its phenomenal, i also ditched the TTX for a JRi triple this year and its been light years better for me personally. I've heard the 848 needs some work to even be handling good at speed so i can only imagine. If it were me i'd just ride out what i had till the end of the year & put the $$ towards a cartridge kit, you'll find the front end alot more confidence inspiring & the rear end will actually do what you want it to do.

 

What was the primary reason to choose JRi over the other shocks available?

 

I am being lazy here. I "want" to upgrade my front end, and I need to service my front end. So, I guess I will take the lazy way out and just buy a 30mm kit and have Ken do it all. Ken, you hear that? That means you have to work with me next season dialing it in! It will be my winter project. That being said, now I need to sell my CBR 600rr. "The Rocket" is for sale - $3,000.00 non negotiable!

 

Broader range of operation (not always having to change something based on where I'm at ) lighter weight by 2 full lbs, hi/lo speed compression, more adjustable & price.

 

I chose the JRI as well.
When comparing two things that are quite similar, I like to support the small guy instead of the larger corporation.

 

...

 

For me, the order is this - get the right spring rates on your bike with properly working dampers (no leaks, fresh fluid, etc.). Next set your sag and geometry. Third, fine tune the damping.

I've found getting the right spring rates and geometry fixes 90% of the handling issues with properly working forks and shocks. Geometry affects the load balance of the tires, the steering angle, turn in and corner holding. Most people have no idea what their geometry is. While gucchi suspension parts are typically better, it's unnecessary until you are at the fast end of A group, and maybe not at all in my opinion.

My 2001 R1 has a racetech gold valve kit, and different springs front and rear for my weight. Otherwise it's stock. I know the bike is capable of running in the teens at Grattan. That's a fast expert race pace.

The gucchi stuff can definitely feel better, and it can buy peace of mind which may translate into faster lap times. My point is there is a ton of capability in the stock suspension of modern bikes if you take the time to set things up correctly.

 

i'll see if i can get a good geometry spot for you from Dave Moss