What have you done on your bike today?
- Thread starter The GOAT
- Start date
Were you not happy with front end feel? Surprised that bike it needed it, but saying that, many bikes do. I did it with my Streetfighter, my old SMT and my Superduke. Couldn't get the suspension set-up right on any of them until I did. Only dropped the nose 5 mm in the yokes in each case but it made the world of difference.
How does it feel now?
Just always looking for improvement I suppose. It might be years of riding sportsbikes but I always felt slightly disconnected from the front on the Tripple (my first naked) in certain conditions; especially downhill turns. My weight bias is already forward from standard with the bar & peg change, but I still want a bit more. I first took some preload off the forks & felt it an improvement, so have gone another step & raised the forks 3mm. Not had chance to try it yet.
I don’t even ride quickly these days, but still like to find comfort & confidence.
I don’t even ride quickly these days, but still like to find comfort & confidence.
When I had my Superduke's suspension set up by a pro, he said there wasn't enough front bias, in fact the stance of the bike favoured the rear - which was why it was prone to wallowing and weaving - and he would be having to wind the rear preload right up to get just 1 mm of bias towards the front. So we dropped the yokes 5mm. Makes you wonder why manufaturers set bikes up like that. As you say, you don't have to be riding fast to need that feeling of confidence from a front end that feels properly connected.
The Multistrada is sooo adjustable it has a setting for every occasion at the flick of a switch
Apparently it makes the bike more stable in Merka when you are going 55 on cruise control smoking a cigarette on 300 mile long straight, then, when you inevitably hit a small rock you won't fall off
On most bikes you have suspension settings of Sport/Road/Urban/Rain.Apparently it makes the bike more stable in Merka when you are going 55 on cruise control smoking a cigarette on 300 mile long straight, then, when you inevitably hit a small rock you won't fall off
For Merka they add Hemorrhoids and then delete all the others.
But what do you do with all that spare time…The Multistrada is sooo adjustable it has a setting for every occasion at the flick of a switch
We do have a few twisty roads over here, dont let the advertisers convince you we all ride cruisers.Apparently it makes the bike more stable in Merka when you are going 55 on cruise control smoking a cigarette on 300 mile long straight, then, when you inevitably hit a small rock you won't fall off
Bloke on the Triumph Rocket 3 forum lives in south Florida. He says he rides a cruiser because we don't have bends on our roads in Florida, we just have intersections.
Florida is mostly flat and straight but they do have a few roads that qualify as twisty. We are just used to having some great roads right outside the diveway. There are millions of miles of boring straight roads in Merica, but we also have a place not too far from Florida called the tail of the Dragon, 300+ turns in 11 miles. Google it and plan a trip, anyone who rides will love it!
This guy lived down south and he said it was more than a day's ride away to get to the twisties and he never had more than a day at a time to ride. I said I'd move...
I've heard the tail of the dragon come up a lot on bike forums from US members. Also the Old Spiral Highway in Idaho.
If Trump ever builds a bridge across the Atlantic I'll come over on my bike.
I think there are lots of videos on YouTube of people falling off on that road.
I think it's a favourite knee-down training circuit. The best way to learn that is on a track on a hired bke.
Shakeysdad
Well-known member
Drove that road last year while on a road trip.
Have watched some of those, not a road for me. It seems to be full of egotistical assholes who are determined to kill themselves, or more likely, someone else.
When it comes to setting up suspension I'm a lazy bustard... the only bikes I ever faffed about with was my gs,s as it was just a flick of the switch... the sdr handles super for me and I haven't touched a single setting... I suppose it helps I'm 12 stone so I'm kinda in the design weight range it was the same racing enduro standardsettins on all my new bikes ... hats off to all to suspension tinkerers 
The bike that desperately needed setting up straight out of the box was the Mk1 999 (I can't speak to the 2005 revamp).
The weight bias was neutral to the point of being insulting and the steering was super-tanker slow. Adjusting damping and preload front and back was essential as was raising the forks and the ride-height adjuster. You could also adjust the steering angle on my S but my bike is a road bike that was occasionally tracked - I liked the default angle for the road.
The weight bias was neutral to the point of being insulting and the steering was super-tanker slow. Adjusting damping and preload front and back was essential as was raising the forks and the ride-height adjuster. You could also adjust the steering angle on my S but my bike is a road bike that was occasionally tracked - I liked the default angle for the road.
My Streetfighter was like that when I first got it. It was planted and "stable" in turns to the point of being stubborn and recalcitrant and the front end felt remote and disconnected.
I suspected that the whole posture of the chassis was all wrong and it needed more than just damping adjustment. And what with the rear shock rocker arm arrangement I didn't attempt to fiddle with it myself, I just took it to a pro suspension shop. He made substantial changes to the bike's stance, both through dropping the yokes and winding up the rear rocker arm. A pro set-up made a night and day difference and I wouldn't have got there by myself. So good that I soon found the limit of the stock (non-Ohlins) suspension and went back for an upgrade to Ohlins on the rear and K-Tec internals up front. That turned it into a true naked sports bike.
Similarly I couldn't quite get there with my KTM 990 SMT. It was so nearly there but something wasn't quite right. I was disappearing down a rabbit hole so I took that to the same suspension shop as well. He said I was 90% of the way there but the problem was there was a mismatch between the click values on the damping between front and rear. Ie. one click either way on the rear didn't produce the same effect as one click on the front. In fact it was miles different. He rebuilt the forks, re-shimming and altering the shape of the needles to give more graduated damping and then set it up again from scratch. Thereafter it rode like a pin-sharp supermoto. It was an absolute weapon. I'd never have got it like that on my own.
IMO a professional suspension set-up is about the best value money you can spend on a bike.
Agree, my 2003 tripple 9 was rock solid but slow steering. I did all you posted and it made it somewhat better. I added the IMS adjustable tripple clamps and set the head angle to the 23 degree setting. Much better, the bike no longer runs wide under throttle when exiting turns. I found out that my shock was not set properly and once adjusted properly, the lao times fell quickly. I kept hearing a strange sound when I would pick the bike up and roll on throttle until I realized it was me laughing at every corner exit!
If you set the steering head to the 23 degree setting without changing the fork offset from the stock 36mm to 28mm os there abouts, you reduce the trail which can have very bad consequences. They call the 23 degree setting the "crash setting" without the adjusted offset as the reduced front contact patch cant take as much load. That is my understanding of what I have read and been told. Well worth the cash and effort in my opinion.
Had a cracking ride out (yesterday) on the Diavel. Didn't go far, maybe 120 miles. Weather was very threatening in the morning but brightened up mid afternoon so I went for it. Up to Rothbury by the windy route for a quick brew, than the long way round back home via empty back roads, returning to the lock-up just as the black clouds were rolling off the fells and the first drops of rain started. I'll remember to take some ride pics one day.
Really starting to gel with the bike now. It isn't a cruiser, it's more a big Monster that's been to the gym. It's not a quite a supernaked - though why Ducati never built a Streetfighter with this engine in this state of tune I'll never know - it's just a good old fashioned fine-handling roadster with a sledge hammer power unit. Took in a few tight moorland roads which can be very bumpy. The Rocket 3 didn't like them, not because of it's size but because the suspension was very stiff and it gave you a pummelling. The Diavel is so much better. It's in between the butt-kicking stiffness of my old Superduke and the long travel glide of the KTM 1190 and handles nadgery stuff no bother at all. Ideal really.
The seat isn't as comfortable as the Rocket but it's by no means bad. Leg room is just fine for my six foot frame. Dunno if there's a comfort version. Chicken strips have gone and it's never come close to feeling like it's going to run out of ground clearance. Haven't detected any understeer from the massive rear tyre (there was loads on the Rocket and it worked best if you kept the power on through turns). But it does allow you to put loads of power down very early coming out of bends and the fat rear tyre bites the road where the Rocket or the Superduke would have set lights flashing on the dash. And I'm not finding I need to trail brake as there's very little dive or weight transfer and the chassis stays level largely by itself. As a result this bike is a potential licence killer. It is very very easy to go everywhere at 100 mph all the time. The mid-range is epic. In fact I think it's faster than the Superduke, both in acceleration and in real time over the ground between two points. It's got just as much midrange urge but is less flighty and wheelie-happy (though it does loft over crests) so you can use more of it more of the time.
Nelly has ordered a Termi system and it'll be booked in for fitting when that arrives. KTM goes over to Kendal for its pre-sale service and MOT tomorrow.
I think I could just have found my Goldilocks bike. Should have bought one two bikes ago and saved myself thousands in depreciation when I kept chopping and changing. I was unsure about parting with the KTM and the Streetfighter. I'm not now.
Really starting to gel with the bike now. It isn't a cruiser, it's more a big Monster that's been to the gym. It's not a quite a supernaked - though why Ducati never built a Streetfighter with this engine in this state of tune I'll never know - it's just a good old fashioned fine-handling roadster with a sledge hammer power unit. Took in a few tight moorland roads which can be very bumpy. The Rocket 3 didn't like them, not because of it's size but because the suspension was very stiff and it gave you a pummelling. The Diavel is so much better. It's in between the butt-kicking stiffness of my old Superduke and the long travel glide of the KTM 1190 and handles nadgery stuff no bother at all. Ideal really.
The seat isn't as comfortable as the Rocket but it's by no means bad. Leg room is just fine for my six foot frame. Dunno if there's a comfort version. Chicken strips have gone and it's never come close to feeling like it's going to run out of ground clearance. Haven't detected any understeer from the massive rear tyre (there was loads on the Rocket and it worked best if you kept the power on through turns). But it does allow you to put loads of power down very early coming out of bends and the fat rear tyre bites the road where the Rocket or the Superduke would have set lights flashing on the dash. And I'm not finding I need to trail brake as there's very little dive or weight transfer and the chassis stays level largely by itself. As a result this bike is a potential licence killer. It is very very easy to go everywhere at 100 mph all the time. The mid-range is epic. In fact I think it's faster than the Superduke, both in acceleration and in real time over the ground between two points. It's got just as much midrange urge but is less flighty and wheelie-happy (though it does loft over crests) so you can use more of it more of the time.
Nelly has ordered a Termi system and it'll be booked in for fitting when that arrives. KTM goes over to Kendal for its pre-sale service and MOT tomorrow.
I think I could just have found my Goldilocks bike. Should have bought one two bikes ago and saved myself thousands in depreciation when I kept chopping and changing. I was unsure about parting with the KTM and the Streetfighter. I'm not now.
Yesterday I rode an African Twin for a tall friend who needed it moving. The screen was nearly opaque and set so high that I couldn't see the road for 40 yards in front, 
thankfully it was perfect for standing on the pegs. I only had 30 miles to ride. I was grateful to get back on the Multi.
thankfully it was perfect for standing on the pegs. I only had 30 miles to ride. I was grateful to get back on the Multi.
Always liked the look of the AT but I was surprised to learn that they have a longer wheelbase than a KTM 1190. And 40 fewer horses. I bet the Multi felt lighter afterwards.Yesterday I rode an African Twin for a tall friend who needed it moving. The screen was nearly opaque and set so high that I couldn't see the road for 40 yards in front,
I think if I wanted a 100 bhp-ish parallel twin adventure bike I'd save thousands and buy a good old tried and tested utterly unbustable Yam XT 1200 SuperTen. Performance probably about the same as the AT but they go on forever.
Nice little spin out - A30 then up over Melbury to Stourpaine then the A357 toward Stur then A3030 (great road) to Sherborne for a gelato stop at Ecco Gelato just at the bottom of the high street (highly recommended) then the A30 - home in time for lunch ! Roads were quiet 
Been deep cleaning big Sonja, 1500 miles of road shit to get off, pre-wash and snow foam hardly made a dent in the filth, keep me out of mischief for the weekend. 
He certainly wouldn't have overtaken you.PS I think we might of overtaken James May at some point