V11s / Scura Attempts to Kill Owner

[mdude]

This slapping business can come from a multitude of details working together, I think.

And I found out this spring that tank slappers do exist.

Mine broke my right wrist and nearly tore my left thumb off.

 

What happened was a sudden input of steering while at the same time applying a bit of brake (all this done by a big donkey with a goatee) to avoid an animal in the road. It was instantly and couldnt be corrected.

I have the progressive springs in my fork and my steering damper was turned "some" clicks up.

 

Driver input: So, the gooz doesnt like sudden inputs. Some riders have a habit of setting up the bike for turns and other occurences rather suddenly and violently (my mate does this, I've ridden behind him). Dont do that. Ride smoothly.

 

Brakes: I would also check that the front brake doesnt drag, as I found that braking together with the steering input caused some pretty violent reactions. I would guess its caused by sudden weight transfer together with the increased rolling resistance.

 

Front weight: Usually I ride with my family emeralds perched on the tank, to get more weight on the front. I strongly recall that the day I hit the asphalt I was sitting a bit more passive and chimp-like, with outstretched arms and shoulders high. So more weight on fron wheel by lowering the bike on the front fork aint no bad idea.

 

Settings: And, the way my V11 feels today is lightyears ahead of what it felt when I bought it with stock suspension settings. In my opinion it was plain dangerous like that. Soggy and lowriding at the rear and rock hard and unforgiving (and underdamped) at the front. I couldnt even keep up with my wife on our favourite road. Suspension setting is task No 1!

 

Wheels: my front wheel, OEM Bridgestone Battlax 020 (?) was a bit tired with a fair amount of scuffing in the pattern. It kind of fell off the hard rubber stripe in the middle on to the sides of the tire which get scuffed. I never liked that tyre anyway, it felt like it let go all the time. Change to a modern tire: like the Metzeler Z6.

[jihem]

Having owned a '95 SS 900 sp and now a Scura shod with Continental Road Attacks comparing the handling of the two is a no brainer. The Duc wanted to kill me too!

 

I actually had a '89 750 Sport, soon followed by a '93 Superlight, but I wanted to change for a more firm and reliable handling as I thought the Ducatis's front were too nervous, at mid to hi speed, for my liking.

 

I had a few really bad tankslappers on the Ghezzi. I had the Paioli checked by a specialist, he very slightly lowered the front and moved up the back Ohlins a few mms, I installed a Ohlins MX steering damper (thaty round dampers they put on motoX bikes) and it's now fixed !

[mike wilson]

Usually I ride with my family emeralds perched on the tank,

 

If they've gone green you are braking too hard or need a bigger set of leathers.

[belfastguzzi]

Front weight: Usually I ride with my family emeralds perched on the tank,

 

to get more weight on the front. .

 

That wouldn't work for you then Mike

[mdude]

If they've gone green you are braking too hard or need a bigger set of leathers.

 

its just the paint rubbing off on them....

[mike wilson]

That wouldn't work for you then Mike

 

Indeed not. I would need a _much_ bigger tank.

[Chronic]

Mine did exactly this. The only thing that fixed it was going with spring rates that weren't for bulemic cheerleaders. That solved most of the problem, but you'll need a fork revalve as well to eliminate it.

 

dk

 

I bought DK's Scura....he ain't kidding about cranking down those spring rates I probably weigh 40 lbs less than he and had to back off the setting about 25% or so. It was extraordinarily twitchy(no shock absorbtion) before this and now just alittle twitchy. I'll be having it revalved soon and expect it to be MOSTLY sorted....I'm still not convinced one can totally get ALL the nervousness out of V11's ...... my Ballabio (before I killed it) had to be ridden quietly, too.

 

Love the Scura Had a great commute home yesterday (60 mi) thru some excellent techical curves (HWY 245) in the foothils near here and it performed pretty damn well