Oscillation in Front End of V11 Sport

[taminatorv]

Tam, did your get your post backwards?  Raising the fork tubes in the triples quickens steering and decreases stability.  If you raised 'em 1/2" and fully backed off the steering damper after finding it a little twitchy, you might be tempting the ol' "tank slap" - particularly if your laden fork sag is excessive, as is typical with stock springs and spacers, and rider weight significantly over 150 lb.  Best check things.  Ed and Todd have this pretty well sorted at GuzziTech. 

72485[/snapback]

 

Here it is: http://www.guzzitech.com/V11SportWobble-Todd_E.html. First, loosen the steering stabilizer, then raise the forks in the triple trees 3/8" to 1/2". I also set my rear sag for my weight and later changed out the fork springs.

 

Tam

[Guest ratchethack]

Here it is: http://www.guzzitech.com/V11SportWobble-Todd_E.html.  First, loosen the steering stabilizer, then raise the forks in the triple trees 3/8" to 1/2".  I also set my rear sag for my weight and later changed out the fork springs. 

 

Tam

72501[/snapback]

Yeah, unfortunately that's a little misleading. Todd's had this on his site for a few years now and he needs to re-work it a little for improved clarity, IMHO. His choice of the word "problem" in ref. to the geometry of the '00-'01 Sports is particularly unfortunate... I know Todd well enough to understand what he means WRT this stuff. What I KNOW he means is - decrease the steering damper setting - don't necessarily back it all the way off. If it's cranked down too hard it can create a stability problem. Todd would not suggest raising the fork tubes on a stock '00 Sport without at minimum adding preload, and ideally, re-springing as well. If you went to stiffer fork springs you probably got your spacers re-set and sag settings right in the process, so there shouldn't be any concern about danger of the dreaded TS , and setting the rear as you indicated is great, but you should understand that raising the fork tubes quickens steering and decreases stability & vise versa.

 

I've re-sprung recently with Wilbers fork springs from Todd (his suggestion of springs) and was able to raise the fork tubes because with proper spacers and sag, the geometry was improved to such an extent that after raising 'em the first 5 mm, the geometry was STILL slower-steering than I had with the stock springs & spacers. Had to raise 'em again!

[Ouiji Veck]

The first year ice racing we all learned: If your bike is pushing out wide

exiting the corner...drop your triple clamps down...putting more weight

on the front tire. If you go to far your back tire will skate and not hook up.

Re-set...re-test...repeat. ..untill you got it...for that track..that day.

10 years of fiddling with the geometry of a motorcycle all winter and

I would be uninclined to do so with a street bike. An error in judgement

on the track and you might get out of shape or you might fall and slide.

An error in judgement on the road you might fall and have your head run

over by a Buick.

Tripple clamps down...front end bites more back is looser

Tripple clamps up....back tire hooks up...front tires looser

I guess a half inch one way or the other might be safe to try but

I'd be shure which way guzzi-tech is talking if your already dealing with

a condition. And I'd be shure to have my steering damper employed.

 

I'd watch carefully how the bike is entering corners and exiting under hard throttle.

Is the back trying to pass you entering? Front skipping it's way out?

Just passing on my observations...and have a caveman tech background..

"Team Ducktape"

[Guest ratchethack]

Hey Weej, Ice racing has always fascinated me, but somehow I never got to see one - even though I was raised in Michigan. To me, it makes lots more sense than snowmobile racing!!! Now ice-boat racing - THAT's another kettle o' fish! 120 mph on a broad reach!!!

 

What kinda armor do you have on your knees? It looks like they actually put real weight on 'em on the ice - lots moreso than touching feet down with flat-track racing. That ice has to get pretty chewed-up from the spikes. So do you have huge steel knee sliders, or wot?

[Ouiji Veck]

ratchet

I haven't raced since '91.. Ancient history..though if I was still back in my home town I

probably would. My friends still do.

We just wore our MX gear. That was the impitus for ice racing ...What to do all

winter? Nothing special on the knees. Foot flat on the ground ...iron shoe, flat track style. It was the absolute most fun for the money. Wide open down the straight..

blip the throttle, toss it sideways and whack it wide open and roost all the way around

the turn...stand it up exiting...repeat. Lotsa friendly rivalry. Talk bikes and wrench..

invent screw patterns, fix flats, suspension setups.. fix more flats..all week. Practice all day Sat...race Sun.

Oh well....springs comming.

[Guest ratchethack]

Sounds like fun to me, but it can't be too much fun to low-side and get run down from behind...you could get seriously over-ventilated...

[Ouiji Veck]

Sounds like fun to me, but it can't be too much fun to low-side and get run down from behind...you could get seriously over-ventilated...

72731[/snapback]

It's a little like juggling running chain saws ...

When "real bikers" start showing off thier "biker" tatoos I show 'em the one

I got from my ankle to my knee....artfully done by the rear tire of a CR500

 

I see where you get the KNEE thing...we were running our modifyed MXers

back then rather than Speedway bikes...one of those would have laped us once a lap.

What was this thread about??

[Guest ratchethack]

Hey Weej - Is it just me, or is that tire on backwards?

[Ouiji Veck]

Good eye ratchet...

Thats the way you do it. Run 'em the right way and they're NFG.

R&D was a big part of it back in the day...(82-83?) Flat track tire..can't even remember

the original brand or which genius came up with "I'm going to try running the

chevrons backward." The beer musta been really flowing that night.

The next day everyone was changing thier tire around and it's been that way ever since. (Actually I belive we stole it from the guys from Montreal that came down and

kicked our butts regularly....the year they showed up with brand new KXs with thier

goose necks cut and angled a couple of degrees down... we coulda puked!...

Damned Cannuks! ...brand new!!...I was running out of money for tire patches.

Alot of times they should just hand out trophies to the guys with the biggest wallets )

[Guest ratchethack]

Well, y'learn sumpin' new every day. That's not the first time I've seen it done, but it's the first time I've seen it done on purpose...

[mdude]

My 02 LeMans is a BRICK in 80mph sweepers. I'm 200lbs.

 

Got the Sachs shock repaired and used my MX experiance to set up the suspension.

This consists of mainly setting it up pretty stiff... then the all important "ballance".

By ballance I mean the front and back MUST work in perfect unison.

My high tech way of getting this is to stand on my pegs while a friend holds the bike

upright, lock the brakes and literally bounce.... a third friend does some observing..

we switch off...have a beer...change a setting fore or aft...comp or damp..another beer/

more bouncing....more adj...bounce..look.. screw it..close enough ..ride it....perfect...

 

71994[/snapback]

 

I like your old school methods. We're the same exaggerated size, so I figure this might work for me to. Question: whats the exact quantity of beer required in order to get the suspenson right?

[Ouiji Veck]

Beer is a constant variable........

Be shure you have plenty in case something goes wrong...