Broken bike? Won't start? Give me a shout, let's get it on...
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Suspension Upgrades: Does A Six-Year Old Bike Still Cut It?
Can your bike's suspension be upgraded to match the latest technology?
This isn't about using professional racers to test on a short circuit track because that would mean nothing to the average road rider - like me. I want to hear in layman's terms if spending $500 - $1000 on your standard bike's suspension is a waste of money, or the best thing you could've done to improve it. We're the ones out there buying and riding the bikes, and most of us on the public roads only; so, can a basic upgrade to your favourite toy make it a match for the latest kit?
Let's find out.
This isn't about using professional racers to test on a short circuit track because that would mean nothing to the average road rider - like me. I want to hear in layman's terms if spending $500 - $1000 on your standard bike's suspension is a waste of money, or the best thing you could've done to improve it. We're the ones out there buying and riding the bikes, and most of us on the public roads only; so, can a basic upgrade to your favourite toy make it a match for the latest kit?
Let's find out.
- The bike: 2006 GSXR1000K6
- The roads: A mix of fast, bumpy sweepers and the tightest of hairpins.
- The question: Can the oldie hold its own against a newbie?
 |
| 2006 GSXR1000 K6 |
Pointless?
Not for the majority of riders who have to battle on with their existing bikes because a new bike is out of their price range. And maybe the riders who think that the suspension must be effective just because it's fitted with Up Side Down forks and a monoshock.
I wanted to know for sure if what I'd heard is true. That spending money on suspension is the best use of readies that a person can throw at their bike.
Or should you just get a race can? At least it'll sound fast when everyone's on your ass trying to overtake you!
Or should you just get a race can? At least it'll sound fast when everyone's on your ass trying to overtake you!
150BHP? That's about 100 more than you need for the road!
That's what I was told by Peter Clements of ProMechA. And I know he's right, strictly speaking, but when did that ever matter?
But to be fair, this guy is very switched on and tells it like it is. When you can get hold of him on the phone, you're in for a great conversation. I had an idea on what the GSXR needed - I just needed to relay it to Peter. It's simple, I wanted the bike to be plush on bumpy roads (after all, it's quite stiff as standard), but have the ability to handle high speeds too but, on top of all that, be capable of destroying anyone else on a track day (should I partake in one)!
Should be easy, just a bit of spring manipulation - or so I thought.
"You can't have it all," says Peter. "What are you going to be using it for? Track days, or the road?"
"Hmm, road work I guess."
"OK, well I can't give you a sports-tourer and a race bike all in one. You need to choose what sort of bike you want."
And that's when it hit home. There is no best of both worlds, no adaptive suspension that works for every road or track. And that's the first thing you need to understand.
I've watched videos, read everything i can find on the internet and bought books on the subject of tuning suspension, but until you realise there isn't a perfect fix for every road surface or track, you're bollocksed.
And don't forget, your suspension needs to be serviced too.
Oil deteriorates with use, gets contaminated with metal (from the springs/sliding surfaces) and needs to be flushed out and renewed at regular intervals.
If, like my GSXR, your bike is well overdue for fresh oil, have the shock and forks serviced before adjusting any of the preloads or clickers. Any adjustments made before this will just not be as effective and will probably put you off the learning process.
It may be daunting to start playing around with the settings initially, but once you get into the spirit of adjusting things, it starts to become clearer and, the more you play, the more you learn. Just remember to write down your original settings so you can always go back to your start point if need be.
OK, forks and shock serviced, correct weight springs fitted. What now?
Peter has a stack of information on his website covering a good variety of bikes. For me he advised a complete service and re-valve (compression/rebound pistons and shims), a linear rate spring and an anti-squat valve for the shock, and a service and re-valve on the forks retaining original springs (standard being near enough for my weight).
Although you can strip the forks yourself at home, would you know how much porting or changes in shim arrangement are required? A suspension pro will have a fair idea on what works for the chosen conditions which is going to save you time and money in the long run. These are the guys that have put in the hard hours already.
Anyway, let's get on with it. First run out, and I had a play with the rear shock. Leaving the forks at Peter's recommended starting point, I adjusted the sag on the rear and then played with the compression and rebound adjusters. This also involved a quick run with them fully unscrewed, which was against Peter's advice I might add, just to feel the difference.
It wallowed and weaved its way all over the shop so probably not the best testing method, but then it's good to feel the difference:) I'm now at a base/standard setting and it's working quite well.
With only a few weeks on it, the "ripping" effect I had on the rear tyre is starting to clear up with the shock working correctly, but there is evidence of a rebound issue (uneven tread wear pattern). Hopefully fine tuning will cure this, but my idea of fast road work probably isn't the same as a genuine fast rider's - which is what it's valved for. Oops.
The forks are still harsh on most of the low-speed local roads, but then it always was. However, the faster you're prepared to push, the better it gets - is this a good thing? Probably. If the bike is safer and more capable at speed, when there's more chance of mistakes, less time to react and the unknown is lurking around every bend, this can only be a good thing.
This is a learning curve.
What I thought I wanted, and asked for, probably isn't what I actually needed. Having ridden a mate's 2006 CBR600RR, I knew how plush a sportbike's suspension could be on slow, bumpy roads. But until I actually tried pushing down on the front end of the CBR at standstill, I'd never have realised how soft they were as standard! It's like a trail bike, due to its progressive springs, where the GSXR is rock solid all the way through.
No wonder you meet the nicest people on a Honda.
I wanted something to soak up the slow, bumpy roads and then perform well at high speed, but it's impossible - you have to decide where your trade-off is.
Forget the bragging rights, ask yourself this question:
How often do you exploit the top speed of your bike?
Honestly? Not very often.
As a quick comparison, I took the DRZ out for a quick spin in some notoriously tight, uneven bends. The supermoto flies round bumpy, 60-80km/h corners without a flinch whereas the Gixer, although holding its own while you bounce out of the seat, makes you work harder for it.
Conclusion
I can see why the softer, streetfighter-styled factory bikes are so popular nowadays. Easily as fast in the real world, but with the added comfort to protect you from all the jarring and hits you take from the average, poor road surface.
I guess I ended up with a fast road bike that spends most of its life at slow speeds. In respect of whether this bike can hold its own against a new one, no problem at all, but is that due to the rider, the components, or the fact that superbikes haven't really moved that far forward in the last six years?
A smidgen of all those I guess, but I will say this for the GSXR, now when you crack it open to make rapid progress, the world underneath it just smoothes right on out.
ProMechA
If you're looking to upgrade the bouncy bits on your bike, give Peter a call on 03 9574 1164 and let him explain what does what, and why. He'll tell you exactly what's needed to turn your bike into the bike you actually want - and that's far more important than turning it into something you don't need!
That's what I was told by Peter Clements of ProMechA. And I know he's right, strictly speaking, but when did that ever matter?
But to be fair, this guy is very switched on and tells it like it is. When you can get hold of him on the phone, you're in for a great conversation. I had an idea on what the GSXR needed - I just needed to relay it to Peter. It's simple, I wanted the bike to be plush on bumpy roads (after all, it's quite stiff as standard), but have the ability to handle high speeds too but, on top of all that, be capable of destroying anyone else on a track day (should I partake in one)!
Should be easy, just a bit of spring manipulation - or so I thought.
"You can't have it all," says Peter. "What are you going to be using it for? Track days, or the road?"
"Hmm, road work I guess."
"OK, well I can't give you a sports-tourer and a race bike all in one. You need to choose what sort of bike you want."
And that's when it hit home. There is no best of both worlds, no adaptive suspension that works for every road or track. And that's the first thing you need to understand.
I've watched videos, read everything i can find on the internet and bought books on the subject of tuning suspension, but until you realise there isn't a perfect fix for every road surface or track, you're bollocksed.
 |
| 20km/h? You can do better than that! |
And don't forget, your suspension needs to be serviced too.
Oil deteriorates with use, gets contaminated with metal (from the springs/sliding surfaces) and needs to be flushed out and renewed at regular intervals.
If, like my GSXR, your bike is well overdue for fresh oil, have the shock and forks serviced before adjusting any of the preloads or clickers. Any adjustments made before this will just not be as effective and will probably put you off the learning process.
It may be daunting to start playing around with the settings initially, but once you get into the spirit of adjusting things, it starts to become clearer and, the more you play, the more you learn. Just remember to write down your original settings so you can always go back to your start point if need be.
OK, forks and shock serviced, correct weight springs fitted. What now?
Peter has a stack of information on his website covering a good variety of bikes. For me he advised a complete service and re-valve (compression/rebound pistons and shims), a linear rate spring and an anti-squat valve for the shock, and a service and re-valve on the forks retaining original springs (standard being near enough for my weight).
Although you can strip the forks yourself at home, would you know how much porting or changes in shim arrangement are required? A suspension pro will have a fair idea on what works for the chosen conditions which is going to save you time and money in the long run. These are the guys that have put in the hard hours already.
Anyway, let's get on with it. First run out, and I had a play with the rear shock. Leaving the forks at Peter's recommended starting point, I adjusted the sag on the rear and then played with the compression and rebound adjusters. This also involved a quick run with them fully unscrewed, which was against Peter's advice I might add, just to feel the difference.
This caused the Gixer to tie itself in knots coming out of bends hard!
It wallowed and weaved its way all over the shop so probably not the best testing method, but then it's good to feel the difference:) I'm now at a base/standard setting and it's working quite well.
With only a few weeks on it, the "ripping" effect I had on the rear tyre is starting to clear up with the shock working correctly, but there is evidence of a rebound issue (uneven tread wear pattern). Hopefully fine tuning will cure this, but my idea of fast road work probably isn't the same as a genuine fast rider's - which is what it's valved for. Oops.
The forks are still harsh on most of the low-speed local roads, but then it always was. However, the faster you're prepared to push, the better it gets - is this a good thing? Probably. If the bike is safer and more capable at speed, when there's more chance of mistakes, less time to react and the unknown is lurking around every bend, this can only be a good thing.
 |
| Smooth roads, happy days. |
This is a learning curve.
What I thought I wanted, and asked for, probably isn't what I actually needed. Having ridden a mate's 2006 CBR600RR, I knew how plush a sportbike's suspension could be on slow, bumpy roads. But until I actually tried pushing down on the front end of the CBR at standstill, I'd never have realised how soft they were as standard! It's like a trail bike, due to its progressive springs, where the GSXR is rock solid all the way through.
No wonder you meet the nicest people on a Honda.
I wanted something to soak up the slow, bumpy roads and then perform well at high speed, but it's impossible - you have to decide where your trade-off is.
Forget the bragging rights, ask yourself this question:
How often do you exploit the top speed of your bike?
Honestly? Not very often.
As a quick comparison, I took the DRZ out for a quick spin in some notoriously tight, uneven bends. The supermoto flies round bumpy, 60-80km/h corners without a flinch whereas the Gixer, although holding its own while you bounce out of the seat, makes you work harder for it.
Conclusion
I can see why the softer, streetfighter-styled factory bikes are so popular nowadays. Easily as fast in the real world, but with the added comfort to protect you from all the jarring and hits you take from the average, poor road surface.
I guess I ended up with a fast road bike that spends most of its life at slow speeds. In respect of whether this bike can hold its own against a new one, no problem at all, but is that due to the rider, the components, or the fact that superbikes haven't really moved that far forward in the last six years?
A smidgen of all those I guess, but I will say this for the GSXR, now when you crack it open to make rapid progress, the world underneath it just smoothes right on out.
ProMechA
If you're looking to upgrade the bouncy bits on your bike, give Peter a call on 03 9574 1164 and let him explain what does what, and why. He'll tell you exactly what's needed to turn your bike into the bike you actually want - and that's far more important than turning it into something you don't need!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Harley Electrics Causing Grief? Don't Blow a Fuse, Help is at Hand!
Don't you just love the internet?
I was just pointed in the direction of a fantastic help manual/pdf concerning Harley Davidson wiring diagrams - and it deserves a repost.
Rewiring a bike can be a pain in the proverbial, and finding a fault somewhere within even harder at times! So, thanks to John Siebenthale, here's a handy link to his FREE pdf designed to make H-D wiringeasy easier.
http://www.siebenthalercreative.com/pages/how-to/HD-wiring.html
I was just pointed in the direction of a fantastic help manual/pdf concerning Harley Davidson wiring diagrams - and it deserves a repost.
Rewiring a bike can be a pain in the proverbial, and finding a fault somewhere within even harder at times! So, thanks to John Siebenthale, here's a handy link to his FREE pdf designed to make H-D wiring
http://www.siebenthalercreative.com/pages/how-to/HD-wiring.html
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Bike Designated Parking at Laurel Cottage, Lower Beechmont, QLD
Laurel Cottage's Motorbike Parking
At the top of one of the best biking roads on the Gold Coast, QLD is a cracking cafe that now has a section devoted to motorcycle parking. Lower Beechmont is a small village just 15 minutes from Nerang (turn off the Nerang-Murwillumbah Road), and each weekend the incredible, winding road is packed with all kinds of cruisers, supermoto's, sports bikes and classics.
Mike and Karen Beer, owners of Laurel Cottage Cafe and Restaurant, have now made a small section outside especially for motorbike parking - how welcoming is that? Now you can have a brew while your pride and joy sits safely just metres from your table.
So, when you're looking for the ideal spot for breakfast or lunch, and want to ride one of the best roads out there, plan a ride through Lower Beechmont soon. The coffee is great, the food fantastic and the prices perfect - highly recommended! You'll find them on Facebook here.
How to get there
From Nerang, head out on the Nerang-Murwillumbah Road and take a right onto the Beechmont Road. You can't miss this junction, you'll see the first couple of bends and a broad smile will appear on your face. Ride for about 7km's through beautiful forest and you'll be in Lower Beechmont. Continue past North Road (great lookout area just up there, and to the left) and, after about 500m, on the left hand side you'll see the sign for the cafe. Open on Thursdays thru to Sunday evening with an impressive menu.
For a great ride and unbelievable views, incorporating part of The Scenic Rim, carry on through to Beechmont and down to Canungra for the chance to try out the "Goat Track" which takes you up to North Tamborine. Tight hairpins all the way up! Take a camera, there's lots you'll want to remember.
See you there soon.
At the top of one of the best biking roads on the Gold Coast, QLD is a cracking cafe that now has a section devoted to motorcycle parking. Lower Beechmont is a small village just 15 minutes from Nerang (turn off the Nerang-Murwillumbah Road), and each weekend the incredible, winding road is packed with all kinds of cruisers, supermoto's, sports bikes and classics.
Mike and Karen Beer, owners of Laurel Cottage Cafe and Restaurant, have now made a small section outside especially for motorbike parking - how welcoming is that? Now you can have a brew while your pride and joy sits safely just metres from your table.
So, when you're looking for the ideal spot for breakfast or lunch, and want to ride one of the best roads out there, plan a ride through Lower Beechmont soon. The coffee is great, the food fantastic and the prices perfect - highly recommended! You'll find them on Facebook here.
How to get there
From Nerang, head out on the Nerang-Murwillumbah Road and take a right onto the Beechmont Road. You can't miss this junction, you'll see the first couple of bends and a broad smile will appear on your face. Ride for about 7km's through beautiful forest and you'll be in Lower Beechmont. Continue past North Road (great lookout area just up there, and to the left) and, after about 500m, on the left hand side you'll see the sign for the cafe. Open on Thursdays thru to Sunday evening with an impressive menu.
For a great ride and unbelievable views, incorporating part of The Scenic Rim, carry on through to Beechmont and down to Canungra for the chance to try out the "Goat Track" which takes you up to North Tamborine. Tight hairpins all the way up! Take a camera, there's lots you'll want to remember.
See you there soon.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
How To Polish Your Bike's Bolts - Seriously.
While I wait on the suspension to come back for the Gixer, I thought it might be a good time to start cleaning up a few of the bits and pieces that hold her together.
Fairing bolts always make a bike look tatty when they corrode, or go dull, so I thought I'd give them the treatment. This is one of the front mudguard bolts. Doesn't look too bad in the photo, but could be improved.
All you need is an electric drill, emery cloth (for the roughest of bolts), 400/600 grit wet & dry, a scotch pad and good old Autosol. (Be careful with the drill - I don't want to hear about rags being ripped up in the chuck, or losing fingers whilst holding a bit of emery cloth against a spinning bolt.)
How To Polish Bolt Heads Up Like New.
Fit the bolt into the chuck of the drill. No need to go too tight - we don't want to damage the threads. If the bolt is pretty clean and not too corroded, a scotchbrite pad will be enough at this stage to clean up the head. Spin the drill while holding pressure on the head of the bolt with the scotch pad. Be careful because it will get warm after a while.
If badly pitted, bring it back to a smooth finish using emery cloth first, then followed with fine wet & dry. The finer you go, the better the results, but I only went to 400 grit. It leaves the tiniest of lines, but you can't see those unless you're using a magnifying glass.
Once you're happy, get a rag and apply a small dab of Autosol - again use the drill to polish the head.
They should start to look a little like the one on the right.
The polished mudguard bolts in front, and a dull fairing bolt behind.
It's possible to apply the technique to any bolt, but you'll never get the hexagon section perfect with this method. Still, a vast improvement on what they were!
From one side of the bike. 3 x fairing bolts, 3 x mudguard bolts, 2 x caliper bolts and 2 x wheel spindle pinch bolts. Not too shabby.
Don't Forget, You Can Polish ANY Bolt!
To prove this works on any old bolt, here's a rusty 8x1.25 I had sitting on the bench. The raised letters and numbers still clearly visible.
Rough emery cloth will take most stuff off. You'll probably need to hold the emery cloth as well as support the drill, but you'll soon get the hang of it.
It's working, just needs a little more. Once the head is smooth all over, start with the 400 grit.
A quick dab of polish and we've got a great shine!
If I was fussy, I could continue with the wet & dry until all imperfections were gone, but you'll never see those when they're fitted to the bike.
Remember, these surfaces will go dull, and steel will rust eventually. Keep an eye on them and give them another going over every now and again. In the UK, where salt is applied to the roads every winter, it's hard to keep fasteners clean even with regular washing. But even plated bolts suffer there.
This is a cheap fix that probably anyone can do with a little time. Not only does it improve the bike's looks, it'll add value if you're trying to sell it.
Fairing bolts always make a bike look tatty when they corrode, or go dull, so I thought I'd give them the treatment. This is one of the front mudguard bolts. Doesn't look too bad in the photo, but could be improved.
All you need is an electric drill, emery cloth (for the roughest of bolts), 400/600 grit wet & dry, a scotch pad and good old Autosol. (Be careful with the drill - I don't want to hear about rags being ripped up in the chuck, or losing fingers whilst holding a bit of emery cloth against a spinning bolt.)
How To Polish Bolt Heads Up Like New.
Fit the bolt into the chuck of the drill. No need to go too tight - we don't want to damage the threads. If the bolt is pretty clean and not too corroded, a scotchbrite pad will be enough at this stage to clean up the head. Spin the drill while holding pressure on the head of the bolt with the scotch pad. Be careful because it will get warm after a while.
If badly pitted, bring it back to a smooth finish using emery cloth first, then followed with fine wet & dry. The finer you go, the better the results, but I only went to 400 grit. It leaves the tiniest of lines, but you can't see those unless you're using a magnifying glass.
Once you're happy, get a rag and apply a small dab of Autosol - again use the drill to polish the head.
The polished mudguard bolts in front, and a dull fairing bolt behind.
It's possible to apply the technique to any bolt, but you'll never get the hexagon section perfect with this method. Still, a vast improvement on what they were!
From one side of the bike. 3 x fairing bolts, 3 x mudguard bolts, 2 x caliper bolts and 2 x wheel spindle pinch bolts. Not too shabby.
Don't Forget, You Can Polish ANY Bolt!
To prove this works on any old bolt, here's a rusty 8x1.25 I had sitting on the bench. The raised letters and numbers still clearly visible.
Rough emery cloth will take most stuff off. You'll probably need to hold the emery cloth as well as support the drill, but you'll soon get the hang of it.
It's working, just needs a little more. Once the head is smooth all over, start with the 400 grit.
A light going over with the finer grade just leaves fine lines.
A quick dab of polish and we've got a great shine!
If I was fussy, I could continue with the wet & dry until all imperfections were gone, but you'll never see those when they're fitted to the bike.
Remember, these surfaces will go dull, and steel will rust eventually. Keep an eye on them and give them another going over every now and again. In the UK, where salt is applied to the roads every winter, it's hard to keep fasteners clean even with regular washing. But even plated bolts suffer there.
This is a cheap fix that probably anyone can do with a little time. Not only does it improve the bike's looks, it'll add value if you're trying to sell it.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
DRZ 400E Supermoto - Tyre Choice.
Dunlop Arrowmax's - slipperier than an oil-soaked banana!
When I bought the DRZ it came fitted with brand new Arrowmax's, so I never really knew any different. It was always really twitchy - enough to put people off riding it in fact, but the lack of grip was becoming a real concern. Mates were riding WR450's and 450 EXC's, with decent rubber underneath, and to stay in front with a lack of power and poor grip was pretty difficult to say the least.
Cornering hard always made the little 400 step out at the rear (this could be quite amusing unless trying to make progress), and the front would protest at the slightest hint of a stoppie but, being tight, I battled on until they were worn out. I must just add that although the grip was extremely poor in the dry, in the wet it was horrendous! Has anybody actually bought these out of choice?
Sizes fitted at this point were a 140/70-17 on the back, and a 120/70-17 on the front. So what next?
Well a search on eBay came up with a place in Australia selling a pair of Pilot Powers for $302 delivered - bargain! It was time to take the rear up to a 150/60-17, and retain the 120/70-17 on the front because I didn't want it to be any more twitchy that it already was.
Michelin Pilot Powers - grip[pier] than a glue-soaked grippy thing!
The service from Kelly's Rubber was exceptional and the tyres turned up in less than a week. So a couple of hours later and they were fitted. Time to ride and try them out.
WOW!
I've never felt such a difference from just fitting a couple of tyres. It's transformed the whole bike!
It feels much more mellow, nowhere near as twitchy and just grips and grips! I tried everything on a few local hairpins to make it step out, and only once did it bite me in the ass because i was leant over too far! Awesome doesn't describe how good this bike is right now!
Power can be applied really early in a corner and even Dave, who swears by his WR, actually likes to ride it now. In fact I'd say he's quicker on it than the WR! So far I'm running at around 32psi and it feels great. I've heard a lot of supermoto riders use 29psi so I might have a play around with pressures - then again, if it ain't broke.
The best bit? Rolling stoppies are now easy enough because it actually grips! Should've bought them years ago.
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