For the guys riding on track, how much fork do you have showing through the top of the yokes? the bike is a 08 fireblade only showing approx 3mm fork, but im interested if anyone has dropped the front end more showing more fork to maybe 10mm or so. any improvements?
you can certainly make the bike turn in quicker dropping the forks but be aware you are also pushing the weight forward, so be careful you don't overload the front. if you do you might feel the front end push and run wide through the corners. Don't want to teach you to suck eggs so apologies if this is obvious, but make sure all your other settings are correct for your weight first, then if you feel you would like the bike to turn in quicker drop the forks a little at a time, until you get the feel you want. You will also get the same effect by raising the rear, which is why you must set the front and rear sag correctly first.
thanks both, nothing specifically wrong with the bike as it is, but im just interested to see if this will improve handling or not. Will give it ago this weekend.
I was told by a couple of suspension tuners that the blade does prefer to be relatively level. I had mine sitting higher at the back which was causing the front to push a bit - since making the bike more level it has been more stable.
For track work they talk about setting it up like a 'chopper' to get weight over the back. http://44teeth.com/ohlins-fgrt-fork-fitting/
8mm drop on mine and it's fantastic..... transition is so much easier with no issues with stability, that's one of them top of the list mods that's totally priceless
Each one is different though Dave, rider weight and preload setting will make a big difference, but you have obviously set your fork drop to suit your set up. But I agree it's a cheap easy mod that can make a big difference. I leave mine as standard as I'm big and heavy and don't like overly stiff suspension, so my bike rides low at the front anyway.
Yeh basically set up static then rider sags, backed off some spring preload to get it bang on, then just some fine tuning on the damping and rebound to get the feel I was looking for! Worth the extra time to get it bang on. Wasted if your spring preloads are way to firm as the damping and rebound needs to be at the right part of the stroke to work effectively.
Just got back from Anglesey yesterday, i raised the forks (dropped the front end) an additional 8mm and it feels so much better, turning feels more precise and whilst mid corner correcting lines and bringing it in tighter is so much easier. Worth a try as Dave says its free!
yea thats one thing i was actively looking out for whilst doing it, too much weight on the front and the front tyre starts to shred/tear up, no signs of it currently so all good.
Had no such issues with mine, and it feels very front end focused, also definitely more weight biased towards front than the rear after weighing 50/50 would be an ideal bias
I think I'm really heavy on the front. I wouldn't listen to me really. Don't even really no much just get on and go and let my mate sort my bike out
Just had a piston kit fitted by MCT and was told to refit the forks so that the fork tops are flush with the top yoke, if that makes sense. The proof in the pudding will be 3 days on track at Brno, next week. ☺ I'll let you know how I get on
It's more about what works for you! Some people don't like the feeling of the bike feeling more lively through transitioning and directional changes! its a very personal thing set-up, I certainly will try most things before I discount them. So many people out there saying don't do this, don't do that... do it this way etc Just saying it works for me with the set-up I have! I've done this a fare few times on other people's bikes over the years and they have all had very positive feedback on how much better the bike feels after, some even claiming to totally transform the bikes handling in a good way.
I like weight on the front First trackday on my 06 and was not over impressed with the front, second one, dropped the forks 5mm and chucked in a 180 rear, felt like a different bike Rob
