Took the fairings off to fit the Ti lower yoke pinch bolts. Also discovered that the lower fairing on the clutch side is all burnt to pieces by the exhaust. WTF... Not sure if there should've been heat proof tape or not. I applied a load over the top any to prevent anymore damage.
Spring clean!!, Fairings off winter salt washed out, re acf50ed, polished and waxed. Not a hint of corrosion! Nearly 6 years old and 40K miles and still a beaut! Calipers serviced, job done! Just need time to fit: New 2012 exhaust DJ Autotune New Rear shock Silicon hoses replacement rad
Looking as good as ever Mr B, Took mine out today for an hours blast and then a bit of a clean. Just waiting for two more parts to arrive and then appointment at garage next month should see the old girl pretty much finished, well until I find something else to change on her.
Took mine out today for first ride of the year too... I even wore my new leathers and gloves to treat myself. My missus took a piccy as I was leaving (I didn't ask her!) - not sure they'll be this white for too long. You may need sun glasses to view...
Finally got the rest of my winter jobs finished (apart from the new grips) so I took the old girl out for a wash and brush up. New MRA screen looks good too but I did have some clearance issues with the brake reservoir which required some judicious bending of the bracket.
Already done air filter, removed rear pegs and fitted hooks. Did an oil & filter change over the weekend while the panels are off and also took the opportunity to polish the exhaust headers a little. Now everything is done and just have to put the panels back on. Can't wait to get out on it finally
Got the HRC catch bottle carrier fitted, got the front brake lines, M4s to fit and make captive spacers. Picking up spare gold wheels in 3 weeks at East Fortune races. Need to prep SP2 soon for the road.
Borrowed my daughter boyfriend to give me a hand to set the preload. Standard is 6 turns out from fully soft out of 15 turns. Ended up at 12 turns out and around 38mm of sag front and the rear was on the standard setting of 4 from 10 which also showed around 40mm confirming that the rear spring is of a heavier setting than the forks. I'll probably increase the rear preload by one notch tomorrow at some point to decrease the sag a little. Also had to firm up the rear rebound as it was coming up a lot slower than the front. Ended up with about a quarter of a turn left to use. When pushing down on the bike it comes back up level now although it may be a tad stiff now. Busy tomorrow but maybe get out and try it on Wednesday to see how it feels. Any advice on the above? I'm not a track fiend and our roads around here are shite so around 38mm sound fine? It was showing almost 50mm at the front when I started, although on the road it still felt quite composed.
Take to a specialist mate - unless you take your bike on track and do all your own suspension setting up and can do it properly, for £90 your may as well have someone do it right. There are lots of factors to consider when setting up for an individual. Setting it up incorrectly is easy and can be dangerous if you like a spirited ride... specialist for suspension mate.
Yeah I will do soon mate but setting the preload for your weight is the easy bit and the most important.
Well, just got back from a 20 mile run around my favourite local loop and the bike is definitely firmer although less plush but it gives more confidence when pushing on. Maybe a little too firm on the rear and I'll take a quarter turn off the rebound to cure that a bit later but certainly better for more committed riding in the twisties. I understand where you're coming from Bash but everyone has to start somewhere, even the pro's had to start by learning the basics. I spoke to the guy who rebuilt the suspenders on a few of my previous bikes (Ross at Moto-pro near Cardiff) and he only charges £25 for a ride in ride out set up to get the bike in the ball park area. The only problem is as soon as I pay him a visit I'll end up talking myself into a K-Tech or Ohlins re-valve and new springs all round! This may get expensive!
