Lowering new GSX-R600

[jamjam]

I finally got my full license yesterday :clap: ... yay!! after 18yrs, 5 bikes and exempted the last 2 months of my restricted.

Time to go splash some cash... i'm looking at a new 2009 Suzuki GSX-R600 from a dealer. Does anyone know the warranty period/kms with these bikes? and are the services required to be done by the dealer or after the first 2 services can i do it myself and still keep the warranty valid.

Also my heels are about 1 inch short of touching the ground, be nice to flat foot given the lane splitting and number of intersections i need to get through in a day, not to mention the steep angle driveway... anyway has anyone got any suggestions, experience or opinions on lowering the bike an inch?

Otherwise i may just have to waddle out on a hyosung aquila :oi-grr:

[Shaun]

Hi Mate, tell me how you are looking to purchase this bike please, as I may be able to get you a better purchase price.

Re Lowering it, the best way, is to have the seat modified, so it is lower on the bike, and I do that here in New plymouth for people.

Re Services and warrenty, it must be serviced by a Suzuki agent to cover warrenty for full duration of the warranty period

[Lurch]

Re Services and warrenty, it must be serviced by a Suzuki agent to cover warrenty for full duration of the warranty period

Oh god, we really don't need another servicing/warranty argument.

[PirateJafa]

Re Services and warrenty, it must be serviced by a Suzuki agent to cover warrenty for full duration of the warranty period

Wrong, apparently.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/101766-One-problem-with-buying-new-bikes...?p=1129271194#post1129271194

[slofox]

Warranty on my last new Suzuki was two years.

[jamjam]

well i'll just factor in if they have to do it just for budgeting sake. i prefer do myself and my view is a warranty is for defective parts so as long as the oil is kept fresh then anything else that breaks would be a defective part and hence covered despite whether a mechanic changed the oil or me. I know they also tighten nuts and bolts and a couple other things which is a good safety measure but if a part is defective and breaks then it's gonna happen and should be replaced regardless. but hey i don't wanna go that arguement either, i know they try to keep you coming back for servicing as their mark ups aren't great on the sale and the workshop is part of the dealers profit after sale.

i can get it for $14k, no miles, not an ex demo so sounds a good deal to me.

as for the lowering, the seat carving is probably the better sounding option. do you know how much padded these seats are? can an inch be shaved off and still have enough to keep my hairy ass semi comfy?

[AllanB]

Suzuki do not appear to be able to make comfy seats on their sports bikes - probably irrelevant as most riders are constantly hanging their arses off them anyway!

I'd look to a trimmer who is capable of replacing the foam with something suitable if you chop a fair bit out of the stock seat.

I recommend that you buy it and ride it for a while as is - obviously you can comfortably toe it on the ground and I suspect you'll find little need to actually physically flat foot it.

A internet search will find rear end lowering kits for this model from the USA (Lowering is popular over there) or contact a NZ motorcycle suspension expert as they will be able to help. The front end should be able to be lowered a bit at the triples to keep the geometry the same - you'll just lose some ground clearance.

And dod the dealer thing for 2 years - if there is a claim, it will save a lot of hassles.

[jamjam]

yeh i did some research on lowering kits so thanks for the info. my last bike before this zxr250 (talking 12 yrs ago) was a '87 FZR750 and i don't remember that being this high.... i'm so surprised that bikes have grown (or i've shrunk) so much in 12 yrs!!! i even jumped on a ninja 250R and that was about 1cm lower than the gixxer 600 so may aswell go the gixxer.... damn manufacturers have ignored us shorter riders.
I just about wanted to hump the new Daytona 675 when i checked it out but it was too high for me to use safely around town on so had to cross that off the list :-(

i know it's gone off topic but has anyone done a jump from sports to cruiser? i've only ever ridden sports and wondering if a cruiser might be the way to go in my shrinking years (35yrs so lots more shrinking to do yet). i expect it to be a completely different ride and curious as to the "shock" factor in making the switch.

[breakaway]

How tall are you? My suggestion is to just man up an ride it. There's no need to "flat foot". I can't, and I can handle a GSXR 1000 without any troubles, with or without my mrs on the back.

Just gotta be proactive about parking and stuff, because pushing uphill when the bike is pointing downhill is almost impossible.

[ckai]

yeh i did some research on lowering kits so thanks for the info. my last bike before this zxr250 (talking 12 yrs ago) was a '87 FZR750 and i don't remember that being this high.... i'm so surprised that bikes have grown (or i've shrunk) so much in 12 yrs!!! i even jumped on a ninja 250R and that was about 1cm lower than the gixxer 600 so may aswell go the gixxer.... damn manufacturers have ignored us shorter riders.
I just about wanted to hump the new Daytona 675 when i checked it out but it was too high for me to use safely around town on so had to cross that off the list :-(

i know it's gone off topic but has anyone done a jump from sports to cruiser? i've only ever ridden sports and wondering if a cruiser might be the way to go in my shrinking years (35yrs so lots more shrinking to do yet). i expect it to be a completely different ride and curious as to the "shock" factor in making the switch.

Got the wifey's GSX650F lowered at least an inch. Not too bad for that sorta bike but I would try everything else before that on a super sports. It does come down to confidence, but I wouldn't worry about getting flat footed either (as breakaway said). No need in my view. The wife sitting on my Daytona can get her toes enough on the ground but we're looking at getting the seat shaved about 20mm. It won't get her heels touching but will give her more confidence. She won't be riding through town though and only for occasional rides. I suggested just scooting off one side of the seat more.

Lowering the Daytona is not an option for me :D It's narrower so even though it's taller, you can still get your feet down similar to the other sport sports. So maybe shaving the top and sides would help a lot.

Totally up to you and your confidence level. Don't wanna drop a gixxer! They'll start calling you a Honda rider :lol:

[AllanB]

There has been a bit of a trend on the sports bikes for the seat heights to rise to get the pegs up for ground clearance - usually it is offset with a narrow seat so the overall stretch is similar. Sit on a big cruiser with a couch size seat and you will see what I mean.


Heaps of people have gone from sports to cruisers - once that crouch gets to your old joints you trade them for lower back pain on a cruiser! IMO cruisers would be a lot more comfortable with mid mounted pegs, not forward controls. More of a relaxed standard position like a Bonneville.

[jamjam]

5'7 but i guess i got short legs. On the open road is no problem, before the FZR was a '86 GPZ900 which i don't think i could flat foot but then lived way up north so no need to. now i'm in the city and would cry if i tipped over a shiny new bike.... actually my driveway is where it gonna happen if it does! I find that when you rush into parking spots to get out of way of cars or split up to lights etc doesn't really give you a lot of time to negotiate good lean angles etc.... i did try the 650F, XJ6, Street Triple because all the reviews said they had low seat heights but that bollucks cause they got wider seats so it cancelled their lower height out. the gixxer 600 has felt the lowest footing so far. oh just 1 more inch would make a world of difference... not a quote from the misses.... as u say may just have to harden up and ride smart rather than lazy.

i used to pillion mates and ex's lots too but little bit worried my mrs might tip us over jumping on the back if i can't flat foot... hope she don't see this!

i'm still interested to hear from anyone that made the sport to cruiser switch.

[jamjam]

yeh thanks Allan B.... i agree re the cruiser foot position. i have looked at that and thought if they brought the pegs back mid way it would be more comfortable and controllerable. i did start looking into street or old bonneville style bikes but they just don't do it for me in the modern age. sports or cruisers clip my ticket.

[rie]

I imagine if you are buying an 09 new from a dealer, they can probably negotiate a good deal on extra bits and bobs like lowering link, lowering at front a few mm, possibly even ask them to chuck in crash bungs for a good price...for comparison, I was quoted $300 to lower a brand new 09 at the beginning of the year. You might be able to do better than that. [it is at this point I realise that you didn't actually ask how much it would be - never mind, moving on] Lowering links will take it down even more than an inch if you need it. But the issue of lowering links are a little controversial as some would argue that it reduces clearance and handling. Some would however argue that it is better to be able to touch the ground. So it is a bit of a give-and-take.

I got mine down a few cm by just raising the forks 15mm, and this procedure takes a mechanic like 5 mins to do so ask the dealer to do that for you first, and see how that feels.

[Devil]

Pardon me, but harden up.
Having both toes on the ground is fantastic, there's no need to be flat footed at all. If I can handle a pillion getting on when i'm on absolute tip toes, then you'll have no trouble on a bike that doesn't weigh anything.

Seriously, I wouldn't bother fudging the suspension for it. Just ride it, you'll be used to it before you know it.

[rie]

I change my post! holy CRAP 5'7" is NOT short. especially on a gsxr, which has a comparably lower seat anyway...!

[breakaway]

5'7" and you want a bike lowered? I thought you might be genuinely vertically challenged. Don't do it.

[imdying]

The Pedobot manages ok!

[ital916]

I'm about 5'7 and have not found a bike I cannot flat foot on, even if I have to move my arse off the seat to do it. Meh, even toes on the ground is good enough. I have no trouble flat footing on my partners gsxr600. I'm sure your footing is fine mate.

[jamjam]

Thanks for the advice everyone. i think i got shorter legs for my height so haven't found any mid-size bike i can flat foot in my riding boots on both sides simultaneously... but i did take a gsx-r600 demo for a spin and found it was quite easy to control and it balances quite well so didn't find any issue with stopping at intersections. sooooooooo i bought one :-) the dealer let me keep the demo till my new one is ready so gives me a chance to get used to it's handling and throttle before scrubbing in new tyres. only problem was i couldn't back it into the garage over the half inch raised concrete lip when i got home due to a steep driveway so have to ride in forwards and back out while turning sharp to leave... same as i been doing on the little zxr.

The dealer is dropping the front 10mm and i will consider dropping the back the same in the near future as i am mostly commuting and really don't need sharp cornering so a compromise seems acceptable to me... i don't think the chicken strips will ever go :-) damn self preservation is like a handbrake at times.

So cheers, your opinions were acknowledged in my decision... but i did like the little suzuki intruder 250 hahaha which was option 2 on my list

[Latte]

I'm 5'8 with short legs, so am in a similar boat. I borrowed Devil's TTR600 (tall offroader - and it was a #$%#@% kick start too!) for a few days (couldnt even tippy toe both feet) and it wasn't an issue , apart from people watching me do "the dance" from one foot to the other at the lights putting it into gear then back on the brake for hill starts.

As long as you are a confident rider you'll be fine - I imagine if you bought a SuperSport you'll be planning to ride "enthusiastically " so it seems a shame to compromise the handling for a non issue.

[slofox]

Thanks for the advice everyone. i think i got shorter legs for my height so haven't found any mid-size bike i can flat foot in my riding boots on both sides simultaneously... but i did take a gsx-r600 demo for a spin and found it was quite easy to control and it balances quite well so didn't find any issue with stopping at intersections. sooooooooo i bought one :-) the dealer let me keep the demo till my new one is ready so gives me a chance to get used to it's handling and throttle before scrubbing in new tyres. only problem was i couldn't back it into the garage over the half inch raised concrete lip when i got home due to a steep driveway so have to ride in forwards and back out while turning sharp to leave... same as i been doing on the little zxr.

The dealer is dropping the front 10mm and i will consider dropping the back the same in the near future as i am mostly commuting and really don't need sharp cornering so a compromise seems acceptable to me... i don't think the chicken strips will ever go :-) damn self preservation is like a handbrake at times.

So cheers, your opinions were acknowledged in my decision... but i did like the little suzuki intruder 250 hahaha which was option 2 on my list

Well done! You'll love it to bits I'm sure...

[Pussy]

Definitely modify the seat to get a lower seating position.... much better than modded dog-bones etc.
$14k is a good price for a brand new K9... go for it!
May have been mentioned.... Suzuki warranty for road bikes is 24 months, unlimited km.
SNZ are pretty good, warranty-wise, too

[bittertwistedcute]

sooooooooo i bought one :-)

Congrats!!!

[SVboy]

Thanks for the advice everyone. i think i got shorter legs for my height so haven't found any mid-size bike i can flat foot in my riding boots on both sides simultaneously... but i did take a gsx-r600 demo for a spin and found it was quite easy to control and it balances quite well so didn't find any issue with stopping at intersections. sooooooooo i bought one :-) the dealer let me keep the demo till my new one is ready so gives me a chance to get used to it's handling and throttle before scrubbing in new tyres. only problem was i couldn't back it into the garage over the half inch raised concrete lip when i got home due to a steep driveway so have to ride in forwards and back out while turning sharp to leave... same as i been doing on the little zxr.

The dealer is dropping the front 10mm and i will consider dropping the back the same in the near future as i am mostly commuting and really don't need sharp cornering so a compromise seems acceptable to me... i don't think the chicken strips will ever go :-) damn self preservation is like a handbrake at times.

So cheers, your opinions were acknowledged in my decision... but i did like the little suzuki intruder 250 hahaha which was option 2 on my list

Be very careful re letting the dealer drop the front 10mm. I assume they will drop the triple clamps down. This will decrease your steering head angle and make the bike tip in to corners much more readily, perhaps to the point of being a bit unstable? Is that what you want? On my K9 750 I had mine dropped 5mm to speed turn-in. I certainly dont use it for commuting. I back up those who say modify your seat and leave the suspension geometry as Suzuki intended. Dont forget the suzuki 3 position footpegs to aid rider comfort. Re warranty I got the deaqler to do the 1000km check and I do the rest-get them to stamp the book at each service for piece of mind. Oh, and I dream of being 5'7"!!! and I cope just fine!

[SVboy]

Thanks for the advice everyone. i think i got shorter legs for my height so haven't found any mid-size bike i can flat foot in my riding boots on both sides simultaneously... but i did take a gsx-r600 demo for a spin and found it was quite easy to control and it balances quite well so didn't find any issue with stopping at intersections. sooooooooo i bought one :-) the dealer let me keep the demo till my new one is ready so gives me a chance to get used to it's handling and throttle before scrubbing in new tyres. only problem was i couldn't back it into the garage over the half inch raised concrete lip when i got home due to a steep driveway so have to ride in forwards and back out while turning sharp to leave... same as i been doing on the little zxr.

The dealer is dropping the front 10mm and i will consider dropping the back the same in the near future as i am mostly commuting and really don't need sharp cornering so a compromise seems acceptable to me... i don't think the chicken strips will ever go :-) damn self preservation is like a handbrake at times.

So cheers, your opinions were acknowledged in my decision... but i did like the little suzuki intruder 250 hahaha which was option 2 on my list

Be very careful re letting the dealer drop the front 10mm. I assume they will drop the triple clamps down. This will decrease your steering head angle and make the bike tip in to corners much more readily, perhaps to the point of being a bit unstable? Is that what you want? On my K9 750 I had mine dropped 5mm to speed turn-in. I certainly dont use it for commuting. I back up those who say modify your seat and leave the suspension geometry as Suzuki intended. Dont forget the suzuki 3 position footpegs to aid rider comfort. Re warranty I got the deaqler to do the 1000km check and I do the rest-get them to stamp the book at each service for piece of mind. Oh, and I dream of being 5'7"!!! and I cope just fine!

[jamjam]

Thanks for your comment and oh to be 6ft !!... struggling to get the bike in and out of the garage at home so i really gotta lower it. i'd rather compromise some handling than tip it over onto the misses car and hurt my poor bike. I have seen a forum where a guy cut out a bit of foam where the seat meets the plastic seat pan. so from the outside it looked stock, but when he sits on it it sinks down an extra half inch.

Even though i got a sports bike it is really gonna be used on the city streets and the odd bit of open road over summer so sharp handling is not a priority. i have read that dropping the front increases the turn in and i found the test ride of the demo already has a lot of turn in when going around intersections anyway, compared to the old school bikes i used to ride. so for now i've told them to hold off on the front and i've ordered a lowering link for the back. i figure if i drop the back 1 inch and then the front 10mm then this should also decrease the turn in angle which i think will be better for the street riding anyway. just not as good for the open road 35km toe scraping corners.... which i don't do.

But to have an inch or 2 of additional foot down will make a huge difference in the control of the bike over stupid things like having to stop half way over a drain exiting a gas station when some ass pulls out in front or something and having no where to put my feet down. Hey i'm even going to change from the Bridgestone BT016 to Michellin Pilot Road 2 tyres when these ones wear out because people say i will go from 5,000km to 10,000km tyre life and i'm sure the tyres won't quite be as sticky either but once again i don't need very sticky tyres at such a huge cost difference.

Though i may sound stubborn you gotta remember that if i tip my bike over because of some bad footing at some point then you really don't want to hear me swear moan and throw my toys out the cot on this forum cause i scratched up a nice new bike. i am happy to keep this running for a bit and give an opinion of how i've found the difference in lowering the bike v's stock. the lowering link will probably take a couple of weeks to arrive. and if it really is crap i can always swap it back out again anyway.

[jamjam]

Actually i wanna throw a question out there to consider. I've read where lots of people say don't lower the bike, it affects the handling but none of them have said they lowered it then found it unstable and raised it back again... and others say lowering it was fine for them and didn't have any problems. i guess the question is does lowering the bike change it's handling in such a way that it becomes dangerous and can't stick on a corner and will break out and throw you?.... or does it simply change the handling characteristics of what it was like, the same as going from bike A to bike B and noticing the change in handling... cause if it still rides safe but just different then a few rides to learn the new characteristics is all it takes to adjust to it in which case what's the big deal? anyone got actual experience with this kind of stuff?

[Devil]

Thanks for your comment and oh to be 6ft !!... struggling to get the bike in and out of the garage at home so i really gotta lower it.
Get off and push.
I'm 5'9" and ride what you'd probably consider to be a gigantic bike. I dont have a hope in hell in paddling the thing around forwards or backwards on anything other than a dead flat surface. It's just a fact of life.

[jamjam]

if only it were that easy and trust me i have looked at ways to do it and expierimented. Problem is i have to back it out with a sharp left lock so the best posiition is to walk on the left of the bike. problem is the drivway rises steeply and the bike is already part way up so it's higher and i can't swing my right leg over it to get on anymore. i can't walk it from the right hand side, too awkward with a left lock on and rising up hill. i tried backing it in so i can ride straight out forward but with the front wheel part way up drive and rear wheel struggling to reverse up a 1 inch concrete lift i ended up with my legs dangling over a drain and could barely get 1 toe down... that was a more butt clinching experience than flying into a van at 100kph!!!

[Devil]

Actually i wanna throw a question out there to consider. I've read where lots of people say don't lower the bike, it affects the handling but none of them have said they lowered it then found it unstable and raised it back again... and others say lowering it was fine for them and didn't have any problems. i guess the question is does lowering the bike change it's handling in such a way that it becomes dangerous

Lowering it properly isn't an issue really. That means taking the bikes natural geometry into account. Very generally, if you drop the front 10mm, then drop the rear 10mm. This should keep the steering geometry the same. If you just drop the front (and 10mm is significant amount for a sports bike) you can make it quite unstable.
Other trade-offs are things like the loss of ground clearance. You also lose cornering clearance.

[bikerboy011]

I am probably same height as you, and i always just use one leg when i stop on my blade. I guess its just confidence and you get use to it, i had the same worry when i upgraded from cbr250 which was fairly low and then went to new cbr600 but then i just got use to it, and now even the blade is a bit higher than my old bike.

[SPP]

5'7" is plenty to work with even if you have stumpy legs. Tippy toes will get you by easy. If you were 4'7" on the other hand...

I went for a ride with a mate who has a ZX6R lowered by the previous owner. Beside it looking kooky he was scraping his lower fairing on the twisty bits with an inch of chicken strip left on the rear. I'm not sure how much was taken out of it though.

IMO you should just ride it for a month or two (min) and if you still feel the need to dump it then go ahead. I’m picking by the second week you’d have gotten used to it.

Nice bike BTW

[Shaun]

jamjam-- NO DRAMA lowering the bike by pulling the forks through. Ask the dealer to set them so, the split line to the fork cap is 12mm away from the tripple clamp

And ignore comments about lowering the rear also, as the rear is NON adjustable in this way in Standard form, and please DO NOT get any lowering suspension links, this WILL F Up the geometery as well as alter how the shock is designed to operate


This is the fork protrusion that I use on those model bikes for racing, and will be A OK for street use, like Wanganui is!

Shaun Harris X Racer

[jamjam]

Thanks shaun, sounds like you know what you're talking about. so are you saying not to use those links that are available over the internet that slightly shorten the dogbone and hence slightly lowers the rear? i got the bike today and had a look underneath and did wonder if the shorter dogbone would change the angle that pushes up on the shock so not sure if this is good or not.
I don't want to lower the front without doing anything to the rear as the turn in is quite good already and don't want to make it any sharper for the street. what is the "fork protrusion" that you are talking about that would be ok? and wanganui? or should that be wHanganui? i don't know what you are referring to there.

Is there anyway to lower the back 1 inch safely if the shorter dog bone is not an option?

[Shaun]

Thanks shaun, sounds like you know what you're talking about. so are you saying not to use those links that are available over the internet that slightly shorten the dogbone and hence slightly lowers the rear? i got the bike today and had a look underneath and did wonder if the shorter dogbone would change the angle that pushes up on the shock so not sure if this is good or not.
I don't want to lower the front without doing anything to the rear as the turn in is quite good already and don't want to make it any sharper for the street. what is the "fork protrusion" that you are talking about that would be ok? and wanganui? or should that be wHanganui? i don't know what you are referring to there.

Is there anyway to lower the back 1 inch safely if the shorter dog bone is not an option?



RING ME on 06-7567744 when you can mate, evening is ok> Bugger typing my life away mate, talking direct is best--- And NO to Purchasing the Dog Bone lowering link!

[ckai]

Actually i wanna throw a question out there to consider. I've read where lots of people say don't lower the bike, it affects the handling but none of them have said they lowered it then found it unstable and raised it back again... and others say lowering it was fine for them and didn't have any problems. i guess the question is does lowering the bike change it's handling in such a way that it becomes dangerous and can't stick on a corner and will break out and throw you?.... or does it simply change the handling characteristics of what it was like, the same as going from bike A to bike B and noticing the change in handling... cause if it still rides safe but just different then a few rides to learn the new characteristics is all it takes to adjust to it in which case what's the big deal? anyone got actual experience with this kind of stuff?

Mate, you are missing the most obvious solution to them all...get a new house! Obviously the one you have isn't suited to you love of the motorbicycle so get rid of it! Let some cage have it :D I levelled off part of our drive way (steep hill) so we could stop the bikes half way down to open our gate. It's all about your level of commitment. haha

Anyway, as to the handling difference of a lowered bike, from my experience of the wifes bike, I noticed a slight difference in the handling but nothing to write home about. It's not lowered to extremes , in fact stuff all, so it would have never been dangerous like ramming the rear shock through your ass! From my view point, the more you lower a bike the more your asking for trouble. Sooner or later something is gonna bite ya'.

If you can, after you talk to Shaun, post up what the deal is with dropping the forks. I'm keen to know. Might be an option for the Daytona vs Wife.

[jamjam]

oh duh !!!! of course, good point... move house hahaha i was actually waiting for someone to suggest that.
well i did the little seat carve thing like this guys suggests:
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=223293

it did make the seat more comfy and probably gained half an inch. scalloping out the seat would probably yield a better drop in height as the sides still hold up but i don't think it would be as comfy. something i may still get done although with the foam cut out from underneath i would probably have to get a new seat and start from scratch... and get it professionally done.
Good advice from Shaun over the phone thanks. The links are already on there way but i'll probably not put them in now and just be careful with positioning the bike. i rode to work today and it was ok except i did sit up for a stretch at a set of lights and my right foot was on a moist white line and did slight little slip but the bike was vertical so didn't budge. still tricky backing out of the garage though. both heals are about 10mm off the ground now if anyone cares.

[jamjam]

I don't know if anyone is still following this forum but i'm gonna chuck up some more info on my experience just in case it helps someone else out in the future having the same problem with height as me.
Well the lowering link has arrived... however i have decided firmly that i won't install them. I have been tweaking with the suspension and also by cutting out a chunk of underneath the seat have managed to get my heals just on the ground and now that i am getting customed to the bike feel (and the fact it's a well balanced bike) i don't feel the need or want anymore to lower it.... clap clap from everyone anti lowering :-)
Here's my experience with the suspension tweaking so far.... I asked the bike shop to pre-set it for a light weight rider. I hover around the 75kg mark and carry minimal gear. They had set the rebound and compression settings low but had only turned the front shock preload down 1 turn from factory setting. My preload was too high! i was only getting about 15mm drop when sitting on the bike. However the bike did handle good.
So i dialed the preload on the front right down to the lowest and the rear to about 3 turns short of the lowest. This got me to about 25mm rear and 35mm front. According to research this is about racing preload, a bit more lower would be street riding. Next i set all compression and rebound back to factory settings. This was a noticeably bad ride into work, a bit harsh and a noticeable slow down in turning in. I watched numerous videos of "on the throttle" that showed how to set all these things and how the bike should respond on a stand when pushing on the suspension etc... so for me i dialled everything back to softest and turned them all 1 turn towards hard (1 turn clockwisie).... which is back around somewhere where the bike shop had it. My initial bouncing on the bike like "on the throttle" showed it to respond quite good. The compression and rate of rebound and settle seems to match closely to what that guy does. I suspect the rear compression may be slightly low but will see when i ride it home and i believe wallowing out of a corner would mean it needs more rear compression. I also dialled the high speed rebound right off (counter clockwise) as Shaun and others had posted in other forums that this seems to make it better for people.
Anyway i am no expert by far but also not a beginner since this is my 6th sport bike so do kinda know how a bike should feel. But this info (or my opinion) could help future readers like me who just pick up a new gixxer. I also suspect since the bike is new the shocks may soften a little over time so periodic checks could see me tweaking settings anyway. I am still open to listening to what others have to say so feel free to throw in any more ideas.

[ckai]

Good to hear your getting comfy with it. I had a look at the site you posted about taking a bit out of the seat. Was an interesting way of doing things and I'm thinking of having a look at doing it for the wife. I liked it how you could put it back to stock if you wanted.

[jamjam]

yeh but you gotta use a razor sharp blade if you want the pieces intact. my blade was semi sharp and it butchered the pieces but i don't intend putting them back.
also i did a typo above, i dialled off the high speed compression, not high speed rebound on the rear.