Hitcher
18th September 2012, 18:26
Happiness is riding a motorcycle with a properly planted front and rear end.
In my career as a motorcyclist, I have ridden motorcycles that meet this requirement far too infrequently. Hardly surprising, given that most manufacturers are looking at suspension and brakes as the best ways of shaving a few dollars off the retail price.
Today the GSX1250FA (aka the Claytons Bandit) was retrieved and ridden after having received Part 1 of its scheduled suspension enhancements.
Part 1 has involved the tender ministrations of Kerry Dukie installing K-Tech components to replace the shocking standard Suzuki shockers. The new valve kit replaces the compression and rebound valving in its entirety and the stock front fork springs were replaced with K-Tech items.
Having uplifted the machine this morning, I thought "Where could one go to test whether these changes have made an appreciable difference?"
Almost immediately, my thoughts turned to a fang along SH2 where there is about 13km of corners that generally highlight any and all shortcomings in a motorcycle's performance. Not to mention the same 13km being ridden in reverse on one's way home.
So off and away I was!
Even before reaching the airport roundabout at Miramar (just down the hill from Chez Dukie), I had spotted that the front of the Claytons Bandit was behaving quite differently from what I had become used to.
Riding through town I was amazed at the improved response under braking. Claytons Bandits don't have the greatest braking system in Christendom anyway, but having front suspenders that go "squoosh" rather than "sproingy sproingy sproing" makes a big difference to how a bike stops.
So after an excursion up the Huttest of valleys, it was time to test the new front end up and over the Rimutaka hill.
Seriously nice, particularly on the Featherston side of the summit, where the road is quite pitted and lumpy into a few reasonably technical corners. I ended up soon confident enough to run lines untravelled by me since my Aprilia Shiver era.
The front feels very planted, stable and predictable. This is a big change from the 50 Shades Of Vague that the standard Suzuki front shockers deliver. It was nice to be able to confidently drive the bike hard out of corners with the throttle.
However enhancing the front has highlighted more dramatically the deficiencies with the standard rear Suzuki set up. This end still goes "sproingy sproingy sproing", "chatter, chatter, chatter" and "who decided it was a good idea to put a hinge in the chassis?"
In the next couple of weeks, the rear will also be remedied. A Wilbers 641 should sort that out.
Watch this space for reports about the completed Claytons Bandit's suspension modifications.
In my career as a motorcyclist, I have ridden motorcycles that meet this requirement far too infrequently. Hardly surprising, given that most manufacturers are looking at suspension and brakes as the best ways of shaving a few dollars off the retail price.
Today the GSX1250FA (aka the Claytons Bandit) was retrieved and ridden after having received Part 1 of its scheduled suspension enhancements.
Part 1 has involved the tender ministrations of Kerry Dukie installing K-Tech components to replace the shocking standard Suzuki shockers. The new valve kit replaces the compression and rebound valving in its entirety and the stock front fork springs were replaced with K-Tech items.
Having uplifted the machine this morning, I thought "Where could one go to test whether these changes have made an appreciable difference?"
Almost immediately, my thoughts turned to a fang along SH2 where there is about 13km of corners that generally highlight any and all shortcomings in a motorcycle's performance. Not to mention the same 13km being ridden in reverse on one's way home.
So off and away I was!
Even before reaching the airport roundabout at Miramar (just down the hill from Chez Dukie), I had spotted that the front of the Claytons Bandit was behaving quite differently from what I had become used to.
Riding through town I was amazed at the improved response under braking. Claytons Bandits don't have the greatest braking system in Christendom anyway, but having front suspenders that go "squoosh" rather than "sproingy sproingy sproing" makes a big difference to how a bike stops.
So after an excursion up the Huttest of valleys, it was time to test the new front end up and over the Rimutaka hill.
Seriously nice, particularly on the Featherston side of the summit, where the road is quite pitted and lumpy into a few reasonably technical corners. I ended up soon confident enough to run lines untravelled by me since my Aprilia Shiver era.
The front feels very planted, stable and predictable. This is a big change from the 50 Shades Of Vague that the standard Suzuki front shockers deliver. It was nice to be able to confidently drive the bike hard out of corners with the throttle.
However enhancing the front has highlighted more dramatically the deficiencies with the standard rear Suzuki set up. This end still goes "sproingy sproingy sproing", "chatter, chatter, chatter" and "who decided it was a good idea to put a hinge in the chassis?"
In the next couple of weeks, the rear will also be remedied. A Wilbers 641 should sort that out.
Watch this space for reports about the completed Claytons Bandit's suspension modifications.