Number One
20th March 2008, 12:05
So I’ve had my Screeeaaam Extractor (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/6371)for a wee while now and had gotten used to the handling though didn’t really enjoy the spongyness and well if I’m honest it has always felt kinda laboured and ‘truck like’ in how it turned....probably a good way to start out again actually - meant I HAD to be positive with my inputs.
The first ride on hubby’s SV was huge fun and I felt ‘in charge’ then I got my bike and though it was essentially the same bike the difference was quite telling. After a new front (cos the existing one was worn all weird and I just about ended up driving it into the front of an oncoming van:pinch:) this improved things heaps! But still comparatively – it was a lugg to steer.
SO anyway, hubby couldn’t get his SV to play the game and go properly:( leading into the Cliffhanger event, being the caring and sharing wifey that I am I offered him ‘parts’ from my bike to make his go :Playnice:– this of course he was happy to accept (especially given how I covet my SE). During the process of trying my bits on his bike to see what was broken we learnt that my carbs are smaller so swapping the useful parts was not going to be that possible.
Time drew nearer and it was obvious come the Thursday night that his bike wasn’t going to be ready or able to do much for him at the event:weep:….sensing an unhappy and very frustrated monster I knew what was coming….
Am advised that my ‘loaner parts’ would include my whole engine, frame and handlebars but that everything else will be the race bikes. Anxiously I agreed and the carrot that was dangled in front of me was that the racy suspension would remain on my bike (at least until OB (his bike) was fully recovered).
Lots of running around on the Friday night kept me out of the garage while the ‘transformation’ was in progress, thanks to the help of a few friends. I did make the mistake of visiting the garage at one point and was just about :sick: all over the place.
Picture this…two bikes - no wheels or body work attached, hanging from the ceiling by tie downs, tanks, wheels and other things strewn all over the garage and a slightly demented/excited grin on hubbies face.
EEEEEK! Should have stayed away until the deed was completed!:crybaby:
Anyway – off I toddled and the next time I saw my bike it was looking more like his bike and his bike was looking like a total wreck, picked apart for all it’s gold.
Cliffhanger done and dusted (plenty of other threads about all this so go read them if ya want) my bike is half restored to it’s previous beauty. Front fairing back on and all the lights and wiring linked back up BUT his stinky sounding Yoshie pipe…bring back my two brothers!!! Guess what I’ll be 'helping' hubby do tomorrow morning before I head out on it?! So SE has a silver face and OBerrrJean everything else…looks like a bit of a mongrel…BUT THE MAGIC IS DEFINITELY THE RACY SUSPENSION!!!!:banana::niceone:
My gosh – what a difference! :yes: The bike turns better, is less affected in the wind and well it’s just fricken wonderful actually. My confidence has gone up a bit again, I’m leaning it over more and well it’s just a much better bike now. Except for how it sounds of course! …I can actually hear myself think over the exhaust and it ain’t half as much fun throbbing my way through the Karori tunnel.
So this all got me thinking and thought I’d share what he has done to it so that others who may be experiencing the luggishness can get some ideas.
As I’m a girl and I don’t kinda care about the workings so long as they work I thought I best ask hubby what all the technical names for the doins and whatsits are and he had this to say:
Basically the bike was set up as an F3 race bike originally but also complies with the new Protwin rules as far as the suspension.
So the stock SV front forks have heavier springs, Traxxion Dynamics damper roads and Racetech cartridge emulators.
We run the forks with 15mm of protusion through the top triple clamp, combined with the rear shock being set on it’s longest setting this gives us the geometry that makes the bike turn much quicker and hold tighter lines than the stock set up.
The rear shock is the basic remote resevoir Ohlins unit for the SV.
Not much more I can add but please make these your own words so you don’t sound like you’re channelling me!
Thanks again for the racy bits babe....not sure you'll be getting them back tho.......:chase:
The first ride on hubby’s SV was huge fun and I felt ‘in charge’ then I got my bike and though it was essentially the same bike the difference was quite telling. After a new front (cos the existing one was worn all weird and I just about ended up driving it into the front of an oncoming van:pinch:) this improved things heaps! But still comparatively – it was a lugg to steer.
SO anyway, hubby couldn’t get his SV to play the game and go properly:( leading into the Cliffhanger event, being the caring and sharing wifey that I am I offered him ‘parts’ from my bike to make his go :Playnice:– this of course he was happy to accept (especially given how I covet my SE). During the process of trying my bits on his bike to see what was broken we learnt that my carbs are smaller so swapping the useful parts was not going to be that possible.
Time drew nearer and it was obvious come the Thursday night that his bike wasn’t going to be ready or able to do much for him at the event:weep:….sensing an unhappy and very frustrated monster I knew what was coming….
Am advised that my ‘loaner parts’ would include my whole engine, frame and handlebars but that everything else will be the race bikes. Anxiously I agreed and the carrot that was dangled in front of me was that the racy suspension would remain on my bike (at least until OB (his bike) was fully recovered).
Lots of running around on the Friday night kept me out of the garage while the ‘transformation’ was in progress, thanks to the help of a few friends. I did make the mistake of visiting the garage at one point and was just about :sick: all over the place.
Picture this…two bikes - no wheels or body work attached, hanging from the ceiling by tie downs, tanks, wheels and other things strewn all over the garage and a slightly demented/excited grin on hubbies face.
EEEEEK! Should have stayed away until the deed was completed!:crybaby:
Anyway – off I toddled and the next time I saw my bike it was looking more like his bike and his bike was looking like a total wreck, picked apart for all it’s gold.
Cliffhanger done and dusted (plenty of other threads about all this so go read them if ya want) my bike is half restored to it’s previous beauty. Front fairing back on and all the lights and wiring linked back up BUT his stinky sounding Yoshie pipe…bring back my two brothers!!! Guess what I’ll be 'helping' hubby do tomorrow morning before I head out on it?! So SE has a silver face and OBerrrJean everything else…looks like a bit of a mongrel…BUT THE MAGIC IS DEFINITELY THE RACY SUSPENSION!!!!:banana::niceone:
My gosh – what a difference! :yes: The bike turns better, is less affected in the wind and well it’s just fricken wonderful actually. My confidence has gone up a bit again, I’m leaning it over more and well it’s just a much better bike now. Except for how it sounds of course! …I can actually hear myself think over the exhaust and it ain’t half as much fun throbbing my way through the Karori tunnel.
So this all got me thinking and thought I’d share what he has done to it so that others who may be experiencing the luggishness can get some ideas.
As I’m a girl and I don’t kinda care about the workings so long as they work I thought I best ask hubby what all the technical names for the doins and whatsits are and he had this to say:
Basically the bike was set up as an F3 race bike originally but also complies with the new Protwin rules as far as the suspension.
So the stock SV front forks have heavier springs, Traxxion Dynamics damper roads and Racetech cartridge emulators.
We run the forks with 15mm of protusion through the top triple clamp, combined with the rear shock being set on it’s longest setting this gives us the geometry that makes the bike turn much quicker and hold tighter lines than the stock set up.
The rear shock is the basic remote resevoir Ohlins unit for the SV.
Not much more I can add but please make these your own words so you don’t sound like you’re channelling me!
Thanks again for the racy bits babe....not sure you'll be getting them back tho.......:chase: