Freaky handling

[baffa]

Found the problem.

A week or so ago I dropped into Cyclespot to get the chain tightened, as I didnt have a 26mm socket at home.

I didnt realise it, but it was after that, that the handling started feeling funny.
I was thinking about it today, and realised it felt a bit like a car with a wheel out of alignment, or broken HICAS.

Got it home and on the stand, and checked it. Sure enough, the wheel was turned several degrees to the left.
A basic fucking task and they screwed it up, potentially causing excessive wear on the chain and sprockets, as well as the disturbing handling.

Borrowed a 26mm socket and adjusted it, and what do you know, it feels ok again.

Gonna goto Cycletreads to double check then go blast Cyclespot tomorrow.

[Ocean1]

That's in your head man. The biggest loss of traction in the wet, without standing water (puddles), comes form the tyre temperature dropping and becoming less pliable. So it doesn't conform to the road surface as well. Softer tyre means more deflection/heat.

In standing water it's the tread doing it's thing. But, any tyre would need to be below 25psi before tread groves started getting closed up by tyre distortion, and then start sliding.

Funny thing with the Buell, I run 36/36 on pilot powers. That's 4psi less than both Mr Buell and Mr Michelin recommend on the back, 2 less on the front. Couple of times I've left it a bit long between checks, and they lose pressure fairly quickly. 2 psi down on the back makes bugger all difference, little less positive in the feedback department... 34psi on the front and the front starts to feel a bit mushey. 32psi in the front and you can literally feel the sidewalls buckling.

Sure enough, the wheel was turned several degrees to the left.

Several degrees is shitloads, how far out did it look at the axle nuts?

[ducatilover]

BURN THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!!!

I was about to come in and suggest it was your vagina not gripping the seat, but you solved it

[Banditbandit]

That seems a bit to me (not arguing) I run 38r/34f on my ZX6 and it feels excellent, if the rear drops below 35ish it'll slide around a lot and lose traction in the wet

I used to think that was way high too ... but the bikes/tyres certainly handle better at those pressures - and as I say - four or five pounds down and it affects the handling ... I would not suggest running your tyres higher ... if your bike handles well with tyres at those pressures, then run them at those pressures.

That's in your head man. The biggest loss of traction in the wet, without standing water (puddles), comes form the tyre temperature dropping and becoming less pliable. So it doesn't conform to the road surface as well. Softer tyre means more deflection/heat.

In standing water it's the tread doing it's thing. But, any tyre would need to be below 25psi before tread groves started getting closed up by tyre distortion, and then start sliding.

Yes - tyres will cool down and go below optimum pressure if your tyre pressure is already at trhe bottom end of the range ...

[pritch]

Three of the last four bikes I've owned were 34 or 36 and 42. The Ducati was lower possibly 32 and 34 but there was a rider that if the roads were rough you should run higher pressures to protect the rims: 34 and 36 or thereabout?

The tyre companies say most people are running on underinflated tyres, but they don't mind because the resulting additional wear means extra sales.

[Banditbandit]

Found the problem.

A week or so ago I dropped into Cyclespot to get the chain tightened, as I didnt have a 26mm socket at home.

I didnt realise it, but it was after that, that the handling started feeling funny.
I was thinking about it today, and realised it felt a bit like a car with a wheel out of alignment, or broken HICAS.

Got it home and on the stand, and checked it. Sure enough, the wheel was turned several degrees to the left.
A basic fucking task and they screwed it up, potentially causing excessive wear on the chain and sprockets, as well as the disturbing handling.

Borrowed a 26mm socket and adjusted it, and what do you know, it feels ok again.

Gonna goto Cycletreads to double check then go blast Cyclespot tomorrow.

Sometimes I Just hate bike shops ...

Usually you can spot that problem because one hand will be getting there before the other hand ... as you'll be turning the bars slightly to compensate ...

[mulletman]

If theres 1 time i would NOT run 40+R is summer time riding thru Porters Pass (high temps and Alt)
3 of us started 36f38r (normal for me) 1 VTR1000 2 GSX1400s, got to Arthurs and we all bitched about the handleing of our bikes, squirmy like riding over pgravel (was none)checked pressures WTF
50-55 PSI rear, dropped pressures waay back - all gd then had to re adjust when we got to Hoki.

[s_devo]

I'm glad I found this thread I have the Rosso 2s and they are great. I commute about 50km each day and after about 4,000 they're starting to square off. I was starting to find a spot in my right hand turns were a sudden dip would kick in and give me a small heart attack each time. So I've been getting more and more paranoid and taking my corners slower and slower. At first I thought it was the steering bearings, but see now it's the squaring on the tires. Any solution to this or are they better off replaced? I'll probably get the Angels next time due to all the straight up commuting I'm doing.

[frogfeaturesFZR]

Replace the rear for sure, might get a few more km's from the front ?
I run a harder compound tyre on the rear FWIW.