Comfort vs performance?

[dipshit]

So my question is: if I upgrade the suspension with the aim of improved comfort over the bigger bumps, will my performance or handling suffer as a result? OR is there an aftermarket shock or some adjustment I can do that will take the dge off these bigger bumps and not leave the bike wallowing in high speed corners?

Stuck inside with the rain today doing some web browsing and came across your question.

If the suspension gets sorted on your bike properly then you can most certainly gain control and comfort. This is exactly what I experienced with my bike.

A few years ago I bought a brand new K8 GSXR600. Great bike apart from my 75kg body getting launched out of the seat on any decent bump. Very unsettling for the bike too. Felt like the tyres were only floating over the top of the road surface with little grip. Also closing the throttle mid corner made it feel like the bike wanted to run wide.

Decided to give the 600 the Robert Taylor treatment with a secondhand reconditioned Ohlins rear shock and a front fork re-valve job. Cost about the same as what a noisy aftermarket exhaust would have cost.

The result was a bike that didn't squat under power or dive when closing the throttle or moderately braking or wallow when going through a dip in the road. The pitch of the bike feels ironing board flat. It doesn't matter if you want to brake/decelerate mid corner, power on mid corner or change line mid corner... it just responds to what I want to do without hesitation or protest. Now you would think that firmness in the pitch of the bike came at the expense of a rougher ride over bumps. Not so. The 600 is now also much more settled over bumps and feels more stuck to the road. My backside isn't getting launched out of the seat over bumps and makes for a much more comfortable ride.

It is most definitely a case of you get to gain both and it doesn't have to be one or the other.

[dipshit]

The real trick here is that the valving shims are arranged to give what we call a digressive damping force curve. There is a very good amount of low speed damping force but when the shock encounters an abrupt bump the shim stack lifts an appreciable amount to provide ample flow area to iron out most of those bumps.

The couple of sentences hear from Robert are very much the heart of the matter as to how I was trying to explain how my bike feels now in the post above. (that and of course having the correct spring rates for your weight)

To have a much firmer bike in terms of ride height at both ends but at the same time have a much more compliant/absorbent ride over harsh bumps makes riding my 600 a sheer pleasure. Before I got the suspension work done, a couple of experienced riders and motorcycle mechanics told me that it wouldn't be worth it for a street bike unless I was going to go racing on it. They couldn't have been more wrong.

PS... BTW... I know the personal feelings of a Suzuki dealer down my way advises against a GSXR as a road bike because the rider will get hammered by the suspension too much on our bumpy roads. He feels a more touring orientation bike or a less cutting edge sports bike makes a better street bike for this reason. Shame as the only reason they are like that for most people is because of inadequate setup.

[F5 Dave]

Been a while since he was young then. I had no issue that I had to stand up over gnarly bumps on my 750SP, it was a small price to pay.

Later I spent money on kits both ends and redid the seat and got better handling and much more comfort to boot.
now I'm older I did it the other way around with a softer bike and suspension to aid control.

[Robert Taylor]

The couple of sentences hear from Robert are very much the heart of the matter as to how I was trying to explain how my bike feels now in the post above. (that and of course having the correct spring rates for your weight)

To have a much firmer bike in terms of ride height at both ends but at the same time have a much more compliant/absorbent ride over harsh bumps makes riding my 600 a sheer pleasure. Before I got the suspension work done, a couple of experienced riders and motorcycle mechanics told me that it wouldn't be worth it for a street bike unless I was going to go racing on it. They couldn't have been more wrong.

PS... BTW... I know the personal feelings of a Suzuki dealer down my way advises against a GSXR as a road bike because the rider will get hammered by the suspension too much on our bumpy roads. He feels a more touring orientation bike or a less cutting edge sports bike makes a better street bike for this reason. Shame as the only reason they are like that for most people is because of inadequate setup.

Hey thanks. The whole reality is that the suspension thing has become a trade in its own right and is also very dependent on experience. Plus, in reality continued off shore training and a high level of equipment. You cannot just do a 2 day Race Tech seminar and be an overnight expert, its a start only. When I trained to be a motorycle mechanic ( back in the 70s ) the training for suspension was VERY rudimentary. It still is, to this day. And VERY inadequate for a modern world where technology ( and expectations ) have moved on in leaps and bounds.
Misconceptions abound. For example ''Im not fast enough for an Ohlins ( or other excellent ) shock''. When in reality its actually about improving ride quality, control, response to adjustment and tyre life.
Or ''throw in a set of progressive springs, that'll sort it''. Now thats a 70s ''solution'' if ever there was.
The less you know the simpler it is....