? for v-twin sportbike riders.

[hondav2]

Got 12000km out of rear shinko . Ok iguess if u ride like a nana. put on Mez4 metzlers made a new bike out of the VTR and got 10,000km (bare)out of rear. U wont be sorry for using metzlers, they give you confidence .

[Morepower]

Hey Tiller why the 190 rear dude your bike will handle better with a 180/ 55/ 17 . They will quicken up the turn in as 190 make's the back end turn in slowly as of their larger radius .Had a 190/50/17 on my Triumph when I brought it & felt like shit so got them to change it to 180/55/17 . Changed the bike totally feel's sweet as now . You'll see most of Road Racer's have 180/55/17 on their bike's just for this same reason & some time's go to 160/55/17 on sv650 & 600's Maybe worth trying this out If you want a better feel in corner's & they want cost as much Sensei NP

Dont Agree , The 190's feel much more stable at full lean and frankly I couldnt tell the difference in turn in.
On a TL there is much to be gained by using an aftermarket steering damper or changing the oil to 2.5w in the Damper. Without it a TL is a very quick steering bike but I wouldnt recommend riding without one.
The rear shock is also total rubbish and I am told the cause of a lot of the tyre wear. Problem with the shock is way to much internal friction and compression dampening.
My experience from tyres:

Just looked up the mileages I write on the garage wall.
Dragon GTS (180) 4950km
Diablo ( 180 ) 5650km
Diablo (190 ) 3900km
Diablo (190 ) 3300km

It would be fair to say I have been riding harder with some track time. I have Just fitted an Ohlins shock so it will be interesting if the tyre wear changes.

Dave

[DEATH_INC.]

Yep,I've got a 180 rs1 on the gixx at the mo and will go back to a 190 soon,and I found the same on the ZX12 when I went to a 190 insted of the 200,it actually turns SLOWER,not faster,it just falls into the corners easier(prolly cause it's not turning as much for the same lean angle)it was especially noticeable when I went back to the 200,it was sooo much quicker steering.Using a 180 instead of a 190 (on a 6"rim)is just an old wives tale.
We've been into tillers steering damper,it's a lot lighter than stock and he now has a Hagon rear damper.

[Bleck K6]

Dont Agree , The 190's feel much more stable at full lean and frankly I couldnt tell the difference in turn in.
On a TL there is much to be gained by using an aftermarket steering damper or changing the oil to 2.5w in the Damper. Without it a TL is a very quick steering bike but I wouldnt recommend riding without one.
The rear shock is also total rubbish and I am told the cause of a lot of the tyre wear. Problem with the shock is way to much internal friction and compression dampening.
My experience from tyres:

Just looked up the mileages I write on the garage wall.
Dragon GTS (180) 4950km
Diablo ( 180 ) 5650km
Diablo (190 ) 3900km
Diablo (190 ) 3300km

It would be fair to say I have been riding harder with some track time. I have Just fitted an Ohlins shock so it will be interesting if the tyre wear changes.

Dave

Hey dave, Yeah I agree the stock steering damper is a stiff bastard & slows the steering, We took the inside out of DEATH.INC's gsxr damper filed some small grooves in the plunger,put it back together tried it on the TLR,filed some more until we got it right.huge difference & it still does its job.
cheers

[Sensei]

Hey MorePower : Don't have any trouble's on my Triumph .Plus they don't need Steering damper's to make them Handle either . May be because they got their shit together ? Riden plenty of TL'S &TLr's great motor in both ,TLR slightly better handling but nothing to write home about ! Ps Funny how Tiller got the best mileage out of the 180's ??

[Bleck K6]

Hey MorePower : Don't have any trouble's on my Triumph .Plus they don't need Steering damper's to make them Handle either . May be because they got their shit together ? Riden plenty of TL'S &TLr's great motor in both ,TLR slightly better handling but nothing to write home about ! Ps Funny how Tiller got the best mileage out of the 180's ??

hahahahhaahhahahaha,mind you the 509 isnt fast enough to bother with a steering damper.

[Sensei]

Cheer's Tiller: Thought I may get a bite > Mind you as I said I'v riden alot of TL's as that's what friend's have & they don't pass me until a long straight . The saying goes my friend " Less is More " My bike Dyno's at 116hp /108hp standard, 235 klm flat out down on the tank. So only about 10hp less than a TL so not that slow Sensei

[Morepower]

Hey MorePower : Don't have any trouble's on my Triumph .Plus they don't need Steering damper's to make them Handle either . May be because they got their shit together ? Riden plenty of TL'S &TLr's great motor in both ,TLR slightly better handling but nothing to write home about ! Ps Funny how Tiller got the best mileage out of the 180's ??

The 190's are wearing out because I am pushing them much harder . The TL's problem was the steering was too quick which caused some halfwit pommy testers to crash after tankslapping. Suzuki then recalled all the bikes and fitted dampers.
The main problem with a TL's handling is the rear shock , change it and they are completely different to ride , its like night and day.

a quote from a road test that I thought you guys may find interesting;

“Whether or not the tank slappers did exist or whether the steering damper actually corrects this tendency is a matter of debate, but in our minds their is no question the damper turns the once super fast turning S into a slower turning motorcycle.”



and regarding the TLR’s weight: “The TLS is almost 50-pounds lighter -- switching back-to-back definitely make you feel the TLR's portliness -- but with the factory-installed steering damper it's slower turning than last year, and the S is not significantly easier to flick than the heavier TLR. While Suzuki is attempting to position the TLS as a street sportbike and the TL1000R as a racing platform, we feel that the TLR is a better motorcycle both on and off the track. “



Fix the rear shock and steering damper on a TLS and the tables are totally turned on Big Brother TLR. A TLR needs to make about 10 HP extra just to make up for its extra weight.. and then you get to stop and turn that extra 50 lbs as well. The Tiller is a good bike, but the TLS remains a really good deal, performance-per-dollar wise, especially as it usually goes for thousands less than TLRs. "

From another old test Pre TLs having Steering Dampers

"Suzuki's TL is also an excellent weapon for racetrack use. With its steep steering head angle and short trail (23.7 degrees and 3.7 inches, respectively), it eagerly flicks into corners. The TL has more weight biased towards its front than the VTR, making a TL rider more in touch with what the front wheel is doing. "

Same test

"Be afraid" was the first thing that came to my mind when a newbie rider recently asked me if I thought Suzuki's TL1000 would be a good bike for first-time riders. The TL1000 is pure evil: It bucks, wiggles and wheelies under hard acceleration, shaking its head over bumps at top speed. And don't you dare miss a first-to-second or second-to-third shift under full throttle -- it'll try and tankslap you off. Newbie riders should simply skip the TL and go straight to the morgue"

If I was brave I would take the thing off

But I am not

Dave

[Sensei]

Hi Morepower: Had a steering damper on my GSXR1100 > Hated it took it off & tuned the suspenion to suit > took abit of fucking round but got there in the end . Never put it back on bike handled sweet as for having 160hp at the wheel . Had a guy on one of our ride's have his damper blow out dropping all the oil onto his front wheel . Bummer crashed next corner so keep an eye for leak's Sensei

[Morepower]

mmmm ...may just be worth a try

[fastford111]

death co from this site changed the oil in a mates i and it made a big differance

[DEATH_INC.]

Just to follow up,I've now got new rubber on the gixx,a 190 rear(from a 180),and she definatly turns faster,and also is a lot EASIER to chuck around.........I guess the different tyres have even more effect than the size......