The Robert Taylor suspension thread

[NordieBoy]

Robert --Gwan take the piss.
YOU earned the right at Pearoa in 06 when you grabbed two spanners and came running to help me set up my rear Ohlins.
You earned my respect at Ruapuna when you again offered your assistance.
Im genuinely sorry I diddn't reward your efforts with better results.
Some people talk the talk --You my freind walk the walk.

Now if he'd grabbed two spanners and a can of black spray paint, he'd have my respect too.
My camera is scarred for life, every shot I've taken since is tinged pink.

[FROSTY:Me]

TOTALLY off subject but Im a superstitious bugger. Ive had owt but bad luck when I painted BLACK ICE Pink. He is now back to his rightful colour--BLACK

[NordieBoy]

Why couldn't you have done it earlier!
I loved that camera!

[White trash]

I havent been immune though from devious accusations ( and they know who they are ) to the effect ''hes only interested in helping the top riders''

This is the most laughable accusation I've yet come accross. For those not in the know, Mr Taylor and his sidekick Kerry spent the best part of two full days with me last weekend, me! Far from a "top rider".

During this time, they expertly diagnosed my very vague laymans terms and found the team an extra five seconds a lap just in basic setup.

If you run the products, all you have to do is ask folks. Simple.

[F5 Dave]

Yeah I'm starting to wonder about the installation of the Race Tech equipped (RGV) forks on my 500 project. When I bought the bike (from Aus) The Ohlins rear has a very light spring & had v.little preload but comp full hard, ride height in the chopper category. What's the chances of the fork kits being installed correctly? Well I'll find out when its going in a couple of months all going well.

Being opinionated is one thing, but opinionated with an open mind as RTs comments seem to indicate (the being brought back to earth by reality bit) is far more balanced.

Some of the comments whilst biased have made me rethink my opinions about importing vs gst etc. There needs to be a balance here too.
I did enjoy the letters in KR re the TZ vs BMS meth burning Ducs some years back, but that is probably too much of a tangent.

[Robert Taylor]

This is the most laughable accusation I've yet come accross. For those not in the know, Mr Taylor and his sidekick Kerry spent the best part of two full days with me last weekend, me! Far from a "top rider".

During this time, they expertly diagnosed my very vague laymans terms and found the team an extra five seconds a lap just in basic setup.

If you run the products, all you have to do is ask folks. Simple.

And you told me your name was Valentino! Seriously though, you applied yourself and rode like a top rider and I will follow your progress with interest. All credit to you and we found it an absolute pleasure to help you get the bike set up

[Robert Taylor]

Yeah I'm starting to wonder about the installation of the Race Tech equipped (RGV) forks on my 500 project. When I bought the bike (from Aus) The Ohlins rear has a very light spring & had v.little preload but comp full hard, ride height in the chopper category. What's the chances of the fork kits being installed correctly? Well I'll find out when its going in a couple of months all going well.

Being opinionated is one thing, but opinionated with an open mind as RTs comments seem to indicate (the being brought back to earth by reality bit) is far more balanced.

Some of the comments whilst biased have made me rethink my opinions about importing vs gst etc. There needs to be a balance here too.
I did enjoy the letters in KR re the TZ vs BMS meth burning Ducs some years back, but that is probably too much of a tangent.

Thanks Dave, it sounds as if the fitted spring on that rear shock is not correct for your personal stats. With respect to the front hard to tell without being on the spot. We can though digitally test the fork spring rate. Pm me with the numbers off the shock spring and your height and weight, any questions etc. Very often we have good condition used Ohlins springs and that can mean quite a saving.

I am a little opinionated ( ! ) but I think advancing years does mellow out ( some ) people in viewing things from more angles. Just dont get me onto politics!

There is an intersesting book just out by a NZ author ''I See Red'' by Judith Bell. A story of how The Warehouse at ''the eleventh hour'' cancelled an order with her husbands company, sending them bankrupt. An argument about how cheap imports and ''big box retailers'' are destroying NZ industry and in the end event our living standards.The previews indicate that it should be interesting reading.

[F5 Dave]

Thanks I'll get into it when the bike is up & running. The linkage is not std so this may affect things, but my bathroom scales (sorry they're not digital [kidding]) press & tape measure tell me the spring is ~5.45, std RGV is supposed to be 6.25 or thereabouts so should be somewhere near where I'm aiming. I should properly chart out the ratio over the swing. But I suspect I will be after a spring so will let you know.

I did a 'finance for engineers' type course & the wh used as an example of credit strong-arming reducing manufacturers to serfs & dodgy accounting practices to boot.

If you find a copy of Eric Schlosser Fast Food Nation {edit http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=y...tle#PPA3,M1]it is worth a read, not just to put you off fast food, but as an examination of how the industry has formed society & severely crippled traditional farming concerns, it is quite scary.

[Robert Taylor]

Thanks I'll get into it when the bike is up & running. The linkage is not std so this may affect things, but my bathroom scales (sorry they're not digital [kidding]) press & tape measure tell me the spring is ~5.45, std RGV is supposed to be 6.25 or thereabouts so should be somewhere near where I'm aiming. I should properly chart out the ratio over the swing. But I suspect I will be after a spring so will let you know.

I did a 'finance for engineers' type course & the wh used as an example of credit strong-arming reducing manufacturers to serfs & dodgy accounting practices to boot.

If you find a copy of Eric Schlosser Fast Food Nation {edit http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=y...tle#PPA3,M1]it is worth a read, not just to put you off fast food, but as an examination of how the industry has formed society & severely crippled traditional farming concerns, it is quite scary.

Thanks, the different linkage will have altered the motion ratio i.e how much the shock shaft moves for any given wheel movement. As I suspect that the different linkage is possibly moving the shock shaft more slowly that will definitely alter the springing requirement. But also the spring choice is very dependent on your personal stats. Damping is also shock shaft speed dependent and then by implication shock shaft speed ( for any given wheel upwards velocity )is also dependent on the motion ratio applied to it. Move it slower, it damps less. Move it faster, it damps more. So you may ultimately have ''issues'' there if the spring doesnt totally sort out the shock performance. If the clickers end up being at the extremities of range that is an ''in your face'' clue. The standard fitted spring rate on the standard Ohlins shock for the Gamma ( intended for and spec'd for the standard linkage with aggressive ratio and average 70 - 80 kg rider ) is rated at 5.4 newtons. So your bathroom scales and technique are pretty bloody good! The first digits printed on it will read 1093-11. A sag ratio check will predertimine by approximately how much you need to increase spring rate. Further, has the different linkage in effect moved the mounting points? Requiring perhaps that the shock needs lengthening.

Thanks for the reference to the reading material. It concerns me greatly that too many people dont look too far behind the facade of what is going on, and that the rug is slowly and systematically being pulled out from beneath us. Both the forces of ''contol freak'' communism ( re-badged in this country ) and unchecked capitalism have a hell of a lot to answer for. The sad thing is our children know no different.

[flame]

Well, i'm a 'not even average yet' rider.....and Robert and Kerry gave up a lot of their time helping my bike go round corners better last weekend too. AND.....offered help in the pits when not even asked for,(and I don't even have ohlins ) BIG THANKS guys, your help and advice was blardy awesome!!

[F5 Dave]

Thanks for the info. I'm always suspicious of setup from other people's bikes. When I bought my YZF the comp was full max on (it was like getting kicked in the backside from a Storm trouper with Jackboots & particularly heavy socks), now while Steve was a big lad he should have known better, but then again it only takes a small kid in the parking lot (Ohh pretty dial at toddler height).

[Brian d marge]

For nearly 2 decades I worked with a character who had the demeanour of Saddam Hussein, his mood swings were instant and unpredictable. That prepped me to put up with those in this world with attitude disorders and the predisposal to throw their toys out of their cots with little warning. Perhaps I should have been paid danger money.....No one should have to put up with this and if the world at large was less tolerant of such personalities we'd be a better place!

Dont know how you did it. I also worked for such a person , It was hell. Granted I learnt a lot ,,, but his name was teapot ( both customers and I called him that ) as he was as mad as a march hare

I dont mind how anyone presents a set up issue to be solved, as long as it is reasoned and free of ego / mind games. Heck, you can learn new things off a very wide cross section of people. Everyone looks at things from different angles.


Wasnt till I came to Japan, and started working with the Japanese, that that TRUELY dissappeared , ie working as a team with No ego /mind games .. I cant really discribe it , ...its all about listening ,,,


It must be really difficult to make ends meet running a business in NZ ,,, I played around with a few numbers ,, couldnt see it happening ,,,

Stephen

[Robert Taylor]

Well, i'm a 'not even average yet' rider.....and Robert and Kerry gave up a lot of their time helping my bike go round corners better last weekend too. AND.....offered help in the pits when not even asked for,(and I don't even have ohlins ) BIG THANKS guys, your help and advice was blardy awesome!!

Actually, the important thing here is that you knew your bike wasnt set up and instead of ''trying to ride around it'' you came and asked for help. In fact, especially the clicker settings were so screwed up on that bike it had serious potential to spit you off.

This raises another interesting point, you asked ''how much to look at it?'' and I declined to take money because I knew it would be about 5 to 10 minutes work, tops. As I have intimated before my approach is to educate the people involved about why things are set up in certain ways. If spring preload needs adjusting etc I will get the team to do it and then come back to measure up etc. Twirling clickers is rather quick and easy.

Now if I had played the ''hardball capitalist'' ( instead of being the compassionate capitalist that I actually am, just ask all the riders of all shapes, sizes and attitudes I have helped over the years) Where was I?...If I had asked for say $50 of your hard earned dollars up front for 5 to 10 mins twisting clickers that would have been a blatant rip-off. You may have declined and then gone out and crashed your bike. Dont want that on my conscience if I knew your bike was badly setup.

A base level of set up education and emphasis on safety must over-ride cold hard commercial intersest.

[FROSTY:Me]

Robert,I'd like to suggest to you that offering that service would be something people would be prepared to pay for.
Perhaps being available for one person per race class per meeting at a charge of $40 each would be money well worth spending.
I don't see it as capitolism---we are paying you to be there to help us
I for one would be happy -or should i say would have been happpy (given that Shaun stepped up and did it) to pay that

[Robert Taylor]

Robert,I'd like to suggest to you that offering that service would be something people would be prepared to pay for.
Perhaps being available for one person per race class per meeting at a charge of $40 each would be money well worth spending.
I don't see it as capitolism---we are paying you to be there to help us
I for one would be happy -or should i say would have been happpy (given that Shaun stepped up and did it) to pay that

Do you then want to run some sort of poll and invite comments to see what people largely think about this and what they would actually like to see?