VTR1000.ORG

Wicky wrote: ↑Wed Oct 10, 2018 4:47 pm After some fettling and spannering took it out this afternoon to sunny West Mersea to pose by dog poo bin

tony.mon wrote: ↑Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:27 pm I had Monday and today off, and had a few jobs to sort out, but also wanted to get the SP2 cleaned and put away for the winter- no ride-outs planned until the spring now.
When I got it it had been set up for track use, and the suspension was very solid and unforgiving on the roads; I rode it like that for a year or so as I liked the handling and didn't have to put up with it as a day-to-day ride.
But then I turned 60, and decided that I wanted to rise to the south of France with a few mates, and took a two-day ride to get there, and the same back, either side of a week at a rented villa.
One of the other bikers had a bike satnav, and so we set it to wiggly roads and followed it. It took us all over the place, through little villages and rural roads, and it was a bloody nightmare. The main roads in France are usually pretty good, smooth tarmac and no potholes, but in the villages it's a very different story. Potholes and ridges, overbidding and blobs of concrete filing holes made riding the 2 a nightmare; my teeth kept clacking together, wrists were getting sore and vision was blurry on some sections- just due to the vibration.

So I just wound everything off on all of the suspension settings both ends, but as this was by the roadside I didn't make a note of the original settings or count clicks.
The rest of the journey was better, and after I got back I started to get the settings back to where I thought they should be, but I'm no suspension expert. I understand the principles, but although I improved it (and rode it like that for another couple years, (including Richard about at speed on the Forum meets) it wasn't quite right.
On Monday I phoned HM racing in Edenbridge, Kent, to see if they could fit me in for a Sussie setup, they could, so I took it along.

Turns out I wasn't far out, sag was a bit off, and within a couple of clicks or less on everything else.
Interestingly I found a little bonus: When I bought the bike it had a K-Tech sticker on the front forks, but I didn't know if it was just a sticker, or whether there had been any real work done. I expected to find that someone had put K-Tech springs in, but the HM racing guy told me that it's had internals done as well- without taking it apart he couldn't say exactly what, but it's all good. 108.00 inc vat- not too bad, he spent a couple of hours.

The rear shock is standard, and as it's now done more than 26K I'll have that serviced for now- for a bare shock it's only 100 for a service, oil, seals and a re-gas.

I haven't ridden it far with the new settings; only back home, washed it and put it away, but over the winter it's up for new steering head bearings, so when the front end is off I'll replace the slider bearings, seals and oil, that'll be about as good as I need it.

Obviously a decent rear shock and a fun cartridge kit would be nice, but after all I did have to promise the wife I wasn't going to spend any money on this one, unlike the money pit Storm......well, perhaps. a new front tyre, and completely pointlessly, a remote adjuster for the Brembo RCS mc, (pointless as I've never had brake fade or needed to adjust the mc manually since fitting it); maybe I ought to get both headlights wired to work on dip, (only one side is used as standard, but both on main) and a few other bits and pieces.

A lightened flywheel might be interesting...and I read recently that you can save about a kilo by fitting a 520 chain conversion.......

Any weight saving might be a good idea:

AMCQ46 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 25, 2018 4:53 pm That a Result mac, mobile just in time for winter;)


Bet it was good to be out, but you will almost have to learn to ride again

MacV2 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 25, 2018 6:00 pm

AMCQ46 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 25, 2018 4:53 pm That a Result mac, mobile just in time for winter;)


Bet it was good to be out, but you will almost have to learn to ride again

Did feel a touch weird pulling me crash helmet on...

Was a bit stiff & wobbly for the first few turns & junctions but soon got into the flow.

My main concern was having me right arm extended for a long period & if it would get too sore or worse lock up like it did a few weeks in after sling removal... but all good. Was a toch sore but thats eased off now...

AMCQ46 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 25, 2018 4:53 pm you will almost have to learn to ride again

KermitLeFrog wrote:

AMCQ46 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 25, 2018 4:53 pm you will almost have to learn to ride again

Again?