Major (or not?) Service and Clean of a Gen 7

[Yokel]

I agree completely on track that a throttle stabilizer is bad.  

 

However, the reason I opted for the Kaoko is pretty simple, my hand occasionally just needs a break on the interstate.  I do multi day multi state runs and hand fatigue is real for me.  

 

It operates on friction, so there is a thrust washer that get pressed into the end of the rubber grip.  Therefore the pressure on the end of the grip holds throttle open.  It's pretty easy to override, and you can loosen it with your little finger.  It is a physical impossibility to actually "lock" the throttle with this... I'm able to override it even at its tightest setting.  

 

It removes in about 10 seconds with a 5mm hex. 

 

The heated grips just allow for thinner gloves in cooler Temps.  I don't like bulky gloves on my hands as I don't get same feel and feedback.

 

I'm sure bark busters would help, but the interference to the fairing would be trouble.

 

I had heated grips AND bark busters on my GS.  It was heaven.  Haha

 

*EDITED TO ADD*  I am a bit concerned about inadvertently activating it on twisties, so it all may be a mental exercise at this point.  Will have to see.  My Throttlemeister was awesome, but they are out of business. It didn't sit proud of grip OD.

 

[ShipFixer]

Another option for grips - Oury makes their wide diameter mountain bike grip available for motorsports too.  I think it's something like 34 or 35mm where a "wide" sport bike grip for years has been ~31mm.  Tacky, too.  Can rest or relax your hands on the interstate (hold it with the palm or something vs. gripping it) a lot more before turning to a throttle rocker or lock.

 

I still keep a throttle lock lever thingy in my tank bag but don't use it anywhere near what I used to for long cruising.  Never liked the downsides of it either.

[bmart]

Interesting stuff! Always learning. 

 

I own some of those in the tankbag throttle thingys too, but after trying them a few times...put them back in the closet with my winter riding gloves. lol

[Yokel]

12 hours ago, ShipFixer said:

Another option for grips - Oury makes their wide diameter mountain bike grip available for motorsports too.  I think it's something like 34 or 35mm where a "wide" sport bike grip for years has been ~31mm.  Tacky, too.  Can rest or relax your hands on the interstate (hold it with the palm or something vs. gripping it) a lot more before turning to a throttle rocker or lock.

 

I still keep a throttle lock lever thingy in my tank bag but don't use it anywhere near what I used to for long cruising.  Never liked the downsides of it either.

 

Might have to look in to that... thanks for the tip!

[ducnut]

18 hours ago, afwjam said:

That’s exciting happenings for your suspension! I want to work on mine some but not sure I could afford the full setup like yours. Hopefully some revalving can get mine at least halfway there.

As Yokel mentioned, there are less expensive alternatives. 
 

You’d be amazed at what a set of valves, springs, and reshimming the valve stack can do for the frontend. My SV and VFR are both set up this way. Part of Traxxion’s installation expense involves the blueprinting of the frontend, which involves checking, straightening, and polishing the fork tubes, Showa bushings and seals, higher quality oil than OEM, etc. So, keep that in mind, when shopping/comparing others in the market. There’s a definite difference in what is being offered for the money. 
 

I’d highly suggest going with a basic, aftermarket shock of some sort, versus messing with any modifications/upgrades to the OEM piece. Where people fall into a trap is buying more shock than necessary. You don’t need double-adjustable, remote reservoir, remote preload, or any other whiz-bang extras. An aftermarket shock is going to arrive with a stiffer spring than the stocker could ever hope to achieve on preload. Therefore, you won’t be needing to constantly mess with the new shock’s preload. An aftermarket shock will come dyno-proven, so the out-of-the-box valving is already going to be way better than the OEM shock could ever be. These manufacturers have huge databases and know pretty well what will work, right off. So, there’s no real need for fiddling. My SV’s shock is just the basic Penske 8900, which is an emulsion shock, with a single adjustment and adjustable length. Compared to the 8983 on my VFR, it’s a wash, on the street. I’ve not messed with anything but length, on both shocks, as their valving feels about right. Keep it simple and keep the money in your pocket. 

Traxxion Dynamics used to offer specials, during the winter months/New Year timeframe. When I did my Tiger 1050, they had a special package where I got AK-20’s, springs, Penske 8983, and installation for $2K (~2010?). With the most recent service of my SV, I got special pricing on some of that work, as there were some updated bits available I moved up to. Likewise, I did the full suspension of my VFR and got some discounting. It just depends on how much work and the timeframe. I’d reach out to Dan and ask him about upcoming promotions.

 

[afwjam]

I really appreciate the input and suggestions on suspension. It will probably be a year before I can afford to do it as I have a baby on the way but I know I will do it. I can tell the front end is better sorted then the rear, so I can totally see buying a replacement rear shock instead of trying to tune the stock unit.
My KLR is a hunk of junk compared to the VFR but in the end I bought a full setup with Moab rear shock and fork cartridges from cogent dynamics for a little over 1k. It transformed the bike from 70’s noodle technology to telepathic around the corners and getting air off road like the 250’s. As different as they are in nature, I can tell how much easier to ride the KLR is do to superior suspension setup. I can’t wait for the VFR to handle “easy” as I’ve got enough other things to worry about with all the power, luckily for me the brakes are perfect already. I haven’t yet tinkered with the stock adjusters and hopefully that should help, but I’m well aware of the stock suspensions limitations and the effort necessary in the corners to keep everything kosher. So I guess I’ll take it easy on the corners and enjoy the throttle for now until I can get her proper sorted. Truth is I’ll probably sort the pipe and ECU tuning first, the opposite of what I should be doing 😂 this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship with this bike and I can’t help but tinker and get her sorted, it’s my nature.  

[RC1237V]

     I just finished up a set of Roadsport 2's and they were pretty good, especially considering the price! They only lasted 1,700 miles, but that was a lot of tire sliding through corners leaving big fat darkies. They never slipped, feedback was good, grip was great, and they never gave me any issues, except for the wear. In the tire's defense, I road quite a bit in the spring when temps were not warm enough for full lean and hard throttle, so the drive part ( between edge and center) of the rear was gone before the edge. I was unsure of them on that bike at first, so I wanted to give them the torture test.

 

     I went back to my favorite Angel GT's, so I can reference them against each other. The Angels were $368 for the set at Revzilla, as I did not see them at Rocky Mtn. Feedback, and wear might be a bit better on the Angels, but you pay another $150...

 

     If I was riding a bit more reserved I'm sure they would last at least 2,500 miles which is what I usually get from a set of anything good. Let me know how you like them, for the price they are awesome!

[Yokel]

I picked up a set of RoadSmart 3's as well for a spare set... I plan to absolutely melt the RoadSports if they have the grip.  Hahah!

[Yokel]

Well... Tires arrive tomorrow.

 

So, last night I pulled the rims in anticipation of giving them a good clean, disassembling the front to get behind the rotors, and square the rotors away with brake cleaner.  Tire Foam to the rescue!  That stuff is awesome on brake dust.

 

 

I've got a set of wheel bearings... but damn.  These are just fine.  Guess I'll plop a bit of grease in there and run 'em.

 

 

Also put new pads all the way around... the others were aging out and thin... after all, they were on the bike about 6 years.  A little anti-seize on pins and a quick flush of the linked brakes out back and up front, and I'm ready for the new shoes to show up.

 

 

By God, once I'm done with this, I might have to actually ride this thing sometime.  Seems like all I've been doing is buying parts and tinkering.

 

Also, I'm retiring my 4 season riding suit.  I bought it second hand 10 years ago, and it's finally dead.  Nowhere near water proof, zippers broken, velcro is giving up on life... I found a Spidi set I'm hopeful I will like for year round work for clearance at 40% off.  Guess it's the right time of year to buy insulated gear.

 

I'm tempted to give that set a Viking Funeral... it's earned it.

[bmart]

Awesome! Pics of the bad pads?

[Yokel]

On 7/13/2022 at 9:16 AM, bmart said:

Awesome! Pics of the bad pads?

 

Ask and ye shall receive...

 

Nothing wrong with them per se... but some were getting skinny.  Figured I'd just do all of them since I had a full set of 6 in my toolbox. 🙂

Also, loaded up new tires yesterday.  Spooned on RoadSport 2's that I picked up for about $210 a set.  Curious how they do.

Scrubbed in a little today, and the shimmy is gone up front!  Presto!

 

Also, did some "panic" stops to bed in the new pads.  Damn, new tires and brakes are nice.

 

 

 

Now, the question is how long they last.

I have a theory on the Continental Sport Attacks that I had on... If you look at the crown of the tread, and given the weight (and therefore increased contact patch size up front) of the bike, it *looks* like it's going to push from one side to the other of the centerline of the tire.  Perhaps the frequency of this is just right for the 1200cc geometry.  You can see some cupping already happening, and it seems to have just exacerbated things.

 

 

Hopefully the RoadSport 2's provide a good experience.  The price sure it right.

[bmart]

The tires are simlar to the GPR300, which I've used with good grip but mediocre feedback....at least when compared to other Dunlops. 

 

Those pads are like new! New pads are only 3.08mm. Here are mine at the last service. 

 

[Yokel]

Update to changes after about 250 miles over the weekend:

 

1) Suspension upgrades are beyond my expectations.  Went up northwest of the house for a good flogging of the 1200.  Ran about 250 miles of some of the better twisties in the area Saturday morning.  I didn't touch any hard parts on the bike, including the new "peg feelers" I put on, which was quite a surprise.  Since I first started riding this bike, I'd grind pegs.

Front feels incredibly well planted.  Here's an idea of the road:

 

 

2) I like the Dunlop RoadSport 2's I spooned on.  Now understandably, ANY new tire that didn't cause the front to shimmy would be good.  But these provide fine grip and feedback.  I think I've pretty well go them scrubbed in now.  #YokelApproved for $210/set.

 

 

3) Hit a bit of a milestone on the Odometer.

 

 

4) And wound up cutting the ride a bit short.  I spotted this on the Blue Ridge Parkway when I stopped for a bit of a breather.  

 

 

It's coolant, coming from the overflow drain hose.  The day was warm-ish, and I had recently topped up the reservoir, also altitude changes... Think it was just a burp.  Saw no evidence of anything at home after I got back, but concerned me anough to head to the house ahead of my planned time for inspection.

 

5) I think the brake pads are finally bedded in.  Took a bit longer than expected, despite aggressive braking.  These are Galfer pads, as opposed to EBC's I'd typically run.  The brakes on the big girl are phenominal, I hope the Galfers can take the heat.

 

6) Next oil change is now due.  Think I'll go to 10-40 full syn.

[Yokel]

Also, quick note on the Kaoko... 

Works a treat.  I didn't see any interference while riding, but did notice that my hand positioning does make the heel of my palm rest against the device.  Not particularly ideal, but will see how I feel about it in a few weeks.

[bmart]

I think that you forgot to invite me. 😛

 

My planned mountian run got cancelled, so I rode with some new folks localish. Yawn...

[Yokel]

2 hours ago, bmart said:

I think that you forgot to invite me. 😛

 

My planned mountian run got cancelled, so I rode with some new folks localish. Yawn...

 

Just need your number!

[RC1237V]

You might be right about the center groove on the sport attacks. These bikes are pretty heavy and seem to be sensitive to tires. Glad you like the Road Sport 2's, they worked well on my bike. Although after switching back to the Angel GT's, I noticed a bit more feedback, and more linear turn-in. Not a huge difference but noticeable, most likely due to the fact they are a sport-touring tire, and likely have stiffer sidewall/carcass construction. They are 33% more cost, so I will see how long they last.

 

Nice thread, glad you got your old steed back, and are enjoying it!

[Yokel]

8 hours ago, RC1237V said:

You might be right about the center groove on the sport attacks. These bikes are pretty heavy and seem to be sensitive to tires. Glad you like the Road Sport 2's, they worked well on my bike. Although after switching back to the Angel GT's, I noticed a bit more feedback, and more linear turn-in. Not a huge difference but noticeable, most likely due to the fact they are a sport-touring tire, and likely have stiffer sidewall/carcass construction. They are 33% more cost, so I will see how long they last.

 

Nice thread, glad you got your old steed back, and are enjoying it!

 

Good to know about the Angels... 

The difficulty for me on tires is how quickly I go through them.  I do about 2-3 sets per year when I'm able to ride as much as I'd like.  This big, heavy bike, with a big, heavy rider who thinks he's a "fast boi" doesn't allow for long life for rubber.

The RS2's were on fire sale... I think I got the set for $210?  If I get 2500+ miles out of them, might be my new all-time favorites. haha!

[bmart]

One of the things common in switching and comparing tires is that we end up comparing old tires to new tires. Still, I always love my new tires. I was surprised that the Roadsmart 3s were so slippery out of the box. I don't recall that on my 2s. Still, they scuffed in quickly and have been great since. 

[RC1237V]

Good point! New tires have such a nice feel to them, and thanks to modern mold technology, no longer need 100 miles to "break them in."

 

Yes, I tried the Roadsmarts and they almost killed me and my friends on the 1200 - they would let go at the limit and scare the bejesus out of you.

 

The Roadsports were great, just didn't last very long, and I think the carcass is built more for sportbikes around 150~200 lbs less in weight. They never give up grip though!

[ducnut]

1 hour ago, RC1237V said:

Good point! New tires have such a nice feel to them, and thanks to modern mold technology, no longer need 100 miles to "break them in."

 

Yes, I tried the Roadsmarts and they almost killed me and my friends on the 1200 - they would let go at the limit and scare the bejesus out of you.

 

The Roadsports were great, just didn't last very long, and I think the carcass is built more for sportbikes around 150~200 lbs less in weight. They never give up grip though!

Sounds like Michelin’s Pilot Power. Countless track crashes with very accomplished riders at the controls. I experienced it once and never rode them again. 

[eastbowl2]

On 7/30/2022 at 3:42 PM, RC1237V said:

Good point! New tires have such a nice feel to them, and thanks to modern mold technology, no longer need 100 miles to "break them in."

 

Yes, I tried the Roadsmarts and they almost killed me and my friends on the 1200 - they would let go at the limit and scare the bejesus out of you.

 

The Roadsports were great, just didn't last very long, and I think the carcass is built more for sportbikes around 150~200 lbs less in weight. They never give up grip though!

Ah, this now makes sense.  I tried the Roadsmarts on my 7th gen and hated them.   They literally spun up all the time (our roads are pretty dirty).  Couldn't understand how others could love them so much, but now I see that it was the Roadsports that were being referred to.  Makes sense.  Thanks.

[Yokel]

On 8/3/2022 at 9:16 PM, eastbowl2 said:

Ah, this now makes sense.  I tried the Roadsmarts on my 7th gen and hated them.   They literally spun up all the time (our roads are pretty dirty).  Couldn't understand how others could love them so much, but now I see that it was the Roadsports that were being referred to.  Makes sense.  Thanks.

 

I have a set of Road Smarts waiting to be spooned on.  Curious about grip now that I've seen this.  Have loved the Road Sports so far, wearing very well.

[bmart]

Note that the Roadsmarts will need a tiny bit of break in. They will spin when factory fresh. I doubt that they're using mold release, but they act like it. 

[raYzerman]

The Roadsmart 3's are a harder compound...... must be well warmed up and not a cool/wet weather tire.... I imagine the 1200 could spin them out...... better off with a softer compound sport touring tire.