It's Like Night-n'day

[enzed_viffer]

(I wasn't sure where to put this, so I hope it's approx. the right place...)

I was riding to work this morning, when it suddenly struck me how much better the VifFerraRi is to ride than it was a mere few weeks ago. I can't be sure whether it's mainly due to the Storms or the suspension changes, but I suspect most of it is the tyres, with the suspension helping when the road surface is gnarly.

There are two corners that aptly illustrate the remarkable improvement - one is on the way to work, the other on the way home, and both are off-camber, tight, and downhill. Whereas before I would button off and gingerly negotiate both corners, now I confidently ignore the corner, look way ahead, and fully commit myself, even when the road's wet. The Storm's are SO confidence-inspiring that it's like "leaning is the new upright". LOL...

The 'acid test' for the suspension consists of four different spots on my commute. The first is a 90-degree left, with a bump mid-corner. (Well... to call it a bump is akin to calling a tyre 'a round thing'.) It is a combination of an elevation change in two dimensions, combined with an angled hump. Hard to explain, and (previously) hard to negotiate. Now I just power over/through it. Oh it's still there, and I can still feel it, but it's immaterial.

Number 2 is a piece of sunken tarmac that's hard to see, right in the perfect line for another sharp left-hand corner. Even off this line, the depression exerts its influence. Thanks to the new springs'n'oil cossetting the front end, and Elka in the back, I can stuff the bike into the corner, actually aiming for the bump, and although I can feel it, the bike isn't fussed.

Feature 3 is a series of sharp bumps, all close together, on an uphill suburban street with rough tarseal. Now *this* feature still requires some dialling-in of the suspenders to get them right. While the front end, being relatively unweighted, mostly floats over them, the back end lets me know very assertively they're there. I suspect that the compression and rebound damping are both a notch or two too firm, and that they're reacting too quickly to allow the wheel to move enough to absorb the hit. The more throttle I have on board, the more juddery it is.

The last feature on the landscape is a tight, sweeping corner that is rippled on the apex. I now don't need to slow at all for it, and can only just feel the ripples, even with the bike cranked WAY over.

So, all in all, I'd say the money spent recently on the VFR was all well spent, and has rejuvenated the bike, making it feel much more sporty but still very easy to ride. I keep having these weird little revelations, like being in the middle of a corner, and realising that I'm not doing anything at all, just sitting there: no pressure on either bar, no subtle corrections, nothing. It's very relaxing. :thumbsup:

[SEBSPEED]

I keep having these weird little revelations, like being in the middle of a corner, and realising that I'm not doing anything at all, just sitting there: no pressure on either bar, no subtle corrections, nothing. It's very relaxing. :thumbsup:

And very disturbing at the same time. I find myself riding so much faster and with more confidence now that I've worked both ends of both bikes. :rolleyes:

Try dialing in some more rebound damping for those three bumps, leave the comp. as-is for now and try it. I'm still working on getting the VFR just right, I'll probably need a stiffer spring to get it where I want it.

Congrats on the rejuvenating feeling, just tell the wife it's cheaper than a new bike! :D

[enzed_viffer]

And very disturbing at the same time. I find myself riding so much faster and with more confidence now that I've worked both ends of both bikes. :rolleyes:

Yeah.

I have to be careful about that. Corner/Feature 4 has me wanting to see how fast I can go, but it's a blind corner (bank on inside) and there's a school carpark a little way past the corner. Plus I'm tackling it at just under the speed I'd get ticketed for, and with 70 points on my licence, I can't afford another ticket. It's also about 200m from where I got my last one. <_<

Try dialing in some more rebound damping for those three bumps, leave the comp. as-is for now and try it. I'm still working on getting the VFR just right, I'll probably need a stiffer spring to get it where I want it.

Will do. :thumbsup:

Congrats on the rejuvenating feeling, just tell the wife it's cheaper than a new bike! :D

Yeah, I've done that. I've also told her how much i LOVE my new tyres and suspension, so there've been no grizzles about that.

(Mind you, there were also no complaints about the $400 bling I bought her yesterday because it's been such a crap week for her (we spent 7 hours in court on Monday, and two (2!) of her uncles died this week).

[The Phantom]

Hi Eeen,

Great to hear that it's come up so well. Must be nice to 'find' something extra in the old girl.

Condolences to Mrs Enzed, that's a big hit to take.

[enzed_viffer]

Try dialing in some more rebound damping for those three bumps, leave the comp. as-is for now and try it.

It worked! :thumbsup:

I gave the ReboundDampingAdjusterRingThingie a couple of clicks to the right, then a jump to the left, put your hands on your hips, pull your knees in tight....

Ooops. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I'd already clicked it off one (coz I thought that'd make it softer - didn't see how winding in MORE damping would make things more compliant). So, I clicked it two the other way, and WADDYAKNOW! it worked. I noticed the difference before I even got to any bumps/ripples. :thumbsup:

The front's a bit bouncy still - I think the stiffer springs are overwhelming the damping a bit. Would sucking some erl out and putting some 15W in help a bit?

[enzed_viffer]

Condolences to Mrs Enzed, that's a big hit to take.

Thanks Doctor Muzzah!

Yeah. Her family is HUGE, as both her parents have lots of bothers'n'sisters (12 and 14). The first uncle died on Friday (IIRC) after a long fight with the Big C, and the funeral was on Monday, so we couldn't go, as we were at the courtrooms from 7:50 till nearly 3:00 pm. Then that night we heard the other uncle had died on the Saturday (couple of blood clots in the brain from surgery for a brain tumour - we hadn't even heard he had been ill).

That's actually 3 or 4 uncles this year - they're all getting to an age when they're pegging it. Apart from her uncle in Canadia, who's only a couple of years older than her! He moved there to sell refrigeration to eskimos or somesuch.

[SEBSPEED]

Try dialing in some more rebound damping for those three bumps, leave the comp. as-is for now and try it.

It worked! :thumbsup:

I gave the ReboundDampingAdjusterRingThingie a couple of clicks to the right, then a jump to the left, put your hands on your hips, pull your knees in tight....

Ooops. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I'd already clicked it off one (coz I thought that'd make it softer - didn't see how winding in MORE damping would make things more compliant). So, I clicked it two the other way, and WADDYAKNOW! it worked. I noticed the difference before I even got to any bumps/ripples. :thumbsup:

The front's a bit bouncy still - I think the stiffer springs are overwhelming the damping a bit. Would sucking some erl out and putting some 15W in help a bit?

I'm not sure if changing the oil will help as much as changing the valving. This is some nitty gritty that I haven't spent much energy on, I know the Racetech Gold Valves use much larger ports and a different stack of shims; and the way you tune those is by changing the shims. I can understand the concept and how they work, having held them in my hand, but have no tuning experience with them, so I can't offer any advice.

[skuuter]

The trusty Triumph is going to get some "compression tinkering" in the next few days.......rode it harder lately on really tight switchbacks, and found a "teensy off-throttle dead spot squirm" I want removed. Not anything deadly, just slightly bothersome................. :thumbsup:

[V4 Rosso]

So no more exploding and bursting into flames? Good stuff those Elka shocks :thumbsup:

How old in miles (or is it km. in NZ?) was the stocker?

[enzed_viffer]

So no more exploding and bursting into flames? Good stuff those Elka shocks :thumbsup:

I reserve the right to do that in future, new shock'n'tyres or not. :salesman:

How old in miles (or is it km. in NZ?) was the stocker?

It's km here (metrication started in the '60s, although some measurements were imperial for a while longer).

However, my bike is a UK import. I dunno if the odometer is corrrect/original, but it's currently reading ~45k miles. It's actually slightly more'n that, as the speedo corrector has made the odometer under-read by 12% for the last couple of years.

I actually think the standard forks and shock were still in pretty good condition (apart from the fork oil being evil grey sludge), and hadn't intended to replace them this early on. However, the Elka buy was too good to miss.

But.... one thing I didn't consider was servicing and setup. The local Ohlins agent could've done me a shock, dialed-in for my weight and riding ability for about NZ$249 more than the Elka cost. In hindsight, that may have been a better way to go in the long term. He said "I don't rate Elka, as they don't have enough road experience", whereas he has 20+ years of fettling all kinds of bike suspension, and I'd imagine would've guaranteed me a perfect setup.

However, being a born DIYer, I *had* to do it myself. I mean, how hard can it be?

I'm beginning to think that I should start getting the professionals to handle some of the bike work. It'd certainly get my wife off my back.

I may yet have the front end fettled by him. It'll cost anywhere from $500 to $1000, but would be worth it.

[enzed_viffer]

Oh -here's something that I done plum fergot.

One of the most telling signs that the bike handles and feels better is that riding on the same roads as I was before, the new taahrrz are already scrubbed closer to edges than the previous set ever were. The back Storm is within a few mm of the edge, and the front is about 10mm or so past where the previous one was. :thumbsup:

[VFR4Lee]

Man, I gotta redo my VFR suspension. 60k miles on the stock bits. It's a teensy bit bouncy floaty. :sleep:

[Bent]

The trusty Triumph is going to get some "compression tinkering" in the next few days.......rode it harder lately on really tight switchbacks, and found a "teensy off-throttle dead spot squirm" I want removed. Not anything deadly, just slightly bothersome................. :thumbsup:

There is talk around here that a Speed Triple has been terrorizing "the mountain" again. I think it was on the front page.

Maybe you're not using the right kind of oil.... :sleep:

[skuuter]

The trusty Triumph is going to get some "compression tinkering" in the next few days.......rode it harder lately on really tight switchbacks, and found a "teensy off-throttle dead spot squirm" I want removed. Not anything deadly, just slightly bothersome................. :thumbsup:

There is talk around here that a Speed Triple has been terrorizing "the mountain" again. I think it was on the front page.

Maybe you're not using the right kind of oil.... :sleep:

Merely rumors..... :P and if skuuter uses it...it is the "RIGHT" oil...........TRUST ME.............. :ph34r:

[V4 Rosso]

But.... one thing I didn't consider was servicing and setup. The local Ohlins agent could've done me a shock, dialed-in for my weight and riding ability for about NZ$249 more than the Elka cost. In hindsight,

Servicing shouldn't be a problem, your local Ohlins agent should be able to service the Elka shock. Many agents (and your Honda dealer) will tell you that the stock VFR shock can't be serviced. Well the local Ohlins service center proves them wrong, as does WP. Here is a serviced 4th gen shock (new oil and internals) that also got a valve so you can (re)pressurise the shock to your preference.

As for set-up, he should be able to do that too if he has the right shims that fit the Elka. That is, if you want to to take it that far.

[Auspanglish]

I just dialed in my SAG. Lately the bike has been jack-hammering my spine to pieces (I already have two slipped discs and two protruding ones). I think I mentioned this on another thread. I was postulating it might have been a lack of preload, contrary to what many say (that if you've too much preload, your ride will be hard as hell). In MY case, it was insufficient preload, and the springs were already sagging too much and unable to absorb bumps and such as they had no travel left!!!

I think with just a smidgin of a whiff of a turn towards Hard on the rebound at the rear and she'll be perfect. Now I'm gliding over bumps that before made me cringe in advance knowing that the spinal crunch was coming!! I only feel the really gnarly ones now, and finding my line is now so much easier, almost effortless, before I was riding tense, and everything seemed like an effort.

Oh yeah, the bike no longer wants to sit upright when hitting a small bump mid-curve. Just a little more fine-tuning and she'll be as good as Enzeds, FOR FREE!! B)

[cbar]

Apart from her uncle in Canadia, who's only a couple of years older than her! He moved there to sell refrigeration to eskimos or somesuch.

Next time you talk to him, tell him I want my money back. Turns out I can't use it cuz me igloo don't have no power outlet. :beer:

[enzed_viffer]

Servicing shouldn't be a problem, your local Ohlins agent should be able to service the Elka shock. Many agents (and your Honda dealer) will tell you that the stock VFR shock can't be serviced.

Nah, there's a guy local to me that services just about anything, and will even give the stock Showa a bit of 'fettling' to suit your weight etc.

But I figured if I was going to spend money on the suspension, I wanted more bling than the Showa has. :beer:

Plus extra knobs to tweeedle. :salesman:

[enzed_viffer]

Just a little more fine-tuning and she'll be as good as Enzeds, FOR FREE!! B)

You wish!

For a start, it's a VTec, and secondly, I've got more farkles, so I win! :beer:

[Auspanglish]

Just a little more fine-tuning and she'll be as good as Enzeds, FOR FREE!! B)

You wish!

For a start, it's a VTec, and secondly, I've got more farkles, so I win! :warranty:

Ok Mr Smartypants, how do you know if I'm referring to my 98 or my 03?? :ph34r:

[SEBSPEED]

Just a little more fine-tuning and she'll be as good as Enzeds, FOR FREE!! B)

You wish!

For a start, it's a VTec, and secondly, I've got more farkles, so I win! :beer:

Ok Mr Smartypants, how do you know if I'm referring to my 98 or my 03?? :blink:

Doesn't matter. Better suspension is better suspension. Period. Unless you weigh 150lbs or less... even then there are improvements to be had, an experienced rider will be able to tell the difference.

[VFR Capt.Bob]

I've read in magazines letters to the editors that sometimes the stock shock rebuild can go wrong. Something to do with contamination from improper drilling causing the internals to deteriorate prematurely. I'm the biggest tightwad when it comes to upgrades but suspension up-grades really pay you back with ridability and handling. First thing I noticed on my bike was my hands no longer go numb from over gripping the bars. I can relax and ride the bike harder than I could before. I've still got a 954 shock sitting on the bench. Not sure what to do with it?

[Auspanglish]

Just a little more fine-tuning and she'll be as good as Enzeds, FOR FREE!! B)

You wish!

For a start, it's a VTec, and secondly, I've got more farkles, so I win! :warranty:

Ok Mr Smartypants, how do you know if I'm referring to my 98 or my 03?? :ph34r:

Doesn't matter. Better suspension is better suspension. Period. Unless you weigh 150lbs or less... even then there are improvements to be had, an experienced rider will be able to tell the difference.

No worries Seb, just a little friendly Ozzie / Noo Zoolander banter going on here, no mediating required!! :thumbsup:

Just ask him why they wear gumboots. :unsure:

I personally was thinking of going Wilbers myself. Their replies to my endless enquiries were prompt and very clear and informative. Their prices seem reasonable. Dutchy, you happy with yours in the end???

[sirimiri]

Whereas before I would button off and gingerly negotiate both corners, now I confidently ignore the corner, look way ahead, and fully commit myself

Maybe you're just that much damn better in the skills department? Did you wake up one morning, able to get through quadratic equations without pen/paper/calculator? :offtopic: And can now ride like the wind?

[enzed_viffer]

Ok Mr Smartypants, how do you know if I'm referring to my 98 or my 03?? :offtopic:

Oh crap!

I didn't look carefully enuff at your -profile.

OOps! My bad...