Dannytb

Mmmmm... Turbo RVF... Mmmmmmmm... That sounds better than sex! Actually, the VFR is better than sex, so a turbo RVF sounds MUCH better than sex! Nice work, and welcome!

My first glance I read "Yes, idiots!"

I've got JD (DMr) suspension on my Franken5th, but c'mon. (Rebuilt SP1 forks, and rebuilt 929 shock) Marginally unrideable is a stretch! I rode an ST with freshly done Traxxion forks and new Penske shock that was set up by Traxxion and it was incredible. It was set up for 2 up and luggage touring, but me solo with no hard bags it still worked.

I understand he wouldn't want to say a competitor is making something equal or better, but take that with a really huge grain of salt!

I agree. There are plenty of people on here who swear by their TD gear. Penske has been in Formula 1 for some time, and the research shows that drivers get the best lap times when they have confidence-inspiring firm low speed damping, and supple bump-absorbing high speed damping (preferably using regressive damping characteristics). It was a while ago that I did my digging, but I think I found information confirming that the same is true for motorcycle riders. Hence why Penske has motorcycle shock valves that can induce a preload into a soft shim stack: firm low speed damping, and soft high speed damping. Apparently, TD's approach is the same as Penske's, with the Axxion fork valves being somewhat similar to the Penske idea.

Might I suggest that the owner of the said bike with really stiff TD gear might've possibly had the wrong viscosity oil put in by their local guy at the last suspension service before JD saw the bike... Or perhaps some other reason that wasn't caused by TD. Without getting into the cause of the issue that JD had with the bike (whether it's only perceived, or an actual issue), it's only an opinion: one that might not be correct.

Terry is correct: there's already a bleed hole in the damping rod, so drilling a bleed hole in the valve will reduce rebound damping, causing the front to wallow. Also, drilling valves after they've been assembled risks damaging the shims (which will then fail to work as they should because they're extreme precision parts), and drilling after assembly is poor practice with regard to cleanliness (suspension damping components need to be meticulously clean).

Michael, I believe that the 5W Racetech oil required (per the Racetech spring rate/product recommendation calculator) has a viscosity somewhere around 16 to 18 cSt @ 40'C. The oil "weight" doesn't mean much because you can get fork oils that are rated as "5W" that have a viscosity range anywhere between ~10 cSt @ 40'C to ~25 cSt @ 40'C. Depending on which "5W fork oil" you get, the suspension could be far too soft, far too hard, or anywhere in between. So, always look at the viscosity. If it isn't in the correct range, grab a bottle that does have the correct viscosity (which could be 2.5W, 7W, or even 10W, depending on which brand it is). Also, other properties, such as cavitation resistance are important, so you may want to spend a few dollars more to get a better quality oil.

Me likey!

Thanks for the info. It sounds like braided lines will be what I'm looking for too. :)

I've been contemplating the same thing for the same reason. Don't forget to tell us all the results. :)

Sounds good! - I have been wondering what the bike would get out of a simple cam swap plus tuning.

Me too. I'd like to put a full programmable ECU in so I could also adjust the ignition timing, but that's a very expensive option for potentially little gain.