Improve your Sports Bikes Handling - Setup

 Talking about motorcycle suspension to your biking mates is a bit like speaking in a foreign language that you both only know the odd word of.
 Everyone knows you need suspension to make the ride more comfortable on bumpy roads and it makes the bike handle better when its done right, but what the adjusters actually do and the words actually mean normally brings on vacant stares.

At the bottom of this page are the setups we use on our bikes. 

 Heres a basic guide to setting up your bike 

Tyres

Your motorbikes handling will improve quite noticeably just by having the tyres blown up. Col likes his tyres set to the manufacturers recommended pressures as it makes the bike feel light and quick to respond in the corners, where as I like my front tyre 5 psi down and the rear 2 down from the recommended pressures. This way I think the front grips and give more confidence in the corners and the back rolls from side to side better as it gives a larger contact spot. Jon always seems to have a flat middle section and rarely does anything to his tyres and Rich has not got any preference as of yet.

 Suspension Settings

Before you start do this:- Get a pen and paper and write down the settings you are currently using so at least if you like how your bike feels you can go back to that setup if your adjustments or messing's don't go to plan.
 The front adjustments are done on the front forks and the rear adjustments done at the rear shock.

 The Suspension has 3 adjustable parts:-
 Compression -
This is when the suspension first moves, such as when braking,accelerating or going over bumpy surfaces
 Rebound -
This is the movement when the spring has peaked and is returning to its usual position
 Preload -
This is how much the spring needs to be loaded before it can compress.

Preload (gold bit with hex head) rebound (flat screw part in middle of gold bit)
 Compression is a screw head at the bottom of each fork leg.

Rear Shock Preload (Threaded collar above spring), Compression screw head at top of picture,
Rebound (screw head below the spring at the bottom of the shock)

To adjust them, you will need a flat screwdriver and the rear preload spanner that comes in the kit with the bike.

 Front adjustments  

      Preload is normally determined by how many lines are on show at the top of each fork leg.

      Rebound and Compression are determined by how far from full in you turn the screw out (anti clockwise), eg. 1 and a quarter turns means turn the screw 360 degrees then a further 90 degrees.

Rear Adjustments

        Preload is determined by which position the lug is located in starting from the lowest (softest) position.

         Rebound and Compression are determined by how far from full in you turn the screw out (anti clockwise), eg. 1 and a quarter turns means turn the screw 360 degrees then a further 90 degrees.

     

 Some more modern bikes have clicks when you turn the adjusters so they may suggest 5 clicks out from full in, again anti clockwise.

 

 There is no one right or wrong setup, the default is closest to that as it has to suit a plethera of situations, however when making adjustments be aware that what suits you may not suit your mate, you may like the front to steer quickly where your mate may not, you may like the rear to dip as you accelerate but someone else will not. Also you may not be as heavy as your mate so it may be set perfectly for you but its no good for your mate, so theres lots to think about.

Do your home work before making any changes, you can learn lots from magazines and advice and opinions form the owners forums for your bike.

Remember, always take it slow for a few miles after making adjustments until your happy with the way the bike handles and be prepared for the bike to feel unpredictable if you didnt get things right.

  But when it is set just right your ride is sorted!

Our Bikes Settings

Bike  / Year                                Front                                                      Rear

                         Preload    Rebound    Compression Tyre      Preload    Rebound    Compression Tyre

Yamaha R1 '02'     2 lines   3/4 turns      1 turn          31psi      6th          3/4 turn       full in           42psi

Eco Challenge

Every year while on our road trip we do an Eco Challenge. This means everytime we fill up with fuel I have to write down how many litres of fuel each of us drew.
 The fuel used ranged from 55.1 MPG to as low as 36.4 MPG over the 6 days.
We all took the same amount of luggage and used the same Oxford Hump Back soft luggage.
 Our trip was 905 miles which included a good mixture of roads and steep hills, a fair bit of stops to take photos, eat, drink, repair and dry off. 400 Miles were on Motorways and the rest A or B class roads.

Loaded

Col on the Honda Fireblade with a 900cc engine recorded the best MPG at 55.1, this is down to the combined weight of the bike and rider being the lightest which gives a good power to weight ratio. He averaged 48MPG over the trip. His average MPG when wearing his waterproofs dropped by 4MPG

Rich with the Kawasaki ZX636 a 600cc machine got 52.7MPG at best and averaged 47.6MPG over the trip.His average MPG when wearing his waterproofs dropped by 1 MPG

Phill with the Yamaha R1 a 1000cc machine got 50.8MPG at best but averaged 45.3MPG over the trip.His average MPG when wearing his waterproofs dropped by 2.5 MPG

Jon on the Suzuki GSXR another 1000cc machine got 48.7MPG and averaged 43.6MPG over the trip.His average MPG when wearing his waterproofs dropped by 3 MPG

Ed is the average of the 4 of us.

 For 3 journeys we were wearing waterproof over suits, which have a lot of loose fitting areas and flapage, when on these journeys the bikes average MPG dropped by 1-4 MPG.

 This year I have scored it in the same method as the Olympics, counting the amount of Golds, Silvers and Bronzes for the 5 catergories below.

• Average MPG
• Best MPG
• Tolerance (The difference between best and worst MPG)
• Best MPG compared to MCNs figure
• Difference between biggest and smallest amount of litres bought

 Results 

                                         Gold            Silver        Bronze

Best Average MPG           Col              Rich          Ed

Best MPG                         Col              Rich          Ed

Tolerence                          Ed               Phill           Jon

Better than MCN              Rich             Phill           Ed

Difference between fill ups Col              Ed             Phill

 Col - Honda Fireblade  3x Gold    0x Silver    0 x Bronze

 Rich - Kawasaki 636    1x Gold    2x Silver    0 x Bronze

 Ed - LAW of Average  1x Gold    1x Silver    3 x Bronze

 Phill - Yamaha R1         0x Gold    2x Silver    1 x Bronze

 Jon - Suzuki GSXR       0x Gold    0x Silver    1 x Bronze

Honda CBR 900 RR Fireblade

 This was Cols  Honda CBR900RR Fireblade. The MK1 Fireblade is the bike that shaped the future of sports bikes. Back in its day the Honda fireblade was the lightest sportsbike on the market, which made it out handle any of the competition.
The Fireblade has a 16 inch front wheel which gave it a reputation for having dangerous steering which was replaced with a 17inch front wheel on the newer models.

This picture was taken in a white out!

Controls
 The Instruments are of the analogue type, having a speedometer, rev counter and temperature gauge. On the speedo is an odometer and a trip gauge, also the usual lights for indicators and neutral are underneath. The fuses are under the twist grip which is a handy place to get at. The bars are set quite low and the pegs quite high giving an aggresive riders position, but causes wrist,neck and leg ache. The seat is very hard and Col is usually the first to suffer with uncomfortable pains on long journeys. The rear seat is on a hinge that lifts vetically to allow access into a huge empty space. There is room for the tool kit, disc locks 4 drinks cans and some dinner, the most impressive of all the bikes we have owned between us. There is twin headlights on the fireblade that can be switched on or off.

Riding it
 As it has a 900cc engine you would not expect it to keep us with the more modern 1000cc sports bikes but you would be wrong, when its given a handfull of throttle it can easily make the same pace as the younger bikes on the roads along the straights and as its so light can handle very well through the corners. Also when we are adding fuel it always uses less than the 1000cc bikes.

Cols Honda CBR900RR Fireblade

CBR 900RR on our trip up the horseshoe pass to the Ponderosa Cafe

Stats

• Engine Size - 893cc
• Top Speed - 160mph (we have seen 160mph still with a bit more available)
• Power - 128 bhp
• Weight - 180kg
• Fuel Tank - 18ltr
• Average MPG - 43 (we have regularly seen over 45mpg)
• Tank range - 160miles
• Insurance group 16
• Tyres - Front 130/70 16, Rear 180/55/17
• Suspension - Rear fully adjustable, Front Preload and Rebound only

 Settings
                     Standard Honda settings
                      Front:- Preload - 4 lines showing
                                  Rebound - 1.5 turns out from full in
                      Rear:- Preload - Position 4
                                  Rebound - 1 turn out from full in
                                  Compression 1 turn out from full in
                                   Tyre Pressures F 36 : R 42

                       Performance bikes recommended road settings which we also like:-
                       Front:- Preload - 4 lines showing
                                   Rebound - 1.5 turns out from full in
                       Rear:- Preload - Position 4
                                   Rebound - 1 turn out from full in
                                   Compression 1 turn out from full in
                                   Tyre Pressures F 34 : R 39

Mods
Col has changed his end can for a scorpion system, added a rear hugger, changed the large indicators for some smaller ones and added a clock.

As New

Fireblade by Bala Lake

Theres room for a pair of boots, helmet, jacket and 2 cheese and pickle sandwiches under the seat!

Honda CBR900RR Fireblade,
With a typical load when touring.

Yamaha R1



Yamaha R1 / YZF R1 series 3 2002 - 2003 

 The Yamaha R1, or  if you prefer the Yamaha YZF R1.
 This model is the Yamaha R1 5PW  2002 - 2003 version, it is the first major update Yamaha did to the R1 and is regarded by many as its best looking.
  The update included the addition of fuel injection, which delivers as much fuel as the engine needs at the given rpm.

Controls
  The Instrument display lights up in blue, has a rev counter and a large digital read out of the current speed. The select button scrolls through 2 trip counters,the Odometer and if held for 1 second displays the time. The rev limit light can be adjusted to illuminate at your desired rev limit. When the ignition is first turned on the rev counter needle is used as an indication to problems the computer diagnostic might find, and the bike makes some impressive servo noises as it goes through its checks. The bike has twin headlights which cannot be turned off and was the first version of the R1 to have a rear light made of LEDs. The rear section of the seat lifts off to reveal a compartment big enough for the tool kit, a drink and a KitKat !

   Riding it
  
  The seat is nicely padded, and  the reach to the bars is not too far. The foot pegs are quite high and back giving it an agressive feel. On longer journeys or sitting in traffic can cause wrist and shoulder/neck ache as for me at 6 feet tall the handlebars could do with being a fraction higher, but sitting close to the tank helps this a bit. Out on the road the bike has a lot of punch when you open the throttle, turns quickly, yet feels stable at the same time. Pirelli Diablo Corsa tyres give great grip and feed back giving confidence through the bends. I found the best tyre pressure for me is 31psi in the front and 40 on the rear.

  Official stas and Everyday Superbikes Stats

•  Engine size - 998cc
•  Power - 150 BHP
•  Top Speed - 165 MPH    (160 seen)
•  Weight - 175 Kg
•  Fuel Capacity - 17 Ltrs
•  Avg MPG - 38   (42 seen regularly)
•  Tank Range - 149 miles (but only if you have spent a long time in 6th gear)
•  Insurance group - 16
•  Tyres - Front 120/70 17, Rear 190/70 17
•  Settings - I like 31psi in my front tyre and 40psi in the rear.
•  Suspension is fully adjustable, One must do, is to stiffen up the rear shock.

Settings Standard Yamaha settings
          Front:- Preload - 6 lines showing
                       Rebound - 1.75 turns out from full in
                       Compression - 1.5 turns out from fully in
          Rear:- Preload - Position 4 / 9
                      Rebound - 2 turn out from full in
                      Compression 2 turn out from full in
                      Tyre Pressures F 36 : R 42

Performance bikes recommended road settings which we also like:-
           Front:- Preload - 4 lines showin
                       Rebound - 0.75 turns out from full in
                       Compression - fully in
            Rear:- Preload - Position 5th or 6th
                       Rebound - 0.75 turn out from full in
                       Compression 1 turn out from full in
                       Tyre Pressures F 34 : R 39

   
   Modifications.

  My bike has got a Power commander, a Blue Flame exhaust can, K&N air filter and oil filter and I have replaced the brake hoses for a set of braided ones.
I have made an aluminium spacer to raise the front seat by 7.5mm which helps my knees and added Crash Bobbins incase it should fall on to its side.
 I have a double bubble screen which makes a small difference when touring, though I like the look with the original screen better.

   Common Problems.

Gearboxes have an issue going from 1st into 2nd gear this is most common on bikes that have been wheelied alot. If you have this problem its not a cheap fix. Expect to pay between £450 and £500 to get this sorted out but it can be done in a couple of days.
 Also the Exup valve can seize up, symptoms are the bike feels as though it is lacking power at low revs. Its a problem Jon had when he owend the Yamaha Thunderace. Its not too hard to fix and normally can be done with a bit of effort and some WD40.
 The Regulator / Rectifier / Stator, this is to do with an electrical / charging problem. Common fixes are to add a pc fan to cool it down.
 Neutral switches can stick but can be easily fixed with some WD40.
The wiring loom has a big white connection block at the front end of the bike, this can get corroded and cause electrical problems, but its not a major problem to repair.

Check the R1 owners forum for information that may help solve any issues you may have.

 Problems I have Encountered

 The few problems that I have had, was with the neutral switch click to see more, and the Stator/regulator rectifier
 Also the auto choke seized up so again with some WD40 the problem was sorted out.
  I had a low speed accident when pulling out of a junction avoiding a pot hole in the road, which damaged the clutch case/cover and edge of the exhaust can. The clutch cover was expensive, so thats the reason for fitting crash bobbins.



   Newer versions.

 On the newer versions of the R1, Yamaha have kept a similar riding position, adjusted the position of the exhaust, added some googlie eye headlights and added an array of electronic wizardary, however you will need to find out about those bikes elsewhere.

Phill

As New

YZF - R1  1998 and 2002 models

Ready for take off

R1 At Spa

Just after a lap of the Nurburgring Nordschleife

Jon bought the R1 brand new.
Look at his little face!