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Re: [ST] First question!/pardon my ignorance



Quoting triumph1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx:

> My RS is my first modern machine and I really have had no problems with
> the suspension.  The one thing that occurred to me last night while
> riding was, I don't even know what better or great suspension feels
> like.

Ok I had a GSXR1000 before the ST. I still have a ZXR750 track/road bike for
hooning.

Better suspension is about being passed by another bike when your suspension is
stopping you from going any faster.

IE: bumpy roads are throwing the bike around. Dips in the road on bends make
the fairing touch down. The rear end pogoing up and donw on fast roads when
you have everything wound up to full damping.

so basically YOU will know when you need to change.

> Then I was thinking maybe better or great suspension really is
> not better or so great for sport tour riding on real roads.  I would
> love the chance to ride something that is set up with a race tech front
> and an ohlins rear,

Mine has both. I will probably meet up with the WaleSweST group over here in
the UK at some point and compare notes. The original rear shock on the ST was
great. A bit soft me thinks, but ideal for touring mode. It's only when you
start going really fast that you notice it can't cope.

The Race Tech front end helps stop the dive under breaking. IIRC the standard
forks have no compression damping. Anyroadup  the forks now feel much more in
control and better able to do the job. i don't need to shut off for bumps like
I did previously. Again its a speed thing.


> but I just don't think I could part with that kind
> of money on the chance I may not be happy with it.

Oh you would be happy with it. But happy spending the money is another thing. I
only paid 6.5K GBP for my ST so I can offset it against the true 7.5K asking
price. Plus my shock was second hand. I would never bother with a new one.
Just not worth the expense.


>  Modern machines are
> designed a certain way for a reason and I believe each bike is designed
> to perform a certain way and built that way.

Down to a price...

>  For every mod or
> enhancement a person does to a bike there is a trade off.  Sometimes
> these trade offs are not so good.  I once put a bigger sprocket on the
> rear and was not happy  with the higher revving motor and the lose of
> top end speed.  I always felt like I was abusing the crap out of the
> bike because it sounded like the RPM's were going to force the bike to
> explode, so the end result was I used the 45.00 sprocket for two weeks
> and now it hangs on my garage wall.

Don't get caught up in the process of swapping things and fiddling for the sake
of it.

All those bits add up to a fair amount of petrol.

>  I have never messed with the rear
> shock setting in 49584 miles  and have never been let down by the stock
> shock in any situation or style of riding, but then again I wouldn't
> know what to do or what to feel for if I did change the settings.
> Sometimes I wish I were a performance guru, but then I probably would
> ride less because of my insane desire to make the bike perform better
> than it was intended.

Just buy a GSXR1000 or something similar.

>  Perhaps someday I will have the opportunity to
> ride a "nicely" set up bike and feel the difference first hand.  Just my
> rant and .02 worth.

Do you live in the UK?

- --
SimonB


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