I do love a good decussion , its 02.50am , just got in from work , dirty/tired and knackered and I`m typing this , I must be mad !!
Anyway , squiffy you old wombat , you are pardoned ...
Now, what I meant was (and I`m sure others may well have seen this at track days ) is Richard heads on old road bikes trying to do things that I would only do with
a new bike , like braking at the very last minute , like trying to ride around the outside with cold tyres that still have 36/42 lbs in them ,pushing there suspension to the max,where it starts bucking all over the place , fine for them not a prob, but keep away from me if you end up on your butt basically being prats and endangering me and all the others on track ....
Something the organisers don`t do is check the bikes over before letting them out on the circuit ! odd that as if you want to do club race your bike must be up to ACU standards , have lots of things wired etc etc .....but not for a track day .....
Enough of the that ,sure you know where I`m coming from , back to the bike , I do take onboard all thats been said about this topic and I hope to get it sorted , will let you know if I find what it was....
To be honest , the front end of my storm was very lively even before I put the spacer on, so not too sure what the prob is , but I am going to check the head stock bearings at the weekend as a starter as someone suggested..........
Cheers guys
Rob
Steering Damper ???
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robbie.111
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:47 pm
- Location: braintree
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Pete.L
- Forum Health And Safety Officer
- Posts: 7302
- Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2003 5:09 pm
- Location: Bristol
Robbie said
It is possible to get the Storm really stable with a good suspension set up but if you over stiffen the rear it will be really prone to slappers (previous experience
)
If I was you I would check all the main bearing points, wheels,swing arm, forks ect, and if all is ok I'd then move on to paying £40 quid to have it properly set up(that sounds really cheep to me) and then see how it behaves. Personally I think you may have over done it with Jacking the rear and dropping the front so much but I haven't ridden one with that geometry so I'm only guessing.
What I would suggest if you can't wait and want to play yourself is to reduce as much dampening as possible from the rear with out it starting to wallow when powering out of bends. This will help settle the bike and stop it shaking with every little bump.
Personally I think dampers are a good idea on track but you want it to enhance your confidence and not hide a problem.
Have Fun
Pete.l
I agree with all you said Robbie except this bit.I accept where your all coming form , and I agree, maybe if I get the butt end a bit stiffer it will compensate for the torque pushing the butt end into the tarmac thus making the front rise.......
It is possible to get the Storm really stable with a good suspension set up but if you over stiffen the rear it will be really prone to slappers (previous experience
)If I was you I would check all the main bearing points, wheels,swing arm, forks ect, and if all is ok I'd then move on to paying £40 quid to have it properly set up(that sounds really cheep to me) and then see how it behaves. Personally I think you may have over done it with Jacking the rear and dropping the front so much but I haven't ridden one with that geometry so I'm only guessing.
What I would suggest if you can't wait and want to play yourself is to reduce as much dampening as possible from the rear with out it starting to wallow when powering out of bends. This will help settle the bike and stop it shaking with every little bump.
Personally I think dampers are a good idea on track but you want it to enhance your confidence and not hide a problem.
Have Fun
Pete.l
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Stormin Ben
- Posts: 1234
- Joined: Sun Dec 01, 2002 12:23 am
- Location: Birmingham
Well here goes with another essay 
Replying to the points you and others have raised
1. 10mm seems a bit extreme for the fork drop, especially for road use. I had an easily removable spacer that I put under the shock for track use and removed for road use. The 2 are very different disciplines and you'll struggle to find a setup that works 100% for both
2. Knee sliders. Sorry mate but you're doing it wrong! If you are getting through a set per track day you are doing it for pose and putting far too much weight through them (or you are making them yourself out of marzipan )
3. Riding style. Have you looked into how much this is causing your problems? Things like sitting too far back, holding on too tight, weight on the seat not on the pegs etc. Also it sounds like you may be a bit slow in the corners and then trying to catch back up by giving it a big handful on the exit.
4. Old shonker -I resent that!! My first ever trackday was at Cadwell on a PB frenzy and I got my pic in the magazine going round the outside of an RGV250 on my F-reg GS450 with army boots and stuck on sliders!
The fact that you say they go round the outside of you might back up the last point I raised above?
5. Maxton. If the bikes handling that badly the first thing I'd be doing was getting on the phone to Maxton. You need to find out what they have done to the bike (especially the forks) coz its not impossible they've replaced the springs but not cut down the spacer so the overall length is too long. This WOULD necessitate pulling the forks through a lot more than usual to get the bike turning properly (personal experience here) but they would not be working properly.
6. What tyres are you running? I had some Dunlop 208GPa's which were horrendously unstable. Switched to Rennsports and its now fine (track)
On the road I use Diablos, coz running race stickies is expensive and pointless. They rarely get (or stay) hot enough and just square off way before you've got the edges trashed
Look forward to you reply
Replying to the points you and others have raised
1. 10mm seems a bit extreme for the fork drop, especially for road use. I had an easily removable spacer that I put under the shock for track use and removed for road use. The 2 are very different disciplines and you'll struggle to find a setup that works 100% for both
2. Knee sliders. Sorry mate but you're doing it wrong! If you are getting through a set per track day you are doing it for pose and putting far too much weight through them (or you are making them yourself out of marzipan
)3. Riding style. Have you looked into how much this is causing your problems? Things like sitting too far back, holding on too tight, weight on the seat not on the pegs etc. Also it sounds like you may be a bit slow in the corners and then trying to catch back up by giving it a big handful on the exit.
4. Old shonker -I resent that!!
My first ever trackday was at Cadwell on a PB frenzy and I got my pic in the magazine going round the outside of an RGV250 on my F-reg GS450 with army boots and stuck on sliders!The fact that you say they go round the outside of you might back up the last point I raised above?
5. Maxton. If the bikes handling that badly the first thing I'd be doing was getting on the phone to Maxton. You need to find out what they have done to the bike (especially the forks) coz its not impossible they've replaced the springs but not cut down the spacer so the overall length is too long. This WOULD necessitate pulling the forks through a lot more than usual to get the bike turning properly (personal experience here) but they would not be working properly.
6. What tyres are you running? I had some Dunlop 208GPa's which were horrendously unstable. Switched to Rennsports and its now fine (track)
On the road I use Diablos, coz running race stickies is expensive and pointless. They rarely get (or stay) hot enough and just square off way before you've got the edges trashed
Look forward to you reply
I've got an inferiority complex
But its not a very good one!
But its not a very good one!
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robbie.111
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:47 pm
- Location: braintree
Well firstly ben, I didn`t say the bike handled bad , I said it shook its head as I was powering on after I went over a small bump in the road .....
Knee sliders , erm I don`t make em , I use them it saves my leathers from getting holes in them just like the big boys in Motogp, WSB, BSB etc , I`m sure they use a set after each race , not in a whole days sessions ..
I would sooner have my slider planted ,it gives me a good indication of lean angle than have it tight against the frame and the peg hit the tarmac first ...
Riding postion , erm I would find it very hard moving my butt around on the seat trying to go forward or back as I have a single seat converter on the bike so not much I can do about that .., as for being slow in the corners , I`ll let you know when I do my FIRST track day on it , don`t think you have read the post properly ben...
Why resent what I said about old shocker, wasn`t aimed at you , it was in general , and I don`t know how many track days you have done,maybe many but I have done quite a few in the last two years and seen some right twats on curcuit who have no regard for themselfs let alone all the others out there hoping to go home in one piece ......
Knee sliders , erm I don`t make em , I use them it saves my leathers from getting holes in them just like the big boys in Motogp, WSB, BSB etc , I`m sure they use a set after each race , not in a whole days sessions ..
I would sooner have my slider planted ,it gives me a good indication of lean angle than have it tight against the frame and the peg hit the tarmac first ...
Riding postion , erm I would find it very hard moving my butt around on the seat trying to go forward or back as I have a single seat converter on the bike so not much I can do about that .., as for being slow in the corners , I`ll let you know when I do my FIRST track day on it , don`t think you have read the post properly ben...
Why resent what I said about old shocker, wasn`t aimed at you , it was in general , and I don`t know how many track days you have done,maybe many but I have done quite a few in the last two years and seen some right twats on curcuit who have no regard for themselfs let alone all the others out there hoping to go home in one piece ......
Live today , tomorrows not here yet.
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Stormin Ben
- Posts: 1234
- Joined: Sun Dec 01, 2002 12:23 am
- Location: Birmingham
Guilty as charged! 
I hadn't read your first post properly and then remembered a thread about tracking a Storm.
Found it here http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7281 and realised t'was you that started it
Anyhoo, with that in mind, back to the original question
Steering damper.
Really shouldn't need one and teh last time I looked into them nobody did a 916 stylee one coz the bars would foul it. However, spoke to the sprint distributer and he was happy for me to come down and see what other Honda fitment could be adapted. I decided I could spend the money better elsewhere
Knee sliders
If I was my Dad I'd reply that Geoff Duke never stuck his knee out and he didn't do too badly.
However, every time he brings that one up I remind him of how crap the tyres were in those days and how moderate the lean angles
The point about 'good indication of lean angle' is a good one -its what I use mine for. Just the briefest of touches and then its just skimming the tarmac with weight only being put on it if the tyres start to slide
Riding position
You can move about quite a bit with a single seat -certainly enough to make a difference
BTW, I'd be interested to see/ hear how yours is setup coz I'd never dare take mine on the road. It gives my chalfonts a hard enough time on a smooth track
Old shonker
I wasn't being seriously resentful (hence the )
But I'd much rather a shonker go round the outside than a plastic fantastic twattastic on his GSXR1Blade trying to go up the inside on the brakes totally out of control then Richard about mid corner before firing off out of it once he's got it upright
Corner speed
Sorry mate, reread my post and I didn't actually mean to sound so condescending!
In order to carry decent corner speed (and lets face it, its the only way you're gonna catch anybody on the Storm) you're gonna HAVE to have a serious look at the ground clearance
Track generally
The Storm is a grunty beast and this makes it a cracking road bike. You don't have to be screaming the tits off it to get decent acceleration which makes it forgiving
But on track where the 600's can be right in the sweet spot on the exit of every corner its much more of a struggle coz they make the same power but with less weight
And when it comes to 1000's don't forget your nearly 50% down on power with more weight
But all those things make it much more satisfying when you DO get it right and when you DO pass and stay past the 1000's
Final questions for you
1. What track are you looking at doing?
2. What tyres are you running?
I hadn't read your first post properly and then remembered a thread about tracking a Storm.
Found it here http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7281 and realised t'was you that started it
Anyhoo, with that in mind, back to the original question
Steering damper.
Really shouldn't need one and teh last time I looked into them nobody did a 916 stylee one coz the bars would foul it. However, spoke to the sprint distributer and he was happy for me to come down and see what other Honda fitment could be adapted. I decided I could spend the money better elsewhere
Knee sliders
If I was my Dad I'd reply that Geoff Duke never stuck his knee out and he didn't do too badly.
However, every time he brings that one up I remind him of how crap the tyres were in those days and how moderate the lean angles
The point about 'good indication of lean angle' is a good one -its what I use mine for. Just the briefest of touches and then its just skimming the tarmac with weight only being put on it if the tyres start to slide
Riding position
You can move about quite a bit with a single seat -certainly enough to make a difference
BTW, I'd be interested to see/ hear how yours is setup coz I'd never dare take mine on the road. It gives my chalfonts a hard enough time on a smooth track
Old shonker
I wasn't being seriously resentful (hence the
)But I'd much rather a shonker go round the outside than a plastic fantastic twattastic on his GSXR1Blade trying to go up the inside on the brakes totally out of control then Richard about mid corner before firing off out of it once he's got it upright
Corner speed
Sorry mate, reread my post and I didn't actually mean to sound so condescending!
In order to carry decent corner speed (and lets face it, its the only way you're gonna catch anybody on the Storm) you're gonna HAVE to have a serious look at the ground clearance
Track generally
The Storm is a grunty beast and this makes it a cracking road bike. You don't have to be screaming the tits off it to get decent acceleration which makes it forgiving
But on track where the 600's can be right in the sweet spot on the exit of every corner its much more of a struggle coz they make the same power but with less weight
And when it comes to 1000's don't forget your nearly 50% down on power with more weight
But all those things make it much more satisfying when you DO get it right and when you DO pass and stay past the 1000's
Final questions for you
1. What track are you looking at doing?
2. What tyres are you running?
I've got an inferiority complex
But its not a very good one!
But its not a very good one!
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Squiffythewombat
- Posts: 1406
- Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2005 1:51 pm
- Location: Canterbury, Kent
- Contact:
what an intresting thread, love a good dicussion me, nice to see we all have different views, adds some spice whatnot!
Robbie, ive a few points to make:
1) Knee sliders, WSB/GP riders WILL NOT GET THROUGH A PAIR OF SLIDERS IN A RACE! Next time you watch it play close attention, some rarely even touch! As you correctly said, knee down on track is FOR SHOW only! It will slow you down and give you an incorrect body angle if your hitting the deck on every corner! Ben has it right on, use it as a guide and then "save on the knee" if you need to!
You say you would rather you knee touch than your pegs? YOU STILL HAVE PEGS??????????????????????? This is where your going wrong! You shouldnt have any pegs left, mine got ground out long ago and that was on the road! Ground clearance is going to be your biggest problem!
2)Riding Postion If you cant move around on your seat theres something wrong! As any good rider knows body postion plays a very important role in riding and a single seat hump shouldnt effect this! Wedge your butt further back man!
3)Bike Checks... if the people running your trackdays dont at least look over the bikes then i would be rather worried! All bikes get checked at the days ive been too! Im assuming they make you tape up your lights etc?
4)Old Blokes... again i disagree. Thats YOUR OPINION of THEIR riding and as we've not seen the qulity of your skills its hard to judge! Every group will have its bad apples, please dont assume that because somebody hasnt got a brand new bike they are a bad rider. ALso please dont assume that because a bike is old its any less safe than yours!
The tracks have been about longer than most of the bikes and the suspension is perfectly caperable of dealing with such conditions. Pushing it too far has NOTHING to do with the bike, its all in the rider! There are equally as many idiots on brand new bikes as old ones!
Ben:
Corner speed is a good way to catch but still so many riders are scared of some really harsh braking i think! Normally i find myself catching them on the brakes, follow through the entire corner and then they straighten up and Richard all over me with the extra 60bhp on tap!
I think i need to look at my corner exits and maybe some more speed through the turn. This is what i find hard to work on as im already at max lean and anymore power down seems to drive me wide, i wonder if thats just my dumpy stock setup? Would be intrested to see what you think? (remmber im a poor student who cant actually afford any mods so be nice!)
I think thats a great point with the storm being heavier with less power. Thats so true, thats why it makes me laugh when people buy "trick bits"...whats the point, if your serious go and buy a decent bike, not a bloody sports tourer!
Robbie, ive a few points to make:
1) Knee sliders, WSB/GP riders WILL NOT GET THROUGH A PAIR OF SLIDERS IN A RACE! Next time you watch it play close attention, some rarely even touch! As you correctly said, knee down on track is FOR SHOW only! It will slow you down and give you an incorrect body angle if your hitting the deck on every corner! Ben has it right on, use it as a guide and then "save on the knee" if you need to!
You say you would rather you knee touch than your pegs? YOU STILL HAVE PEGS??????????????????????? This is where your going wrong! You shouldnt have any pegs left, mine got ground out long ago and that was on the road! Ground clearance is going to be your biggest problem!
2)Riding Postion If you cant move around on your seat theres something wrong! As any good rider knows body postion plays a very important role in riding and a single seat hump shouldnt effect this! Wedge your butt further back man!
3)Bike Checks... if the people running your trackdays dont at least look over the bikes then i would be rather worried! All bikes get checked at the days ive been too! Im assuming they make you tape up your lights etc?
4)Old Blokes... again i disagree. Thats YOUR OPINION of THEIR riding and as we've not seen the qulity of your skills its hard to judge! Every group will have its bad apples, please dont assume that because somebody hasnt got a brand new bike they are a bad rider. ALso please dont assume that because a bike is old its any less safe than yours!
The tracks have been about longer than most of the bikes and the suspension is perfectly caperable of dealing with such conditions. Pushing it too far has NOTHING to do with the bike, its all in the rider! There are equally as many idiots on brand new bikes as old ones!
Ben:
Corner speed is a good way to catch but still so many riders are scared of some really harsh braking i think! Normally i find myself catching them on the brakes, follow through the entire corner and then they straighten up and Richard all over me with the extra 60bhp on tap!
I think i need to look at my corner exits and maybe some more speed through the turn. This is what i find hard to work on as im already at max lean and anymore power down seems to drive me wide, i wonder if thats just my dumpy stock setup? Would be intrested to see what you think? (remmber im a poor student who cant actually afford any mods so be nice!)
I think thats a great point with the storm being heavier with less power. Thats so true, thats why it makes me laugh when people buy "trick bits"...whats the point, if your serious go and buy a decent bike, not a bloody sports tourer!
Squiffy_The_Wombat
Eagles may soar but wombats dont get sucked into jet engines!!
Eagles may soar but wombats dont get sucked into jet engines!!
I bought a sprint damper for mine last year..a side fitted jobby...and to tell the truth it screwed the handling big time ..even on its lowest setting. it made the steering so heavy i ran wide on even the less acute corners ...on a trackday at knockhill last year.. i ran wide at clarks..every time. and my corner speed isnt anything to brag about...and on the road i found it positively hairy..i ran wide on nearly every corner even on very farmiliar roads...
you can have mine for £120.....rrp was £199:99 when i bought it..get your forks done by roger@ revoloution..the transformation in handling after he has worked his magic is incredible and worth every penny of the £250 i paid in 05. i bought the damper because the bike was weaving at the front on bends when leaned over..turns out my front end needed attention..now all i need are bigger balls.and maybe a superbike school type trackday
you can have mine for £120.....rrp was £199:99 when i bought it..get your forks done by roger@ revoloution..the transformation in handling after he has worked his magic is incredible and worth every penny of the £250 i paid in 05. i bought the damper because the bike was weaving at the front on bends when leaned over..turns out my front end needed attention..now all i need are bigger balls.and maybe a superbike school type trackday
I AM THE STRANGE MAN YOUR MOTHER WARNED YOU ABOUT......
Have a sweetie and stop crying........
[Werthers Original...they never get rid of the taste]
Have a sweetie and stop crying........
[Werthers Original...they never get rid of the taste]
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robbie.111
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:47 pm
- Location: braintree
BEN ,
maybe your right mate I don`t need a damper , like I said I may be able to get the sus set up at snett when I go there , if so all the better coz I don`t really them anyway ....
Funny really , I rate gixxer`s highly as a great bike , had a few in the past 750y,K1 thou,K2 thou and a K4 thou , and they all come fitted with a factory steering damper .....anyway back to the replies ..
Like your point about Geoff Duke( who was he ? ) makes a lot of sence , bikes have come a long way since I started riding .......
Ref "Chalfonts" too right , braked hard a couple of times and watered my eyes after hitting the tank .....but I`ll try shifting about if I can ....
I have heard a lot about the lack of ground clearance with storms , I guess I`ll find out one way or the other at snett (should be interesting)
Ben, doing Snetterton on the 25th of feb , and I not sure about tyres yet , got a pair of supercorsas or I might put slicks on , decide nearer the day ..
Squiffy..........
I can`t agree with you on having your knee down gives you the wrong body angle , I have been told by a few instructors that you slid your butt across the seat move your weight forward and this puts your knee closer to the deck , was also yold the same by Steve Platter who I spent the day with at Colchester motorcycles(open day) when I worked there ...
Again I can`t agree about knee or pegs hitting the ground , I would sooner my knee touch first than my peg any day of the week , I can always move my knee in , can you stop your pegs digging into the tarmac ?, and if you are wearing you pegs out ,maybe you should change them for rearsets , there set higher up or maybe your the god of the curcuits , coz if you corner that low you should be snapping at rossis butt every week and we would all see you on the telly ! ....if my rearsets dig in , then I`m too low or about to fall on my butt like I did at Rockingham last year on a blade ....
Bike checks ....
How many of you guys who do track days have every had your bike check over before you are allowed on track ??
I did 5 last year with Focussed events and not once was bike or my sons and my mates bike checked ...
Old blokes , who said anything about old blokes squiffy , as I`m one my self compaired to most of you .....
Sure the tracks have been around a long time , but I think its a combination of all things squiff , the bike, the setup ,the rider and the size of your balls determins how quick you are .....
The first track day I did after my heart in 2005 I rode like a pussy , but I have gained a lot more confidence now , but its still a combination of all what I said , its just my opinion at the end of the day , we all have different ideas , my storm is an unknown animal to me right now as I have not pushed it on track yet, but all my questions will be answered next month .....and I will either keep it or buy some different to use on track ....
Hopefully it will be ok as I like the bike very much and the way it delivers the power ......
Another can of worms for debate ......
maybe your right mate I don`t need a damper , like I said I may be able to get the sus set up at snett when I go there , if so all the better coz I don`t really them anyway ....
Funny really , I rate gixxer`s highly as a great bike , had a few in the past 750y,K1 thou,K2 thou and a K4 thou , and they all come fitted with a factory steering damper .....anyway back to the replies ..
Like your point about Geoff Duke( who was he ? ) makes a lot of sence , bikes have come a long way since I started riding .......
Ref "Chalfonts" too right , braked hard a couple of times and watered my eyes after hitting the tank .....but I`ll try shifting about if I can ....
I have heard a lot about the lack of ground clearance with storms , I guess I`ll find out one way or the other at snett (should be interesting)
Ben, doing Snetterton on the 25th of feb , and I not sure about tyres yet , got a pair of supercorsas or I might put slicks on , decide nearer the day ..
Squiffy..........
I can`t agree with you on having your knee down gives you the wrong body angle , I have been told by a few instructors that you slid your butt across the seat move your weight forward and this puts your knee closer to the deck , was also yold the same by Steve Platter who I spent the day with at Colchester motorcycles(open day) when I worked there ...
Again I can`t agree about knee or pegs hitting the ground , I would sooner my knee touch first than my peg any day of the week , I can always move my knee in , can you stop your pegs digging into the tarmac ?, and if you are wearing you pegs out ,maybe you should change them for rearsets , there set higher up or maybe your the god of the curcuits , coz if you corner that low you should be snapping at rossis butt every week and we would all see you on the telly ! ....if my rearsets dig in , then I`m too low or about to fall on my butt like I did at Rockingham last year on a blade ....
Bike checks ....
How many of you guys who do track days have every had your bike check over before you are allowed on track ??
I did 5 last year with Focussed events and not once was bike or my sons and my mates bike checked ...
Old blokes , who said anything about old blokes squiffy , as I`m one my self compaired to most of you .....
Sure the tracks have been around a long time , but I think its a combination of all things squiff , the bike, the setup ,the rider and the size of your balls determins how quick you are .....
The first track day I did after my heart in 2005 I rode like a pussy , but I have gained a lot more confidence now , but its still a combination of all what I said , its just my opinion at the end of the day , we all have different ideas , my storm is an unknown animal to me right now as I have not pushed it on track yet, but all my questions will be answered next month .....and I will either keep it or buy some different to use on track ....
Hopefully it will be ok as I like the bike very much and the way it delivers the power ......
Another can of worms for debate ......
Live today , tomorrows not here yet.
Robbie,
There's a few questions I would appreciate the answers too
1. Did you have the Maxton rear shock and forks up-graded yourself for your body weight
because if the bike was already done it could have the wrong springs, the springs could be meant for a heavier or lighter person than yourself
2. I did mention this earlier but you must have missed it
Is your bike set up to Maxton's specifications for the Storm
3. Do Maxton recommend fitting a 6mm spacer on the rear and dropping the yokes down the fork legs 10mm
4. Also have you altered the gearing, leaving the rear wheel pushed as far forward in the swingarm as it will go
I look forward too hearing your reply
Chris.
There's a few questions I would appreciate the answers too
1. Did you have the Maxton rear shock and forks up-graded yourself for your body weight
because if the bike was already done it could have the wrong springs, the springs could be meant for a heavier or lighter person than yourself 2. I did mention this earlier but you must have missed it
Is your bike set up to Maxton's specifications for the Storm
3. Do Maxton recommend fitting a 6mm spacer on the rear and dropping the yokes down the fork legs 10mm
4. Also have you altered the gearing, leaving the rear wheel pushed as far forward in the swingarm as it will go
I look forward too hearing your reply
Chris.
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robbie.111
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:47 pm
- Location: braintree
Hello chris ......
Sorry mate I missed you in my reply ...
The maxton rear shock was already fitted to the bike when I bought it and the previous owner told me that the forks were re-worked at maxton also ..
On the road the bike feels very good , and the settings are not wound right in so I wouldn`t have thought that its too far out for my weight ,but I can`t be sure ......
I know it really does need to be set up properly by someone who knows thats why I am hoping that the ohlins guy will be at snett when I go there , he did my R1 and it made all the difference ....
Not sure if Maxton make any comment on using a rear spacer , its what I have heard from others and it does make sence to jack the rear up as it definately makes the bike turn in better , did all this on my ZX7R and it made a good handling bike into a great handling bike , so it should do the same for the storm .
I haven`t touch the gearing at all yet, but I am thinking of just dropping one tooth on the front cog !!
What do you think ???
Cheers
rob
Sorry mate I missed you in my reply ...
The maxton rear shock was already fitted to the bike when I bought it and the previous owner told me that the forks were re-worked at maxton also ..
On the road the bike feels very good , and the settings are not wound right in so I wouldn`t have thought that its too far out for my weight ,but I can`t be sure ......
I know it really does need to be set up properly by someone who knows thats why I am hoping that the ohlins guy will be at snett when I go there , he did my R1 and it made all the difference ....
Not sure if Maxton make any comment on using a rear spacer , its what I have heard from others and it does make sence to jack the rear up as it definately makes the bike turn in better , did all this on my ZX7R and it made a good handling bike into a great handling bike , so it should do the same for the storm .
I haven`t touch the gearing at all yet, but I am thinking of just dropping one tooth on the front cog !!
What do you think ???
Cheers
rob
Live today , tomorrows not here yet.
Hello Rob,
I don't think you can compare the Storm with the ZX7R, imo they are in different ball parks, I think I'm right in saying (no doubt someone will put me straight if I'm completely wrong) that the ZX was a very much race orientated bike from the go, compared to the Storm. I'm not trying to knock the Storm or put you off it, far from it, but I think trying to compare the two as being the same in the handling stakes is not helping you
If it were me I think would remove the 10mm drop on the front and the 6mm spacer on the rear, then see if you still have the same problem, if you have then you know it's nothing to do with that. If the problem has gone away try re-introducing the set up you have at the moment, but only doing one alteration at a time, it may be 10mm at the front is too much but 5mm would be OK, or 6mm at the rear is too much, but 4mm would be OK, well that's my 2pence worth. Good luck with it.
I personally prefer going for a larger rear sprocket than a smaller front to lower the gearing
Cheers,
Chris.
I don't think you can compare the Storm with the ZX7R, imo they are in different ball parks, I think I'm right in saying (no doubt someone will put me straight if I'm completely wrong) that the ZX was a very much race orientated bike from the go, compared to the Storm. I'm not trying to knock the Storm or put you off it, far from it, but I think trying to compare the two as being the same in the handling stakes is not helping you
If it were me I think would remove the 10mm drop on the front and the 6mm spacer on the rear, then see if you still have the same problem, if you have then you know it's nothing to do with that. If the problem has gone away try re-introducing the set up you have at the moment, but only doing one alteration at a time, it may be 10mm at the front is too much but 5mm would be OK, or 6mm at the rear is too much, but 4mm would be OK, well that's my 2pence worth. Good luck with it.
I personally prefer going for a larger rear sprocket than a smaller front to lower the gearing
Cheers,
Chris.
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robbie.111
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:47 pm
- Location: braintree
Hello chris ...
Thanks for your reply and suggestions ....
I wasn`t trying to compair the zx7r and the storm and your right in what you said the zx7r was more race orientated , and handled like it was on rails , but it was very heavy and tiring on track .....
I might try this guy roger everyone is talking about maybe he can also throw some light on it , and then maybe like you said chris , take the spacer out and lift the legs up .....
Cheers mate
Rob
Thanks for your reply and suggestions ....
I wasn`t trying to compair the zx7r and the storm and your right in what you said the zx7r was more race orientated , and handled like it was on rails , but it was very heavy and tiring on track .....
I might try this guy roger everyone is talking about maybe he can also throw some light on it , and then maybe like you said chris , take the spacer out and lift the legs up .....
Cheers mate
Rob
Live today , tomorrows not here yet.
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Squiffythewombat
- Posts: 1406
- Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2005 1:51 pm
- Location: Canterbury, Kent
- Contact:
Robbie i think you misunderstood me dude!
Im saying if your having your knee on the deck round the corner rather than hovering above it then your sticking your knee out further than it needs to go thus altering your body postion!
Pegs wise i was joking dude! The reason i have ground out my pegs is i do lots of showboating round the local roundabouts and going low is all part of the fun. My pegs dont actually dig into the tarmac, i dunno about yours but mine are on springs so move upwards!
as for rearsets, well if you wanna pay for them? at the moment im still trying to find out where my next trye is coming from!!! LOL!
The ZX7 was produced around the ZXR7 i believe but just highly modified, could be wrong! The ZXR4s are great track bikes but suck on the road unless you want a black and blue elbow on even the smoothest roads!
I reccon chris is right, take them off and take it on track then see how she fares! Either way your gonna have a lot of fun tracking a V-twin i think!
as for sprockets, depending what you hit down the straights 1 on the front and 1 on the rear should be good (2 would be better i think)
Im saying if your having your knee on the deck round the corner rather than hovering above it then your sticking your knee out further than it needs to go thus altering your body postion!
Pegs wise i was joking dude! The reason i have ground out my pegs is i do lots of showboating round the local roundabouts and going low is all part of the fun. My pegs dont actually dig into the tarmac, i dunno about yours but mine are on springs so move upwards!
as for rearsets, well if you wanna pay for them? at the moment im still trying to find out where my next trye is coming from!!! LOL!
The ZX7 was produced around the ZXR7 i believe but just highly modified, could be wrong! The ZXR4s are great track bikes but suck on the road unless you want a black and blue elbow on even the smoothest roads!
I reccon chris is right, take them off and take it on track then see how she fares! Either way your gonna have a lot of fun tracking a V-twin i think!
as for sprockets, depending what you hit down the straights 1 on the front and 1 on the rear should be good (2 would be better i think)
Squiffy_The_Wombat
Eagles may soar but wombats dont get sucked into jet engines!!
Eagles may soar but wombats dont get sucked into jet engines!!
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robbie.111
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:47 pm
- Location: braintree
No worries squiff , its a debate amongst bikers , the most sociable guys in the land ......
Mmmmmmmm do you not think that 1 less front and one more on the back might be a little too much , I don`t know , but the old girl gets a good lick on when I wind it full on with the standard gearing , but I guess it depends where you go , and at snett rivett straight is the longest on any track in the uk I`m told ....
My pegs spring up as well squiff but I have changed the oem ones for some adjustable pegs from germany so they sit about 30mm higher than standard , if these get ground down its because I`ve ended up on my butt again , lol... hopefully not ! .........
Gonna ring this roger guy , so I`ll let you all know what he says about the prob !
cheers
Rob .............
Mmmmmmmm do you not think that 1 less front and one more on the back might be a little too much , I don`t know , but the old girl gets a good lick on when I wind it full on with the standard gearing , but I guess it depends where you go , and at snett rivett straight is the longest on any track in the uk I`m told ....
My pegs spring up as well squiff but I have changed the oem ones for some adjustable pegs from germany so they sit about 30mm higher than standard , if these get ground down its because I`ve ended up on my butt again , lol... hopefully not ! .........
Gonna ring this roger guy , so I`ll let you all know what he says about the prob !
cheers
Rob .............
Live today , tomorrows not here yet.
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Stormin Ben
- Posts: 1234
- Joined: Sun Dec 01, 2002 12:23 am
- Location: Birmingham
wow, looks like you've opened up a whole can of worms here Robbie
Squiffy
You're right about catching people using corner speed but getting past courteously is another matter
I've found the best approach is to run deeper into the turn before turning hard and cutting inside (squaring off the corner)
Because you've got the corner done you are hard on the gas while they are still leant over trying to feed it in
alternatively you have to hold back on the entrance so you can then carry the speed through the corner without them slowing you down in the middle
Re the 'trick bits' comment -I'm not really in agreement there. The whole reason I've got a Storm is coz its a cracking road bike and thats where I do 98% of my riding. However for the 2% it really needs some help to safely get round the track at a decent pace
Sirch
Good point about the Maxton setup
Also, I'd have thought that an aftermarket shock for the storm would have either ride height adjustment or be made longer to sort the standard Storms tail down stance
b]Robbie[/b]
1. Suzuki have been fitting steering dampers to pretty much all of their sports bikes since they got their arses burnt with the TL1000 lawsuits and adverse publicity
2. Braking. Have you tried moving your butt out to the side BEFORE you start your braking? It means you don't have to shift whilst braking and trying to turn in all at the same time.
As an added bonus you brace the inside of your thigh against the tank and save your plums for slapping on something softer and chin shaped
3. Ground clearance is a very real problem. At the very least you need smaller pegs and raised exhausts. Its more of a problem on faster corners but there are a couple at Snetterton so take it easy to start with
4. Snetterton. In february? You'd be better of with snow chains! Its grim at the best of times but I really doubt you're gonna be able to get let alone maintain enough heat in slicks at that time of year. Stick with the supercorsas
5. Body position. I think what Squiffy is refering to is nicely indicated in the 2 pics at the bottom of this post. Me and my mate at cadwell. Same corner, very different attitudes to knee down
6. Knee down. Definitely agree that the knee should go down before the peg but its generally just a touch, not a full on grind (unless you've got titanium sliders and there's a photographer present )
7. Squiffy's peg grinding. Wearing the pegs out on the storm does NOT make you a riding God -you can almost do it in a straight line
8. Rockingham. Which corner did you bin it on? What happened?
9. Bike checks. The last one I can remember was a Performance Bikes frenzy at Donington. In 1998
If you're bike is smoking or someone reports you they might consider it but otherwise sadly not. Its a blame culture thing -if they check your bike and say its safe and you then crash coz your brake pads fell out they could be held liable
10.
Maxton forks always used to have punch marks round the top cap to indicate they had done them
You really need to phone them ASAP, they should have records of exactly what they have done as well as what springs you should have in for your weight/ middle aged spread
11. Jacking the rear. Yes, raising teh back / lowering the front can be a good thing for speeding up the steering.
HOWEVER
it is very easy to go too far which can cause all sorts of problems from forks not working in their optimum range, to a reduction in rear end traction, to a tendency for the front to tuck with very little warning
12. ZXR. Heavy and tiring on track? Hahahah, I've gotta see you the day after snetterton
And now the pics
..
Squiffy
You're right about catching people using corner speed but getting past courteously is another matter
I've found the best approach is to run deeper into the turn before turning hard and cutting inside (squaring off the corner)
Because you've got the corner done you are hard on the gas while they are still leant over trying to feed it in
alternatively you have to hold back on the entrance so you can then carry the speed through the corner without them slowing you down in the middle
Re the 'trick bits' comment -I'm not really in agreement there. The whole reason I've got a Storm is coz its a cracking road bike and thats where I do 98% of my riding. However for the 2% it really needs some help to safely get round the track at a decent pace
Sirch
Good point about the Maxton setup
Also, I'd have thought that an aftermarket shock for the storm would have either ride height adjustment or be made longer to sort the standard Storms tail down stance
b]Robbie[/b]
1. Suzuki have been fitting steering dampers to pretty much all of their sports bikes since they got their arses burnt with the TL1000 lawsuits and adverse publicity
2. Braking. Have you tried moving your butt out to the side BEFORE you start your braking? It means you don't have to shift whilst braking and trying to turn in all at the same time.
As an added bonus you brace the inside of your thigh against the tank and save your plums for slapping on something softer and chin shaped
3. Ground clearance is a very real problem. At the very least you need smaller pegs and raised exhausts. Its more of a problem on faster corners but there are a couple at Snetterton so take it easy to start with
4. Snetterton. In february? You'd be better of with snow chains! Its grim at the best of times but I really doubt you're gonna be able to get let alone maintain enough heat in slicks at that time of year. Stick with the supercorsas
5. Body position. I think what Squiffy is refering to is nicely indicated in the 2 pics at the bottom of this post. Me and my mate at cadwell. Same corner, very different attitudes to knee down
6. Knee down. Definitely agree that the knee should go down before the peg but its generally just a touch, not a full on grind (unless you've got titanium sliders and there's a photographer present
)7. Squiffy's peg grinding. Wearing the pegs out on the storm does NOT make you a riding God -you can almost do it in a straight line
8. Rockingham. Which corner did you bin it on? What happened?
9. Bike checks. The last one I can remember was a Performance Bikes frenzy at Donington. In 1998
If you're bike is smoking or someone reports you they might consider it but otherwise sadly not. Its a blame culture thing -if they check your bike and say its safe and you then crash coz your brake pads fell out they could be held liable
10.
I'd get that checked out pronto. If they are standard the setup you have could be lethal.the previous owner TOLD me that the forks were re-worked at maxton
Maxton forks always used to have punch marks round the top cap to indicate they had done them
You really need to phone them ASAP, they should have records of exactly what they have done as well as what springs you should have in for your weight/ middle aged spread
11. Jacking the rear. Yes, raising teh back / lowering the front can be a good thing for speeding up the steering.
HOWEVER
it is very easy to go too far which can cause all sorts of problems from forks not working in their optimum range, to a reduction in rear end traction, to a tendency for the front to tuck with very little warning
12. ZXR. Heavy and tiring on track? Hahahah, I've gotta see you the day after snetterton
And now the pics
..
I've got an inferiority complex
But its not a very good one!
But its not a very good one!