I mainly ride gmr canyon that is very similar to street of willow. A lot of tight turns. I normally goes through turn about 45mi/h. I push down n forward on the steering side that I want to turn into . Sometime the steering jerk back. I also ride 06 zx6r and have tried my buddy's gixxer and have no problem with it. Reading melk-man's suggestion from this r6 forum, I'm going to my local suspension specialist and have them work on mine. Thx for al the info, very helpful
I bought the steering damper, and it doesn't fix the problem. I mainly ride GMR canyon in LA, very similar to street of willow, a lot of tight turns. I also ride my zx6r 06 my and my friend gixxer at he canyon but no problem at all. . Based on melk-man commonents on other post, I'm gonna take to a suspension specialist and have them work on it.
Any recommendation on how to look for a used upgraded front suspension. I'm 5'9" 175bls. What size do I need. Sorry for dumb question.. I'm new to this sport.
steering dampers are safety devices, that help keep the front wheel from going into a tank-slapper if you put the wheels off the pavement then came back on suddenly. Or if the bike wheelied a bit exiting a corner on the gas, and you touched down without the front wheel straight.. steering dampers are NOT band-aids for suspension/handling woes.
if it was really needed to be safe as it is off the showroom floor, the bike would come with one. Some race organizations require them .. Some riders crank the damper way up thinking it helps the handling. They are doin it wrong.
I don't think any of the members were necessarily calling a steering damper. Just pointing out that adding one to an improperly set suspension would potentially mask the problem. Which I agree with, myself. Specifically because of your last sentence. I see that more often than not.
Has anyone considered steering head bearing adjustment? Most time I see bikes "wobble" is when the steering head is too tight.
The current front end should be adequate for your weight, OP. Maybe a little on the stiff side. I would seriously try setting sag and seeing where it brings you before planning to spend money. If you can get the sag within the appropriate range for your riding the rest may be capable of being adjusted to your weight.
I push down n forward on the steering side that I want to turn into . Sometime the steering jerk back.
This is pretty big red flag you've got something wrong with your technique, I think. Visualizing this, I see you pushing the bike down MX style with a ton of bar input, losing traction in the front or getting startled by the quick turn-in, then getting a big pucker. To me, "jerking back" means you lost traction for a minute and regained in. If that's true, you're on the ragged edge for riding in the canyons.
My 2 cents, but I'd have a pro look at your suspension and then analyze your riding closely.
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I don't think any of the members were necessarily calling a steering damper. Just pointing out that adding one to an improperly set suspension would potentially mask the problem. Which I agree with, myself. Specifically because of your last sentence. I see that more often than not.
Has anyone considered steering head bearing adjustment? Most time I see bikes "wobble" is when the steering head is too tight.
The current front end should be adequate for your weight, OP. Maybe a little on the stiff side. I would seriously try setting sag and seeing where it brings you before planning to spend money. If you can get the sag within the appropriate range for your riding the rest may be capable of being adjusted to your weight.
checking head bearings is a must from time to time. i have seen em too tight, but more often on race bikes, too loose from a season or more of riding/racing. It's just not that easy to check due to the weight of the bike, and no matter what type of front stand you have, there is pressure on the triple clamps/steering head .
Quote:
Originally Posted by gmr312
I bought the steering damper, and it doesn't fix the problem. I mainly ride GMR canyon in LA, very similar to street of willow, a lot of tight turns. I also ride my zx6r 06 my and my friend gixxer at he canyon but no problem at all. . Based on melk-man commonents on other post, I'm gonna take to a suspension specialist and have them work on it.
Any recommendation on how to look for a used upgraded front suspension. I'm 5'9" 175bls. What size do I need. Sorry for dumb question.. I'm new to this sport.
if you are taking the bike to a suspension specialist, they should be able to "set you straight" That's what you are paying them for after all. It also comes down to want vs need, and what you can afford. Some can pay for the best of the best, but do they need it? i don't know your situation.. a good suspension guy will do you right, not trying to upsell you on anything you don't need, but what will make your bike better for what you are wanting it to do.
checking head bearings is a must from time to time. i have seen em too tight, but more often on race bikes, too loose from a season or more of riding/racing. It's just not that easy to check due to the weight of the bike, and no matter what type of front stand you have, there is pressure on the triple clamps/steering head .
Very true on all counts. But that's part of the fun. Going to tapered bearings on some models helps. I had them put in my R6, and I really can't complain. But I wouldn't change them out if there were no real problems present.
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