Eirik
20-04-2000, 08:18 PM
I leave my vehicles mostly stock, although I have a habit (when money allows) to upgrade the suspension on my motorcycles. To look at my present case:
It's a 1983 Honda VT500 Ascot. It closely resembles the VT500 Euro, but actually shares few parts with it save the engine and frame. The Ascot was made for the American market, where it lasted two years. It is a much sportier package, but has 2hp LESS than the Euro. Worse, the fuel tank holds only 9.5 litre compared to 17l for the Euro. Also, the seat is not at all comfortable, while the Euro offers a reasonable platform. In short, the Acot needs a larger fuel tank and a better seat. However, the chassi on the Ascot is much better (longer forks with more travel for increased cornering clearance and bump response, longer shocks for the same reason). The bike also has a slightly lighter exhaust system (1 can instead of 2) which also causes the drop in power output. The front brake is much better on the Ascot.
Well, I bought the bike after reading several test reports which praised the virtually unlimited cornering clearance, but complained about harsh suspesnion due to stiff springs but limp rebound damping. Now, these riders were mainly racers, and quite good at it as well, so I believed them when they said it could corner with the best of them.
It didn't take long before I discovered the bike had far from excellent cornering clearance. In fact, It would scrape hard when there was still 2mm of unused pattern on the shoulders. I also found the suspension to be very compliant and with close to perfect damping, especially for touring. It absorbed bumps splendidly. But for sporting use, the suspension was too soft (not hard as they claimed). So I ordered a set of Koni shock absorbers for my bike, but not the shorter ones for the Euro, but a longer pair made for the VF1100C. They came with springs initially softer but progressively stiffer than those fitted to the Euro model (Koni). However, the 1100 shocks had more static preload, and it raised the rear of the bike a considerable amount (well over one inch). It was murder for the handling, because the bike now demanded to be ridden around corners with the throttle on, while I prefer to trail brake til the apex. The cornering clearance OTOH was now acceptable, but not more.
So I ordered a set of Progressive Suspension fork springs and left the preload 1/4 inch higher than recommended. Together with more and thicker oil, that proved to be perhaps a little bit too much of a good thing, because the fork now never bottoms out. But I have had a crash due to hitting an unseen bump that sent the fork crashing to its stops, which threw the front in the air, locked front wheel, band on me head when tyre hit tarmac. So the reduced comfort was worth it -I hope ;)
I can still scrape the exhaust system, but I also have ruffled the tyres to their edges - and beyond! It's true, imm of the sidewalls front and rear show signs off meeting up close with tarmac :D However, I could still use more cornering angle, so I may want to buy a 250cc supersports bike. It won't be fast enough to send me storming through the landscape at extra terrestial speeds, but better brakes and tyres and cornering clearance will make cornering more fun - and perhaps even safer as well.
Speaking of brakes - I also mounted a braided brake hose to improve brake feel, although I wasn't all that impressed. Personally, I think it's more hype than facts when they all scream highly about braided hoses compared to rubber ones. Perhaps the brake lever became a little firmer, but not significantly so. BTW, the reason I changed it had more to do with age (of the old hose) than performance, and the braided hose was less than half the price of an OEM rubber hose.
What I fail to understand, is how many riders upgrade their bikes with new exhaust systems, performance jetting and air filters, big-bore kits atc when they already have more power than what they can use. In fact, the added power will usually scare them and make them SLOWER not faster. Many will also fit custom brakes (£3,000 anyone?), rims, tyres, suspension (what about a £5,000 front fork?) carbon this and carbon that. And they think they've ended up with an unbeatable package. What they fail to comprehend is that they cannot ride properly!
I distant friend has a Kawasaki ZX7-R. Most of you don't know the model (and haven't read this far, either), but it is virtually a race bike for the public road thanks to being fitted with lights. Now, this bikes comes with gumball tyres that offer more grip than anything I've ever used in my entire life, yet this silly bugger junks the new-ish set and put on something costly and even more sticky since he felt the OEMs "didn't offer the stick he demanded". Bollox! The edges of his tyres showed almost an inch of unused tyre pattern and I could outride him with a 250 Superdream! Who are they trying to kid?
You will see the same thing with cars - people fitting all sorts of high-performance stuff. Not because they go particularly fast (although they may think so), but because they think it looks butch. I must admit I have little respect for these posers. I alkso think they waste a lot of money for nothing.
Whatever makes them happy, I guess. But they would be better off sinking the money into track days than performance equipment they don't know how to use. And those who DO know how to use it, also knows that (when it comes to modern performance bikes) they already have much more available in stock form that what they can use on public roads and leave well enough alone.
It's a 1983 Honda VT500 Ascot. It closely resembles the VT500 Euro, but actually shares few parts with it save the engine and frame. The Ascot was made for the American market, where it lasted two years. It is a much sportier package, but has 2hp LESS than the Euro. Worse, the fuel tank holds only 9.5 litre compared to 17l for the Euro. Also, the seat is not at all comfortable, while the Euro offers a reasonable platform. In short, the Acot needs a larger fuel tank and a better seat. However, the chassi on the Ascot is much better (longer forks with more travel for increased cornering clearance and bump response, longer shocks for the same reason). The bike also has a slightly lighter exhaust system (1 can instead of 2) which also causes the drop in power output. The front brake is much better on the Ascot.
Well, I bought the bike after reading several test reports which praised the virtually unlimited cornering clearance, but complained about harsh suspesnion due to stiff springs but limp rebound damping. Now, these riders were mainly racers, and quite good at it as well, so I believed them when they said it could corner with the best of them.
It didn't take long before I discovered the bike had far from excellent cornering clearance. In fact, It would scrape hard when there was still 2mm of unused pattern on the shoulders. I also found the suspension to be very compliant and with close to perfect damping, especially for touring. It absorbed bumps splendidly. But for sporting use, the suspension was too soft (not hard as they claimed). So I ordered a set of Koni shock absorbers for my bike, but not the shorter ones for the Euro, but a longer pair made for the VF1100C. They came with springs initially softer but progressively stiffer than those fitted to the Euro model (Koni). However, the 1100 shocks had more static preload, and it raised the rear of the bike a considerable amount (well over one inch). It was murder for the handling, because the bike now demanded to be ridden around corners with the throttle on, while I prefer to trail brake til the apex. The cornering clearance OTOH was now acceptable, but not more.
So I ordered a set of Progressive Suspension fork springs and left the preload 1/4 inch higher than recommended. Together with more and thicker oil, that proved to be perhaps a little bit too much of a good thing, because the fork now never bottoms out. But I have had a crash due to hitting an unseen bump that sent the fork crashing to its stops, which threw the front in the air, locked front wheel, band on me head when tyre hit tarmac. So the reduced comfort was worth it -I hope ;)
I can still scrape the exhaust system, but I also have ruffled the tyres to their edges - and beyond! It's true, imm of the sidewalls front and rear show signs off meeting up close with tarmac :D However, I could still use more cornering angle, so I may want to buy a 250cc supersports bike. It won't be fast enough to send me storming through the landscape at extra terrestial speeds, but better brakes and tyres and cornering clearance will make cornering more fun - and perhaps even safer as well.
Speaking of brakes - I also mounted a braided brake hose to improve brake feel, although I wasn't all that impressed. Personally, I think it's more hype than facts when they all scream highly about braided hoses compared to rubber ones. Perhaps the brake lever became a little firmer, but not significantly so. BTW, the reason I changed it had more to do with age (of the old hose) than performance, and the braided hose was less than half the price of an OEM rubber hose.
What I fail to understand, is how many riders upgrade their bikes with new exhaust systems, performance jetting and air filters, big-bore kits atc when they already have more power than what they can use. In fact, the added power will usually scare them and make them SLOWER not faster. Many will also fit custom brakes (£3,000 anyone?), rims, tyres, suspension (what about a £5,000 front fork?) carbon this and carbon that. And they think they've ended up with an unbeatable package. What they fail to comprehend is that they cannot ride properly!
I distant friend has a Kawasaki ZX7-R. Most of you don't know the model (and haven't read this far, either), but it is virtually a race bike for the public road thanks to being fitted with lights. Now, this bikes comes with gumball tyres that offer more grip than anything I've ever used in my entire life, yet this silly bugger junks the new-ish set and put on something costly and even more sticky since he felt the OEMs "didn't offer the stick he demanded". Bollox! The edges of his tyres showed almost an inch of unused tyre pattern and I could outride him with a 250 Superdream! Who are they trying to kid?
You will see the same thing with cars - people fitting all sorts of high-performance stuff. Not because they go particularly fast (although they may think so), but because they think it looks butch. I must admit I have little respect for these posers. I alkso think they waste a lot of money for nothing.
Whatever makes them happy, I guess. But they would be better off sinking the money into track days than performance equipment they don't know how to use. And those who DO know how to use it, also knows that (when it comes to modern performance bikes) they already have much more available in stock form that what they can use on public roads and leave well enough alone.