Put it all back together

[Wag]

I'll post up some pics later but they're not all that great anyway!

I'm talking about the rear shock. Woke up and it was a beautiful morning, beautiful clear day.

(The weatherman has been predicting a major snowstorm for the area for the last few days. What's up with that? How can you be wrong at your job 90% of the time and NOT get canned?)

Slapped the bike back together including the new shock, the new chain, new 1" raising dogbones and new coolant. Awesome!

Test ride: Words cannot describe. I thought the bike was excellent with just the rebuilt shocks but with the rebuilt rear shock? Unbelievable. The bike is literally nailed to the road. There is no other way to describe it. The stock suspension is just not adequate for us bigger boys out there. Rebuilding it was like night and day.

Lessee, the new chain is on there now. I'm hoping it's going to be okay 'cause that's the first time I ever put a chain on a bike. The riveting and plating tool is a bear to use. Took me AND MrGxr to press that dang thing into place. I'm going to take another link out of it, though, and shorten it up. Got back and lubed it with the silicone. Cleaning will happen every 300 miles.

Ride position is now HIGHLY agressive. With the 1" raising links, it feels a lot more like a Gixxer 1000. At least, the riding position. Still a heavy bike, of course. But with the addition of the rebuilt front and rear suspension, it doesn't FEEL as heavy any more.

Am I missing anything? Oh, yeah. Pics. Y'all are gonna have to wait a while. I'm having too much fun riding! LOL

--Wag--

 

[thepushercg]

another job well done...........

 

[GSXcite]

Wag, did you have the chance to lean it into some good corners? Wondering about the lean in with the 1" raised dogbones, big improvement? Glad you have her put back together and can do some riding. Mine is tore apart for mait. and cleaning, but its 21 deg. here with freezing rain

 

[Wag]

(GSXcite @ Jan. 12 2007,08:24) Wag, did you have the chance to lean it into some good corners? Wondering about the lean in with the 1" raised dogbones, big improvement? Glad you have her put back together and can do some riding. Mine is tore apart for mait. and cleaning, but its 21 deg. here with freezing rain

Got a couple of good low-speed leans. Not like what you'd really need to get into so as to be able to really feel it. However, it was a familiar corner and even at about 80 mph, you could tell it was a LOT more tight in the corner. Like I could push it to about 120 at the least. I won't do that all at once, of course, I'll work my way up to it.

The problem is, the roads are still cold here, even during the day and I just didn't want to push it.

I have to say on a preliminary basis, doing the shock had as much effect as doing the forks. And Greg still wants me to bring the busa in so he can check the settings with it on the bike.

Reminds me, I need to call him and get over there!

--Wag--

 

[heavybusa]

Rock on wag!!

If I can stay out of the mountains the suspension is my next task.

 

[Willie G]

Wag - Great job on the suspension! Couldn't help but notice, though, that you got the master link side plate on upside down - hope that doesn't create problems for you later...like having idiots (like...me!) comment on it!

 

[Wag]

(Willie G @ Jan. 12 2007,13:00) Wag - Great job on the suspension! Couldn't help but notice, though, that you got the master link side plate on upside down - hope that doesn't create problems for you later...like having idiots (like...me!) comment on it!

LMAO!!! Fact is, if MrGxr had noticed, HE would be giving me crap about it. Now that you told him, dammit, I'll never hear the end of it. He already gave me a raft of **** about the dogbones label being unreadable because it was upside down. At least I got the word facing outward!

Update: Took it over to Greg who rebuilt the shock. He wanted to check the sag adjustment on it before calling it a done deal. (It was spot on, btw! Great suspension tuner.) He asked me how it feels and the first thing I thought of was, "It feels like it's lost 100 pounds." I have to say, that's the best thing about it. It just feels lighter and tighter. It feels like it's sticking to the road better and is therefore safer.

I don't know if I said this already but when I did just the forks, it was WAY better but when I added the shock to the project, it started feeling even better yet by just as much. If you're going to rebuild the forks, do the shock as well.

Greg has offered to go take the twisties with me in the spring to fine tuen everything once and for all. I can't wait 'til I can REALLY get on this thing.

--Wag--

 

[Wag]

BTW, MrGxr, time for yours! Also, do you still want me to order that chain for you?

--Wag--

 

[Devil Dog]

that's great Lou.......

I'd like to get mine done as well. Have fun on your NEW MACHINE!

DD

 

[Wag]

It just occurred to me that I did the 90w oil replacement in the steering damper. I'm not sure how much of the added stability is due to that change. Just goes to show, if you want to know what the effect of a change is, you can't be doing other changes at the same time!

--Wag--

 

[Wag]

Jeez. I'm so absent-minded. The 1" raising links really has made the riding position SUPER agressive. I'm up higher now and while I can still easily touch the ground, it's like I'm riding a gixxer 1K expanded to my size.

I'm also tilted a little more forward and it takes a bit more effort to keep my weight off my hands while riding but not too bad. However, that has the benefit of, for lack of a better way to say it, "leading" me into turns.

Of course, it tilts furiously far over on its kickstand!

--Wag--

 

[rockadaous]

that's great. We told you that +1 was the bomb LOL

 

[hayabusa99b/w]

looks good!!

 

[Wag]

(rockadaous @ Jan. 12 2007,17:46) that's great. We told you that +1 was the bomb LOL

Oh definitely. Especially for us tall guys!

--Wag--

 

[Wag]

Y'know, it just occurred to me that I have heli bars on that bike. I'm thinking that if I want it to be even MORE aggressively positioned, I could put the stock ones back on.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......

--Wag--

 

[semi]

nice job

glad you are liking the results

 

[Wag]

I'm falling deeply and madly in love with her all over again!

--Wag--

 

[MrGxr]

(Willie G @ Jan. 12 2007,13:00) Wag - Great job on the suspension!  Couldn't help but notice, though, that you got the master link side plate on upside down - hope that doesn't create problems for you later...like having idiots (like...me!) comment on it!

You should the dogbone on the left side of the bike... here I go through the effort of making sure the right side is readable when you look at it, then WAG puts his on upside down... doesn't surprise me that the master link side plate is on upside down as well... LMAO

 

[MrGxr]

(Wag @ Jan. 12 2007,17:37) BTW, MrGxr, time for yours!  Also, do you still want me to order that chain for you?

--Wag--

give me about a month and we'll do the chain and have High Velocity to the frontend.

 

[Devil Dog]

(Wag @ Jan. 12 2007,16:44) Of course, it tilts furiously far over on its kickstand!

+1.....the tilt angle still has me doing a double take.

Tower of Pisa' comes to mind!