suspension upgrade for big guy :-)

[Rdecae81]

yes after I posted I calculated it

30,000 miles, 2,700.00 is 9 cents a mile 🙂  that is what I will tell my wife, I am only spending 9 cents per mile  👍

[duhg]

3 hours ago, Rdecae81 said:

so one question. ..

how did you justify (sorry I am a right brain CPA) spending 2,500.00 on a 8k bike. ...

on the other hand I will have 30k miles of fun, so maybe I just focus on that, and screw the money

My question to myself was, "Do I fix the suspension or sell the bike?"  The stock handling was unacceptable on rough roads.  With the upgrade the bike is composed and unperturbed on potholed pavement, allowing me to enjoy the ride wherever I go. 

[jamespz03]

5 hours ago, Rdecae81 said:

yes after I posted I calculated it

30,000 miles, 2,700.00 is 9 cents a mile 🙂  that is what I will tell my wife, I am only spending 9 cents per mile  👍

I think it’s 9 cents per smile. 

[2and3cylinders]

18 hours ago, betoney said:

I don’t ever consider resale value on a bike, I keep them many years and with high mileage the value diminishes greatly.  For me, suspension is more of a “smiles per mile” expense rather than affecting the resale value, it’s something I have done on every bike for the past 30 years. 

Yep, same goes for most mods, particularly those for safety which IMO suspension falls under, along with brakes, ergonomics and lighting.  I added amber LED side panel running lights and just about doubled the brightness of my turn signals and converted the rears into turn running lights, added twin driving lights mounted to the Givi case guards, and upgraded to a Blaster-X tail light.

Yet last night on I294 (a 6 to 8 lane toll road super slab) heading home from Cheeseheadland in the dark, all lit up along with my neon yellow air vest  with reflectors and helmet light, a half brain dead mouth breathing cager in a big commercial van still couldn't be bothered to look to his immediate left before he changed lanes right into me!!!  If it wasn't for the 115 db Fiamm low-tone pancake horn I added below the stock horn and my quick reaction to hit the horn button (despite my bad thumb), he'd have continued on in to me.  The horn blast blew him back into his lane and he stayed there until I couldn't see him in my mirrors anymore.

Cheesh! 

[PhotoAl]

Good to hear you survived!  I added the Mini Sound Bomb, sounds better but still gets me the few times I’ve used it.  
 

Everyone has posted some great advice about suspensions in this thread!  
 

At 18,000 miles my 2020 is coming up on valve adjustment and probable could use at least fork oil.  Good point on contemplating cost of upgrading to a new bike.  However my wife would have a lot to say about that in addition to “you have taken 3 trips” this year!   I bought it in Sept 2020 in Sioux Falls SD and rode around eastern SD then rode home.  In April went to Topeka KS.  In June 2021 went the Vernal Utah via southern Wyoming and came back thru the Bighorn mountains. Finally in August went to Red altogether Montana by way of Michigan and the UP.  I also do day trips and of course the shorter fun rides.  So it’s lots of riding to “get there” on the trips but along the way some fun roads.  Local and day trips it’s just me but on the long trips I’m loaded.  
 

Right now the bike is soft enough the long days on interstates aren’t bad.  Certainly could use sharpening up in the corners and the front dives too much on heavy braking.   Last trip I wound up riding I80 from Cheyanne to almost Lincoln and then lots of good secondary and interstates on the rest of the way home.  Bike was a joy on those roads with nothing more than tweaked settings and a lot of preload.  With the dark days of winter upon me it’s time to contemplate what I want to do and this is a great place to start that.

[2and3cylinders]

Can't remember how old you are but that's a lot of miles in a year but it's great you were able to extend for days at a time apparently, which I've unable to do

 For years it's been out and back basically since I got my FJ and crafted it into a superb lightweight sport tourer

 Maybe the 2nd year I went on an overnighter but that's been it.

sad but true

 I'll have to check how many miles I've done this year more than I ever thought I would based on my condition

 And it's snowed here already

 

 

[Manxkiwi]

On 11/17/2021 at 7:41 AM, Rdecae81 said:

so one question.  I have a 2019 Tracer GT

figure in 3 months it will be 3 model years old, with 20K miles, so probably worth 8K give or take

how did you justify (sorry I am a right brain CPA) spending 2,500.00 on a 8k bike.  I plan on keeping this bike for another two years, but by then it will be 5 model years old, with 50k miles.  the depreciation will be about 100% on the suspension components

on the other hand I will have 30k miles of fun, so maybe I just focus on that, and screw the money

You put the stock suspension back in to sell the bike. Then sell the good stuff to get a chunk of it back. Also if you have the good suspension for a lot of miles, you save (some) money on tyres. They wear better and last longer, generally speaking.

 

[PhotoAl]

4 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Can't remember how old you are but that's a lot of miles in a year but it's great you were able to extend for days at a time apparently, which I've unable to do

 For years it's been out and back basically since I got my FJ and crafted it into a superb lightweight sport tourer

 Maybe the 2nd year I went on an overnighter but that's been it.

sad but true

It is going to e nice here for the next few days.  I'm mid to late 60s and feel the tug of time but still able to do pretty well.  For me living Alabama it is hard to get out west, takes 3 days to really get out to Wyoming so at least a 6 day trip.  There are lots of closer places I can go and will probably see if I can get away to may N Georgia or E Tennessee for a 3 or 4 day trip.  With a son in Silicon Valley that is also a destination.  Next year will probably ride out and meet my wife out there.  She is realizing this is the best time of our lives to travel.  Her mother is 93 and has been vey dependent but is learning to be less dependent on her.  So I may not have as much time to do long solo trips but maybe a long solo trip where she flies to somewhere to meet me.  

[2and3cylinders]

MY YOUNGEST IS IN SAN DIEGO

I'M PLANNING ON VISITING HER AND RENTING A BIKE THIS WINTER IF POSSIBLE TO COUNTERACT PMS

[Rdecae81]

On 11/16/2021 at 8:37 PM, jamespz03 said:

I think it’s 9 cents per smile. 

you are correct 🙂

[Rdecae81]

so I think I need to manage the budget a little bit.  plus as I noted above I am 67 and 50lbs overweight, so while I like to have fun at the track, my knee dragging days are mostly behind me.  -)

I am thinking the Ohlins NIX cartridge is about 400.00 less than the AK20, and the YA-223 is 150.00 less than the 8983.

Might have to consider that option.  Will get pricing/options from my local RaceTek shop tomorrow or Friday.  Make final decision next week.  Take bike in around Dec 17

 

High End

AK20 / Penske-8983   =  2,650.00

 

Ohlins Mid Range

Ohlins Street NIX 30 Cartridge Kit FKS504 / YA-223 = 1,800.00

 

Mid range

Axxion Valve upgrade /  Penske-8983  =  1,750.00

 

Mid Range

Axxion Valve Upgrade / YA-223  = 1,600.00

 

Value based

Axxion valve upgrade / YA538   1,300.00

[jamespz03]

Thanks for providing the research and numbers - are the numbers parts and labor? Obviously things will be different in my location but it gives me a starting point. I also see you ruled out K-Tech. 

Edited November 18, 2021 by jamespz03

[Rdecae81]

Actually I forgot about Ktech.  The Ktech shop left a voice mail and I forgot to call back.  Day job has been BUSY, thanks for the reminder.  This assumes I remove the forks and take them to the shop.  And I install the rear shock.  Only labor is the ~ 250.00 to install the fork kit cartridge.

 

Axxion High End

AK20 / Penske-8983   =  2,650.00

 

KTech high End

IDS-20 + 10.0 N Spring rate/ Razor-R 46-180-105 9mm preload= 2,200.00

 

 

Ohlins Mid Range

Ohlins Street NIX 30 Cartridge Kit FKS504 / YA-223 = 1,800.00

 

Mid range

Axxion Valve upgrade /  Penske-8983  =  1,750.00

 

Mid Range

Axxion Valve Upgrade / YA-223  = 1,600.00

 

Edited November 18, 2021 by Rdecae81