K-Tech Razor R installed and first ride

[dazzler24]

I recently installed a new Razor R after researching the options and putting up with the stock shock for years. I've got to say, like many others who have gone down the path of decent suspension upgrades, it is like night and day.

I wondered why I waited so long (oh that's right , it's the large slab of cash that's required that's why!)

Having said that, it is a much more pleasing ride all around.

The install was very straight forward especially since I had the petrol tank off, that gave me unfettered access from the top (for the top bolt) and made things so much easier to manipulate.

I needed to set the sag and normally it's a two man/woman job - one to sit on the bike and one to do the measuring with a tape measure - unless you have one of those fancy schmancy sagometers.  No one was available to help me and being the impatient type I had to get creative.

Apologies to anyone who may have already used this method.

I have one of those laser distance measuring tools (available from any hardware/tool shop) that are accurate to typically a couple of millimeters so I mounted it firmly with some velcro straps to the rear of the bike above the rear axle, inserted some paper into the axle hole to act as a light 'target' and did all of my measurements that way.  Worked like a charm and a one person job.

40mm sag front and back now set.  I've got the rebound and compression both set at half way for the first ride but will work on those over time.

Very happy so far.

Here's my 'High Tech' solo rear sag setting method...Patent Pending.

Edited October 6, 2019 by dazzler24
Removed duplicate photo

[betoney]

@dazzler24 - Very clever use of the laser tool, I hadnt heard of that method before. 

The red looks awesome on the charcoal gray bike!!  👍

[dazzler24]

Thanks. Yes it makes it simple if you're on your own.

6 minutes ago, betoney said:

The red looks awesome on the charcoal gray bike!! 

Again thanks.  I must say I thought so too 🙂.  Just the hint of red against the charcoal.  An unexpected little bonus.

Cheers.

 

[2and3cylinders]

I've had an razor r now for a season and along with fork cartridges and heavier Springs it really makes a huge difference having balance front and rear

Where did you get yours and how much did they cook you for?

 

[wordsmith]

2 hours ago, betoney said:

@dazzler24 - The red looks awesome on the charcoal gray bike!!  👍

Not quite so good on the black GT with blue trim and blurple wheels.   I'm convinced it takes a couple of kph off top speed...

[dazzler24]

6 hours ago, wordsmith said:

Not quite so good on the black GT with blue trim and blurple wheels.   I'm convinced it takes a couple of kph off top speed...

It's funny how colour can affect your speed!  I know the red on black has increased mine significantly!  I'm thinking of getting the spray gun out and putting a coupla GT stripes (in Red of course) over the tank.  Should get me close to Warp factor 1 methinks! 😎

[dazzler24]

7 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

I've had an razor r now for a season and along with fork cartridges and heavier Springs it really makes a huge difference having balance front and rear

Where did you get yours and how much did they cook you for?

@2and3cylinders - cooked indeed - a good analogy!  I got mine from Omniaracing in Italy and it cost me, landed here in Australia inc tax,  AU$950 which in the scheme of things isn't bad considering the local distributor is selling them for AU$1300.  I see that Revzilla is selling them for US$795 which would equate to AU$1230 landed here.

So I feel as though I've been 'well done' but at least not 'burnt' in the cooking analogy 😉 🤑

Cheers

[dazzler24]

8 hours ago, betoney said:

Very clever use of the laser tool, I hadnt heard of that method before. 

@betoney - I got the idea from a guy at the local bike shop who said he uses a 'light pencil' to align the rear wheel/sprocket when adjusting chain slack.  Another thing I must do.  It sounds like a better idea than some of the mechanical short rod type alignment tools that are out there.  He said he clamped the light parallel to the wheel sprocket and pointed it at the drive sprocket along the chain.

Makes sense as you can't get a straighter line than a laser light!  Pointing it so that you can see the spot at the far end removes any parallax error you might get when using the short rod method of alignment.

While the chain alignment method is not taking a measurement as such, there were enough brain cells remaining for me to make the connection to using the laser measurer for my sag.

[wordsmith]

dazz - to answer your PM question, the following settings are on the job notes given to me:

Rear shock upgrade:

• compression - 16 clicks out
• rebound - 8 clicks out
• rider sag 51mm.   

These may well change when Joe at Ride Dynamics does his final fettling and fine-tuning next week, but might be a useful starting-point for you as we are of near-identical weight.   I'll let you know.   But beware the added weight of those GT stripes...

Edited October 4, 2019 by wordsmith

[piotrek]

2 hours ago, dazzler24 said:

....I got mine from Omniaracing in Italy and it cost me, landed here in Australia inc tax,  AU$950 which in the scheme of things isn't bad considering the local distributor is selling them for AU$1300.  I see that Revzilla is selling them for US$795 which would equate to AU$1230 landed here...

Congrats on a very nice shock. 👍

Had a similar cost experience with mine... bought from Nitron in the UK and ended up saving almost $200 over what it would have cost me buying from Revzilla or Fast Bike Industries (no distributor in Canada). I will have to pay a bit more to send the shock for service (FBI in the US), but the savings will cover shipping for at least two service cycles.

[2and3cylinders]

12 hours ago, dazzler24 said:

@betoney - I got the idea from a guy at the local bike shop who said he uses a 'light pencil' to align the rear wheel/sprocket when adjusting chain slack.  Another thing I must do.  It sounds like a better idea than some of the mechanical short rod type alignment tools that are out there.  He said he clamped the light parallel to the wheel sprocket and pointed it at the drive sprocket along the chain.

Makes sense as you can't get a straighter line than a laser light!  Pointing it so that you can see the spot at the far end removes any parallax error you might get when using the short rod method of alignment.

While the chain alignment method is not taking a measurement as such, there were enough brain cells remaining for me to make the connection to using the laser measurer for my sag.

Laser pencils even if they are relatively decent quality are not designed to project a beam coincident with the body of the device

That is why there are integral means of adjustments for laser aiming devices for firearms

So it would be necessary to "calibrate" the laser pencil first to verify if the body is coincident with the beam, otherwise Accurate Alignment of the rear wheel sprocket with the front drive sprocket would be skewed, literally

 

 

[2and3cylinders]

I'll have to check but I think I paid about 720 USD shipped but that also included a custom Torrington thrust bearing assembly makes adjusting spring preload significantly easier on my Razor r

I can't figure out why the razor are comes with a rather large carry bag?

It came adjusted to my weight and riding Style end I think after playing with compression and rebound a little bit it's stayed very close to how I received it

By the way sealing the gap between the rear wheel hugger and swingarm and adding the pyramid carbon fiber hugger extension has provided very good protection to the shock from Road spray excetera

 

 

 

[koth442]

I really like how you set the sag. I'm a little envious I didn't come up with it. Give that shop guy my thumbs up for me.

Congrats on the new shock!

[dazzler24]

10 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

By the way sealing the gap between the rear wheel hugger and swingarm and adding the pyramid carbon fiber hugger extension has provided very good protection to the shock from Road spray excetera

Sounds like a good idea.  For similar reasons I removed my tail tidy and put the OEM one back on as I was sick of getting coated with a mud stripe.

[dazzler24]

17 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Laser pencils even if they are relatively decent quality are not designed to project a beam coincident with the body of the device

That is why there are integral means of adjustments for laser aiming devices for firearms

So it would be necessary to "calibrate" the laser pencil first to verify if the body is coincident with the beam, otherwise Accurate Alignment of the rear wheel sprocket with the front drive sprocket would be skewed, literally

OK, I don't know exactly what he used but he said he used to race and consequently change tyres regularly and would notice if his alignment was off as he would be pushed wide in corners if it was.  I can only assume that whatever he was using it must have worked.  I don't get over there often but will try to clarify with him what it was that he was doing/using.

.....While sitting here writing this trying to work out how it could be done using any old laser pencil given the info above from @2and3cylinders while getting reasonably accurate results, what about this scenario?.....

1. Clamp a flat straight edge vertically to the back of the rear sprocket/chain.

2. Attach the laser pencil/pointing device to the edge over the chain at a height of say 1/2 metre (the attachment would have to be able to swivel in the vertical and horizontal plane)

3. Point the light at the top of the chain directly below and parallel to the straight edge. The light hitting the chain should be at the same distance from the straight edge as it is at the emission point of the light pencil to ensure that it is now parallel (lock that vertical plane)

4. Now swivel the light to point at the front sprocket.

Wouldn't this work?  Feel free to machinegun me down if I've missed something fundamental.  I'm writing this after having a few cleansing ales the night before so anything's possible. 🙂

 

Edited October 5, 2019 by dazzler24