NOT a which tyre/tire should I get thread

[texscottyd]

23 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

...I'm still pleasantly surprised how much better a bike handles with a fresh doughnuts.

Amen to that!   The drop off is gradual enough that it’s easy to ignore the incremental changes as the tire wears.  But a new set is always an instant revelation to me...  “oh yeah, THIS is how it’s supposed to work and feel!” 

[dazzler24]

Just a quick follow up to my front suspension service and shim rework that was done recently.

I must admit after the forks were done, I simply reinstalled them, put the new tyres on and off I went for my first ride with my mind on the tyres.

Today, and after reading another thread about the struggle with setting up their suspension it occurred to me that I didn't revisit my rebound and compression settings after the new shims were installed.  I should add that the forks were simply delivered to the shop off the bike so they had no opportunity to adjust them for my bike and my riding style/wishes.

Thinking about it, I was experiencing more brake dive than I had before the service and there was some pogoing as well.

Checking Compression & Rebound, I found them to be both set in the halfway positions so first step was to wind out all compression and give the front a solid series of bounces (in the garage) and immediately noticed that the rebound was way off - too many oscillations at the top of the bounce.  So slowly added some rebound until I got the desired effect of returning to the top of the stroke with minimal oscillation.  Initial rebound done.

Compression was attacked in a similar way until I got a firmish compression without being too hard.

Off I went for my next ride and only had to tweak the compression leg to take a smidge more out of that side to give me the ride I expected/wanted.

Now no more dive when on the brakes, just a nice controlled compression of the front and the road is now an even more pleasant ride with the small bumps all but ironed out.

Cornering feels more controlled and stable now as well.

The point I guess is not to ignore your suspension setup. There is so much more to be had from your bike when it's done to your liking. 🙂

 

[betoney]

6 hours ago, dazzler24 said:

The point I guess is not to ignore your suspension setup. There is so much more to be had from your bike when it's done to your liking. 🙂

I couldn't agree more.  To this day, I still carry a screwdriver with me when I ride.

[texscottyd]

13 minutes ago, betoney said:

I couldn't agree more.  To this day, I still carry a screwdriver with me when I ride.

Multipurpose tool:   Compression/rebound adjustment and zombie defense device... 

[betoney]

9 minutes ago, texscottyd said:

Multipurpose tool:   Compression/rebound adjustment and zombie defense device... 

You just never know who (or what) you will encounter out on the road.  😎

[2and3cylinders]

Before they made it a felony here and it was only a misdemeanor, I used to carry a compact 380 in my Stitch's big chest pocket in a foam, easy reach case I made.  Now I carry pepper spray in my tank bag and just added a nice, cheap 5" sheath knife for peeling oranges...  I don't venture into Chicago any more on my bike though do drive there and stay as much as possible out of the "bad" areas BUT it's friggin Chiraq!  I need to get a concealed carry permit.  Again a stun flashlight, pepper spray and a telescoping baton may be in my cage but really "when they outlaw guns only gang bangers have them".  So really, is it worth bringing a knife to a gun fight?

[BBB]

2 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Now I carry pepper spray in my tank bag and just added a nice, cheap 5" sheath knife for peeling oranges... 

Paracetamol and an energy bar in my tank bag. Just in case an attacker has a headache or is hungry.

[maximo]

On 3/24/2020 at 10:26 AM, betoney said:

However, I ran the S21 and T31 back to back and cant tell the difference in performance or longevity. 

I found a difference in very heavy bikes. On my ST1100 I ran the T and the S series, and the T lasted much longer. That overweight pig chewed through the S like me with a pizza at a late lunch. 

I've not tried the T on my smaller bikes. 

[2and3cylinders]

I'm going to mount the S22 on my VTR which almost equal in weight and power (well 10 fp+) to the FJ, and the T31 on the FJ and will do my own long term compare.  It'll be a year or more b4 I'll have a clear answer cuz I'll ride the FJ 3 x more than the VTR cuz the FJ has a THAT much catching up to do to the VTR...