A hi to all and some details on my 09ST!

[Bruce C]

Originally Posted by MrMessy

Nuts, took the R/R off today and found the FH020AA doesnt fit the stock spot.
At work now and nosed around the waste steel bin, got a few contenders to take home and weld up a new bracket. Going to have to be creative about the mounting points though...

Will take photos (will be sloppy but effictive im sure :P).
.

Make sure you take lots of pictures!! I think you are the first forum member who replaced the stock R/R that is located under the left dash panel!!!

[MrMessy]

Originally Posted by DaveM

Mr Messy ideally put it where it can get plenty of cool air

Got it mate cheers for that . Should still be plenty enough there., but it is a consideration. Will suffer a little with the rotating (edit: it is actually going to turn ~20deg toward the airflow across its vertical axis, but turning ~45deg on the horizontal) but i anticipate no dramas - famous last words!

Right now im sighing at all the work i have to go on it, and still being on nightshift so i dont have time to do any of it :P.
Very glad i pulled it apart when i did though as ive had to order an extra couple tools and consumable parts that i didnt anticipate, which should all be here just before i get my next week off

[MrMessy]

Originally Posted by Bruce C

Make sure you take lots of pictures!! I think you are the first forum member who replaced the stock R/R that is located under the left dash panel!!!

Will do . I had no real dramas with the setup i had, but given im doing such a large amount of work what the hell is a little more for future peace of mind?
Must say i didnt anticipate having to crudely fashion a bracket though .

edit: (i like editing my posts dont i!) i took a few rough measurements today - not really enough room or hands to hold the R/R, a set square, and be somewhat accurate! So itll need a few grinds and welds id say.

[RageZro]

Originally Posted by MrMessy

-Uprated springs and valves in the stock forks and rear suspension (with a lowering link in the rear to counter for less spring compression under load)

I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this, maybe it's the meds I'm on right now ... but how did that counter the stiffer springs?

What I'm seeing is the front won't compress as much (sag) resulting in a greater head stock height and that's now combined with the lowering of the rear. That had to effectively increase rake and trail. I don't see how the lowering link improved anything but seat height. I know that the weight will transfer forward when braking and compress some of the change in the front back towards the stock numbers but the handling still has to be slower/wider with slightly more effort when turning at speed. At slow speeds, like in a car park, it will have a tendency to flop over a bit faster though I don't expect as much to be making it feel like the bike wants to fall over easy. A bit more straight line stability would be gained at the expense of handling in the turns IMHO.

I like to monkey around a bit with my setups too but I always try to keep the geometry neutral as I only ride street (though somewhat spirited to say it kindly). What I change on one end I try to compensate for on the other but if I'm going to change rake and trail I'll slightly reduce it. Maybe that's the wrong approach but it has served me well.

My little sketch below is not to scale or very good for that matter but just something to visualize the change in geometry. The top is just a very general representation of a stock or "neutral" setup and the one below is showing the effects of lowering the rear and effectively raising the head stock by reducing sag.

Well like I said, it might be the meds so I could just end up with a forehead slap when explained how this offsets the springs!

EDIT: Maybe I just forehead slapped my self already, are you saying the lowering link was to offset for the stiffer spring ratio on the rear mod and not the front?

[MrMessy]

I gave up trying to get my head around it because the only thing i know on suspension is adjusting preload and even then usually getting it wrong .
It was completely a mechanic job and apparently a wrong guess on my part with what they have actually done to it.
I plan on talking to the mech who had it all done for me in my next week off (about a week from now), to find out what they actually did.

You are right in the seat height, but it had to come down to compensate for less compression, which was in turn to compensate for it being resprung and valved for a higher weight (130kg) - it would have been like hopping on a dirt bike! Ride height made for a interesting first few rides as i did have to compensate some myself by moving further over the bike in turns, but realistically once familiar with it i was far happier.
The worst thing about all that was just after i got the bike suspension done my corbin seat arrived which lowered my butt a couple inches more - took some getting used to!
I have had no issues with the front end skipping with the firmer setup as you might expect, and i hesitate to say it may benefit from a damper now but thats probably my being a little picky coming to this bike from a K1200RS.

Let me take more photos of the setup when i get home in a couple of hours as its stripped down now and easier to do. I assumed there was a lowering link used as its the cheap option lol... but miggs said thats the standard drag link... ahhhh i know sfa about suspension. Lemme get those snaps. Ill break out the tape measure and get a few measurements for kicks, see if that helps understand whats going on.

[MrMessy]

Back at work again :P. Took a few shots.

I measured the length of the rear shock from its top mount to where it mounts to the rear arm, 350mm give or take a couple (couldnt get the tape measure past the spring to measure directly). Not sure how that compares as i never measured it before. When i am able to get the bike back on the ground ill measure the suspension movements better.

(big edit): Rage: I had another think about what you said there, and looked again at the geometry pics a little less tired. They arent quite right for what happened. The bike settled a certain amount with my weight on it as it naturally does - but the suspension couldnt cope with my 120kg well, especially when the wife and i went two-up. It had to be lowered lest the opposite of your second picture - the thing ass up in the air - be the result. The mech suggested, and i agreed given the diving under braking, that the front be reworked too. I dont believe the height of the front was changed.
The end result riding position was fairly neutral to what it was before, though with the Corbin seat it was only a little lower at the butt. The ride was much improved with the upgraded valves and reworked springs to suit my recession resistance.
As i say though, i really need to talk to the mech and get them to run me through what was changed over so i can better list it for you guys...

Speaking of the Corbin seat there guys, i cant recommend them enough. Especially for two-up. The seat is firm and could do with a sheepskin cover, but i does well to keep the dear one up and off you a little better, but still comfortable for 150-200km runs before you want that sheepskin cover.
Took a little to get used to having my feet in a different spot though, as i started dragging them :P. (UK 14s lol).

Anyway, i digress.
Couple shots of the mess :P



And some better shots of the rear assembly.

[MrMessy]

Hey dudes!
Now the bike is on the road i can get to the mech with it and find out about suspension when im off work again (next week!)
Few mods havent happened yet - brake reservoir, had to take the D2D lights off and need to make a bracket, the r/r has no chance of fitting on the left side as it is and ill be selling it on and chasing a ricks mosfet because itll fit properly :P.

Anyway heres a few of the latest pics.