Minor Winter Project - installing suspension worth 1/3 of the bike
 

Yes, I've gone completely insane. Over the Winter I'll be swapping out the stock bits, on my ER6n, for aftermarket. The forks aren't bad for what they are; ancient damper rod design. They aren't adjustable for even preload though. The shock, on the other hand, is absolute shite; preload-only adjustable and absolutely no feedback.

So I'm going the whole hog. The fork internals are being replaced by a custom gas-charged cartridge kit from Bitubo, in Italy. Landed cost is under $800.00 for something that I can just rip out the damper rod assembly, and replace it with new internals.

For the shock, I'm trying something different. Shocks for the ER6n/Ninja 650R seem to be as scarce as hens' teeth, with the only "big name" shock I could find being a rebound and preload adjustable Ohlins. I bought an Elka (great company to deal with, by the way), but it didn't fit. Penske, who I've dealt with before, said that they have a shock for the Ninja 650R but not the ER6n. THE STOCK SHOCK IS IDENTICAL! They didn't respond, when I told them that. There's goes THAT sale. So it's a Hyperpro "3D" shock for me. It's pricey, at maybe $1200 total, and overkill for my application, as it has both high and low speed damping adjustment. At least they replied to me.

Should have all the bits in a couple of weeks.

Gas-charged cartridge kit? I haven't heard of this before. Didn't think any forks were gas-charged, with the exception of Ohlins Superbike forks

They've become fairly popular.

A friend has Traxxion Dynamic's AK-20 gas charged forks in his GSXR and loves them.

Yup, several companies are doing them now. The Bitubo kit should bring my up to essentially equivalent performance to stock RSU cartridge forks, with an appropriate spring. It's pretty much entry level for this sort of thing.

http://database.photozac2.com/bitubo...ridge%20&-Find

They do a more upscale kit, but that's meant for bikes that are already cartridge.

http://database.photozac2.com/bitubo...artridge&-Find

Traxxion will rebuild forks to cartridge, but they had never done a ER before and took a while to get back to me. By the time that they did, saying that they'd make my ER their first, I had already ordered the Bitubo setup.

WP does the pressurized fork setup also (2nd from the bottom).

http://www.wpsuspension.com/products/Race.php

Schweeeet

This is the shock: http://www.hyperprousa.com/catalog.php?cat=Shocks#sd5

Don't know what I'm going to do with both high and low speed damping. I can barely wrap my head around getting compression, rebound, and preload correct.

After this I'll have to make some custom brackets for the Givi windscreen that I bought because the stock brackets are meant for a 2006 ER, but I've got a 2009. The headlight surround is obviously larger on the 2009 and it wasn't worth the trouble of trying to send the damned thing back. I might also add some brush guards, for protection from the cold. There are a few nice ones out there, that only require attachment to the handlebars, and not the bar ends.

Sounds sexy. Post some pics of this shiz when it arrives. Post haste.

That's the plan. At the very least, I'll have to take some pictures to make sure that I get things put back together correctly. Quite frankly, I think that making the windscreen brackets is going to be the toughest part :lol:

One of the writers at the online mag, that sometimes uses my racing shots, suggested that I should take plenty of shots while doing the fork setup, because they might want to do a story on it.

Thats pretty damn cool.

Also found out, via a reply to an email I sent to Traxxion letting them know that I had already bought something elsewhere, that they are a Bitubo dealer. I wonder if any of the "Traxxion" set-ups are actually re-badged Bitubo?

Wouldn't be surprised, since the valves they use for the SV are modified Racetech pieces.

Well I guess what you're really paying for, in Traxxion's case, is their expertise in set-up. Here it would be like having Accelerated Technologies/John Sherrard set up your suspension.

Item number one arrived yesterday, giving me the opportunity to break out my product shooting rig. I've got a deal with a machinist who does aftermarket vintage motorcycle parts, to shoot his stuff for his website, so I need the practise.

It's a very good looking unit. Not as flashy as the Elka I previously had, but very nice tooling.

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/RB261147.JPG

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/RB261148.JPG

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/RB261150.JPG

I like the adjustment locations.

The adjustments on the reservoir are high and low speed compression. There's a collar for rebound in the standard location, on the other end of the shock. They call it a "3D" shock, because the location and attitude of the reservoir can be changed.

I like it too. As it sits, those adjusters will be readily available for access. If you think about the way the shock is mounted the reservoir will be in the open, on the right side of the bike.

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/R5140377.JPG

*EDIT* The shock fits perfectly. I removed it after test-fitting it though, because the location I store my bike in isn't heated. No point in risking messing it up, before I even have a chance to test ride it. If I can get it into a heated garage, then I'll mount it permanently.

I picked up the Bitubo fork inserts on Friday night and, if they work anything near as well as they look, they're well worth the money. My total cost for them was CAN$762.00, landed, with all taxes.

I'll try for some shots tomorrow, if I can, but I've got a bunch of other product test shots that I have to do too.

Good looking shock. Haven't heard of any shock saying it shouldn't be stored in cold weather, though.

Just a precaution. Rubber O-rings might not hold in a couple of hundred PSI worth of nitrogen too well, if they're hard from the cold.

If anyone can advise on how to limit the torque on an electric impact gun, it would be greatly appreciated. I've never had the need to use an impact gun before and I'd rather not ream the threads out of the bottom of my forks, when I install the new internals.

The fork inserts:

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/RC051172.JPG

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/RC051173.JPG

Holy crap that's awesome.

I've got a problem with buying sow's ears, then trying to turn them into silk purses :lol:

My old Bandit 1200 had a curved 13 row oil cooler, Racetech'd forks, Ohlins shock, stage 1 jet kit.....

Saw a 650r with a zx10 front end sell on ebay. Love the looks of inverted forks. He never answered me back on a how to. Really thinking of doing an R1 front end swap on my VFR this summer.

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/u...169_107247.jpg

If you can do it, that would be one hell of a swap-out. The forks on my VFR800 had both compression and rebound Gold Valves, and 0.95 Kg/mm springs. Those, and the Penske shock, made a world of difference.

As far as I'm concerned it makes far more sense to spend money on suspension, than it ever does anything that effects power.

You know what's really annoying? Having to wait a month to get a couple of bolts and crush washers. Why the hell don't shops stock stuff like that?

I know what you mean. Every time I had to order something from Ducati that had to come from Italy, one month minimum. Usually, it was more like 5-6 weeks.

I'm just glad that this is happening as winter is about to hit, rather than just before the season starts. I probably don't need to replace the bolts that hold the fork internals but it makes sense to me, in this situation, and the crush washers should definitely be replaced for a good seal.

I did the same thing several years ago. My 79 GS1000 was the first bike to come with adjustable damping in the rear. But after 20 years, it needed new shocks. The bike was only worth $1K. Should I spend $300 on shocks?

Well, I did. I got Works Performance shocks a half inch longer than stock. I didn't realize that the old shocks had sagged an inch or more. The first time I got on the bike, I had to use tiptoes where before I would flat foot.

I have Progressive Springs and a Telefix fork brace up front, but adding the shocks transformed the handling. Brought it up to 80's handling. Now that I'm retired, I'm debating if I should upgrade the CBR's suspension.

Yeah, I threw appropriate fork springs and 20wt. oil in the forks, then added an Ohlins type 4 shock on my old Bandit 1200S, then enjoyed playing with Gixxer squids in the twisties :lol:

I think that suspension is the better way to spend your money on a street bike. Go ahead and tweak the CBR. You won't regret it :D

Hmmm...or spend the $3-4,000 on a more up to date bike, just sayin':idk::lol:

I did that the last time, then spent another $2200 on suspension anyway ;)

When you buy a bike it's made for the "average" rider, with all sorts of compromises made. They use things like progressively wound springs, rather than a straight-rate spring of appropriate rating. I don't really believe in progressively wound springs. In many cases when you set the proper sag for your weight, you'll end up using up almost all of the lowest spring rate anyway.

Unless you weigh 150 pounds the odds are that your suspension isn't properly set up for you, on a sportbike. It tends to be set up on the plush side, rather than the performance side of the equation. Having springs that are better suited to your weight, whatever it might be, can only help. Aftermarket shocks also tend to have better damping control, as the stock units are made to a cost. Many have little or no effect from adjustment.

So I spend less than $7500.00 on the bike, then toss $2000.00 at it in suspension components, and get a bike that handles better for me than the one for $3-$K more would. Horsepower is largely immaterial, on the street.

The 150-lb target might have been true several years ago, but nowadays most of the SS 600's and liter bikes are set up for heavier people. I know a lot of people including myself who have swapped in softer springs. Especially Kawis and Yamis. My 2005 R6 was way oversprung, and the people at Racetech confirmed it. Same goes for first generation 675's and 636's.

Over-sprung or under-sprung, it's still not the right spring rate for your weight ;)

I have no idea what the stock spring rate is for the ER, as it doesn't appear to be in the shop manual, but I would guess it to be over-sprung like the Ninja 650R is (an insane 1.2Kg/mm). I guess that they did this to hide the fact that they used damper rod forks, in what is nominally a sportbike.

Bikes like the SV650 are grossly under-sprung. They're perfect if you're a 120 pounder, but not so much for anyone else. My '00 VFR800 had something like 0.75 Kg/mm springs. I needed 0.95, and that was for a plush sport-touring style ride. I don't think that the more recent VFRs have stronger rate springs than that.

TOTALLY agree with getting springs, I have done so on almost every bike I've ever owned-including cruisers. That's a couple hundred bucks max... Spending 2k on suspension on an old bike... Well, what about the brakes? Transmission? Unsprung weight? Rake and trail? Total bike weight? There have been advances in more that just hp bro...:lol: My bike now kicks the crap out of my old FZR1000 in every category, seriously.:wink:

Well, to start with, I've only done it on NEW bikes myself, not old ones. My ER is a 2009, bought new this year.

And just swapping out the fork springs potentially leaves you with a poorly damped setup. I'm dropping in a full cartridge setup for about $700.00 ;)

Brakes? I could replace the brake lines with stainless, but I've found that I get most of the benefit of them with just a pad swap.

Transmission? Works beautifully, thank-you very much. Especially so when I'm above 7K rpm.

Rake and trail? It's fine for me. Ergonomics were more of a concern, which I handled by just swapping the bars for a straighter set.

Unsprung weight? That would be nice, but the suspension alone will make the ride head and shoulders above the stock setup. If it comes right down to it I could likely do a wheel swap still coming out at less than that $3K more total that you stated, to which I would be adding $1.5-$2K in suspension mods anyway.

Yea I dipped in at the suggestion that No Worries upgrade his suspension, I wasn't really refering to your bike, bro....:idk:

Yeah, well he did a basic shock replacement, springs, and a fork brace ;)

Truth..

I've added steel lines to 2 cars and 1 bike, and couldn't tell the difference. Never again.

It's worth doing after maybe 5 years, after the stock lines have started to give under pressure, but really not with a newish bike.

What? Aw shoot, I thought there was talk about him upgrading his old CBR and I thought that he should get a newer bike instead... A friend of mine just got an '06 GSXR1000 for $2800. No bs. He's still in Michigan so the bike had low miles. All it needed was tires and some minor body work. Just saying that swapping the old CBR for this GSXR WOULD be a suspension upgrade...and a brake upgrade...ect...:lol:

To each their own...steel lines are right after the exhaust for me on a new bike.:idk:

Try EBC or SBS sintered pads next time, first.

I tend not to decide on what mods to make until I've actually ridden the bike :lol:

Do I smell an insult? I do replace the pads as well (I'm running Ferodo now but I also like Dunlopad, I've often used EBC/SBS pads in the past) and I do ride a bike before I modify it... The experience of owning about 10 bikes tells me that I like steel lines and sintered pads on the brakes. Regardless of how good you think your brakes are, steel lines make them better. An opinion of course but one shared by most serious riders.:wink: You take pictures of racers, how many still use the stock brake lines? None that I know...:idk:

Not an insult; just a comment on how so many riders seem to toss a pipe on the bike without even knowing how it performs or sounds.

I used to think that about braided lines too. Then I did the math by checking out the expansion numbers on the various types of lines. Compared to new regular rubber lines there really isn't a whole lot of objective performance increase, when you consider the minimal amount of pressure that the human hand is capable of applying.

well, I always swap out the pipe... I like the noise and the look period. I don't know anyone, other than you guys that doesn't say that steel lines have better feel and less fade...:idk: To each their own. I know quite a few "fast" street guys that think the stock suspension is "good enough" for the street so... No Worries is the fastest guy on lookout mountain with an old CBR with a stock suspension...:wink: You say that suspension mods are "necessary" and I say that brake mods are "necessary", since I'm paying for the mods on my bike and you're paying for the mods on your bike, I guess we're both right.:lol:

Nope, I don't say that suspension mods are necessary. I say that you get more benefit out of them, on the street, than you do power mods.

On the brake lines issue the next time you get a new bike, try out the stock brakes for a while, then swap out just the pads. I did that maybe 10 years ago and found that I got the same results that I expected from a pad AND line swap. I'd just never done pads only, until then.

Okay, I may act like it but I'm not a newb I have ridden hundreds of thousands of miles on bikes. I have replaced just the pads, especially before bikes came with HH pads stock. I know that lots of bikes come with wacky pads for reasons unknown to me. I like VERY tight brakes, ask Eric, when he rode my bike on Blood Mountain I'm sure that he noticed. Your brakes are good enough for you with just pads, great. Your bike probably came with somewhat lower spec brakes than mine to begin with. Because of the bike's intended market segment, they purposely use pads with less initial bite to help prevent losing the front. I like the feel I get from steel lines and pads. It's personal preference and I, for one, respect that.

Yup, to each his own.

Regarding initial bite of the brakes, a friend and I traded bikes for a quick blast, back in July. He has a F800ST and, as stated, I've got a ER6n. After our personal modifications, the ergonomics on our bikes are virtually identical; the only slight difference is in peg position. His bike has incredible brakes, with a ton of initial bite, but his front forks have all the damping of open-cell foam. My brakes don't have anywhere near the same bite, but the stock forks are much better under braking. If I could get the best of both, I'd be quite happy.

Both bikes have damper rod forks.

and are you both the same weight? Did you attempt to adjust his preload? Are you sure that the weight bias is the "same" between these bikes? Do the bikes weigh the same period? Did BMW really have the same intended market segment/intended rider type as Kawasaki? Were the tires the same? Same diameter/type forks? How about low/high speed compression settings? I think that you're comparing Granny Smith the Red Delicious here...

My friend and I are within 10 pounds of the same weight. I made no attempt at adjusting the BMW, as this was a quick run. The Kawasaki has no adjustment possible on the forks, in stock form, nor does the BMW. Both bikes have damper rod forks. The BMW has 43mm forks. The Kawasaki has 41mm forks. The BMW is listed as 412 pounds and the Kawasaki is 442, dry (bikez.com). The BMW was in stock form, but adjusted as best my ex-amateur racer friend could manage. He had his bike modified with a set of F800S bars. I swapped my stock bars for a set of Renthal low and wide dirtbike bars. This makes the upper body ergos virtually identical, between the two bikes.

My friend had suggested the swap because the ER was on his short list when he bought the BMW. He had never owned a BMW before, so curiosity played a part in his final choice of bike. As I was also considering the F800 series of bikes, when I was making my choice earlier this year, that would tend to make me think that they are aimed largely at the same market segment / rider type. The fact that both are middle-weight parallel twins may have something to do with it.

While I liked the brakes on the BMW, I found the front end dive to be unacceptable. My friend agrees and is debating the expense of sending the forks off to Traxxion.

Just for the hell of it, pics of the F800ST and my ER6n.

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...5/P3216030.JPG

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/R6050579.JPG

It sucks that the Versys came with inverted forks but the two main street bikes (650r/er6n) didnt.

Yeah, definitely weird that they put the best suspension on the "adventure touring" version of the bike, rather than the sportbike (Ninja 650R). I noticed that the fork part numbers are different between the Ninja 650R and the ER6n too, which seemed rather an unnecessary change if they were going for budget.

I agree. Stock pipes always look like shit, sans the original Z1000, regardless of what they sound like...which is usually crap.

Boy if that ain't the truth!

I rather like the stock exhaust on my ER. It's small, out of the way, unobtrusive, and quiet so it doesn't attract attention, if I aim to misbehave.

With ya on that. I may replace it if I find a great deal on a can.

Papa. We own the red headed step child of bikes. There aint shit for our bikes.

Pretty much but if you check European suppliers, they at least have SOMETHING for the ER.

Ya, but 75% of it is for their early model that we dont have.

Maybe not as much as 75%, but certainly much of it. Unfortunately I found that out when I ordered a Givi windscreen that, despite having been listed as for '09-'10 ERs, was really for a 2006. I've been trying to figure out a mounting method ever since. Ultmately I may just say screw it, then try to order the Kawasaki screen from a British source.

I may not be much of a person in your eyes but if you post me some pics of the screen, brackets and bike. I may be able to figure something out for you. I am quite good at that sort of thing.:wink:

I like the windscreen this guy got. Didnt line up well but that's how it goes.

http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/fo...r6n-stuff.html

Yeah, I saw that. He adapted a double bubble style screen for a Ninja 650R. I'd rather either adapt the one I have, or use the one that's available from Kawasaki, in Europe. Take a look in the "accessories" tab: http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/ER-6n

Price. The target market for the ER-6N and 650R are newbies and/or riders who want a sportbike or streetfighter look minus the cutting-edge performance. The Versys is an adventure-touring bike, something for which people are willing to pay a premium. Riders willing to pay for better suspension on sportier models will usually just buy a ZX-6/10R.

The ER-6N is the only decent-looking naked / standard on the market right now as far as I'm concerned, and I'm not even that crazy about it. It's a dying (mutating) class. What was so wrong with round headlights..?

There's a market for smaller bikes with passable suspension though. For some odd reason the ER and Ninja 650 don't even share the same forks! If they did, then economy of scale would give the option of cartridge forks on those bikes, at a reasonable cost.

I agree, on both counts, though I also don't mind square headlights on bikes of this style. As to a "dying class", Kawasaki Canada has dropped the ER for 2011.

In the states, that's called a 600cc supersport.

Yeah, but not everyone wants a supersport. The ergos suck, if you're getting on in years. Back in the something like a G00f4/4i was a very comfortable bike. Even the older ZX-6R made for a good commuter. These days the ergos are simply too aggressive, as every manufacturer tries to out-Ducati Ducati.

Something that I would refer to as a "GT Standard" would be a great bike, for most people. sort of the 2-wheel version of a BMW touring car; good, but not earth shattering performance, in a comfortable package. I don't need horsepower. In my experience most people don't know what to do with it, anyway, and it just gets you in trouble on the street. What I want is reasonable mid-range and good suspension.

No, not all buyers want a supersport, just most buyers. That's why the standards you and I enjoy have mostly disappeared. Give me something that looks like a ZR-7 with a modern powerplant and acceptable suspension over a Z1000 any day of the week. I'm in the overwhelming minority, however, so it will never happen. Sales statistics dictate that if you want performance, you want a supersport, and that if you want a standard, you like Transformers.

IMHO we need a return to the UJM; a basic bike, that you modify to suit your specific needs.

Update hoe!

The update is that it has been -10C around here, so not a lot of incentive to go out and work on the bike :p

O hell no Canadian. Always bragging aboot americans being pussies in the cold. Get your eskimo ass out there and get some shit done.

Well we're looking at maybe 10C (50F), later this week, so I might get the easy part out of the way. It shouldn't take me more than 1/2 hour to 45 mins. to swap out the shock, with how much practise I've had at it.

I'll leave the forks for a bit though; maybe until I can work in my buddy's garage. I'll need more room for that than my little shed provides. I've already pretty much got all the tools and spares that I'll need, now that the crush washers and bolts have come in.

Step one is complete. It took me longer to haul the tools and stands out to my shed, than it did to do the actual job. The shock was swapped and properly torqued in under 20 minutes. I guess there are advantages to both this lay-down shock mount design and in having to do this multiple times before, when trying to mount a previous shock that didn't fit, afterall :lol:

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P3050052.JPG

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P3050053.JPG

Get more shit done you lazy Canadian. I guess people are lazy on both borders.

Canadians hibernate in winter. Unless they play hockey or Eskimo Bowling, or own a sled.

Or polar bear swim.

There are Canadians that don't own sleds?

Yes, the ones who own snow shoes.

Oooh - looks yummy! Curious to read how those stack-up against the Ohlins/Penske.

I'm hoping that it'll come up to the level of the Penske, on my VFR. The research I did, before buying it, tells me that it should be in that class.

I really doubt that it will match the feel of the Ohlins Type 4, that I had on a previous bike. Nothing that I've tried, on the track or off, has come close to it. In the course of 3 years it did need several rebuilds though, where the Penske just soldiered on.

UPDATE and don't give me any whiny bitch excuses.

Stripped it and waiting for a chance to gut the forks.

Still being lazy?

The forks get gutted this weekend. Hopefully my electric impact gun will be able to generate enough torque, to get the retaining bolts out of the fork bottoms. If not then I might have to make a trip to the local shop, and have them do that.

The pop can is on the end of the handlebars because that isn't a handlebar; it's a piece of conduit acting as a stand-in to keep the controls in place. During the week I pulled them so that I could replace them with a set of Renthal bars that I had to drill the holes for the switchgear locating pins in, then slapped a brace from a set of Hardy dirtbike bars on. The bars will go back on after the forks, just to make my life easier.

As an aside it always amazes me when I disassemble a brand new machine, and find things like the axles are completely dry. I realize that the bearings do the job of allowing the wheels to spin but, come on, what about corrosion and disassembly?!

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P4060175.JPG

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P4060178.JPG

Starting up:

Off with the fork caps.

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P4090186.JPG

Drain the oil

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P4090195.JPG

Remove the spacer, washer, and spring.

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P4090198.JPG

... and you're left with a fork, with the damper rod assembly yet to be removed.

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P4090202.JPG

More later.

Damn. I wreally wreally want to do an R1 swap to my vfr. Maybe some day.

Damper rod and spring assemblies above the forks.

Bitubo cartridge inserts below the forks.

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P4110207.JPG

Cap, locking nut, spring, and spacer have to come out, before securing the damper. Oil level has to be measured without the spring in place.

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P4110212.JPG

Then Loctite (blue), copper washer, bolt, and impact in to spec.

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P4110214.JPG

And ready to be filled, reassembled, and capped for installation.

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P4110215.JPG

That bit is for tomorrow.

And now.... (drum roll please) THE FINAL PRODUCT!

I would have taken shots of the forks being filled and reassembled, but I was a couple of hands short.

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P4120222.JPG

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P4120227.JPG

Installed and ready for a test ride if it ever stops raining, snowing, freezing, whatever :(

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P4170235.JPG

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...3/P4170236.JPG

Cool. When I did my front end I almost wrecked when the nose didn't dive like I expected it to :lol:

I'll be setting the static sag before I ride it ANYWHERE. Trust me ;) I think they sent the cartridges out set to maximum preload, since there's very little compression from my weight when I sit on the bike. It does move freely though, so they aren't bound in the fork tubes.

I took my bike out for a quick 10k ride, to check out the suspension, and here's what I found.

The front end feels fairly similar to how it did before which is interesting, given that the original springs were something like 1.2 Kg.mm. I think that the current ones are 0.95 Kg/mm. They feel more reactive but I'll have to take it out for an extended ride, to see how much better the forks really are.

The shock, for all intents and purposes, feels very much like my Ohlins did. It's quite plush and, where the stock shock felt like mush, this one just rides over the bumps and soaks them up. It's a definite and obvious improvement.

*EDIT* I also gave up on trying to adapt that Givi windscreen and just ordered the Kawasaki screen, from a shop in Cornwall, UK. It isn't available in North America.

It's all in your head. The springs are just like the oem ones. Admit it. Just because something is "aftermarket" and more expensive doesn't mean it's better. :eatatthey::poke:

Nope, it doesn't. The fact that something aftermarket is better makes it better :p

That's why I'm withholding final judgment on the front suspension; I know that the fact that I've spent money of the damned thing will make me tend to want to see improvement, even if there really isn't any.

A little more information then.

With the OEM setup the front end felt tight, but there was a smooth and progressive dive under braking. The dive wasn't significant, which would make sense if I'm right about what the stock spring rate was, but it was there. With the new cartridge inserts my impression is that the initial dive occurs more quickly, but then slows and stops almost immediately.

The back end, as I said, is very much like I remember my old Type 4 Ohlins feeling. The stock shock wallowed significantly, over wavy pavement. The rear of the bike seems almost to float, just soaking up road imperfections. Now it's like someone has run a rail, plumb straight and level above the road, then attached the rear of my bike to it. I'm extremely happy with the shock, given that I was suffering from sticker shock over the purchase.

Still waiting for the Kawi screen. Once that's in place I might add brush-guards, then call it a day on the mods.

Unfortunately I had to remove my low/braced handlebars in order to get the windscreen to fit. With the lower bars, the right mounting bracket for the Kawi screen was coming in contact with the brake reservoir banjo bolt. I'll have to find a slightly higher set of alloy bars.

Hows the ride wiener?

Damned good. The tight nature of the front end is giving good surface feedback, in corners and the shock is excellent. I'm liking it better than my old Penske, that I had on my VFR.

I yot a PCV coming my way. I bet I get at least 25hp out of it.