Paging all 'bladeisti

....ok, so I've had the 'blade a few days now... and I've tweaked the
suspension as it were, by setting it all back to the factory settings - it
now seems much more happy tipping into roundabouts, than it was before.

However, it still has a tendency, when opened up on a nice straight bit of
road for long enough to reach speeds perhaps I shouldn't be doing, to start
to really wobble the bars about.

That, and bumpy back roads really make it jittery - net result is I'm a hell
of a lot slower on this on such roads, than I was on stuff like the Fazer, a
machine with very limited adjustments available on the suspension.

Now... is this an inherent 16" front wheel equipped 'blade failing, or is it
that new tyres will help eliminate this?

I'm beginning to wonder, given the stiffer settings overall that the
previous owner had dialled into the suspension, that it has much heavier
fork oil in it, than standard - would this, if so, contribute to the above
problems?

It currently has no steering damper (but if I end up keeping it, I reckon
one is a must for the longer term going by what I've experienced so far),
but then neither has anything else I've had before, and they felt nice and
stable at these sorts of speeds.

TIA

 

It might be down to the 16" front, but there could be other factors
involved too. Now, it just happens that I have a copy of the January
edition of the Ride mag sat right here on my desk, front page states
'Buy a brilliant Blade for ?2500!. Plus: Suspension set-up guides and
owners' tips'.

I was going to take the mag for recycling over the w/e, bung me your
snail mail addy and I'll post it to you, if you want it.

--
Lesley
CBR600FW
SBS#11 (with oak-leaf cluster)
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18
Real burds don't take hormones, they rage naturally

 

If you could hold onto it for another couple of days, I'd be grateful.

I've got the option to return the bike at the weekend, and it has a number
of other issues I'm not too sure I want to be lumbered with, so... I'm going
to be getting it looked at tomorrow, and then making my mind up for definite
then.

Always a pisser, when something you've always really wanted, turns out to be
a bit of a let down, eh. :-(

 

Keith Code says that a steering dampener will only cover
up handling problems, so you're better off not having one
and sorting out the problem in the first place.

I would start to eliminate things by changing the tyres
first, as you say. If it still does it then check the
fork settings and reset/tweak if necessary. Then try
the rear shock and finally get the forks serviced.

It's amazing what having new tyres will do to a bike's
handling, so I'd deffo do this first. The suspension
adjustments you can do for free if you know what you're
doing. Remember that it'll never be 100% right for all
conditions so by eliminating the problem on one road,
you may get it on another where you didn't before.

 

It violently shaking from side to side, at 140mph+???

I think not - if I loosened my grip, and maintained that speed or anything
above it, I'd be in a ditch / crash barrier in the blink of an eye.

Here speaks the voice of experience, obviously... was it the crutchless
leather chaps and matching cap that first attracted you to each other?

 

Yeah, not half, and you've bought the model I rode back in '97, which
is actually my fave (and something I wouldn't mind owning). The mag
has reports on all the blades since they hit the road (so to speak), do
you want me to give you the recommended set-up spec for yours in case
the previous owner didn't know what they were doing and cocked it up
enough to make the handling dire? At least then you'd be able to check
what your set-up is, adjust it and see what (if any) difference there
is.

--
Lesley
CBR600FW
SBS#11 (with oak-leaf cluster)
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18
Real burds don't take hormones, they rage naturally

 

At least he has a 17" rear..

--
Lesley
CBR600FW
SBS#11 (with oak-leaf cluster)
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18
Real burds don't take hormones, they rage naturally

 

Ok, cheers.

Agreed... it drops in a lot nicer now - the preload wasn't set that far from
what standard should be, but the rebound etc., was all wound up as stiff as
possible by the previous owner, hence why it was a real filling rattler when
I first got it.

Having backed it all off to where it should be, the wobble at 140+ is still
the same as it was when I first got it, leading me to think something is not
right.

Most of the cars I've ever had, if a wheel is out of balance, this has
normally shown its hand by 80mph... is it possible with a bike for it to
only develop a wheel wobble because of this, at that the sort of speed I'm
talking?

Sorry if I'm coming across as a real numpty (nothing new there)!

 

I think it would be a good read anyway, so yes, I'd appreciate it if you
could forward it on to me (is your email addy unmunged?) - should our paths
ever cross at a fest or whatever again, a few beers will be yours for the
trouble (assuming this bike doesn't end up helping me into a wooden box
before long.) ;-)

 

A guy at the shop I used to work at locally, used to be into 'blades in a
big way - he said fitting the 17" off a VFR made a lot of difference to
his - the wobble at speed however, seems to violent to be just down to the
size of front wheel, and I've checked the headraces aren't loose etc.

 

Yep, no prob, email me before you go to bed and I'll get the mag in the
post tomorrow morning, hopefully you'll have it Saturday )

Addy unmunged.

--
Lesley
CBR600FW
SBS#11 (with oak-leaf cluster)
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18
Real burds don't take hormones, they rage naturally

 

Yes

 

antonye says...

Keith Code's a **** who needs to try riding a stock Gixer thou hard down
a bumpy road without a steering damper, see how long his undies stay
clean. He probably wrote those words before the days of ultraquick
steering bikes like the latest R1s, Blades, 916s and Gixer thous.

 

Sorry Jack, it was a subtle point in relation to having a 16" F&R, as
per the GPZ & GPX 600's..now *that* makes for interesting handling. <G>

Apparently bikes are now taller due to the fact that it forces the
weight of the rider over the front wheel, thereby making the handling
more stable and the bike easier to ride. When I was young,
inexperienced, and thought that almost killing myself was considered a
hoot I used to deliberately put my body weight (as much as it was, in
my younger days) over the front in order to stop it twitching.

But I'm pretty sure that the Urban Tiger 'blade was supposed to be one
of the best-handling bikes in its class, despite the 16" front.

--
Lesley
CBR600FW
SBS#11 (with oak-leaf cluster)
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18
Real burds don't take hormones, they rage naturally

 

Compared to the EXUP I testrode a while back, this thing gets its power down
much better, in terms of not lifting its nose as easily under hard
acceleration... but then, aye, I do feel like I'm much more prone over the
tank, in order to reach the bars.

*sigh*... brings back memories of doing the same on my FS1E.

But only to try and get another 5mph out of it. ;-)

Indeed... and it's improved a lot for me at least, by resetting the
suspension to the factory settings.

I dunno... maybe I'm not suited to full on sports stuff - I'm no 'riding
god', but I never had the same sorts of problems with anything else I've
had, including a brace of CBR600s, a Fazer, VFR750 and the GSXR, all of
which I happily rode nailed to the stop, at times.

 

I was just trying not to crash in North Wales )

Well, the UT 'blade was what prompted me to get rid of the GPX600,
because after riding that and getting back on the GPX there was
obviously no comparison. So, as there weren't any 'blades I fancied in
my price range at the time I bought a GSXR instead, and I loved it.

--
Lesley
CBR600FW
SBS#11 (with oak-leaf cluster)
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18
Real burds don't take hormones, they rage naturally

 

Excellent, many thanks.

 

I was trying not to do that in South Wales, a couple of weeks ago... bit
easier not to do that when you're just bimbling about in a car, enjoying the
scenery, mind. ;-)

I dread to think how slow I'd be along some of the more bumpy mountain roads
down that way that SteveH took me along in the car, a few months ago!

 

Yes, but he has a point.

 

I think someone is exagerating a tad.

<snip>