Regarding the suspension set-up, and my response recently, I've found a link to the people who do a service (IYSWIM) that is IRO £40.00 for sorting it out. http://www.kais-ohlins.co.uk/home.htm I'll be taking the 600 in there shortly to be done, I don't think the rear shock is as stiff as it should be. -- 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
ta, noted. Feels good now. Will experiment with the Champ/Loz method soon. Think I need to know more about what different settings feel like and how they affect the handling before I get it set up as a service. It is this level of 'knowing' the bike by feel that I want to achieve - throughly learning what can and can't be done, then gaining more experience and trying something else. Went out yesterday for first time since all the bits were done. Angle grinders - I'm a convert. Wire brush attachemnt, old rust gone, exhaust paint applied. I miss the burbling noise of blowing down pipes. Then off out - It was a very mixed biking experience. I usually just get on and ride, but with an internal checklist almost - car to the right, old lady by crossing, cat under car, out of 30 limit, pick pace up, find happy roads, ooo bends, how sharp does it look, can I see through, what's surface like, anything coming, drop speed, drop gear, go through, repeat. It was all very different - long boring account of bit of journey follows, skip away unless you like the analysis of minutiae As I did the take forward on full left lock to edge of garage door (it will not quite clear it in one go) put full right lock on, back up to bumper of pink thing, put left full lock on, move out onto drive procedure I was cursing the weight. Had a glum, I'll never get a bigger bike as I wont be confident about the weight moment. Mounted and started, the noise is very different. It went into first gear smoothly, the chain adjustment is noticeable in the difference in selection. I moved up the slight slope of the drive, wishing I'd pulled the car more to the left, as it prevented the how high can I get the speedo in a short distance game. The smell from the curing brake paint was horrible, shut visor immediately, rather than waiting until approach to first roundabout which is the habit I've got into. Pulled out onto the close, smoothly round the 120 degree bend, onto street. Careful past the first back street crossroads, where EH connected the 635csi with a taxi. Past the son and father halfway down the street who look up as the sound echoes between the houses. Up to the give way at the end. An offset crossroads, cars parked both sides, visibility always poor, checked and came round, slightly more to right than usual, the handling feels very different. Over the speed bumps, noting neighbour on the left, lifted hand and immediately it felt unsettled - very strange. Stopped at giveway onto main road, wiggled, settled myself, then waited for gap in traffic. Turning out onto main road I moved about 2 inches forward and stopped - it felt as though bars were so far to the left they were coming back on me. Put my foot down and felt wobbly. I hadn't grabbed at the throttle (and with the restrictor on it wouldn't have made a major difference if I had) but it felt as though bike had gone horizontal on to the road. Settled again, slightly annoyed. Pulled out, immediately into the worst "concentrate or the fuckers will get you" bit of the journey to and from home. There is a park on the right, kids tend to shoot across road, then entrance to council vans depot - a white van man heaven. While on the left is the entrance to a cars spares place - boy racers scream on and off, then the entrance to a kwik fit and a DIY place - stressed middle aged blokes and old blokes in flat caps. There's a pet shop there as well - old dears getting budgie feed in ford kacks. Oh and the pelican crossing in the middle of all these junctions, followed by the old canal bridge which has no view over the top - which, when white van man comes screaming past slower entities in the middle of the road, can be a tad disconcerting. Past all this down to the first roundabout, decide to go and have a run round the car park to settle down and see how the brakes feel. Fumes still coming off curing paint. Feel edgy. Going through corners and roundabouts fine, but bike and I are just not clicking. Go to dead end road on estate that has sharp corner and repeatedly go round roundabout, into this road, round corner, turn at end, go round corner on other line and repeat. All feels wrong, not smooth, not comfortable, loads of loose stones on the roundabout in my natural line so having to go more to left. Give up and head back towards home. Stall pulling out of roundabout, thank deity I'm not on a kick start, pull clutch in and hit starter and pull away all without thinking. Get round corner over bridge, past white van man junction. As get by park, pull over, bike on stand, over to wall, sit down, helmet off have a fag and a grumble at myself. Right hand was stiff - I'd obviously been gripping too hard. Not sure if the fumes from paint had had an effect but 20 minutes with helmet off cleared head. Get back on, past the turning for home, couple of miles through traffic onto the bypass, going through gears slowly, select, take to throttle restrictor, let revs rise to within the red line, change, repeat. Smooth, flowing, settled, hit top speed, hold it until end of bypass section then at rounabout decide which way to head out. Go for the 90 degree bends in 30 limit road. Lines fall into place, throttle rolls on through bend smoothly. Finally feel in the zone. Spend next couple of hours going in random directions, looping round the back of Donnington, going along the road along the back fence was one of those perfect moments. Eventually headed for home because I wanted a wee - then spotted a pub, nipped in there and went and did another hour or so. Yesterday bikes both sucked and rocked. Today my shoulders ache. Tomorrow I got to HG to get waterproofs, then up to Clay Cross. Thursday a local bimble, then Friday Leeds and Saturday Scotland. Home on Sunday. Maybe I should take next week off as well....
