Easier turn-in

javahaxxor

javahaxxor

Wizard
www.ibm.com
Hi guys,
This is not tried by me personally (yet) but I thought I'd share anyway.
You know the difference between our bike at some pace, and some twisties, and the supersports which almost turn by themselves ? At the same time, the FZ1 has to be wrestled a bit, you have to use your body, you have to countersteer, etc. On a ZX10R 2012, there was no need for that. I just looked at the bend and it rocketed in turning by itself, I just had to finetune the line, almost featherlike steering.

well I met this guy who raised the forks 5 milimeters from their original setting and he said that wrestling is GONE, it behaves just like it should. I realize you're changing the chassis geometry but I can't see where that could cause any harm. I guess what it does is move the weight a bit forward, make the steering angle a bit more agressive and stiffer fork tubes, so less flex at lean.
I'll probably do this mod when the sun kicks in over here
 
Fairly common for FZ1 owners to raise the forks in the triple clamps to lighten steering and quicken turn in. 5-7mm may be a good place to start and see how it feels, be aware that it MAY make the bike slightly more prone to head shake or feel a little less stable.
 
It will help. The down side is you will lose a little bit of ground clearence. A lot of guys like to goto a 190/55 rear tire which will also help. Make sure your sag is set for your weight. If you are over 160 lbs your really going to add some more over the stock setting.

I have 05 R1 which are around 12mm shorter then the stock FZ forks and a penske shock with 5mm of ride height added. Mine turns in just fine.
 
Ok .. I haven`t checked the sag but i have stock settings i believe. And i weigh 110 kg + gear. Thanks for the tip with the 190/55tire , i'll try that first. Aftr checking the sag ..

Would springs better suited for my weight improve handling noticeable on the street or should i focus on something else ?

Sent from my mobile phone, please excuse the brevity
 
javahaxxor said:
Ok .. I haven`t checked the sag but i have stock settings i believe. And i weigh 110 kg + gear. Thanks for the tip with the 190/55tire , i'll try that first. Aftr checking the sag ..

Would springs better suited for my weight improve handling noticeable on the street or should i focus on something else ?

Sent from my mobile phone, please excuse the brevity
Click to expand...

I think its 2.2lbs per kg if thats right yes you would most definetly benefit from some stiffer springs for sure.
 
Definitely drop the front end at least 5mm.

My bike has 07 R1 forks which are 15mm lower and I also have the rear raised 5mm with my Nitron NTR shock.

Needless to say the bike turns in much, much better now and it isn't twitchy at all.

The long wheelbase allows for a fair bit of adjustment in geometry
 
i went to holeshot performance's website and bought the Dale Walker adjustable struts. they replace the factory "dogbones" that attach to the rear shock, and they are adjustable. You can pick stock, 1.25" lower, or 1" higher than stock in the rear. I raised mine and it turns in alot better than it did before. made it feel a little more sporty too.
 
javahaxxor said:
Hi guys,
This is not tried by me personally (yet) but I thought I'd share anyway.
You know the difference between our bike at some pace, and some twisties, and the supersports which almost turn by themselves ? At the same time, the FZ1 has to be wrestled a bit, you have to use your body, you have to countersteer, etc. On a ZX10R 2012, there was no need for that. I just looked at the bend and it rocketed in turning by itself, I just had to finetune the line, almost featherlike steering.

well I met this guy who raised the forks 5 milimeters from their original setting and he said that wrestling is GONE, it behaves just like it should. I realize you're changing the chassis geometry but I can't see where that could cause any harm. I guess what it does is move the weight a bit forward, make the steering angle a bit more agressive and stiffer fork tubes, so less flex at lean.
I'll probably do this mod when the sun kicks in over here
Click to expand...

Also worth mentioning here is tire pressure, It makes a huge difference in handling, Make sure you are at proper pressure before doing anything.
 
So I picked up an 02 FZ1 with 12K on her and she definately turns like a truck compared with my Buell XB12s, my last street bike. So will I be dragging hard parts if I drop the fork? I scuff the wear pads of my Sidi's on my Buell I dont want to go down in a blaze of molten metal, but would like to get a little quicker steering
 
Raymondt said:
So I picked up an 02 FZ1 with 12K on her and she definately turns like a truck compared with my Buell XB12s, my last street bike. So will I be dragging hard parts if I drop the fork? I scuff the wear pads of my Sidi's on my Buell I dont want to go down in a blaze of molten metal, but would like to get a little quicker steering
Click to expand...

Well just try a small drop of 5mm on the forks and see what happens. It should definitely quicken the steering as bit.

It's not a fair comparison against your Buell XB12s, which had a much shorter wheelbase and a lower rake angle. Both of those affect steering quickness quite a bit.
 
I'm sure all these things will help the FZ1 turn quicker, but the inertia of the larger flywheel is another big reason the FZ1 won't turn as quickly as a supersport bike. I've heard reviews of the FZ8 claiming it turns much easier than the FZ1 mostly because of a much lighter flywheel. :2cents:
 
Raymondt said:
So I picked up an 02 FZ1 with 12K on her and she definately turns like a truck compared with my Buell XB12s, my last street bike. So will I be dragging hard parts if I drop the fork? I scuff the wear pads of my Sidi's on my Buell I dont want to go down in a blaze of molten metal, but would like to get a little quicker steering
Click to expand...

You should be OK with a 5mm drop.
I'm 215/220 with full gear, stock suspension settings tapped out on a '02, 5mm drop and the handling/steering is tons better.

I've overridden the Diablos, with no problems.
Only time I've scraped the pegs and frameslider is through the Dragon in really tight twisties at speed.....and a couple times on the Cherohalla so you should be OK.
Where you bolt your sliders also make a difference......I've since moved my sliders back and up after scrubbing them.

For even qucker steering, I ran a 110/70/17 rather than the 120.....now back at home in florida I raised the forks back and just have the 5mm drop from the shorter tire.
rides fine, but a little bit harsher....less sidewall for cushionong.
 
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