Ohlins rear shock, its beautiful

[Neka79]

you'll be dropping to the ground to pick up your teeth if your not careful mate..
man..i can see sum drunken rumbles over the next few days....
neka

[Wannabe]

I dunno about my bike? It doesnt feel quite right. I'm just not confident pushing the limits of grip on this bike. I'm going to try dropping the forks through 5mm and jacking the back up by using 98 ZX6 dog-bones

My experience with the 98 ZX9R was very similar. The problem lies in the harshness of the shock/fork operation. You can improve the bike with some careful set-up but ultimately you would need to re-valve/replace the rear shock, re-valve the forks & fit springs suited to your weight/riding style.
From what I was able to find out, the rear shock has excessive high-speed compression damping. This means that when you hit bigger bumps/potholes etc, instead of the suspension soaking up the bump, the whole back end of the bike kicks up & makes for a harsh ride. This also means the rear tyre loses some contact with the road so you end up with a skittish ride and lack of feel/traction due to decreased (or no) contact patch on the rear. Not exactly confidence inspiring.
It would pay to speak to a suspension specialist like 'Terry Hay Shock Treatment'. They'll be able to put you on the right track.

To adjust the ride height, you shouldn't need new 'dog bones'. You should be able to use the standard adjuster on the rear shock. IIRC you'll see a threaded section on the top of the shock with a large nut on the top and bottom of the mount. Basically you just loosen the top nut, get someone to lift the rear of the bike up and then tighten the bottom nut up to the desired height. Try 5 mm first and then experiment with it from there.

If I was you, I'd sort out the rear shock first (as that is easily the worst part of the bike) and then get onto the front.

Kawasaki improved the handling of the ZX9 immensely from 2000 onwards. Better compliance & damping rates, bigger forks & thicker/stronger head-stock & chassis etc. They still need very careful set-up but the standard gear is very good - you just need to make sure the spring rates are correct for you.

[BLOOzx9]

cheers wannabe!

Sounds like the rear shock is basically crap and needs to be binned. Unfortunately the 98' model didnt come with a ride height adjuster. That feature came out in 2000 I think? So I guess its dogbones and careful set up for now.

Eventually it will get an Ohlins rear and Terry Hays treatment on the front (valves and springs).

Cheers!

[MadKaw]

Hi Kye and welcome aboard..

As you said the 98 99 doesn't havea ride height adjuser but you can increase the ride height by swapping the dog bones with the 2000 / 2001 model as they are shorter, i believe, but there is the ohlins...

Mine is dropped 5 mmm at the front and raised 13mm at the back (that is the most the ohlins will allow) it also has a steering dampner which helps as the geometry change does affect stabilty, and as mine is a track bike I wouldn't think a road bike would need to go this far. Dropping the front too much (without raising the rear) can also give ground clearance problems as the left side engine case can hit the ground quite easily, especially in turn 2 and 8 at the creek...

[gixxerdave]

yeah dave, turn 8 thats right...

[MadKaw]

hmmm, yes Turn 8.... Yours hit the engine case pretty hard there didn't it...

I normally just scrape mine a little there and turn 2, but that access road between 1 and 2 can cause havok when your your already on the side in the grass at 200+...