how do i get the best outta my 9

[diesel]

7////////basically,77
i can't afford a new bike (the only two i would consider would be an 05/06 zx636 or 05 zx10) so i thought i might invest some hard earned cash into making my bike go,stop and turn better.

i've got a 95 model ZX9,
i've got a megacycle can. that's it so far.
i think it's running pretty rich, so i'm gonna get it tuned, possibly on a dyno. but....

i gotta a bit of extra cash,
what relatively affordable engine mods could i look at?

i think i wanna improve the rear suspension. it needs re-gassing as it is. so what would i be looking at for a better unit, preferably something with a ride height adjustment.

and then a little more breaking power would be good.
a quick response throttle could be fun.

ah i'm so confused, what to do? what to do?

[Rossi]

Honest opinion here mate.........

The bloody things go way faster than I can comfortably handle (old age mate) so if you wanna spend some $$$'s on it go the suspension route and get it to go equally as fast around corners.
Get the forks rebuilt with progressive springs and get them valved to suit your weight.
Ohlins rear shock will set you back around 900 bucks BUT I have been getting some negative feedback about the quality since they altered them ?
Braking upgrade..... then you'd have to go wavey petal disks ( just for the bling value) and sintered pads topped off with braided lines and new fluid.
You better feel pretty confident if you stick the 1/4 turn throttle on or it'll highside you

[Smitty]

Honest opinion here mate.........

The bloody things go way faster than I can comfortably handle (old age mate) so if you wanna spend some $$$'s on it go the suspension route and get it to go equally as fast around corners.
Get the forks rebuilt with progressive springs and get them valved to suit your weight.
Ohlins rear shock will set you back around 900 bucks BUT I have been getting some negative feedback about the quality since they altered them ?
Braking upgrade..... then you'd have to go wavey petal disks ( just for the bling value) and sintered pads topped off with braided lines and new fluid.
You better feel pretty confident if you stick the 1/4 turn throttle on or it'll highside you

Vin
I am with rossi here.........
the 9R is a much better bike than most of us can ride
...unless ya name is Valentino
so
get the bike tuned..running perfect
fix the suspension and get it adjusted ..for YOU
upgrade the brakes, make sure the tyres and everything else
like headstem and wheel bearings and chains and sprockets are 100%
then go and take some lessons..a cornering course or whatever
so you can appreciate and ride well your new found pride and joy.

cheers

[Glen]

I'm with Rossi and Smitty. Money spent on suspension is rarely wasted. Don't know about guys in Melbourne but I'm sure there's someone like a Terry Hays who'll spring it correctly for you and set it up spot on.

You'll be amazed how much better it will feel Stick some braided lines on it maybe and then spend bucks on training and track days and I reckon you'll be a very happy man.

[diesel]

OK, so let's say i go down the suspension path.
ohlins always seemed the way to go. but are there other good units to be had at a more affordable price????

should i buy parts myself? or should i just take it to ken and say fix it for me? or are there specific suspension shops out there?

[Stace]

See a specific suspension shop dude, Like "Suspension 'R' Us" Or "Krooze Tune" ETC

Remember Ohlins have to lines of shocks, the Black and White stickered jobies and the original Blue and Yellow stickered ones. The Blue and Yellow ones are the top of the range shocks and the Black and White are the cheaper variety.

It's always better to spend a little more on shocks to make sure you get quality.

Just 2 brands that spring (no pun intended) to mind are WP (White Power) and Penski.

Give Dyna bike a call, i'm pretty sure they do suspension mods and they did a great job on Gregs bike.

[Smitty]

See a specific suspension shop dude, Like "Suspension 'R' Us" Or "Krooze Tune" ETC

Stace I agree
I can also recommend Suspensions'R'us
why?
I saw these guys in action at track dayz at PI
they are very good.
Vin... give them a burl

hth

cheers

[Stereo]

If you are going to get your bike tuned, make sure you first check the air filter.... not sure what air filter your bike has, or what the best one is... but there is no point spending money on tuning if you havent got the best airflow... This is a relatively inexpensive mod, so should be done before a tune (it will run even worse if you havnt got an after market filter yet, but once tuned it will improve HP)..

Suspension is always good.... as the guys above said.... Dont just replace it though, get it set up perfectly for you...

[javaman]

My best spent money on the 6R to date:

- Braided brake lines - $70
- Throttle rocker - $7
- Heated grips - $10
- Mr. Sheen - $4


Somewhat good:

- Exhaust pipe - $200ish

Crap:

- Fully sythethic lubes $50
- Various chain lubes (maxima, silkolene, etc) $50ish
- Race brake pads (farken noisy) - $100

[Duane]

maxima's great (i use it) the one in the gold can.

However, go with the suspension and brakes, the 9 goes pretty fast already

If you're serious about weight. Leave the rear single seat from your fibreglass race fairings on, get rid of the rear footpegs (get a small and light bracket made up to hold onto the exhaust). and lose as much weight as you can from the bike.

Basically - replacing all screws and bolts with lighter ones (someone here has done that.) And anything else you can get rid of off it. keep it all and weigh the lot you took off, then weigh the lot you put on and see what the difference is. i've seen reports on here where someones done that and it's quite impressive.

[photomike666]

If you really wanna get it running right, go K&N filter dyno and rejet. Will be quick enough.

Braided lines will make one hell of a difference to the brakes.

WP and Ohlins are the two names I'd trust in suspension. It's possible to revalve & respring the front, or to harden it a little use more viscous oil (or 5 mm more than standard). $5,000 won't help if they're not set up right, so try and organise a set up session, as run at some track days.

Braking & cornering course will also do wonders to your riding experience. If you're really flash with the cash go for Super Bike school, who happen to have people doing suspension set-up at the track. This is something that is on my spending list, eventually

[diesel]

i've got around 2 grand to spend on it.
i could do the smart thing and pay off some debt, but that'd be no fun.
i was hopin to get the suspension sorted for around $500-$750, but that may be a little optimistic.

i really need it tuned and a new set of tyres won't be far off.

[Stace]

Hey mate, You would be better to put the $2,000 away and add to it for a new bike. Spending $2,000 on a B2 will not increase it's value at and in reality they are worth about $6,000 now anyway. Your call though.

God i'm starting to sound old

[javaman]

2 grand for a mod? I'm jealous

That will make 10 PI track days btw

[diesel]

u got a good point stace, you are starting to sound old.

in reality i've only got 1 grand maybe 1200 to spend after i pay for tyres, tuning, a bit of fibreglass, etc.
and i won't be able to afford a new bike for 3-5 years now. too much debt.
so i wanna get the B2 to a point where i'm happy with it.
i'm tempted to just get the rear suspension re-gassed but i don't really know what's gonna be best value for money.