ZX9's-So, Phil tell me all you know please!!!!!!!

[Phil]

I am on the Hunt for a WP rear shock, some Wp springs, and then I will send it off to the guy who does such an awesome job keeping me upright on my racebike, and it should be pretty right. I will need a damper though once I have it set up properly, otherwise it will be a tank slapping pig. I did some calcs on head angles last night, and I reckon it's going to need a significant rear ride height adjustment to get it steering how I like it. It's pretty lazy hey Phil!!

Have you fiddled with ride heights or left well enough alone and just ridden it??? Does it suffer any ground clearance problems???? (bear in mind Phil, that on the odd occasion, I have been known to lean them waaaaaay over-accidently of course )
Knowing how they speak of you and the Nasho, you're probably the best person I know of for an honest assesment on clearance!!

only place a had serious clearance issue was at the track (scraped the stock pipe), seeing as it doesnt go to the track anymore i no longer have issues. very rarely touch the pegs down on the street since i put the ohlins in. knee is down well before that. as i mentioned you need to grab in and throw it around

I have no issues with the steering being lazy, suits me just fine, i also have no need for a steering damper, and belive me when i say that my local road is no smooth racetrack. its bumpy off camber and generally has a pretty crap surface.

i have the ability to raise the ride height with the ohlins rear, havent needed to yet. the new m3's seem to have slightly quicker steering than the old m1's, nearly ran off the road first corner this AM

BTW, I am a bit keen on leaning them over too, thats where the fun is

[Phil]

I am on the Hunt for a WP rear shock, some Wp springs, and then I will send it off to the guy who does such an awesome job keeping me upright on my racebike, and it should be pretty right. I will need a damper though once I have it set up properly, otherwise it will be a tank slapping pig. I did some calcs on head angles last night, and I reckon it's going to need a significant rear ride height adjustment to get it steering how I like it. It's pretty lazy hey Phil!!

Have you fiddled with ride heights or left well enough alone and just ridden it??? Does it suffer any ground clearance problems???? (bear in mind Phil, that on the odd occasion, I have been known to lean them waaaaaay over-accidently of course )
Knowing how they speak of you and the Nasho, you're probably the best person I know of for an honest assesment on clearance!!

only place a had serious clearance issue was at the track (scraped the stock pipe), seeing as it doesnt go to the track anymore i no longer have issues. very rarely touch the pegs down on the street since i put the ohlins in. knee is down well before that. as i mentioned you need to grab in and throw it around

I have no issues with the steering being lazy, suits me just fine, i also have no need for a steering damper, and belive me when i say that my local road is no smooth racetrack. its bumpy off camber and generally has a pretty crap surface.

i have the ability to raise the ride height with the ohlins rear, havent needed to yet. the new m3's seem to have slightly quicker steering than the old m1's, nearly ran off the road first corner this AM

BTW, I am a bit keen on leaning them over too, thats where the fun is

[I-K]

Have you fiddled with ride heights or left well enough alone and just ridden it??? Does it suffer any ground clearance problems????

Given that even I can get the pegs down on my C1, the answer to that is a most emphatic "yes".

Like pretty much every sporty Kawasaki I've ever ridden, it needs the arse end jacked up or the front end feels choppered out to all buggery. For the same unfathomable reason which saw them ditch the ride height adjuster on the ZX14, they left it off the C-model 9, as well (the B-model had one, though). They came to their senses and brought it back for your model, though.

[Phil]

Have you fiddled with ride heights or left well enough alone and just ridden it??? Does it suffer any ground clearance problems????

Given that even I can get the pegs down on my C1, the answer to that is a most emphatic "yes".

Like pretty much every sporty Kawasaki I've ever ridden, it needs the arse end jacked up or the front end feels choppered out to all buggery. For the same unfathomable reason which saw them ditch the ride height adjuster on the ZX14, they left it off the C-model 9, as well (the B-model had one, though). They came to their senses and brought it back for your model, though.

does your rear shock still work ?, my stock one had lost all its gas by 40K which caused the rear to squat excessively, no problem now tho.

and if you are regularly scrapping the pegs you must be heaps quicker than me, cant remember the last time i did it on the road, and that includes the run gos and i had thru some of my favourite roads that i get to ride once or twice a year.

[Strika]

Have you fiddled with ride heights or left well enough alone and just ridden it??? Does it suffer any ground clearance problems????

Given that even I can get the pegs down on my C1, the answer to that is a most emphatic "yes".

Like pretty much every sporty Kawasaki I've ever ridden, it needs the arse end jacked up or the front end feels choppered out to all buggery. For the same unfathomable reason which saw them ditch the ride height adjuster on the ZX14, they left it off the C-model 9, as well (the B-model had one, though). They came to their senses and brought it back for your model, though.

does your rear shock still work ?, my stock one had lost all its gas by 40K which caused the rear to squat excessively, no problem now tho.

and if you are regularly scrapping the pegs you must be heaps quicker than me, cant remember the last time i did it on the road, and that includes the run gos and i had thru some of my favourite roads that i get to ride once or twice a year.

Not too worried about the rear shock, as I am intending replacing it anyway. On my 05, 636 I rarely ever touched anything down on the road. Only the ocassional bump mid turn would catch it out, but the Hornet was another story, having to be harry hang off to stop the thing dragging it's arse everywhere. So I take it then if you don't scrape, then it's gunna be OK for road use. I.K. May ride a bit harder than you by the sounds of it, or have more twisties available one of the two. But As I.K. has said, mine has a ride height adjuster as standard, and the W.P./Ohlins/Penske/ACME rear shock I put in will have also.

I heard a little rumour in a U.S. forum of frame cracking issues in E1's. Any one heard of this? If so, where do they let go, so I can keep an eye on it!

[Phil]

he may be quicker - or i may just have my suspension set up better

or he might weigh more than me..........on second thoughts i bet he doesnt

oh, did i mention, upgrading the suspension if you going to push it would be a good idea too

i'm happy with mine, and so far 2 people who have ridden mine have purchased, or are looking to purchase a zx9..............does that say anything

[Phil]

another factor i hadnt considered is riding style.........that may also have bearing..........I-K might be the canberra version of J P Ruggia

[MickLC]

If you need to know anything about their gearbox's I know them intimately

[Strika]

another factor i hadnt considered is riding style.........that may also have bearing..........I-K might be the canberra version of J P Ruggia

Hope he doesn't bin it as often!!!!

Enough of protecting your ego now Phil, I.K. very obviously hammers and would suck your fairings off as he passed by, so just admit it it and we can all get back to talking about 9's

With the Ohlins you have fitted, I know you said that you didn't raise the rear at all, but is the Ohlins you have fitted, the same length eye to eye as the standard one??

And I notice you said your ride heights are stock, does the front ever push? Or is it tight enough in the geometry to hold a line out of the box?

Also does anyone ever do long hauls with a pillion? Any creature comforts that are a must for the bride, before we embark on a summer weekend away??

[Phil]

another factor i hadnt considered is riding style.........that may also have bearing..........I-K might be the canberra version of J P Ruggia

Hope he doesn't bin it as often!!!!

i hope so too, he looked good doing it tho, i loved the slider on the elbow

Enough of protecting your ego now Phil, I.K. very obviously hammers and would suck your fairings off as he passed by, so just admit it it and we can all get back to talking about 9's

ok, the older i get the faster i was, or is that fatter i was, oh i dunno.

With the Ohlins you have fitted, I know you said that you didn't raise the rear at all, but is the Ohlins you have fitted, the same length eye to eye as the standard one??

i'm pretty sure i was exactly the same length, we did measure it when the stocker was out before the ohlins went in. did i mention it took 20 mins to change shocks including setting the ohlins to the manufacturer's settings.

And I notice you said your ride heights are stock, does the front ever push? Or is it tight enough in the geometry to hold a line out of the box?

as i said, my suspension is NOT stock, I have a glenn willing revalved front end and the ohlins rear. my suspension suits me fine - dunno - and quite honestly dont care what others think. but it works for me. steering is fine, in fact i have had more than 1 person comment on how well set up the bike is - its the whole package i'm interested in.

Also does anyone ever do long hauls with a pillion? Any creature comforts that are a must for the bride, before we embark on a summer weekend away??

nope, thats why the bride has her own bike although i did double shaun to pick his bike the other week and he commented that it was pretty comfy - hey, its a sport tourer you know

[Strika]

- hey, its a sport tourer you know

Amazing how one year it's a sharp sports bike, and the next year the same bike is a sports tourer!! How things change

I remember when my GPX750 was cutting edge technology and everyone wanted one

[MadKaw]

No probs with foot pegs scraping on mine, but the engine case was a different story..

[Strika]

What sorta times did/are ou getting out of the 9 around the creek???? By the looks of that photo, you also enjoy using them they way god intended...........leaning it over!

[MadKaw]

I sold it a year or so ago.
Quickest time around the Creek was 1:40 average times were 1:41 / 1:42.
She had plenty of work on her, revalved front end with ohlins springs, ohlins shock, ohlins damper and all the good bits in the engine to put out just under 150 hp at the rear wheel.

[Phil]

dug out this photo from the the last time it went to the track, this was before i put the ohlins on as well.

for the life of me a cant remember wether i had the forks and shock done at that stage or not.

oh, and the new m3's do sharpen up the steering over the m1 considerably.

felt good this morning - i like