08 ZX10 Front Suspension Upgrade..!!

[Maccarocks]

Hi all,

Well If you had read one of my earlier posts about this problem, you would know the trouble I was having with the extremely harsh front suspension on the 08 ZX10... Whislt doing a fork seal change it was found that the fork oil level was extremely high (at 100mm air gap).. at one stage I had every adjustment totally backed off... and it still was too harsh.. so I removed some of the oil making the air gap 120mm. (factory air gap should be approx 107 -109mm)

This made the suspension more adjustable, but it still wasnt right. After chatting with a few experts in this field, I decided to just re-spring the forks as I was really just working around the problem and not fixing it directly, and the stock valving is supposed to be quite ok. So I have removed the stock progressive 1.0 Nmm spring and it has been replaced with a slightly lighter 0.95 Nmm Ohlins Linear spring. Oil level / air gap is still set at 120mm.. This spring weight should be much better for me according to the experts calculations...

So it's down to the island Sunday night for 3 days of riding, testing and adjusting.. I am hoping for a good outcome ?? So if I can get the front all settled, maybe I can get a few seconds out of it.?? then look to improving the rear end...

More suspension updates to come after the long weekend..

Macca....

[Blurr]

werent you bottoming out the OEM set up????

[Wattie]

just take it to Zeno!! when he gives it back, you don't understand all the stuff he did, but it works great

[Maccarocks]

No Russ,

I was no where near bottoming them out.. I had everything totally backed off at one stage and it still felt very harsh, you know the fast corners like turn 3 in particular.. the front was just skipping across the track... no feel and no confidence..

On my GPS data you could actually see the squiggly line where I was having front end trouble on these corners... the rest where smooth lines..

I was never able to bottom them out.. I only weigh 74 kilos remember..!!

So I have only gone slightly, but to a non progressive spring.. hopefully this will give me more 'feel'.. see how it all goes next week..?

Macca

[Blurr]

mmmm strange I bottomed out heaps under hard braking. Bike weighs heaps more than I do

Good luck with the new boucey bits.

[Maccarocks]

I know Russ, it has been confusing me as well.. even on the 'Race Tech' site, their spring rate calculations say that the stock spring is too hard, so I am taking a chance and trying something a bit lighter..

Also you are much faster and brake way later than me...!!!

What did you do with the rear shock on your 08..?? or was that stock.. cause that spring would have been way too soft for you..??

Macca

[Blurr]

Stock shock is in Robracers SV650. Apparently went straight in.

I was running a Penske rear which was set up by Zeno but probably wasnt the choice as it was working a bit to hard.

ZX6r is booked in to get set up next week. Springs and valves fron a rear. Not allowed much more for FX600 or ASBK superstock

[Maccarocks]

So I would assume that you are going up to heavier springs then..??

DO you know what spring rates you are going to use..??

Also did you get rid of that stock spring from the ZX6.. or are you getting rid of the spring you are currently using when you do the upgrade.. as I am going to need a slightly heavier rear spring soon...

Just thinking ahead..!!

Macca

[Blurr]

Yeah most likely heavier but Zeno will decide that ultimately. Not sure of the rates yet. As I am unsure of whats in them now, both front and rear have ohlins springs from previous owner so it is a bit of a mystery bag atm.

He'll measure it up with me on it on Monday then strip them down. Set them back together for a test at WP next Friday. Then from there it is experiment time before and during the first St George round.

The spare shock I have has a heavier spring but that goes with the shock.

[Maccarocks]

No worries Russ,

When you get the rear ohlins spring out when you do the upgrade.. if you can find out the numbers on it so I can know the rate, would you be interested in selling that one..?? You are selling virtually everything in your shed at the moment..

Macca

[Blurr]

Theres heaps on my shed. Infact moving so I have a bigger one

[danzx10r]

superbike supply has 25mm ohlin cartridges for bout 750us.
or ohlins ttx and cartridge kit for 1958 us...
rediclous cheap.
the zx is track bike now so have alot of street gear and standard parts (09 zx10r)

ohlins in black ???? http://www.ohlinsusa.com/us/index.php?o ... s&Itemid=1

[Maccarocks]

Hey all,

Well I am back from 3 awesome days at the island, did heaps of riding and setting up the new front suspension.. and all I can say is the new springs rock..!! absoloutley fantastic... First session it felt a bit 'bouncy'.. well that is how I would explain the feeling, but I pushed a bit harder and it was starting to feel better.. still only 1.53's for the first run, added a couple of clicks of compression and rebound and back out again in the second session... felt better straight away, down to 52's... got some excellent advice from John Phelan from Mornington Kawasaki, and Mark Harris from MADAZ performance, made a few more small adjustments and third session out came back in with 51's on the timer... So I was dropping at times over a second each time and feeling better all the time..

This continued on for the whole 3 days, with the last session of the 3 days coming in with a flat 50..!! and I actually bottomed the forks out for the first time ever..!! so at least I am using all of the allocated 150mm stroke.. I have added a couple of extra clicks of compression now, but the front end feels great...!! the best it has ever been so far..

I am very happy with this inexpensive mod.. just servicing the forks, changing the springs for slightly lighter non progressive Ohlins OEM replacements, and dropping the fork oil level 10mm has sorted the front for me.. and I have plenty of adjustment to go...

New tyres now and I can start to push harder.... I will concentrate on some rear shock adjustments next as I am starting to work this a bit harder now. The spring is correct for my weight, it might need a little more spring compression .. but that's another ride day.. 2 weeks to go..!!

Macca

[csgup1]

Thats what happens when you start chasing people

[Maccarocks]

Yes Taj,

Chasing AND passing people.... twice !! It's all on the video...

It is a great battle... thanks for the competition...


Macca