Steering Dampers

[mattyv74]

.....ZX6 might not be the bike for you considering your height and weight?
:

Nah.... not a weight issue. The bike weighs over 200kg with fluids so an extra 30kg of body mass won't give you the strength to eliminate the shakes. I don't know any one alive who can stop head shake using strength. The forces in action are huge
Also, total body mass doesn't effect the distribution of weight, ie. front to back %'s don't change.
The fact that you weigh more is 100% off set by the extra weight transfer due to the extra mass.
Its all about spring rates and set up. Go see a pro.

[Neka79]

i agree.i had so many headshakes on the 929 b4 i had my susp set up..by me..and it got better..i also went from dungplops to michelin...huge difference....it would b 10times better if i got susp set up PROPETRLY./..yes, helmets..thats 1/2 the reason i change mine every 2 yrs or so, the padding softens..get use to it, they all do it..i use to wear a bandana under mine wen it starts getting loose (also keeps ur head cool in summer, and warm in winter, and keeps ya hair outta ur eyes (i use to have long hair)...leathers...hmm i wont say nuthin..ok i will..i got this choice set of red & black leathers,...then i got a blue bike..need i say more?
i kno a few ppl (ty,mate jamie etc) who only buy plain colours (all black) for that reason, black NEVER goes out of style, matches everything...but its up to u...good luck..
neka

[mike-s]

quarkz your taking the correct first step of getting the suspension lowered. There are two avenues of doing this, 1) getting longer dogbones so the shock sits lower in the swingarm (they are a L shaped peice of metal that connect to the shock and the swingarm) or option 2, i think some shocks have a threadable/adjustable rideheight in the top of the shock, im less sure of this however.

either way the lower preload is a total kludge, i'd guess that for more than pure lazy straightline commuting you'd need the preload at least on the first notch up from bottom.

n.b. i had my first headshake this morning, coming off the M5 onto King georges road turning right in the far left lane, there is a metal plate there, (actually its a non slipcoated one i just realised!). i went along the bitumen they put along the edging as i was accelerating hard to beat the traffic off the lights and i got a controllable wiggle. Slightly brown moment thou it was partly my fault for riding on a bad line in the first place.

[KLR]

.....ZX6 might not be the bike for you considering your height and weight?
:

Nah.... not a weight issue. The bike weighs over 200kg with fluids so an extra 30kg of body mass won't give you the strength to eliminate the shakes. Go see a pro.

Hey Matty sorry to be a stickler but I find it hard to beleive a ZX6R will weigh over 200kgs when Kawasaki state the Dry weight as 161 kg.
Doing a bit of research I have found that the Wet Weight of a 2004 ZX6R is 418lbs or 190kgs. See link:-

http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_Wei ... surements/

Also you cant tell me that having the extra strength that a male has cannot reduce the effects of a severe headshake, sure it may end in a slide down the bitumen but I am sure that many a moment has been saved by using strength.

Reading this thread I must ride like a Nancy( Leaving myself open here!! ) cause I have seriously not had a "headshake" that has nearly spat me off in my "whole 2 years" of riding. This may change however if I ever get out onto a track.

[mattyv74]

......Matty sorry to be a stickler but I find it hard to beleive a ZX6R will weigh over 200kgs when Kawasaki state the Dry weight as 161 kg.
Doing a bit of research I have found that the Wet Weight of a 2004 ZX6R is 418lbs or 190kgs.....
.......I am sure that many a moment has been saved by using strength......
.....I must ride like a Nancy( Leaving myself open here!! ) cause I have seriously not had a "headshake" that has nearly spat me off in my "whole 2 years" of riding.

Good call about the wet weight, I was estimating it. They're even lighter than I thought

Talk about timing, check out my new thread that'll be up by Sunday pm. All about the results of head shake.
Maybe you're right about the strength thing. Dunno, just find that when ever strength helps, technigue works even better for me. I am only 58kg though.

Riding like a pussy? Nah, probably very well infact. It'll only shake if you ask it do something it doesn't like. or the set up is crewed somewhere

[Quarkz]

I thought that if you fought a headshake it would most likely turn into a tank slapper??? So I don't know how male strength would come into it. I saved my ZZR250 from one nasty one and hurt my wrist a serious amount in the process, the headshakes Ive had on the 6R were nowhere near as bad as the one I got on my ZZR a little while back.

Sure, my light weight would probably make my bike more prone to headshakes and everything else you have all suggested but there is no way I am giving up on a bike that is probably not suited to me to get a bike that is; I don't think there is such a thing.

So, it's getting lowered with lowering links and the suspension fine tuned. Lets see how we go with all that and if I get into track days I will probably by a damper to be on the safe side.

P.S. The little "fall over" cost me $710 in repairs! Arghh! Atleast she's back on the road

[Felix]

P.S. The little "fall over" cost me $710 in repairs! Arghh! Atleast she's back on the road

Fudge that's a lotta dough for a whoopsies...

Anyhow, is good it's fixed. Can't have ya being bikeless...

Seeing as I am generally good at spending other peoples money can I suggest that you spend a bit to get the whole thing lowered and set up properly, even if that means new suspension bits? It's only money...and it won't be MY money, so that's even better

[KLR]

Good to see that ya back on the road Quarkz!!

$710 swondoolies definitely hurts the hip pocket but we all learn by our mistakes I suppose.

Hope your blue beast is nicer to you!!!

When all the Qld boys are back from PI we are going to have to organise a Qld KSRC ride.

[Flakey]

Good to see ya on the road again.

[mattyv74]

I've come to the conclussion that no amount of strenghth can stop head shake.
I was fighting for my life and still got slammed into the bitumen. The palms of my hands are bruised and sore. Strenght isn't the answer.

[Flakey]

I've been told that the only way to stop head shake is to accelerate and take the weight off the front.

Once it starts you can't physically stop it, and after a short time, it transfers to the rear and then your history.

Although, having said that, a mate of mine on a ZX12R landed a 4th gear wheelie (200+kph) and tank slapped. The only thing that saved him was that when his hands got thrown off the bars, he unknowingly hit the kill switch. Needless to say, he sat on the side of the road for about 10 minutes and took some DEEP breaths...

[MadFab]

as the proud owner of a zx12r ( slightly inclined to headshake under power)and being slightly bigger (118 kg 190cm )and maybe even stronger (especially downwind ) than the duminutive quarkz, i also found hanging on , praying to anything & gassing it works.

then stop,
get off,
smoke a cigga,
thank whatever god you feel appropriate,
then go too dee shop,
BUY A DAMPER
put it on
smile
bee happy

unfortunatly dampers for zx12r's are damn expensive
but oooooh are they worth it

regards

robert zx12r

[ZZRCharlie]

Quarks just something to think about regarding helmets ...

When I went to buy mine I tried on pretty much every brand in my price range and wasnt really happy with the fit/size of any of them, like you, I was pretty much the smallest size in them all. The last place I went to a chick served me and suggested a HJC kids helmet - tried it on (in XL) and it fitted perfectly and best of all was smaller overall and not nearly as heavy. No less safe either - made of exactly the same materials as the adult ones to the same standards etc.

Anyways it fits great, doesnt slop around or cause me headaches; cant tie my hair up high but I think that's a good thing fitting-wise!

You can see it in this pic (sitting on the wheely-bin):

http://www.turbophile.com/bikes/charliebike_side.jpg

Good to see you have the bike sorted out after the accident - looking forward to going on a ride with you and the other Qld-ers soon!

[mfzx6r]

You wont stop it by strength
If its still there after setting up your suspension just buy a dampner simple
fix


mario

[MickLC]

I've stopped couple of headshakes using strength (but then I'm a big boy ), however a full on tank slapper is something I haven't experienced and don't think I could stop.