[dcolak]

Hi guys,

I find GT 650 rather twitchy mid turns. Touching front brake or it letting go mid turn, makes it all nervous.

The strange thing is, I use up fully my front tire while leaning but the back tire still has a lot to give.

I can't lean more as the front tire already gave everything it had.

How do you turn, do you put down your knee or what? :-)

Because of twitchiness I'm thinking of putting on the Ohlins.

STX 36 on the back



FSK 145 on the front



How's your experience with the aftermarket shocks?

Do they work well with GT 650?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEbdqOFcaSo

Thanks!

[Haggisman]

Do you actually lean your body with the bike?

[dcolak]

Do you actually lean your body with the bike?

Yes. Why?

[t552]

Using YSS G Series. Fully adjustable.
Can supply to UK all yss for 650's inc fork upgrade kits.

[Haggisman]

Maybe you should have some advanced riding technique lessons on a track

[gizzo]

Maybe you should have some advanced riding technique lessons on a track

This^.

Do your braking before the turn.
Brake, turn in, apply throttle. I bet that will resolve your twitchiness. Grabbing front brake in the turn will bring you unstuck one day. Learn to ride first, get ohlins later.

Watch "a twist of the wrist" and Dave Moss.

Don't worry about the rear tyre. It has a pretty round profile so there always a chicken strip even when the front is used to the edge. I've never gotten rid of the back strip on my GT. Only noobs do chicken strip analysis,  anyway. Doesn't mean anything.

[Heavy Duty Mick]

Now would be a good time for you to invest in rider training.

[dcolak]

Using YSS G Series. Fully adjustable.
Can supply to UK all yss for 650's inc fork upgrade kits.

Do you feel wheel is more in touch with road at all times?

Is it less "floating" at 140+ kmh?

Does it keep the line better in turns?

Thanks!

[dcolak]

This^.

Do your braking before the turn.
Brake, turn in, apply throttle. I bet that will resolve your twitchiness. Grabbing front brake in the turn will bring you unstuck one day. Learn to ride first, get ohlins later.

Watch "a twist of the wrist" and Dave Moss.

Don't worry about the rear tyre. It has a pretty round profile so there always a chicken strip even when the front is used to the edge. I've never gotten rid of the back strip on my GT. Only noobs do chicken strip analysis,  anyway. Doesn't mean anything.

Friends, this is bullying. Stop the bullying please or I'll have to report you.

It's called trail braking and is used a lot by people that actually run the track.

You can learn a bit about it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPE67XqGsV4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZWac8OyYV0

GT 650 is really twitchy when transitioning from brake to throttle, that's why I'm looking into the better suspension.

If you have nothing to contribute, please do not harass and bully me.

Thank you.

[twocoolgliders]

IMHO...Ohlins are not the way to go....

The rears are only partially adjustable..they do not have compression adjustments...

The front kit is mostly not adjustable .....only preload...

Why spend all that money and effort for so little tune-ability???  How can you set up for your riding weight and riding style???

I would go with either K Tech front and rear (both ends fully adjustable)(this is what I am doing)

Or go with YSS on the rear (fully adjustable)

Or Andreani on the front....

I have a top suspension Guru working on my suspension...he is an Ohlins dealer and Ohlins expert...but when he saw they are not fully adjustable...he steered me to K Tech....


I just installed the K Tech rear shocks tonight...no time to ride yet...not professionally set up yet either...I just set to the recommended "starting" point for preload, compression damping and rebound damping....set the length to the same as stock......

I won't get to do the forks for a week or two...this requires some extra work, and machine shop work too...


I'll let you know how it all turns out!

BTW regarding Royal Enfiled quality control....the distance between the top and bottom shock mounts is not the same on the left and right sides of the bike...about a 2 or 3mm difference!!!

The OEM shocks are not length adjustable....so you can see where the rubber end mount was all distorted on one shock....to fit into the mis-fit frame!!

Two "sort of" solutions I can see....

1) My new shocks are length adjustable....so adjust one shock longer than the other, so that the bolts go in without effort, with the swing arm hanging down.

2) Make the shocks exactly the same length....install the one side first, then compress that shock slightly until the other side lines up...then bolt that in.


So far I went with #1...


Cookie

[dcolak]

IMHO...Ohlins are not the way to go....

The rears are only partially adjustable..they do not have compression adjustments...

The front kit is mostly not adjustable .....only preload...

Why spend all that money and effort for so little tune-ability???  How can you set up for your riding weight and riding style???

I would go with either K Tech front and rear (both ends fully adjustable)(this is what I am doing)

Or go with YSS on the rear (fully adjustable)

Or Andreani on the front....

I have a top suspension Guru working on my suspension...he is an Ohlins dealer and Ohlins expert...but when he saw they are not fully adjustable...he steered me to K Tech....


I just installed the K Tech rear shocks tonight...no time to ride yet...not professionally set up yet either...I just set to the recommended "starting" point for preload, compression damping and rebound damping....set the length to the same as stock......

I won't get to do the forks for a week or two...this requires some extra work, and machine shop work too...


I'll let you know how it all turns out!

BTW regarding Royal Enfiled quality control....the distance between the top and bottom shock mounts is not the same on the left and right sides of the bike...about a 2 or 3mm difference!!!

The OEM shocks are not length adjustable....so you can see where the rubber end mount was all distorted on one shock....to fit into the mis-fit frame!!

Two "sort of" solutions I can see....

1) My new shocks are length adjustable....so adjust one shock longer than the other, so that the bolts go in without effort, with the swing arm hanging down.

2) Make the shocks exactly the same length....install the one side first, then compress that shock slightly until the other side lines up...then bolt that in.


So far I went with #1...

Thanks man, that info was really helpful.

I'll wait with purchase, I wan't to see what you say when you try the K techs.

I like Ohlins front fork tweak due to no machining necessary.

I'm just counting on better compliance of springs and damping.

Regarding OEM shocks, I saw one is much more "loose" than the other at the bolt part.

Never thought it was due to different lengths!

[Jako]

Try lowering your fork tubes about 10mm .

[twocoolgliders]

I'm not sure what that would accomplish  ??

I asked this question specifically, (because you mentioned this before)

Suspension Guru tells me that is a bad idea...he didn't explain why, other than it can really fuc-up the bike...

The major problem that he diagnosed, (on my specific bike) was poor rebound damping on the front.  The bike, when he tested, will "bounce" about three times, up and down...should go down, then rise up....that's all..

Raising the bike at the front end will not help with this.

The Guru says we will most likely end up with the bike sitting with a slight "rake"..that is, a hair high in the rear compared to the front...(not the other way 'round)

He also went on to tell me the story of a crazy kid who came in with all good equipment installed on his sport bike, but all out of whack settings and fork height...he told the kid to make an appointment to get the bike set up properly...he told the kid not to ride the f-ed up bike...he made repeated phone calls to the kid...who ignored....then two weeks later...kid looses it in a turn...dead....

Really, probably not the fault of the bike..kid most likely just too crazy...but a word or warning to not f-up what you don't understand....

just sayin...

Just to be perfectly clear....I am not a "hard" rider....A super set-up suspension is completely wasted on me.   I am going for a super-comfortable, street ride....for my old-man style of riding...."comfort over performance"...

The Guru says this is completely do-able....to make a great riding, great handling bike...but set up for my style of street riding...

This is the main reason I went with full adjustable front and rear suspension and pro set-up!

It has also become a "learning experience"   just for the fun of learning...I'm sure the cost will not be "worth" the results...but...

We shall see...

Cookie

Try lowering your fork tubes about 10mm .

[t552]

I noticed too that there were different lengths. And as my YSS are length adjustable so did the same.
K tech are good but double the price of the YSS G Series. Mmmmm are twice as good or paying a lot for the name? I dont know but if anything like the YSS you will be stoked.
I also have the Fork kit from YSS which is excellent

[Starpeve]

I doubt that a couple of mm is going to make any difference. You’d probably get that in the bushings. And I’m really starting to dislike the word ‘guru’. I’ve met so many experts on so many things that totally contradict each other. A bit like religion when you pause to think about it....