Hi, daily drive a Kawasaki Concours which is a 1000cc sport touring bike. Recently bought a 2005 R1. I only made two rides on it. I drive extremely slow on it and have a hard time taking curves. Maybe to all of you seasoned R1 riders this must seem like a newbie question, well it is. Did you guys have the same feeling when you first drove the R1?

I am feeling awry when I have to take a curves, it's like the bike stays straight up and wants to go straight, steering is very short angle, so yes, I have to lean in, but it feels awry, maybe I just have to get used to it. maybe you all have some tips on riding or maybe you can make me comfortable telling me your first riding experiences. Thanks all in advance. I am anxious to go for a ride, but I drive like slow and scared on my R1 while while blasting on my Kawasaki Concours.

so the concourse will turn and your R1 won't?


http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/fishing.gif

You probably need to set up the suspension and just not fear curves. I hope you take the time to get comfortable with the bike. And if people come in here flaming you just ignore them

You probably need to set up the suspension and just not fear curves. I hope you take the time to get comfortable with the bike. And if people come in here flaming you just ignore them

saying the R1 won't turn but the big sport tourer will with no problem (at any suspension setting) is uhmmm...suspect

saying the R1 won't turn but the big sport tourer will with no problem (at any suspension setting) is uhmmm...suspectmaybe.lol. or he is just scared of curves and leaning

maybe.lol. or he is just scared of curves and leaning

my bad..... apologies with this disclaimer: I just can't grasp riding a sport tourer daily then an R1 being intimidating to turn :) :hammer:

my bad..... apologies with this disclaimer: I just can't grasp riding a sport tourer daily then an R1 being intimidating to turn :) :hammer:
:chair::chair::lol

there's no issue with the bike, I am sure it's normal. I just had the bike checked and tuned by GMD Computrack, so I know the bike is in perfect condition. Tires are kinda on the sleek side. I think I come from a much different bike (heavy, wide steering angle) where I sit upright, to a light, nervous, leaning forward, short steering angle. It looks like a ride better leaning over the gas tank.

How much do you weigh?

I agree with w8nonu... this sounds like suspension.

You probably need to set up the suspension and just not fear curves. I hope you take the time to get comfortable with the bike. And if people come in here flaming you just ignore them

Thanks for the heads up:)

How much do you weigh?

I agree with w8nonu... this sounds like suspension.

I weigh 207lbs

dimitrios, another thing is it'll turn easier with the balls of your feet on the pegs

(probably the sport tourer didn't, or it didn't factor as much)

I weigh 207lbs

What year R1?

How much do you weigh?

I agree with w8nonu... this sounds like suspension.Your teachings are inspiring me to help others sensei:lol

DanQ per his post FYI: "Recently bought a 2005 R1"

What year R1?

2005

dimitrios, another thing is it'll turn easier with the balls of your feet on the pegs

(probably the sport tourer didn't, or it didn't factor as much)

That's interesting steveWFL, this would also imply that I would lean myself on the gas tank I guess, lock myself in so to speak

Have you gone through the MSF course?

push pull on the bars?

If you can turn the Kawai, you can turn the R1..

Suspenson is one thing.. But, I'd start with the tire pressure..just a guess..but if the front is low, it wont want to turn at all..

That's interesting steveWFL, this would also imply that I would lean myself on the gas tank I guess, lock myself in so to speak

I'm 6'2" tall, I have to move back in the seat on sportbikes. But if the balls of your feet are on the pegs and you're tall that will happen

That's interesting steveWFL, this would also imply that I would lean myself on the gas tank I guess, lock myself in so to speak

That will come later.. lets start with setup, and turning techniqes first..

How long have you been riding?

Your teachings are inspiring me to help others sensei:lol

I'm telling you... it's fun dealing with suspension :fact

DanQ per his post FYI: "Recently bought a 2005 R1"

Missed that... thanks for pointing it out :thumbup

Problem 1: Bike is probably on stock springs, which are not perfect for your weight.

Problem 2: 2005 bike is 3 years old, and if the suspension has not been serviced, the oil is close to useless and at a minimum needs to be changed to restore proper damping control.

My recommendations would be:


Check the steering head bearings and be sure they are within specs in the manual
Ensure the tires have the proper pressure in them
Ensure the chain has enough slack, and the rear wheel is aligned
Set the rider sag to 30-35 mm front and rear (prefer to start at the same number front and rear as a starting point)
check the steering damper for proper and smooth operationOnce you have those items handled, you should have a good starting point. You can start with the settings suggested for your bike here (http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_street_bike_suspension_settings/index.html#yamaha). While I trust the author of the settings for Sportrider, I am not sure they are adequate for a person of your size. But I do agree that they will start you with a balance on the suspension (minus the preload settings.... I only trust the ruler/tape measure for preload/sag).

Good luck... post your changes and impressions when you get a chance.

Have you gone through the MSF course?

push pull on the bars?

If you can turn the Kawai, you can turn the R1..

Suspenson is one thing.. But, I'd start with the tire pressure..just a guess..but if the front is low, it wont want to turn at all..

Thanks for the pointers Yamadan, I think you are right on the tire pressure, when I ride over bumps it felt softer than on my Kawa, in other words, the R1 at current state rides softer (like a limo) What pressure do I need to have on front and back? Never did a course. Have always been a 1 liter rider though, also have a BMW sport tourer.

How long have you been riding? About 10 years now. I weigh 207lbs and am 6'1"

guys am I missing something or did he not say GMD COMPUTRAC set his suspension for him?

You have riding buddies I imagine? Any of them ride r1s?or super sport bike's? Let one of the guys you trust take it for a small spin and you ride behind him or something.See if he notices any suspect handling issues
If all is well then it has to do with your confidence and levels of trustig the bike to do its job in the corners. Wouild you say you rode corners aggresively on your old bike?

Did you buy the bike from a small guy? Weighed much less than you?

I'm telling you... it's fun dealing with suspension :fact



Missed that... thanks for pointing it out :thumbup

Problem 1: Bike is probably on stock springs, which are not perfect for your weight.

Problem 2: 2005 bike is 3 years old, and if the suspension has not been serviced, the oil is close to useless and at a minimum needs to be changed to restore proper damping control.

My recommendations would be:


Check the steering head bearings and be sure they are within specs in the manual
Ensure the tires have the proper pressure in them
Ensure the chain has enough slack, and the rear wheel is aligned
Set the rider sag to 30-35 mm front and rear (prefer to start at the same number front and rear as a starting point)
check the steering damper for proper and smooth operationOnce you have those items handled, you should have a good starting point. You can start with the settings suggested for your bike here (http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_street_bike_suspension_settings/index.html#yamaha). While I trust the author of the settings for Sportrider, I am not sure they are adequate for a person of your size. But I do agree that they will start you with a balance on the suspension (minus the preload settings.... I only trust the ruler/tape measure for preload/sag).

Good luck... post your changes and impressions when you get a chance.

Wow DanQ, that's a handful. Thanks for the pointers. Some terminology like the rider sag is new to me but I'll look in to it. steering damper looks fine (while talking about it, is it normal that you can lift the damper from the back, like there's 2mm play? I'll keep you posted on my checks. thanks again.

You have riding buddies I imagine? Any of them ride r1s?or super sport bike's? Let one of the guys you trust take it for a small spin and you ride behind him or something.See if he notices any suspect handling issues
If all is well then it has to do with your confidence and levels of trustig the bike to do its job in the corners. Wouild you say you rode corners aggresively on your old bike?
Good tip, i have some buddies that have gsxr's i will ask one to test ride mine, after I checked my tire pressure.

I actually drove one of my buddy's gsxr and did not have this cornering issue, i drove it really normal, and opened up the speed. With my R1 right now, I awry doing it. Will look into the considerations from DanQ. I hope it's something easy such as tire pressure

Wow DanQ, that's a handful. Thanks for the pointers. Some terminology like the rider sag is new to me but I'll look in to it. steering damper looks fine (while talking about it, is it normal that you can lift the damper from the back, like there's 2mm play? I'll keep you posted on my checks. thanks again.

That movement in the stock damper is about normal. It's the lateral movement that counts.

Rider sag it the amount of suspension your weight takes up on that bike, more or less. GMD checked that when they sat you on the bike in all your gear when they checked out your suspension.

Good tip, i have some buddies that have gsxr's i will ask one to test ride mine, after I checked my tire pressure.

I actually drove one of my buddy's gsxr and did not have this cornering issue, i drove it really normal, and opened up the speed. With my R1 right now, I awry doing it. Will look into the considerations from DanQ. I hope it's something easy such as tire pressure

Okay,I wasn't sure if it was a confidence thing. Then for sure check the tire pressure . Does the bike wobble or shake in corners or is it just flat out hard to lean over?

if GMD COMPUTRAC went through his bike with him any fork oil and tire pressure issues that were suspect should've been caught when they set suspension.

Not that they can't make a mistake, but they have done me so right is why I'm confident.

Thanks for the pointers Yamadan, I think you are right on the tire pressure, when I ride over bumps it felt softer than on my Kawa, in other words, the R1 at current state rides softer (like a limo) What pressure do I need to have on front and back? Never did a course. Have always been a 1 liter rider though, also have a BMW sport tourer.

About 10 years now. I weigh 207lbs and am 6'1"

Depending on tires, I'd start at 36 ft 38 rear..

As far as riding, you've been in an upright position for 10 years.. the R1's gonna feel different.. But the fundamentals are the same.. Start with comfortable riding position, and push pull through the turns..see how she feels with air in her sneakers.. Let us know what you figure out..:thumbup

if GMD COMPUTRAC went through his bike with him any fork oil and tire pressure issues that were suspect should've been caught when they set suspension.

Not that they can't make a mistake, but they have done me so right is why I'm confident.

And that is all captured on the setup sheet they provide. So he should have it. It's all good.

yea, suspension bike done by computrac, rode sport tourer daily, now claims 10 years in the saddle, I'm back to my suspect post #2, might be trying to catch some big fish here!

so the concourse will turn and your R1 won't?


http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/fishing.gif

a guy at my yamaha dealer said I should be running about 32 psi front is that sound about right? what is good for the back?

Another thing that hasn't been brought up is the condition of the tires. Is there a big flat spot on them. If so they are not going to want to turn. I had this issue when I bought my last bike. Huge flat spots on the tires and really wanted to resist turning. After replacing the tires I though I had a new bike.

Make sure that the previous owner didn't do something silly like lower the rear with the front at normal height (that would make it handle badly in corners).

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/bump.gif

ping dimitrios

did you ever figure out the situation with not being able to turn an R1????????

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/bump.gif

ping dimitrios

did you ever figure out the situation with not being able to turn an R1????????

:iamwithst

i know what it is and its really simple lol its the type and style/body of turning if that makes any sense.... like the ergos affect how you feel and how you turn a motocycle also the way his kawai is built is radicly diff from the r1 the r1 is a front based system... comapred to the kawais rear based and im to dumb to expalin in clearly but he just needs to learn how to ride it... its like going from your r1 to a honda nighthawk... tell me how easy you tunr that little thing... lol

:confused:

it makes perfect sense to me. I feel much more comfortable of my Fz1 carvin turns then on my buddys 2008 CBR1000RR... does that my bike turns better... HELL NO! But i am use to it and comfortable with it.

The CBR feels wierd... Give it to me a week and i would be able to take her down to full lean no problem.

Another thing that hasn't been brought up is the condition of the tires. Is there a big flat spot on them. If so they are not going to want to turn. I had this issue when I bought my last bike. Huge flat spots on the tires and really wanted to resist turning. After replacing the tires I though I had a new bike.

:iamwithst

I know when my tires get up in the mileage, the handling goes to shit. They may visually look not too bad, but a new set for me always makes a huge difference.

Probably just needs to upgrade his steering damper...

Probably just needs to upgrade his steering damper...

http://smiliesftw.com/x/ohhhPOOPOO.gif (http://smiliesftw.com)

http://smiliesftw.com/x/ohhhPOOPOO.gif (http://smiliesftw.com)


...what???? :lol

...what???? :lol
LMAO:crash

or he just needs to ride the bike more and put some good mileage on it to get comfortable with it. its totally different than what he was riding so the more seat time he gets the more natural it will feel.

it very well could be the wore out tires but without riding it none of us will ever know....

If he gets the wrong steering damper it will hurt his power output though... :drunk:

i know what it is and its really simple lol its the type and style/body of turning if that makes any sense.... like the ergos affect how you feel and how you turn a motocycle also the way his kawai is built is radicly diff from the r1 the r1 is a front based system... comapred to the kawais rear based and im to dumb to expalin in clearly but he just needs to learn how to ride it... its like going from your r1 to a honda nighthawk... tell me how easy you tunr that little thing... lol


L2 Grammer

.........soooo did this guy ever figure the ****in bike out. i know when i bought mine i rode like 10 miles with 10 psi in the front tire and couldent figure out why it wouldent turn then again im a ****in idiot

http://smiliesftw.com/x/ohhhPOOPOO.gif (http://smiliesftw.com)

I just stole that ---> http://smiliesftw.com/x/ohhhPOOPOO.gif

thanks