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Suspension tuning, which way to jump?

GuzziHero

Cruisin' Guzzisti
GT Contributor
Joined
May 2, 2009
Messages
485
Location
Stoke-on-Bloody-Trent
I have a suspension setup on the Griso (one suggested in a thread on here) which feels fine and 100% better than the stock settings, but I am looking to sharpen up the steering on turn-in. I know the Griso is a large beast so it'll never be a Fireblade, nor would I want it to be, but it still feels slightly lazy on entry.

Can anyone tell me which way to start adjusting the dials and knobs so I can begin working on setting it up for my own riding style? I really have no idea whether to stiffen or soften things etc. I just want the bike more responsive. I am considering dropping the forks through the yokes a few mm as that seems to be a good starting point, but don't know how much to do it by.

I also want to sharpen the Cali steering a little, so I am planning to drop those forks a little, too.
 
I'd be slightly wary of dropping the yokes and losing too much ground clearance if you're getting her reet over. Maybe also think about your riding style - I hear lots about the Griso being long and slow, but despite it's length it really is quite responsive if you use the bars for leverage (and I had a ZX0R before as a comparison). So, rather than suing body weight and weighting the pegs as you would on a sports bike, I sit more upright, 'crosser style, and use the bars (counter steering) with, I think, good effect.

It's a personal thing, obviously, and YMMV. I'm very interested in other opions too - I always like to fiddle and tinker.
 
I havent grounded the pegs yet, only occasionally touched my boots down (I can count the times Ive done that on one hand), but yeah, ground clearance is something I hadnt thought about.

I have never been the type of rider to lean right off even when I had the FZR1000 (I dont even wear kneesliders), and the Griso seat sort of prevents it anyway. I feel that leaning on the road is more for posing than anything else and I generally sit almost upright like you say. I rarely even feel the need to tuck in at 120+ thanks to the screen being very effective. The Renthal bars I just fitted are only SLIGHTLY longer than the originals, but already the steering feels lighter and more responsive. Not using bar weights probably helps there, too.

Maybe the best investment I could make is doing a trackday session with an instructor.

Cheers for your input :)
 
GH, typically dropping the forks is the first thing I go after when trying to see if a rake change helps. I didn't feel the Griso needed it, however its quick and easy to try. 5mm is a small measurement you likely won't be able to detect, so try 10mm increments and report back. The Griso pegs are so high, you don't have to worry about much outside of the kickstand touching down.
 
Cheers, I'll try that first.

I still have plenty of chicken strip on my tyres so I think I have a way to go before I worry about that. I'll let you know how it goes.
 
10mm is quite a big increment IME, but very interested in the results - be sure to let us know how it goes.

Also, GH, what screen do you have? I got the small flyscreen, but it doesn't do much (apart from keep the clocks a bit drier) so looking out for an alternative.
 
Mine came equipped with the 'Large' type, with the Griso writing on it. I want to get it tinted orange to match the bike but heck... :D

I dont think I'd have bought it if not for that screen. When test riding it, the ability to cruise comfortably at 90+ was essential, and the large screen helps it do that just fine. They call it large but its not that big really, just a great wind deflector:

DSCF2517.jpg


I'm just going to look up the safest technique for fork dropping in a sec, I am worried about something going wrong, the forks dropping fully, and smashing the front mudguard! I'm probably paranoid though.

---
Edit:
As I expected, its best to put a jack under the sump to make sure the bike doesnt just plummet down :D I'd worked that bit out myself. I may still remove the front fender though to be certain.
 
That was so simple, it should be illegal for an idiot like me to do it.

I dont have a proper stand, but an axle stand under the brake side, scissor jack under the gearchange and a scissor jack under the motor worked fine. I dropped the forks 11mm due to a slight miscalculation (hey, lets say they are American mm!) but theyre just dandy. I tell you though, 11mm doesnt sound a lot but it is!

Right, now here's a question: before I started this job there were 3 black rings already exposed. That equates to... 10mm! Is this normal, or has the bike been lowered before? If the latter, then I now have -21mm on the front, let's see how that handles :)

---
Edit:
From pics I've seen, 3 rings showing are normal.

I am actually quite shocked how little torque they need on the yoke bolts. Its barely hand tight!

---
Edit2:

Pics of the new position:

Before I wiped off the old dust ring:
DSCF2512.jpg


And a little bit of me in every pic! Its all part of the service...
DSCF2510.jpg
 
Right, okay, wow.

I only did 2 miles to work and back today but already I can feel the difference. IF you do this mod, and you don't actively countersteer, learn how to, pronto.

When turning in, the front wheel literally feels like it is being sucked into the turn. It feels wierd right now, but I hope to go on a bit of a blast tomorrow and get used to it. I can see it being of HUGE advantage at speed, especially on A and B roads. The sucking in feeling was exacerbated with a heavy fuel load (I filled up on the way home), so the bike is probably more responsive to body weighting than before.

More to follow...
 
Okay, weather dried up nicely for a good B and A road blast. 76 miles, avgd 55 including some very frustrating moments behind moronic car drivers.

Right... to save some reading. Should you do this mod? Yes.

More in depth answer:

Round town the tyre was sucking in heavily on corners requiring corrective countersteer. Once on the open road, this was not necessary.

First road I did was B5066 onto B5027. Tight as a gnats bumhole, so most corners are between 40-60 at a push, with a few 30s in there. Lots of blind crests/kinks/dips and a humpback bridge or two. The wind was awful out but the B5027 is quite sheltered so it didnt affect the feel so much. The bike was plenty stable, I was a bit busy dodging bits of trees and gravel so didnt really get to open it up much, but was a good start. AVG here was 53, just to give an idea of how hard I was riding.

Uttoxeter then onto the B5013-B5014 to Armitage. I was just riding naturally, and it took a while before I realised I was entering corners between 5 and 10mph faster than I would normally yet the bike was giving me full stability and lots of confidence. I know this road slightly, but have only biked it a few times, so there are a good few corners I dont know (I always reckon a good test of a bike is how smooth you can be on an unknown road). A slight twitch to the left or right with my body would have the bike turning for me, and I only had to give minimal bar input. AVG here was 63.

Into Armitage onto the A515 and like a moron I turned left. Dear freaking God have they muted this road. Its so wide now, its not much fun, and I spent most of my time rolling up behind cagers and bimbling past. Despite being a much wider road than the others, I only AVGd 58 thanks to the car dodging. However the wind was also howling here, at one point trying to blow me off the bike sideways at 94. Back to the point though, again I could roll through corners and change direction VERY rapidly just by shifting my weight about. The bike was just a lot more responsive than before the mod.

Hit the A50, carried on along the A515 to get to one of my fave roads. A515 part 2 was more of the same, but with narrower road and MORE cars. Most of this section was just catching a line of 8 or 10 cars and diving in when a lorry/tractor/spiky death machine came the other way. Totally ruined my buzz it did. Didnt learn anything here.

Up the A52 to Calton Moor then left to carry on the A52, a road I know well and enjoy enormously. Its a very bouncy road, lots of blind corners and crests. Wide enough for safety but tight enought to be fun. Again I found that I was hitting corners anywhere between 5-10mph faster than normally, but the bike had plenty more handling in reserve whereas normally I would be backing off as I neared the grassy bits on exit. One corner I normally take at about 55-60, I took at probably 75 without even realising it! Calton Moor turning to Whiston I AVGd 63, then reset (Whiston and Froghall are slow). I reset again on the exit of Kingsley Moor, and from there A52 to Cellarhead, A520 to Coalville I AVGd just over 60 (I think, I forgot to look when I got back into 30 zone) which isnt bad.

Anyway, the final result was that I feel the change has been VERY positive. I feel safer on the the bike, and more confident that it will do exactly what I want it to, when I want it to, with minimal input. I would go as far as to say that this is now a better handling bike than my FZR1000 ever was (if nowhere near as powerful) and I am probably as quick on this as I was on the FZR, if not slightly faster.

Should you do this mod? Yes. If youre the type of person who gets anywhere near the performance that a Japanese sportbike has to offer, I would say that it is essential. Combined with the improved suspension settings posted here https://www.guzzitech.com/forum/topic. ... 163&t=3754 and using it between 6000 and 8000rpm for the fast bits, I would say that this bike could match most on the road in real world conditions, unless the other bike is ridden by a nutcase.
 
Heavy fuel load on a Griso? I didn't know that was possible. :)
 
Update:

This Griso is sublime now. Apart from a hairpin that I came to a little quickly (thought it was further down the road!), no road I went on today really challenged the handling. It is much easier to ride, quicker steering and faster. I would say this Griso now is more than a match for my old FZR1000 now.
 
Raising the forks was something that I did from the start and don't see any sort of ground clearance concern. I positioned them at the 'sport' setting in the handbook – can't remember now without looking – is it 5 rings/notches showing? **

I'm happy with that, but really I don't think that it transforms the handling into a GSXR 600 or 750 beater. It's still a different sort of bike.

** EDIT: it's 4 rings isn't it?
 
Handling wise, no. It comes closer than you think, largely because of the Grisos stability, a fast rider on a GSXR will beat a fast rider on a Griso. Any GSXR WILL kick a Guzzis arse on power alone before you factor in geometry, weight, racing brakes, multiplate clutches and all that kerfuffle.

But most of us are average and comfort/feel/confidence makes a HUGE difference.

I have blasted past kneegrinders in corners on the Cali. Not saying I was faster but I was more confident. I've kept reasonably with an R1, and a Desmosedici on the Griso.

Its not all about racing geometry.
 
Quick update:

Even the Cali feels better with the forks dropped. I did 15mm on that and its now so sharp that it actually feels like its DROPPING into corners rather than having to wrestle it round the place. Cornering at what used to be a struggle at 30 (roundabouts etc), I now look down at the speedo and I'm doing 35+

Sorry to be ragging on about it, but anyone grumbling about the Griso handling should do this. Seriously.
 
GuzziHero said:
Its not all about racing geometry.

Geometry has something of an effect, but with the Griso, it's also about length and weight. (As well as the odd riding position.)
Again I'd say that raising the forks a little doesn't significantly effect any of those things.

The Griso is good in a drag, but a sports bike will ride around the outside of a Guzzi in a corner any day.
He said, provocatively. :roll:
 
If ridden by equal riders, maybe. But a rider used to a heavier, lazier bike could make the difference. I'm pretty sure the Griso is quicker in real terms on a real road than my FZR was, until top speed enters the equation.

Put another way, I passed round the outside of a friend's VFR750 on a V50/II and did the same on a GSXR (not sure which year) on the Cali with luggage.
 
Belfastguzzi said:
GuzziHero said:
Its not all about racing geometry.

Geometry has something of an effect, but with the Griso, it's also about length and weight. (As well as the odd riding position.)
Again I'd say that raising the forks a little doesn't significantly effect any of those things.

:roll:
i agree ive had the fork legs in all positions.I still say once you got your sag set the next best thing is keep that throttle steady .I try my best to avoid sudden openin or closin of throttle.
 
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