Crazy Wobble in higher speed turns

Good info on the shocks. I am a little leery also about inexpensive repro shocks as well. Kind of like buying cheep $25 shocks for your pick-up, and expecting heavy duty performance. As for stiffer springs for the front shocks, what is available, where, and at what price? I'll poke around a little for rear shocks. Any suggestions as to where to look? I prefer to go new if $ is reasonable. The catch is that they must look close to stock.

Progessive Suspension has both shocks and fork springs. Z1 Enterprises should have both. The shocks are about $250 and the fork springs are probably $75 or so.

Money well spent.

The Hagons I bought work really well and look close to stock. Check the various configurations at the following link. Dave Quinn will set them up for you to match your riding style, weight, accessories, etc.

Hagon

Those Hagons look nice, especially considering cost, and the fact that you can get the proper length and spring rate. I like the chrome body/black spring combo.

Galactica wrote:

mjg15,
I will definitely bump up my tire pressures. What do you guys recommend? The sticker on the bike and the FSM say 28 ft and 32 rr. Max shown on side walls is 42.

Bridgestone recommend 36 front and 38 rear if my conversion is correct.
[ www.bridgestone.co.uk/bfe/tyreSelectorCo...step=4&country=Great Britain&hiddenCountry=Great Britain&hiddenMake=Kawasaki&hiddenModel=Z900&hiddenModelYear=&hiddenSite=Bridgestone United Kingdom&locale=en_GB]

Here's a pic of the Hagon's on my bike:

Ed,
Those Hagons look really sweet. I realize now that I've been running my tire pressures WAAAAY too low. After pondering all of the input on this thread I really looked at my tires. The rear is worn with a very wide flat section. I think that when I have the bike really heeled over at high speed it slips off of the shoulder of the flat section causing the bike to wobble and chop. Much like bad rear shocks might feel.

Having said that I'll get a new rear tire and bump up my pressures to 36 and 38. If that doesn't help then I'll look at new shocks. Those Hagons are on my list.

Ross

650ed wrote:

Here's a pic of the Hagon's on my bike:

Not to hijack .....but that's a sweet 650. Original or restored ?

Thanks. It's original; I've owned it since new. Ed

Galactica wrote:

Ed,
Those Hagons look really sweet. I realize now that I've been running my tire pressures WAAAAY too low. After pondering all of the input on this thread I really looked at my tires. The rear is worn with a very wide flat section. I think that when I have the bike really heeled over at high speed it slips off of the shoulder of the flat section causing the bike to wobble and chop. Much like bad rear shocks might feel.

Having said that I'll get a new rear tire and bump up my pressures to 36 and 38. If that doesn't help then I'll look at new shocks. Those Hagons are on my list.

Ross

When you get some new rubber read the tire itself for the recommended psi. The tire supercedes the manual. All tires are different so this is tire inflation 101.

Here is a set of piggyback shocks I picked up on ebay. They are totally rebuild able and I like the ride

Kawickrice wrote:

When you get some new rubber read the tire itself for the recommended psi. The tire supercedes the manual.

Take another look because this is not true. I have used many tire brands and never saw a recommended PSI. Stamped in the tire you will see the tires rated "Maximum Load" and the pressure that MUST be used at the MAXIMUM load. Very few, if any, bikers are riding around at maximum load as that would be in the 1200 to 1400 pound range when you add the 2 tires' maximum loads together. At normal loads pumping the tires up to maximum pressure will not give the best performance as the tires will be hard as rocks. The best pressure for a given situation depends on the weight of the bike, rider, accessories, and passenger (if any); the tire brand and model; and the riding conditions and style. I start with the pressure specified on the bike (you really don't want to run less than this) and add a one or two PSI at a time to see if performance is better or worse. Generally, I don't need to go more than 2 PSI above the bikes spec before performance starts to drop. Keep in mind, this is for me @ 200 lb., no accessories, and usually no passenger. Ed

Those numbers on the sidewall are fro MAX LOAD ONLY.

Here is what the Bridgestone website has to say about tire pressures--- (emphasis added by me)

TIRE INFLATION

Always keep the motorcycle manufacturer's recommended air pressure in both tires. This is an important requirement for tire safety and mileage. Your motorcycle owner’s manual will tell you the recommended cold inflation pressure. On some motorcycles, the recommended front and rear tire pressures will be different. The pressures stamped on the sidewall of the tire are only for maximum loads. On some occasions, these pressures will also be the manufacturers recommended settings as well.

Riding on tires with too little air pressure is dangerous. The tires will build excessive heat. This can cause a sudden tire failure that could lead to serious personal injury or death.

UNDERINFLATION MAY ALSO:

Damage the tire leading to tire failure
Adversely affect vehicle cornering
Reduce tire life
Increase fuel consumption
Fatigue cracking
Riding on tires with too much air can be dangerous. The tires are more likely to be cut, punctured, or broken by sudden impact. Serious personal injury or death could result. Do not exceed the pressure indicated on the tire sidewall. Consult your owner’s manual for the recommended inflation and other tire none.

Never inflate a tire unless it is secured to the motorcycle or a tire-mounting machine. Inflating an unsecured tire is dangerous. If it bursts, it could be hurled into the air with explosive force resulting in serious personal injury or death.



Kawickrice wrote:

Galactica wrote:

Max is load is 507lb @ 42 psi cold front, 633lb @ 42 psi rear cold.

I,ve been running at 28-30 front and 32-34 rear. The FSM says 28 front and 32 rear.

Why are you not following the manufactures recommended air pressure? Is there a reason you are running 12 to 14 psi lower than the tire manufacture recommends. That is possibly the root to the cupping which is probably the root to the wobble.



The factory shop manual is for OEM tires and the technology has changed since then. Always follow the manufacture recommendation for any tire.