Dont do it

[FinalImpact]

What I learned today, don't redline it in 1st gear while going up a steep hill and straddling the the space between the super thick double yellows.....
As it turns out, with the front end off the ground the bike steers itself like a crazy head shake back and forth. It was undeniably the strangest feeling ever having the bike doing a high speed shake from the tale. . . but no harm no foul.

Just like riding in ruts steers the bike leaning it from side to side, with the front end way light, it felt soooooooooo strange. Never felt anything like that ever. Letting the nose settle and getting out of the grove was the fix. :thumbup:

 

[dysfoundation]

Plus it kills your clutch...

Sent from my LG-P509 using Tapatalk

 

[RJ2112]

This is (I believe) at least in part caused by the too soft portion of the progressive OEM fork springs. They allow too much fork travel and you don't notice it when you ride on relatively smooth pavement.... when you start to push a lot harder on rough pavement, the weirdness reveals itself.

The fork is at a steep enough rake, that you get onto the edge of a tank slapper when the front is very light. I have experienced that as well.... usually under full throttle, on a downhill after hitting a 'choppy' spot.

But not after I replaced the OEM springs and swapped out the rear shock for an Ohlins.

 

[DownrangeFuture]

I had a few slappers/butt pucker moments on the stock forks. One was bad enough my rear brake lever was bent out and destroyed. I ride with the balls of my feet on the pegs.

But once I put the HyperPro lowering springs on it, that all went away. I now have no problems riding so hard a little power wheelie pops out. Well, other than the whole excessive speed ticket thing. But when a**hat in a civic decides he wants to drive up and get a good look at my butt, I can leave him in the dust and hide in other traffic without worrying about pushing a tank slapper again.

:Flip: Civic wannabe.

 

[FinalImpact]

On our ride that day I was relaxing going down a hill and decided to let go of the bars. Again a never, but the never was the bars went into slow wiggle of of about 5 iterations. The road had no obvious defects and the wiggle at the head healed itself. I will say it had my attention but the ticket is, don't freak.....

 

[FinalImpact]

Plus it kills your clutch...

Sent from my LG-P509 using Tapatalk

Say what? hmmm - no relation to this issue.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Those painted lines are usually slicker than snot...

I've had the back end kick out some when accelerating/leaning if I catch some of the painted line... Very, very dangerous... You lucked out..

 

[Motogiro]

I have a stabilizer (factory) on mine now and when I had the FZ6 I put a stabilizer on it and what a difference! A lot of times people experience front end oscillations that could be termed tank slapping but a tank slap is very very dangerous and tricky to recover from.

 

[Kazza]

LOL - I red lined, in first, up a steep hill - best (and only) wheelie I've ever pulled.

Humperdinkel witnessed it and his wife, Kel, was behind me waiting to catch me LOL

Lesson ALWAYS know what gear you're in BEFORE you redline


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- Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FinalImpact]

Looks like we've all had some educational moments!

As for the street lines/paint, I'm a little timid at intersections with sharper crossings but so far no issues. As for the nose being up, its been there a few times. Several were gain some experience so I know what to expect and were done on purpose. With that I find the FZ is very manageable but don't disrespect it!

To date my only pucker moment was: a washed out nose on sharp corner where the nose slid on some sand looking stuff. I had my foot down on that which was the 1st and only time 3500 miles of riding.

Although the tail wag that started this thread was interesting, it didn't force corrective action on my part other than letting off the gas. The big story there is if on one wheel, make certain the surface is flat as adjacent ridges do steer the bike!

 

[FinalImpact]

LOL - I red lined, in first, up a steep hill - best (and only) wheelie I've ever pulled.

Humperdinkel witnessed it and his wife, Kel, was behind me waiting to catch me LOL

Lesson ALWAYS know what gear you're in BEFORE you redline


---
- Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Where's the video???? :rockon:

 

[FinalImpact]

This is (I believe) at least in part caused by the too soft portion of the progressive OEM fork springs. They allow too much fork travel and you don't notice it when you ride on relatively smooth pavement.... when you start to push a lot harder on rough pavement, the weirdness reveals itself.

The fork is at a steep enough rake, that you get onto the edge of a tank slapper when the front is very light. I have experienced that as well.... usually under full throttle, on a downhill after hitting a 'choppy' spot.

But not after I replaced the OEM springs and swapped out the rear shock for an Ohlins.

RJ - Question, did I understand this correctly in that at full fork extension and at maximum compression you were implying it behaves in this squirrelly fashion?

Also - how do you like the rear Ohlin, does it match up well with the springs/oil in the front and did you change anything else in the forks??

 

[FinalImpact]

Those painted lines are usually slicker than snot...

I've had the back end kick out some when accelerating/leaning if I catch some of the painted line... Very, very dangerous... You lucked out..

A man hole cover at an intersection while turning right had the back step out once. So far so good on the lines. Tho i've had my cage slide on them so I respect the paint. I never cross the lines in the corners. It's just not worth it!

 

[SweaterDude]

I have a stabilizer (factory) on mine now and when I had the FZ6 I put a stabilizer on it and what a difference! A lot of times people experience front end oscillations that could be termed tank slapping but a tank slap is very very dangerous and tricky to recover from.

from riding dirt i usually think of a tank slap as balls hitting the tank on a bad landing:tard: you guys are describing the head shakes

 

[DownrangeFuture]

Yep, because when it gets bad enough, the handlebars will actually slap the sides of the tank.

When it's that bad, hold on with your knees and pray. And there usually is some nut slapping involved too.

 

[jresch10]

I'm glad no harm was done.

I rode on some grooved pavement for the first time ever today going through a construction zone. That's a weird feeling.