Ok very weird this. I'm just back from a 2 day 1300km trip on my FZ. Had a blast up through Thunderbolts and then the John Oxley for those of you in Oz, to Port Macquarie.
Here's the situation. I was previously running the stock tyres, the slippery BT020s, with FZ1 bars and lowered the front 1cm (by raising the forks) which sped up the steering. I felt that it turned in very well and was happy.
For this trip I decided not to risk it on the slippery impossible-to-warm-up 020s, and got some Pilot Pures. The improvement in traction was great, but to my surprise it didn't steer nearly as quickly. Ah well I thought, maybe they just need to be scrubbed in a little more.
400km into the trip and I was tearing my hair out. The bike was understeering like you wouldn't believe. I simply couldn't pull the bike into turns. It required so much effort. Then if I did manage a turn at half a decent pace, if I hit a bump it would just push it back out. What a joke. To add salt to the wound, I was getting tank slappers every other corner. Pulling myself back onto the seat from knee-out corners, the front end wouldn't have it and wagged about. Urgh I couldn't win.
It was so bad that I thought to myself that all I could do for the moment it bump the forks back down to the stock position so at least I could control the slappers a bit more.
I set out on the next set of twisties, and believe it or not the thing was steering as it did with the other tyres, ie really well. It turned without effort and held its line exceptionally well.
So I'm scratching my head here. Raising the front end, I thought, should have made the steering slower. So what's going on? Both tyres are a 120/70 17, so the profiles are the same (although the profile shape is obviously different).
I'd be interested to hear what others think of this.
PS the bumpy Buckett's Way road nearly killed me. What was tolerable suspension commuting, turned out to be a nightmare on the bumpy roads. I'm scared I'm going to need suspension work AND a damper to bring her up to speed - more $$!!
Here's the situation. I was previously running the stock tyres, the slippery BT020s, with FZ1 bars and lowered the front 1cm (by raising the forks) which sped up the steering. I felt that it turned in very well and was happy.
For this trip I decided not to risk it on the slippery impossible-to-warm-up 020s, and got some Pilot Pures. The improvement in traction was great, but to my surprise it didn't steer nearly as quickly. Ah well I thought, maybe they just need to be scrubbed in a little more.
400km into the trip and I was tearing my hair out. The bike was understeering like you wouldn't believe. I simply couldn't pull the bike into turns. It required so much effort. Then if I did manage a turn at half a decent pace, if I hit a bump it would just push it back out. What a joke. To add salt to the wound, I was getting tank slappers every other corner. Pulling myself back onto the seat from knee-out corners, the front end wouldn't have it and wagged about. Urgh I couldn't win.
It was so bad that I thought to myself that all I could do for the moment it bump the forks back down to the stock position so at least I could control the slappers a bit more.
I set out on the next set of twisties, and believe it or not the thing was steering as it did with the other tyres, ie really well. It turned without effort and held its line exceptionally well.
So I'm scratching my head here. Raising the front end, I thought, should have made the steering slower. So what's going on? Both tyres are a 120/70 17, so the profiles are the same (although the profile shape is obviously different).
I'd be interested to hear what others think of this.
PS the bumpy Buckett's Way road nearly killed me. What was tolerable suspension commuting, turned out to be a nightmare on the bumpy roads. I'm scared I'm going to need suspension work AND a damper to bring her up to speed - more $$!!