ThisIsBenji's FZ6

[thisisbenji]

Started on some new upgrades for the coming season over the weekend. Excited to see how this turns out.

Also dropped the bike in my garage.... OES frame sliders saved the day, in fact they were literally the only thing to touch the ground.

 

[fazil]

subscribed

 

[FinalImpact]

Glad to hear the forks are installed!
It looks like you had the oem forks slid up about 10mm, I've found these are good around 8mm but I have a fairing.

You know what springs are them?
Also, check, set, and record you static and rider sag. Post up if you need insight on dialing any of it in...
More important Enjoy! :thumbup:

 

[thisisbenji]

Yup, had oem up 10mm, r6 I have up 5mm. I measured the two forks and it seemed that r6 forks were about 10mm shorter than the fz6 forks so this should make me a bit lower yet up front.

My R6 forks are actually new old stock that I got a killer deal on so I'm assuming they have OEM springs still.

Gonna figure out the sag thing soon too, definitely need to get that dialed as you suggest. I'll have to watch some YouTube videos.

One more photo just for the hell of it.

 

[FinalImpact]

What's deceiving is the high sag number of the oem springs. Meaning, although new forks are shorter, you can raise them more and still be safe.
Also the R6 are a fixed rate like the rear so corner entry will be far more predictable when the surface is irregular.
Mines at:
31 mm / 8 mm front
29 mm / 7 mm rear

Tip is this; reduce compression damping so it has minimal but is safe to ride (wont bottom by you pushing it standing next to it).
Ride and adjust rebound so it doesn't pack down but controls the nose. Once a happy spot it found adjust comp to your conditions... So your worst road won't bottom it out. Throw a zip tie on the stanchion tube. And push it down to the seal before setting out. Now you can see how much of the travel you are using... A Velcro riptie works well too.

 

[thisisbenji]

Interesting thought. I suppose I'll look into that then. It's pretty easy to adjust them up and down so it won't be a big deal. I wish I would have been smart enough to measure my stock sag.

 

[FinalImpact]

Mine was over 44 mm and the bike had ~8000 mi on it when I checked it. Thats like 1/3 of the travel lost from sitting on it. Pathetic.
PO was a bigger guy! lol
Im maybe 220 lbs w full gear. Shoot for 3/4 fuel fill when checking...
All you need is YOU and a zip tie to do the front. You just have to dismount very gently and place it on the center stand.

PS place an 8mm allen wrench up there for depth reference.

 

[thisisbenji]

Just measured my front sag, I'm at 30mm right now. Went for a little bit of a ride and it felt pretty good, still too cold and too much salt to really corner hard though.

 

[thisisbenji]

 

[FinalImpact]

How much sag for the bike by itself (static bike only)?
You might measure the back too. Although its easier w two people.

 

[thisisbenji]

I'm not sure to be honest, it felt pretty good to ride though.

I'm thinking I'll pay for the suspension setup at my next track day though. Should be worth it now that there's a bit more going on.

 

[FinalImpact]

To do what? unless they are ridding it save your money and have a couple of good Steaks!

The reason I ask about the bikes sag is if you have the right spring for your combined weight the bike should land about 7 to 12 mm on its own. If over spring, bike sag goes down. If under spring bike sag goes up. Meaning, we can add preload to get 30 mm for rider and IF the springs are the correct rate your bikes sag will fall into that bucket. So its just good information to know. And it may help you better understand what the rear is doing when you check it. But I found once the front was improved the back needed replaced too. Now its just a blast to ride and it rides well!

Visit this!
Tire wear patterns.... Race Track Motorcycle Tyre Wear Guide - Types and Causes
Bike setup vid w/ Dave Moss.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikjw4IheeF4
Bike Setup Tech article..... Motorcycle Suspension Set-up

 

[thisisbenji]

True, but I was thinking more along the way of getting the rebound and compression set properly.

 

[FinalImpact]

Rebound has a narrow window while compression is much more forgiving and more of a rider preference.
For street riding it's not that hard to make huge gains just by riding it, paying attention and making small adjustments...

I can walk you through it or you can pay but in the end, its best you figure out what works best. Let me know...

 

[thisisbenji]

Welp, doesn't really matter now. Traded for this.

 

[FinalImpact]

Haha! Solved! ^^^^

Well sorta.... You need to set that proper for YOU too! Both ends and everything in between!

Looks Great! Be safe during the dating scene!!

 

[thisisbenji]

it was actually only a one day trade. I'm not actually sure I'd trade the fz6 for that bike. It was okay.

 

[FinalImpact]

it was actually only a one day trade. I'm not actually sure I'd trade the fz6 for that bike. It was okay.

Was gonna bump this to a new thread - LOOK, thisisbenji did a MOD to his bike! lol

 

[thisisbenji]

Haha. That would be one hell of a mod. I'm in the process of saving for a supersport actually. It'll be in addition to the fz6. I'm hoping to pick something up in May. I'll see though.

So I was just taking the 675 out to see if I really want one or not.

 

[thisisbenji]

Well... the supersport plan fell through, got married instead.

That Daytona is also now totaled. Got crashed at 90mph or so on July 10th two days after my wedding, but he replaced it with a RSV4.

Anyways, I've gone and done another mod to my bike.....

You probably can't tell from the photos, but my bike is now the proud owner of a Penske 8983 shock.