ZRXOA bike rear shock rebuild for Charley Blunt

Dave,

I finally was able to take a couple of days and rack up some miles on the new setup . I rode 1500 miles thru Northern California, Oregon and Washington on all types of road surfaces. Thank you very much for the rebuild on my ZRX shocks.

Between that and Steve inspecting and confirming the rebuild on the front end, My ZRX is truly a delight to put on the road, under any conditions . The stretch from Dunsmir Ca to Redding Ca on the way home is a really great " advanced speed" road but it has many many grooved areas for snow traction and they are some of the worst I have ridden.

As I approached the area I was passed by a couple of riders who must not have seen me because they didn't wave or even acknowledge the fact that I slid over to let them through as we had merged into a narrow work area. Rider B was in the lead followed by rider D . I was sure they just didn't see my obviously old---er , dirty ZRX. In order to give them a chance to correct their error I decided to place myself in their mirrors until the oversight had been corrected.

Well sir for 45 miles they sure managed to check those mirrors. It was fun following them onto the grooved areas and realizing how well the ZRX was absorbing the changing road surfaces and watch how riders B and D handled the surface.

The state of California has placed one of those automatic devices that suggest the speed for an upcoming turn and also let you know how close you are. It was interesting to see xxx mph, xxx mph and xxx mph as the three of us rounded the downhill left..:)

Thanks again. I had fun even tho ugh they pulled off at the second Redding offramp , still without a wave.

Must be the younger generation!

chrly

Motorcycle USA CRST suspension school report

All,

It has been a while in the making, but Motorcycle USA has published their review of the CRST suspension school :)

in print:

http://www.Motorcycle-USA.com/563/3964/Motorcycle-Article/Catalyst-Reaction-Suspension-School.aspx

and in video:

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/617/Motorcycle-Video/Catalyst-Reaction-Suspension-School.aspx

I am very grateful to everyone over at Motorcycle USA for getting this written, edited and published while making sure there's a silly picture of me apparently taking about the line of 'refreshments' available after the school is over (bottom right of the print article).

Thanks!!!!!!!!!

end of day 2 at Laguna

More ergonomics interviews with Team LTD ( Puerta, Pascarella and Nash) and Josh Herrin and Crew Chief Curtis Tom. All tuning work is complete and all but 1 qualified for their respective races! Several hundred video clips to sort and file and then some sleep before heading off first thing in the morning to Thunderhill to set up for the week starting with Keigwins Monday & Tuesday event. I am not fighting GP traffic even though there are very meager crowds here - threadbare might be more appropriate! It has been a great 2 days and this project has been a lot of fun. I hope you all enjoyed it and perhaps even got some insights that made sense to you :) Look for the ergonomics interviews to start appearing on www.onthethrottle.com within the next few weeks and remember that new programming is posted every day! Happy 4th!! Dave

Daytona Sportbike Tuning

Sahar Zvik # 161

Need more turn in and front end feel.

4 laps hot tire pressure set 23 rear 27 front

2 turns of preload removed - 3 laps

wrong way, three turns of preload added plus 2mm of rear ride height - 2 laps

better feel, turn in add another 2mm of rear ride height - 2 laps

better turn in, not as good on the brakes, remove 1mm of rear ride height

ready for qualifying - no changes during qualifying

Matt Bergen # 152

Evaluate turn in and rear edge grip

4 laps hot tire pressure set 23 rear 27 front

change fork compression to 3/4 out and add 3mm rear ride height - 3 laps

forks bottomed, removed three turns of preload - 2 laps

too much compression on braking change to 1 out

better front end feel

edge grip consistent

ready for qualifying - no changes during qualifying

American Superbike morning practice

Brad Puetz # 45 Soft spring installed, zero preload on the remote preload adjuster. Sag set at 25mm 4 laps in to set tire pressure to 35 front and 27 rear 4 laps to focus on drive T3 & 4 Tire tearing in one small spot, removed 3 clicks of rebound Tear got worse, put rebound back added 2 turns of preload Tire started to heal.

8am start for day 2 at Laguna

Good morning everyone! Having been kidnapped by friends and subjected to the requirement of consuming a large quantity of Old Speckled Hen, it is a slow start this morning...... such is the hospitality and frivolity of campers at Laguna! With the track open at 8am this morning, there's a lot happening so I will try to report back on various interesting occurrences. Last night we watched Factory Yamaha techs perform a frame swap on Josh Hayes' R1. No idea why and we will try to catch up with him this morning. They started at 7pm and were back at the hotel by 10pm. Such is the skill level of race techs....... One very interesting note was once the radiator came off, we could see that there were three pieces of tape totaling about 3' in length placed strategically on the radiator. Most are used to seeing that on 2 strokes where combustion chamber temperature is critical. There's no difference with 4 strokes and due to the volume and size of the factory radiator, too much air flow was creating too much cooling and the engine was running too cold. Therefore, add the tape and block the wind flow and the engine temp will go up. Ambient temps will be much the same today so the tape will stay in place! Now, where's the coffee??

afternoon tuning during Daytona Sportbike and American Superbike Practices

Matt Bergen  # 152   

AMA Spec Tire

4 laps to get tires hot, set pressure to 23 rear & 27 front with calibrated gauge

4 laps focusing on T11 for hard braking. Forks bottom added all available preload

2 laps on T11 still bottomed add 1/4 turn of compression

2 laps on T11, too stiff and removed 1/8th turn of compression -much better

Rear tire showed rebound was too slow and bike would not finish corner

Removed 3 clicks of shock rebound

4 laps evaluating drive out of T3

Bike finished the corner but chattered in T9 with neutral throttle

Removed 1/2 turn of rebound

No chatter T9.

Chassis working well, no issues.

Sahar Zvik  # 161   

AMA Spec tire

4 laps to get tires hot, set pressure to 23 rear & 27 front with calibrated gauge

4 laps focusing on T11 for hard braking. Forks too stiff removed 2 turns of preload

2 laps on T11 still too stiff, 1 turn out of preload

Chatter on the brakes in T11 and T5, removed 1/2 turn of rebound

2 laps still had chatter removed 1/ turn of rebound

2 laps, chatter gone.

4 laps not turning in adequately removed 3 clicks of shock rebound and added 2 clicks of low speed compression

4 laps much better but still pushing  (session ends)

NOT: remove one turn of preload at a time to help the front end ride lower every 2 laps during Saturday morning practice.

Brad Puetz # 45

Dunlop NTech slicks

4 laps to get tires hot, set pressure to 26.5 rear & 35 front with calibrated gauge

4 laps focusing rear shock wallow in T3 & 4

remove 3 clicks of rebound, 3 clicks of ow speed compression

4 laps bike still standing up on exit

add three clicks of rebound remove three clicks of low speed compression

4 laps bike finishing better but still standing up

remove 1 turn of preload

6 laps bike drifting and sliding predictably

NOTE: spring may be too stiff at 575lbs, try 550 tomorrow.

Ergonomics re handle bars and rear sets

Met with the following to discuss ergonomics:

Tyler Odom:
Crew chief Martin has been moving his handlebars out/forward in an attempt to give Tyler more front end feel as he has been plagued with low end low sides. Result - less crashes to the point that he had an incident free weekend at Road America!

Chuck Warren and Blake Young:
Chuck spent a lot of time with Blake testing prototype handlebars for angle and location at the start of the year. Now that they have all of the data for Blake's ergonomics, when they do a frame up build or a frame strip and rebuild everything goes back to the original and required position via specific tooling they made.

Mike Canfield and Martin Cardenas
Mike will change handlebar position and foot peg location as needed for Martin. He stated that to date this year, every race has seen small changes that have been made to make sure Martin is comfortable on the bike and given his results, that seems to be a very important factor.

The track goes live in 30 mins or so, and I am off to tune for Privateers in Daytona Sportbike and American Superbike.

Ohlins TTX tech point

In talking with The M4 techs I noticed they were using a precision tool for measuring TTX shocks that were sitting off the bike on the work tables. In watching what was happening they were measuring all shocks for overall length before they were put into the tool box to go to the pit wall. The reason for measuring each shock is to ensure they have exactly the same length making sure that the rear geometry of the bike is a constant for each rider. Why? The TTX shock has a top out spring in it that will depending on installed preload, allow you to lift the tail of the bike up 15mm or so until the shock is truly topped out. So, every spring must be installed with exactly the same amount of preload (ie: 12 to 15mm shorter than if it was sitting on the bench) so that when a rider tests the shock spring for edge grip under hard acceleration there are no variables that creep into the equation to give a false read. Details, details, details.....................

interviews this morning with....

Met with the following to discuss ergonomics: Tyler Odom: Crew chief Martin has been moving his handlebars out/forward in an attempt to give Tyler more front end feel as he has been plagued with low end low sides. Result - less crashes to the point that he had an incident free weekend at Road America! Chuck Warren and Blake Young: Chuck spent a lot of time with Blake testing prototype handlebars for angle and location at the start of the year. Now that they have all of the data for Blake's ergonomics, when they do a frame up build or a frame strip and rebuild everything goes back to the original and required position via specific tooling they made. Mike Canfield and Martin Cardenas Mike will change handlebar position and foot peg location as needed for Martin. He stated that to date this year, every race has seen small changes that have been made to make sure Martin is comfortable on the bike and given his results, that seems to be a very important factor. The track goes live in 30 mins or so, and I am off to tune for Privateers in Daytona Sportbike and American Superbike.

Laguna Seca Moto GP

Early morning start today at 6am to see the lay of the land, who is where and where the best cup of coffee is! There's no track time this morning to shoot so we will be walking around setting up with crew chief to work on this weekend's topic:- ergonomics.

This will be all about getting the rider comfortable, why use aftermarket parts vs stock (adjustability) and how much real time is spent modifying levers and controls to make sure th the rider is 100% comfortable.

Should be interesting......

OTT and SBK combine for SBK race preview

http://www.onthethrottle.com/content/view/196/1/

Erion fails fuel testing and loses Superpole positions

Late yesterday afternoon, AMA/DMG announced that Erion had failed fuel inspection and tat the times for Peris and Zemke were removed from the Superpole standings. Both will be allowed to ride in final qualifying today and the closest they can get to the front will be 9th and 10th respectively.

Forecast for today is as per several years in the past r#*n and already the clouds are a comin' 

learning something each day

two highlights of today:

1. Talking with Jordan and how the 09 GSXR 1000 is utterly different from the 08, and discussing all the engineering & computer CAD modelling they are going through with design perameters for creating computer generated solutions that need to be tested on the track.

2. Interviewing Chris Ulrich about his 09 GSXR 1000 and the methodical problem solving to get rid of the shock rebound type pump action due to the progressive OEM linkage. That should be posted on www.onthethrottle.tv withint he next few days.

On a teaser note Dave McGrath discussed recent developments to the Geico Buell that should make it considerably more competitive.

Tomorrow will be a full day!!

day one at Road America with On The Throttle

a gorgeous day here at Road America! My first time here reminds me a lot of Mid Ohio with the countryside. Lots of prep work to do in getting everything set up n the media center and in scouting out the teams, track locations for camera work and schedule of work re interviews etc.

New concept being tried out this weekend with OTT - I will be wandering round recording changes made to the bikes with a camcorder and mic. Should be interesting so then I can interview the crew chiefs later.

road trip........ to Road America with On The Throttle

Yes, packing the bags and heading off with long pants, brogues and official shirts to quiz crew chiefs on their work, interview riders on their struggles and generally poke the OTT microphone in faces with normally unasked astute questions on chassis and suspension.

Look for some posts each day!

AMA Superpole show

We are launching a new concept for web programming with OnTheThrottle: a "superpole" show.

This really is a prototype of a concept so we are looking for some feedback:

1. Is this a valid program - are people interested in the Superpole part of the event?

2. What information would you like to see in this programing segment?

http://www.onthethrottle.com/content/view/147/30/

CRST suspension school June 16th at Thunderhill Raceway

Yes, almost time for the second suspension school at the wonderful Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, CA.

Spots are steadily being taken up, so don't delay. It is a unique experience that you won't find anywhere else in the country!

http://www.trackside-signmeup.com/drupal/?q=node/1

Have an 09 R6 & need to track prep it?

On The Throttle once again provides top quality programing with their Performance Upgrades series that I host.

Want to know how to track prep an 09 Yamaha R6?

http://www.onthethrottle.com/content/view/153/40/

Enjoy!

new OTT programming

Just released programing and interviews by OnTheThrottle.com. Have some refreshments and a comfy chair handy!

2009 R6 track prep:

http://www.onthethrottle.com/content/view/153/40/

 

AMA’s Chris Fillmore interview:

http://www.onthethrottle.com/content/view/164/1/

 

AMA’s Taylor Knapp

http://www.onthethrottle.com/content/view/164/1/

 

KWS/Chaz Davies

http://www.onthethrottle.com/content/view/156/30/

 

do you need to feel comfortable on your bike?

Hello Dave,

I just wanted to drop you a line and say THANK YOU!!!! Your help on Friday the 22nd at Infineon was, as always, priceless. You snuck away from the track before I could formally get over and thank you. 

You've helped me so much at Thunderhill and now at Infineon there are no words for the comfort you've brought to the motorcycle at speed. It is getting more and more fun to get faster, and your advice and input on setup is top notch.

So THANK YOU, once again and I will see you at Thunderhill for my first race!!

Todd G.

more success with the ladies :)

Dave,

I am going through my photos from yesterday at the trackday and I have to send you at least this one.

http://gotbluemilk.com/web090513/493/imagepages/image30.html

I was just happy that he got a shot with my knee so close to the ground. I think I told you I dragged my right knee for the first time ever yesterday! In Turn 7. I was happy about that. I am dragging my left a lot more now too, which is becoming fun.

I brought my times down again, I didn’t have a laptimer through the middle of the day, of course, because that’s when I would have had the best times, LoL, but even in the first two sessions I was consistently only 3 seconds off my race times from the last race and the second session out I hit 1:59s which is only one second off my fastest there so far. It is nice for me to see improvement! I got quicker through the day too, took it a little easy at the last session, but was happy to see my times were still a bit faster than the morning.

Thank you so much for doing such a great job with my suspension!

And thanks for doing my friend Joe’s bike too. He came out to my house today and was just raving about how it DID feel like a whole new bike J LoL. We have another friend who is determined to bring his bike to you now too.

Anyway, I know you are busy, I just wanted to let you know how the day went.

Shelina #493

CRST Suspension School May 6th

It has been a long time coming and at last the first school was held at Thunderhill. With only a handful of riders present including Ken Hutchinson from Motorcycle USA and the OnTheThrottle film crew, everything went well.

Having riders set up in the hot pit was a great idea. It helped speed up suspension changes to thereby ensure adequate track time to evaluate changes. 

By providing suspension components in hand, it gave attendees the ability to see how the adjusters worked and why they have the effects that they do when they run from full soft to full stiff. 

The most appreciated part of the class was the debriefing session where people shared their experiences. Between an 09 ZX6, 1098R and an 06 CBR1000RR there was a lot of difference in suspension equipment therefore very varied feedback, and in revisiting the suspension components in hand, that closed the loop as to why their experiences were what they were for them individually.

After a full day of riding culminating in each rider putting their "ideal" settings into the bike from each on track session, all the riders made one change of their own to truly evaluate their own accuracy/feedback. After all, the school is hands on so why not get started now!

Look for a Blog note on the video portion of the School from OTT and MotorcycleUSA being released!

Next school is June 16th and there are only 30 attendees per school. Sign up now and don't be disappointed !

Tuning for the UK race series via the internet

 -----Original message-----
From: Lloyd

To: dave dave@crstuning.com
Subject: Re: From Lloyd - Need suspension advice
 
 
Hey Dave,
 
Heading out next weekend for Mallory again. Doing a 3 hour endurance race, which means 1.5 hours on track total. Weather looks to be around 55-60 degrees (same as last time), and I am adding 1 click of rebound and lowering the psi by 1 to 2.
 
I don't know if you have ever ridden Mallory before, but it's all right handers. The right hand side of the tyre gets completely destroyed especially after the first turn, which is similar to T2 at Willow Springs. Almost identical in fact. 
 
Any additional advice you can give me? Lap times at Mallory are sub 1 minute and I will get around 90 laps total. I'm not sure if I can expect the rear tyre to last that long. I'm running a 190/55 Pirelli Pro Supercorsa SC2 rear and an SC2 front as well. Front isn't an issue. Completely stable there and excellent wear. I would run a harder compound on the rear, but with the cold weather, don't think that would be wise.

Hi Lloyd,

 

There's no tuners? That's a bit of a shocker....
 
I would run the hard tyre - an SC 4 . You will get the grip out of it but it will take a couple more laps to warm up. With a 2 you won't last the 3 hours. This all comes from racing at Portland in their 4 hour races and the Northwest is a cold place until June.....
 
Best of luck!
 
dave

-----Original message-----
From: Lloyd 
To: dave 
Subject: Re: From Lloyd - Need suspension advice

Uh oh... already ordered the tyres and the arrive today or tomorrow. No time to order more. I will have two complete sets of tyres though and intend to change them out after the first or second 30 minute session.
  
This is a tag team style race. I run for 30 minutes (Le Mans style start), then my teammate runs for 30 minutes, and so on for the full 3 hours. So basically, I will have 1.5 hours and about 90 laps to race. I think I should be okay with 2 sets fo SC2's? For the next race at Snetterton, I'll look into the SC4.
  
And yeah, I can't find any tuners around my area. There are dyno tuners and shops around, but no one specializing in suspension!
  
Thanks for the input Dave. You da man.   
Lloyd

Lloyd,

Be consistent in throttle application to "save" the tire (correct spelling :) or manage it and make sure your team mate does the same. Running a psi or two higher on hot temps (30 instead of 28 may help) but there's no time for testing right? Hope you know how to bump start a bike.......  

Dave

Dave,

 

Just wanted to tell you that your advice on the rebound and psi of the tire was spot on! I mean perfect!!!! Tire wear was amazing compared to the last trackday. All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

 

Lloyd

08 Triumph Tiger 1050 tune up

Dave,

I said it once and I'll say it again, YOU'RE TOO CHEAP! You need to raise your prices..

Honestly, I can't thank you enough. For 20 bucks (and a beer), I now have a brand new bike. I can't describe to you the difference the tune up made. It's like a different bike.

The ride is bloody brilliant, it's completely smoothed out the freeway for me. Before it would bounce like a Mexican low rider after hitting a bump, now it just lands like a Tiger.

I'll be back to see you in a few thousand miles and I'll thoroughly test the set up this weekend. Good luck with the Pelvis..

Chris

another CRST evangelist who "saw the light"

Hello Dave!!

I had my suspension tuned by you at Willow Springs on April 18th (Trackdayz Academy) and I am still amazed at the suspension adjustments that you made for my GSXR it's like night and day!

I am in need of a new set of tires and I thought I would ask the master about tire choices. The bike had BT-014's on them when you set it up and I would like to switch to Pirelli Diablo Corsa 3's. I guess my question to you is, will switching to the Pirellis from the Bridgestone affect the suspension of the bike as in will I have to change ride higth, etc?

I know next to nothing about suspension tuning so I would like a tire that will least affect the tuning you made to my bike ( I would prefer a dual compound tire as a replacement to the BT-014's) any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks again Dave for the great setup! I wish you could have seen the huge grin on my face all day after your great setup job!!

Ray Shiu



Hi Ray,
Thanks for the kind words and glad the grin was ear to ear!

If you are looking to try other tires, the rationale is very simple. Measure the circumference of the tires you are removing while fully inflated and then measure the same way for the new tires when full inflated. That will tell you what happened to the geometry of the bike. That is solved by changing fork position and/or changing shock length via ride height adjuster.

If you are moving between brands, Michelin, Dunlop and Bridgestone have similar carcasses while Pirelli and Metzeler share the same carcass but it is much softer by comparison and that will need some subtle suspension changes mostly in compression.

Please let me know if you have any other questions!

Sacramento Bike night theft

Thanks to everyone for showing up to the CRST event with Bike Night on Monday. Helped out lots of riders and hopefully provided some insight into suspension and its importance for all attendees. Had a great time with everyone :)

Hopefully we catch the thieves that stole everything out of my truck:
- Compaq Presario 3410 (serial # CN502JD1) lap top that had all the company info on it
- Acer EX4620 (no serial # as yet) password protected
- checkbooks for business and personal accounts
- 52" Sharp flatscreen for the presenation
- 20" flatscreen from the trailer for outdoor presentation
- Panasonic DVD player
- backpack and lap top bag
- drivers license

More Socal smiles :)

Dave,

I just wanted to say thanks again for all your help yesterday (I have the Blue/Fluorescent Red Telefonica Movistar bike).

Everyone always told me what a great guy you were and how good you were at tuning the bikes.... which I can say is all true :-)

I appreciate all the info and good advice on how hard to run the bike considering where the suspension was at and also the insight into the right line into the skid pad.

Looking at your schedule, it doesn't look like you'll be back in SoCal much the rest of the year. If I don't see you again for the rest of the season, I wanted to say it was a pleasure to meet you and hopefully see around at another track some day

Stephen Morehouse

Willow Springs tuning success.

Hi Dave,

You probably hear this all the time, but I figure some praise can't hurt.

The adjustments you made for me on the 19th with Trackdaz were spot on. All the tight sections on the track made sense again.

I took the bike for a spin up to Malibu and was thrilled how well the bike was handling. So once again, THANK YOU :)

Best,

Robert Obreczarek

back to work!

Ah....... I should be changing the picture now to one that many people know of me being under the tent or on pit wall standing on a 130 degree track surface cooking like the proverbial crab in a pot (it is just my shoes that melt).

The doctor discharged me saying that it was absolutely absurd that at 14 weeks a middle aged man should be free to continue with life (other than running) with those injuries. Score one for the good guys, the good advice, great friends and support, and homeopathic medicine! Knowledge is a wonderful thing.

So, now with this entire week at Sears Point and the first AFM Sears event, at 26lbs lighter than before I hope the wind doesn't blow too much otherwise I might be parasailing..........

Bring it on !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4 CRST Suspension Schools at Thunderhill Raceway, CA

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 4/8/09

Dave Moss, AMA/AFM racer, noted suspension expert and CRST founder is proud to present Catalyst Reaction's Motorcycle Suspension Schools.

There will be a total of 5 schools held over the course of year at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, CA.

Offering riders a very unique learning experience, the schools will be specifically aimed at helping every rider gain an in-depth understanding of how motorcycle suspension works, based on classroom learning combined with direct experience designed to show why suspension is such a critical component in ensuring fast yet safe riding.

Covering all aspects of a motorcycle’s suspension, from geometry to the adjustments that often baffle even the most experiences racers, students will learn why the motorcycle must work with you and how to tailor the suspension to your riding style and ability, so that you can continue to learn while trusting the motorcycle at all times.

This is a hands-on school where you will be required to work on your own motorcycle in a guided, systematic and logical way to gain a practical as well as theoretical appreciation of the motorcycle’s suspension, matched with on-track, real-time experience and feedback allowing you to gain direct insights into how the changes you make affect the handling of the motorcycle. No special mechanical skills are required and you will be guided though every phase of the course.

"Knowledge creates understanding, understanding creates relaxation, relaxation creates speed."

School Overview:

Riders will be required to bring a motorcycle that has the ability to adjust preload, rebound and compression in the front forks and rear shock. They will need to bring all the appropriate tools required to make changes to those settings.

Riders will also need to bring one 10 x 10 canopy and will set that canopy up in the hot pit lane. They will be allowed to have a table, stands for the bike and if they wish a generator for tire warmers under the canopy. Vehicles and non-essentials must be in the paddock area.

Sessions will be from 9-12am, lunch from 12-1pm and then 1-5pm on track. There will be more time in the afternoon as the track and the riders will have warmed up fully and we can gain more knowledge from the track while working on mid corner speed and drive out of the corners.

A typical session will have the riders learning roughly 10 minutes of theory in the classroom, 30 minutes of on track riding, stopping every 2-3 laps to make pre-planned changes and jot down notes, and 10-15 minutes of debriefing in the classroom.

Riders will be expected to ride at between 75-80% of their potential at all times to ensure as much attention as possible can be focused on feeling the differences they have made as a result of making a suspension change.

All motorcycles will be tech inspected prior to going on track between 7:30 am and 8:00 am. All oil drain plugs and oil filters must be secured with safety wire and coolant must be replaced with Water Wetter or other replacement. New or slightly used track/race tires (ie: one track day previously max) will be required. No one will be allowed to ride any laps with OEM tires.

Skills Criteria:

Participants can be track day enthusiasts or club racers and MUST be capable of lap times below 2 minutes 15 seconds at Thunderhill, the typical track day “A” group cut-off. If you don't make that lap time currently we hope this motivates you to achieve it in the near future! Complete information/curriculum on the Suspension School will be sent out to all attendees one week prior to the event date via email.

Back to work full time!

At last I have been cleared to work by the doctor, although she doesn't want me any where near a motorcycle...... That didn't last long as I rode all day Tuesday with keiwgins as an instructor in their first novice school of the year. Funny how having no core strength really affects how you make the bike work for you - almost fall off and roll into the gas and let the bike pick you up again :)

it is great to be back in the saddle although there's a long way to go yet before I am able to ride at 100%. probably 6 months until all my strength comes back due to limited physical activity other than stretching and now hiking for 40 minutes.

All in all good news !!!!!!

back from the physio and acting like a piece of jello

Ah yes, that wonderful profession of exquisite torture all in the name of rehab. An old friend used to say it was a prefession of emplyable sadists, but the pain of healing is certainly a good feeling. You KNOW you are getting better. I really appreciate what they can

So, the long road to recovery starts. The good news is that in their opinion I am at a general 6 months post injury condition. All thta dieting, suplement scheudling and gallons of water seem to be doing the trick in conjunction with following the doctor's instructions to the letter!

I have some daily exercises for the next few weeks to start getting my core strength back. If I can get through the weak muscle "shaking" as I try to contract the muscles. My range of motion is drastically reduced but that's par for the course. It will just take more focus, discipline and commitment to doing the right things at the right time.

Maybe I can ride again by April.... hmmmm........

Pupils google their teacher.....

Oh no, I have been discovered! 

It would appear that the children I taught at William De Ferrers school in Essex have Googled me and now know my whereabouts. There's a lot of time dated information out there from several WDF school magazines that I thought would be left behind, buried in the past.  Now that they are all adults, what might come back to haunt me..... ?????? Boy George?

I have to say that this was one of those moments where the best of memories flooded back from my time at WDF, of all the young adults that I had the pleasure of teaching and enjoying time with and all the great staff that I shared time with, not to mention the Rugby Club and the tight social circle of lads that reveled every weekend. 

I still miss teaching very much but track day work, the DVD's and OnTheThrottle.tv work really helps replace that in providing those interested with explanations and information to help grow understanding.

Perhaps my best memory is working with staff and pupils to raise enough money to buy a disabled pupil a wheelchair so that she could attend lesson with everyone else.

Progress !

Now at plus 6 weeks I can finally walk around.... I can work at the shop for short amounts of time before I have to sit down in the wheelchair for a while to rest. By the end of Feb I should be good to work a full day and then pass out - lol. 

I have to be ready for March when the season kicks into full pace, so physiotherapy/chiropractic and massage support will be essential. 

Thanks again to family and friends for all the good wishes and support - it makes all the difference in the world with recover!

DVD feedback and question/reply

Dave,

I just got done watching "Twiddling Knobs". It was a great video and helped me understand more than ever about my suspension.

I have one question though. My street bike always pulls double duty as my solo sport bike and our "two up" touring bike. I weigh about 200lbs with full gear. With my wife and top/side cases we are at about 375lbs.

My last two bikes (Kawasaki ZZR1200, Aprillia Futura) both had remote pre-load. But is there enough adjustability in any set up to breach the 175lbs difference?

If so what kind of shock/spring do I get? Or do I just have to buy another street bike? : )

Thanks,

Eric


Hi Eric,

Thanks for the kind words about the DVD's and glad they gave you a much better understanding of suspension.

To get something you always have to give something else up, so in this case, in order to get the chasis and geometry correct when you have the bike loaded, you will have to have a spring/hydraulic set up that is stiff for you when solo riding. Is this a suitable compromise?

The other option is to have a second OEM shock on hand that is simply switched out when you go on long trips. If this in practical terms is not realistic, then you make a decisio that ultimately best suits your safety criteria.

No matter what, you already know what you need to do in order to maintain safety for both of you when the bike is loaded. Please let me know if I can be of further help!

Thanks,

dave

back at the shop in February :)

After a month of sitting, typing, doing the 07 books and generally trying to stay still, I am now back at the shop in a wheelchair for February. It doesn't take 2 minutes to realize how devastating this injury is when trying to do something as simple as stand at the work bench and try to pull a shock shaft out of a shock body.....

I have to be patient, start slowly and move forward diligently while being very aware of the injury and the pain rehab creates. If I get the rehab wrong I will have a lifetime of problems, so I have to ease back into work.

Thanks for all the messages of support! It makes a HUGE difference in keeping me motivated to forge ahead with healing/work.

MRI today

I have to say that other than the experience of being burned by a gas explosion in 1989, being strapped down to the MRI table for almost an hour was exceptionally painful and the second worst pain I recall having. By the end of the MRI, I was completely unable to move even though I needed to get up to ease the pain, so help was needed.

I have an exceptionally high pain tolerance level, but this experience created tears. I am surprised that I made it through the experience without hitting the alarm button and demanding extraction NOW!!!!!!

I have looked through the films trying to understand what I am looking at and this is the first time I have had an opportunity to spend time looking at the detail. I know my buddy Breezy would have all kinds of things to say, but he's up in Seattle and I am not faxing him the slides. I am blown away by the level of detail that can be created, even though we see this stuff on the tv all the time. To be able to look at it first hand with no time constraints is really eye opening.

So now I have to sit and wait for the next appointment and see what the Doc has to say. Fingers crossed that I am a long way ahead after all this good behaviour!

Progress update

Most of the brusing has gone now so I look like a normal person again :) For those that know me well it is VERY difficult for me to sit still and do very little in terms of moving around. The Doc told me no weight on my feet until Feb (it is proving to be impossible to do this) so I am wheelchair bound for now for the most part.

I can get outside, enjoy some sun and also drive safely around as I cannot hide from errands, bills etc for the next several weeks. I am able to stand up now without passing out from the pain, so getting in the wheelchair is a lot easier.

There's a follow up MRI tomorrow to check on healing progress, and I am hoping that we are far enough along that I can start with some physical therapy/yoga exercises on a daily basis. I need to be mobile by the end of this month so that if the timeline is still the same, I can get to Utah to shoot more Performance Upgrade shows with On The Throttle (www.onthethrottle.tv).

Again, thanks for all the emails and great thoughts and energy for my healing and getting back on my feet again. I am honored to be surrounded by so many caring and thoughtful friends and acquaintances!

OUCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know there are a loty of people out there that wonder if I ever take time away from the track and of course, I do while driving or flying to another track :) There are gaps in the schedules though where I have a few days off away from the track and the shop and when time permits I love to ride dirt bikes. My own current bike is a 99 Yamaha YZ400F purchased from a very close friend with a brand new motor at the time. Previously I had a Yamaha YZ426F and loved that bike. I don't know why I love the kick starter okay..... finesse, right of passage ???????

Having the season over and only having one day in January to attend at Sears Point, it was time to take a few days to go have fun in the dirt, this time at Jawbone OHV rec area just NE of Mojave. Many friends have been there and come back with incredible stories, so for many years this has been on the to do list.

The lure was set with friends of ours heading there in an RV so the trip was set. On New Years eve just before lunch I lost control of the front wheel as it violently turned to the left. That drove my groin and left leg immediately into the bar and completely destryed the balance of the bike - therefore I was to be ejected on the high side. I landed full force and full bodyweight on a rock on the ball joint on my right leg and then drove my right shoulder into the ground after a quick somersault. I couldn't move for some time but after a short while managed to check myself out and move everything. I crawled to the bike and shut the fuel off and then waited for my group to realize that I was missing as I was sweeping at the back travelling on average at 15mph over a dirt highway 10' wide.

A friend dashed back to the parking lot and got his Toyota while Fire Paramedics stopped and chatted with me concluding that I was hurt but not in need of a helicopter flight. I was loaded into the Toyota and driven back to the camp site. By the time I got back everything was loaded and we set sail for Bakersfield hospital. Thankfully Dr. Ellis a WSMC racer was in the ER on duty and he took great care of me. Net damage - three or more fractures to the pelvis, several ligaments ruptured, my pelvis open and no longer level, not to mention all the other soft tissue damage. Damn it, all at 15mph........

I left the next morning and came back to Marin. Since them I have been working hard on diet, homeopathic medicines, natural supplements etc to heal; as quickly but correctly as possible. Dr Jasson whom I saw yesterday confirmed the injuries but was amazed at my recovery so far. However, I need to be in a wheelchair to allow my hip to re-join, then I can walk or try to.

In the interim, there's lots of work to do for 09! I will put another update up soon!

Remote Suspension Tuning a GSXR in the Phillipines in 2 days

-----Original message-----
From: mike tan
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:55:00 -0800
To: dave@crstuning.com
Subject: need help on gsxr1000 k8 suspension settings

hi there!
i was able to download some clips you made regarding suspension set up classes and felt that you are the right person for the job। as i searched your company over the internet and came across your site, I was very impressed with the feedbacks given by your satisfied customers। im interested in having my bike's suspension tuned। i was hoping you could assist me somehow। problem is im based here in the philippines. i was at first interested in getting a set of ohlins suspension which they say would come in preadjusted to my riding style and weight। much as i want it, my wife would kill me if I break the bank account by spending $3500 on them! =)

so i thought to first give you guys a shot and perhaps my stock suspension would work out just fine given some twiddling by suspension experts। since it would be next to impossible to ship my bike there for you to set it up personally, perhaps it would be possible for you to send me the correct /perfect suspension set up for my riding style and weight?
i understand i would be taking some of your time and expertise, by doing so perhaps we could enter into a special arrangement regarding payment? anyways, im sending you now the specs that you might need if ever you decide to render your services to some bloke who's wanting an expertly tuned suspension in a country where no one's available to sort it out। =)
'08 Suzuki GSXR1000 BST carbon wheels
Michellin Pilot Power 2CT front 120/70R17 Michellin Pilot Power rear 190/50R17 Stock suspension 520 rk gold chain afam front sprocket 17 teeth afam rear sprocket 43+2
Rider weight including full leather gear: 150lbs /
Riding style: mostly bumpy street use with the occasional weekend twisties ride / 5x a year track डे
Happy Holidays to you and your family! thank you very much and best regards, mike


On Sun, Jan 4, 2009 at 7:52 AM, dave <dave@crstuning.com> wrote:
Hi Mike,
Thank you for your comprehensive email, due diligence and the kind words about CRST। I am sure that we can be a significant help to you and improve the way your bike works without having to go through a near death experience with your wife! Perhaps I should take a vacation trip there and combine work and pleasure!

Let's get into the details:
Forks: The fork position in the triple clamps can be changed but I do not know since you changed the gearing, the position of your rear axle in the swing arm slot?
The stock spring rate is for a 200lb rider at ।97kg. You would be better suited to a .85kg pair of springs. You will need special tools to change the springs or a trusted mechainc who has the right tools.
FOR NOW:
Remove all the preload in the fork, turning counter clockwise Remove all the rebound damping counter clockwise and go back in 4 clicks
You need to remove all the high speed compression (blue 14mm nut at the bottom of the fork) turning counter clockwise
You need to remove all the low speed compression (flat head screw inside the blue 14mm nut) and then go back in 6 clicks clockwise.
Shock: The spring you have on the rear shock is okay for your weight, but you need to see the sag at 32mm total sag.
Take out all the high speed compression counterclockwise (14mm nut) and go back in one turn clockwise
Turn the low speed compression flat head screw all the way clockwise and come back 14 clicks clockwise
Leave the rebound in the stock position.
If you can provide me with geometry information in regards to fork position and rear axle position (photo's will be okay), I can make geometry recommendations to you.

Please also note that the Michelins require different to the norm tire pressures when at the track:- 36 front and 34 rear psi when the tires are cold, done first thing in the morning before the sun heats up the rubber (or late at night in the garage) at ambient temps between 65-80 degrees।

Look forward to your reply!

Many thanks, Dave

-----Original message-----
From: mike tan
Date: Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:34:31 -0800
To: dave dave@crstuning.com
Subject: Re: need help on gsxr1000 k8 suspension settings

Hello mr dave! i am truly glad & honored to have received your email! thank you for takingthe time to reply inspite of your hectic & busy schedule.i have carefully followed your instructions and have finished tuning the suspension of my gixxer the CRST way. =) i was wondering if you sell these .85kg pair of fork springs that you have mentioned earlier? also if its possible for you to ship them over here in the philippines? i have heared of some motorcyle shops here who are capable of installing them for us. perhaps i could just purchase these from you then have them installed here.

with regards with the suggested adjustment to the bike's geometry, kindly clarify the particular/specific position where i need to take a photo of so i could send them over to you immediately. would the adjustment be simple enough to be done by myself alone? also, how much do i owe you for the great knowledge you have just humbly parted me? again, huge thanks and best regards to you guys over at CRST!

mike tan


hello mr dave!

i just got back after taking my bike for a spin.

since this is the first time i rode it after dialing in the suspension settings / tire pressures that you so graciously provided.

well, id like you to know that despite you being stuck in bed, you have just made someone across the pacific ocean a very, very happy man!

the difference is light & day! the handling is superb! the bike now flicks like a 600! it feels so light! it sends great feedback and confidence to the rider! you have brought life into my bike mr moss!

again, many many thanks to you!

i wish you all the best and hope that you get well soon!

god bless and best regards,

mike tan

PS i will gladly wait for nickie's email regarding the springs.
i will send you the pics needed for the bike's geometry soon.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

I will be paying much more attention to this sector of the web site for 09, as it seems that so many people worldwide visit this web site - over 300,000 alone in the last 6 months of 08!!!!

I am looking at another full year with www.onthethrottle.tv as a presentor and analyst, and we are really looking forward to another full season of our original program:- Performance Upgrades. We will be taking the OTT DVD and breaking it into downloads so that viewers worlwide can download segments that they want rather than purchase the entire DVD - nothing like immediate gratification :)

Twiddling 2 Knobs has all the raw film shot so now we need to edit it ready for a possible March/April launch. We took a very different approach with this DVD taking two riders in their 20's from their first track day for one year's coaching and then see where they ended up. Even they surprised themselves with the progress they made!

In additional, we will be working very closely with Motorcycle USA.com again this year, and I will be authoring several more articles for them throughout the year. I really proud to have this opprtunity and work with great guys like Ken Hutchinson, Adam Waheed and Steve Atlas.

As always the 09 CRST schedule is posted www.crstuning.com/htm and for 09 we will have a very different program for both track day and race event attendees with a brand new service that will no doubt be sold out at every event. For racing we will be very strongly supporting AFM and WSMC and our sponsorship program closes at the end of Jan.

Times are certainly tough for everyone and we are acutely aware of that, especially in regards to our industry all being based on disposable income. Nervous times for all, but we want to make sure that we are there as much as we can be for everyone to provide required support!

Sincerest best wishes to you and your family wherever you are in the world and thanks for coming to the CRST site. We look forward to continuing to provide the most useful information we can to all enthusiasts and watch for some major changes to the CRST site in the first 1/4 of 09!!!!!

Take care!!!!


Dave Moss