New Stuff on it's way - Part 2.

[Wolfman]

Originally Posted by MarinaFazer

chicken strips are for losers.






kidding!!! I still have 1cm strips after my trackday!!!

lol,nice post!am guessing with such a wide,high and round tyre I am gonna have some nice shiny chicken strips for a while!

[MarinaFazer]

quite correct...I'm not sure if I'd still have some if I didn't run the 190 rear tire....but it doesn't bother me...I went fast, had a great time, and learned loads!

[Wolfman]

Originally Posted by MarinaFazer

quite correct...I'm not sure if I'd still have some if I didn't run the 190 rear tire....but it doesn't bother me...I went fast, had a great time, and learned loads!

gotta say I like the 190/55 better than my old 180.bigger contact patch on road,softer,grippier,and a more rounded profile...the nay-Sayers don't know what they are missing!

[Wolfman]

Ok everyone, i have about 500km's under my belt with the new, rather controversial 190/55 Michelin Pilot Power 2ct on my bike...also have the same about of Km's under my belt with my readjusted rear shock, and my front forks stiffened a bit more.

At first i was very careful, when scrubbing in my new rear tyre, but it felt very sloshy for quite some time....and after 50km's on it, through the twisties at a very slow pace, i decided to stop and check the tyre pressure...bike shop put in 36psi, which i left it at (normally run 34.5psi front / 37.5psi rear), but upon checking at 50km's...i found i had 33psi front / 24psi rear!

Ok, so i then tyres at 34psi front / 37psi rear....immediately, the bike felt a thousand times better. Spent the next 80km's of my first ride, slowly getting the sides nicely scrubbed in.

By the way, Suspension did feel ok on this ride, but was not working real hard, so was hard to tell how much better it was. There was defnitely no wallow, and the back was not pushing the front.

Next ride was a reasonably spirited blat through some twisties i ride daily, i rode the road, up & down about 8 times...it was the best ride i have had for months...bike felt like it was on a rail. Front was dipping into corners quickly, and with lots of stability. Back was not wallowing at all, bike was soaking up bumps nicely.

Bike now feels a lot better under brakes too, back is not breaking traction, and front is not diving. I think the extra grip at the rear has definitely improved drive out of corners, and it is definitely easier to get on the gas quicker.

I got home from that ride absolutely ecstatic, was the first time that i felt that all the suspension stuff was sorted.

Nothing has changed since, except that i know have full confidence in my new rear tyre as well, and cant wait to get back out for a ride.

[MarinaFazer]

Originally Posted by Wolfman

I think the extra grip at the rear has definitely improved drive out of corners, and it is definitely easier to get on the gas quicker.

you could just be having more confidence with a new grippier tire so you push a little harder That's what happened to me...i just had more confidence in the bike itself.

[Wolfman]

Originally Posted by MarinaFazer

you could just be having more confidence with a new grippier tire so you push a little harder That's what happened to me...i just had more confidence in the bike itself.

That is definitely the case, as the old tyre was totally stuffed for the last 500km's, so it felt doubly good, new tyre, softer tyre.

Am also so glad suspension has sorted itself ...was not liking it a week ago...was quite horrible!

[Hellgate]

Cool Wolfman, I'm glad it worked out. Did you end up backing off the preload on the fork? Or was most of the problem the worn tire?

BTW...love the new avatar!

My eight year old is a Star Wars nut, we watched the new Clone Wars cartoon twice this weekend, and he saw your avatar, "Dad why is the Storm Troop going poo???" "Uhh, well you see son...it's...uhh...the Force, yeah the Force."

[Wolfman]

Originally Posted by Hellgate

Cool Wolfman, I'm glad it worked out. Did you end up backing off the preload on the fork? Or was most of the problem the worn tire?

BTW...love the new avatar!

My eight year old is a Star Wars nut, we watched the new Clone Wars cartoon twice this weekend, and he saw your avatar, \\"Dad why is the Storm Troop going poo???\\" \\"Uhh, well you see son...it's...uhh...the Force, yeah the Force.\\"

Lol, my son said similar things, first time he saw my Avatar...except his words were...."Dad, why have you got a picture of a Stormtrooper on the toilet on your profile?.......Dad, your weird!", oh well!

I think my problems were mainy tyre related, but i think also dialling in a bit more Rebound Damping at the rear helped the cause lots...who knows, suspension is a bit of a black art....just glad it feels a lot better now.

[Wolfman]

Ok, tomorrow morning i am getting a Pilot Power 2ct fitted on the front, to match the same on the rear....looking forward to even more grip for summer!

Looks like i wll be scrubbing a new tyre in before Sunday's ride.

Pilot Power Road 2ct that is on front now, which is still in good nick, will go into storage till the start of winter, when i put road 2ct's front and rear for winter riding.

[Wolfman]

Ok have got the Pilot Power 2ct's fitted to both front & rear now, and the front is well scrubbed in...

Took me nearly 300km's of riding before i got used to the new front, as we also pulled the forks back up by 10mm, and stiffened the front a bit more again, when we had the front wheel out.

Bike is not quite as steep at the front now, and feels much more neutral going into corners...was having issue's with the front feeling like it wanted to tuck with the Road 2ct on the front, and the Power 2ct on the rear.

Am guessing, the combination of maybe going too far through the triple clamps with the forks, and a front tyre that was not as soft and grippy as the rear, compromised handling a bit.

After all the changes, the bike initially felt harder to turn, cause the front felt so high, but in reality, it is easier to turn, and much more stable going in, without pushing, coming out of a corner.

I just love the Power 2ct's, the level of grip is one step better again than the Road 2ct's, and once you have got a bit of heat into them...cornering is a joy.

Am really starting to notice the extra contact area of the bigger rear 190/55 tyre when on the side of the tyre, and have plenty of tyre left at full lean , on the road (15mm chicken strip), which is sorta reassuring!

Have not ridden in the wet with them yet, so cant comment on wet going on this rubber just yet...but in the dry, so far it's a big