Front end push?

[dieseler]

I took my 82 for a nice, erm.... aggressive ride last week.  Well, aggressive for me at least. And the steering just isn't as sharp or as quick as I would like.  I found myself more than once not being able to keep the turns near as tight as I needed to. I'm sure rider skill is a big part of things, a friend who does ride alot suggested shifting my weight high-side when cornering hard. But beyond seat-time, what tuning wise can I do to improve responsiveness.  I'm pretty sure I need to play with my tire pressure, they felt a little sluggish and non-responsive but what is a good starting point?  I've also read about sliding the forks a couple of mm?

I have new Dunlop D404 tires front and rear ( I know, not the sportiest of tires...).
Rear shock is set 3rd from softest (I'm not a big guy, 5'9 and 160lb)
SS brake line
New pads front and back

I haven't rebuilt my front forks yet and have no idea what oil is in them.

On a side note,  finally experienced the "Vision Stumble".  Guess I'll be cleaning carbs soon!

[Brian Moffet]

And the steering just isn't as sharp or as quick as I would like.  I found myself more than once not being able to keep the turns near as tight as I needed to.

It's a heavy bike, and there are issues with fork strength and things along those lines.  If you can't make the corner, there is always slowing down  ;)

I'm sure rider skill is a big part of things, a friend who does ride alot suggested shifting my weight high-side when cornering hard.

Your friend suggests sitting more upright that your bike is?  I suspect that will make the cornering worse.  I've never really seen the need to hang off on the inside of a corner, nor sitting up in the corner (which still baffles me on the street with a bike like the Vision).   Do you know about counter-steering?  At any reasonable speed, if you push on the left handle bar, you will start to lean left.  This is a very efficient method to get a bike to corner, and you can really move the bike from side to side quickly doing this. 

On a side note,  finally experienced the "Vision Stumble".  Guess I'll be cleaning carbs soon!

Actually, you may just need to sync your carbs. You may not need to clean them.  Syncing them is a whole lot easier to do, and if you clean them you're going to sync them anyway.  I would try that first  :)

Brian

[kwells]

start with checking tire pressures.  The 404's are pretty flat when compared to the Avon RoadRiders.  Running around 30psi should be close to what you need. 

[Tiger]

 :) Check your tire presure's... :)

  :) Tapered steering head bearings make a lot of difference... 8)

:) A fork rebuild with new seals and 15 weight oil will give you a start point in that area... 8)

  :) A fork brace is a "must have" for running twisty's and/or for a more aggressive riding style... 8)

:) Riding skills/techniques are gained by riding your Vision more often and on a variety of roads and under different road/weather condition's...Get to know your "V" and your limit's... 8)

                  8).......TIGER....... 8)

[macroars]

It took me a while to get used to the V. It was some kind of mismatch between how I firstly guessed that she liked things, and how she really liked it. In retrospect I believe that I she liked to lie down more than the signals I picked up. But now, I am sitting on the top of the seat, pushing her downwards by applying a quite firm forward force in the inner bar until she floats through the bend. And the floating angle might be way further down than you initially guess. 

In fact, I believe that the V is a bike that deserves no chicken rims at all. Ride the wheels as far as they are designed for, for she sticks!

I am a front-brake rider - I hardly uses the rear brake elsewhere than on gravel roads, and hence I chose heavy weight fork oil. This might also have something to to with how she are to be pushed, since I often brakes just ahead of entering and accelerating through the bend. I think this way stem from how front wheel driven cars are to be driven on snow/ice roads.

But my advice - try to push her further down - that might be all that is needed.

[dieseler]

Yup, I had my tire pressure at 25psi.  Bumped that up to 30 and will see how that goes!

I'm very familiar with counter-steering.  I was leaned pretty far in, pegs weren't quite dragging but they weren't far from either!  Actually the edge of my boot scrubbed pavement so I had to squeeze legs to the bike.

Tiger:  Head bearings and fork rebuild are on the top of my list for winter projects! Riding time is my current summer project though, and I've been doing it as much as possible!  I'll be building a fork brace in a month or so.... just have to decide how I want to make it.

[YellowJacket!]

I run my pressure on my Avons from 32 to 34.  I also have a fork brace and have rebuilt my forks.  Check your fork oil.  either its gunk, rusty water or gone.  I had what looked like rusty water in one fork and nothing in the other...and I found that out AFTER I rode The Dragon!
I also ride my tank.  Im about 5'7" and sit pretty much all the way forward when I'm riding twisties....a little further back on long sweeping rides.  Seems to make a difference for me.
I know you are going to rebuild your forks but at least check or replace the oil in the mean time.

David

[joevacc]

There is a book called  A Twist of the Wrist by Keith Code.  I would get it.  There is a whole series of books and DVD's that go along with it.  I only read the first one but got a lot out of it.

I wouldn't get on the top side of the bike in a corner.  Hanging off the inside is fun but I find it pretty useless riding on roads.  I do it sometimes but usually turn to far into the curve when I do.

Shifting weight on a bike is important though...  That book taught me more about that then I knew before.

[Night Vision]

like this?

[VisionMeister]

Better keep both hands on the bars if you try that on your Vision.

[Rick G]

I hardly use the front brakes going in to a corner , I just just shift my (considerable ) weight to the inside , the faster the corner the more weight I transfer .  King Kenny  said it all , go in  slow and come out fast. I will transfer more weight if the corner radius tightens and shift back a bit as it opens up.

[joevacc]

That's a good example of how I look on my V! 8)  Thanks for the illustration NV!!! :D

[Walt_M.]

I look like that some times on my YZ, substitute dirt for tire smoke. And the next frame is me doing a 'face plant'!

[Night Vision]

I stopped by a Ducati dealer today and saw that HyperMotard (in the pic above) in person

first, I was surprised to find that there is a Duck Dealer about 20 miles from me... uh OH!
second.... was: how small that 1100 is! the 696 Monster is a cute :-* little bike too. 

I did swing a leg over an 1100 Multistrada "S".... Ohlins' forks.. Ohlins shock.... black

more my size and style... uh OH!  :o

[supervision]

 Those are amazingly small bikes!  A little too narrow focus, for me.  Sure fun to see the latest models, I like those standard's as well.  That 950 ktm is a bad boy too, what a monster that thing is, I guess if you can afford one of those, buying tires all the time, is no problem

[joevacc]

I did swing a leg over an 1100 Multistrada "S".... Ohlins' forks.. Ohlins shock.... black

more my size and style... uh OH!  :o

My Friend just bought one of those....  uh OH!
There is plenty of room in your garage for one.  ;)

P.S.  Visions don't mind Italian bikes next to them.  8)
Besides whats a test ride gonna hurt???

[Tiger]

...Besides whats a test ride gonna hurt???

;) Only your bank account :o ;D :D :D :D :D :D... ;)

[Night Vision]

My Friend just bought one of those....  uh OH!
There is plenty of room in your garage for one.  ;)

Let me know when he tires of it and wants to trade  8)  ;) ;)

[Kenny]

  If I'm riding on the track or running a lot of corners I will lower my tire pressures not increase them, this will give you mor rubber on rhe road plus they seem to stick a bit better. 24 front to 26 rear works well for me on the 83's. This is not a high speed run just a lot of tight turns.
             Magic  Kenny ;)

[YellowJacket!]

I did swing a leg over an 1100 Multistrada "S".... Ohlins' forks.. Ohlins shock.... black

more my size and style... uh OH!  :o

My Friend just bought one of those....  uh OH!
There is plenty of room in your garage for one.  ;)

P.S.  Visions don't mind Italian bikes next to them.  8)
Besides whats a test ride gonna hurt???

Visions don't mind Italian riders (Me) either.  ;D

David