| I've done 5000 miles on my 999s Biposto, mainly in Northern Spain on fast smooth mountain roads.
I think my bike is set up pretty good for these type of roads, and ambient temperatures (25-30 deg C)
First thing with the 999s Biposto the rear spring is too stiff - you can't set the static rear sag - well you probably could if you weighed 17 stone plus!! I weigh 14 stone on a bad day, and allow a stone for my luggage rack.
Swap out the rear spring for the monoposto spec spring - this is an easy job - no special tools required - I think I paid £50 for the spring. You can then set the front and rear sag - I will post these at a later date when I remember what they are set too.
The damping adjustment is no more than 2 clicks from standard both front and rear, with the standard settings being pretty good from standard.
Again smooth surfaces will allow a little more damping, and you will find when you return to the UK you will probably have to back off the damping back to around the standatd settings.
I didn't change the rear ride height adjuster or trail adjustment on the headstock. I think the bike turns quick enough, without sacrificing high speed cornering stability. You may want to quicken the steering up for track use.
I run relatively low tyre pressures around 25 psi rear and 27 psi front at around 30 deg C ambient. Slightly higher for lower temps. This is personal preference, but I find you can get on the throttle quicker out of tight bends. Michelin reccomend higher pressures. Also remember that if you are riding hard, on fast twisty roads your effective working tyre pressure will be higher, than standard road riding.
I have never subscribed to the theory that you can just twizzle all the knobs to someone elses notes and hey presto!!
Best thing is to make one significant change, like wind the front rebound in 5 clicks - you will feel this when you ride and then back it off from there. Its only by experimentation that you really start to understand how suspension changes translate into what you feel when you ride the bike.
If you only do one thing, change the rear spring and set up the sag correctly.
Have fun!!  |