| How to make an ST corner on rails? Nice of you guys to think I'm adept at it, I'm not so sure that I always get it right.
Modesty aside the rider does have much more to do with cornering a bike than a driver steering a car so riding a lot, in all weathers, helps develop a nice smooth style.
What I try and do is get the entry speed into corners right, get off the brakes, let the front end settle for a split second, and from the moment I tip it in and aim for the apex I'm trying to roll the throttle on progressively until its wide open again at the exit. If you can't do this you've picked the wrong line, or gone in too hot. I don't always get it right, but the CSS took me from getting it right about 30% to about 80% - you might notice I also go in a bit deeper into the turn than some people before I tip it in, but not as deep as they teach you at CSS (not on the road anyway - still try to go in very deep on the track).
So suspension, well, mines set up pretty much as the MCN settings. The only difference is that I've only got the rear preload on 5 notches, but I've got the rear ride height stupidly high. I started out with the MCN settings and found that the rear tyre was just on the ground. Felt pretty good at that. Then I got a deal on a set of 207RR's with a 180 instead of a 170, which I thought might slow the steering a bit, so while the wheel was out I put another turn of ride height on. Now the bike turns OK but it's far too high, both sides of the centre stand only just touch the floor and the bike sways when it's on the stand. On the side stand it leans over a loooooong way, and since I put the Corbin seat on it, I'm on tiptoes at a standstill.
The front end needs tweaking as well. It was sort of OK, not perfect, a little lacking in feel. Since it was serviced at Nelly's place the front feels a bit different. Since the service includes a fork oil change, I suspect that my old fork oil was losing viscosity (which happens over time as the long molecular chains get chopped up) and so I had set my compression and rebound up to compensate for clapped out lower viscosity oil. Now there's some fresh stuff in there it feels a bit overdamped and the front end patters quite a bit on uneven corners. I think I'll take a click of rebound off, see how that feels.
The biggest difference is tyres. When I get a superbike to go alongside the ST, then the old girl can be returned to touring mode with Bridgestone 020's or something like that on. Until then, it's going to stay more sports oriented than an ST2 has got any right to be (within reason, the old girl couldn't do justice to a set of Rensports). I'm not entirely happy on 207RR's. Nothing wrong with them, I'm not sure of the feel though and I don't have the confidence in them that I had with Bridgestones 010's. I suppose I should go back to Bridgestone 010's because I've got a spare front tyre that had only done 800 miles when the 207's went on. But that can wait, I think I'll try a pair of Diablos next 'cos I've heard good things about them, and when your riding style has to rely on corner speed to keep with the 996's and 999's on rideouts, you need tyres as sticky as they get.  |