Got my suspension back, now what?

[Mike:p]

I got my forks and shock back from Michael Fitzgerald aka Thermosman today. So now what should I do?

I’m putting them on tomorrow when I get home from work. I’m going to clean and lube the calipers, drill the caliper bolts for safety wire while there off and inspect the pads for even wear.

Should I replace the pads with a more track appropriate pads or just leave what I have on there, as long as they are not half way gone already.

Also doing SS brake lines and fresh brake fluid while I’m in there.

I have NO idea how to setup my suspension or even where it is in the settings. When I dropped the forks and shock of to Michael to get freshened up I told him that I’m a novice track day rider that hopes to one day get my act together and maybe get a bump to intermediate. He laughed and said he would take care of it. I guess what I’m getting at is there anyone available on Thursday August 23rd at NCBike to help me? I’m going to be arriving Thursday afternoon and will be there all 3 days.

The bike that I am referring to above is a bone stock 09 CBR600RR. I’m really not planning on putting too much money into it right now. I know from reading on this forum that my money would be better spent on track days and tires.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[D-Zum]

Ride it.

T-Man set up the suspension for you when he refreshed them with solid baseline settings.
He knows his shit and knows baseline setups like nobody else.

IF you encounter a problem:

- Bike doesn't finish corners (drifts wide coming out)
- Bike feels like it's wiggling under you under breaking (forks are diving and the rear is lifting on the brakes)
- Unusual tire wear (cold/hot tearing and such)

Then and only then....consider seeking help with the Trackside support or someone from the N2 staff that has expertise in
what to adjust.

Otherwise..ride the bike.

 

[bmart]

What he said. T-man is da bomb. But...like with anything else, you should check the sag measurements and feel out the valving to ensure that you're in the ball park. After all, you're the one on the hook to ensure that your bike is safe. I'm sure that one of the CRs or another knowledgeable person can lend a hand. I'd be happy to if I am there.

 

[Mike:p]

Darren and Brad, thanks for confirming what I was guessing in my mind. I was pretty sure that he set up a good baseline. That’s why I went to the professional and not my dealer.

If any adjustments need to be made I’m willing to bet that they will be between my ears and not to the bike. I’m just not skilled enough to even notice small adjustments in the suspension, baseline in where I need to be.

Any suggestions on the other stuff I asked?

 

[Dave561]

My first bike was a CBR 600. Ride it bone stock.
Had brake fade-bought as lines.
Bottoming out forks- added suspension
Got out brakes- added more aggressive pads
Etc

Short answer, replace what doesn’t work so you get to see the effect of what does work better. Try not to change too much at once. If the pads are still good, run them a little longer and replace with a more aggressive set. Personally I like the Vesrah RJL

 

[bmart]

What did I miss?

Good idea to drill the caliper bolts while you have them off.

You will get a benefit from upgraded pads. Toss the ones you have in the spares kit to get you through a day if you ever have an issue. I suggest something like an RJL (what I still run after all of these years) because they'll stand any bike on its nose while feeling progressive 100% of the time.

You'll notice the biggest braking difference with the stainless lines. Don't go nuts on the fancy fluid. I run good ole Valvoline, $4/12 oz at any store. Iv'e never had any brake fade issues under any circumstances. Flush it before you start the season, and once again 1/2 way through if you do a lot of days.

You have a stellar track weapon, bone stock, so the upgrades will improve it.

Did T-man give you any suggestions about shock height or where to mount the forks in the triple? If not, it may be worth giving him a quick call. It is largely a matter of preference, but he can provide a baseline. I, for instance, am okay to give up some stability for quick steering, so mine is set up on its nose. My B-bike came to me set up just the opposite.

 

[Mike:p]

No he didn’t give me any suggestions about shock height or where to mount the in the triple tree.

I’m going to put the forks back in the exact same position. I made a little reference mark on each tube and a corresponding mark on the clamps.

I didn’t think to do the same for the shock. I’m going with what he sent me.

 

[wmhjr]

Mike, my advice is to reach out to Thermosman and ask about fork height in the triples and rear shock height. My guess is that he has already adjusted the rear shock length (if possible) but it costs nothing to ask. Other than that, if you're not having issues with the brakes at the moment and the pads are still good, no reason to change them out.

 

[Mike:p]

I sent him an email. I will let you know what he says.

 

[Mike:p]

T-man got back to me. He told me to put everything back in the same place. That everything is set up for my height and weight.

 

[Slitherin]

T-man got back to me. He told me to put everything back in the same place. That everything is set up for my height and weight.

And thats why you go to someone who knows his shit and thats why people like him stay in business.

 

[bmart]

T-man has no equal...

 

[wmhjr]

T-man has no equal...

Can't agree with that. He's awesome. But there are some other awesome guys. Pretty partial to Jon at CTS myself.

 

[Mike:p]

On reassembly I am beginning to wonder about which bolts to drill and safety wire or use thread locker. I will list them in the order that I have/will reinstall them. I said “have/will” because some of them are already back on the bike and the rest aren’t on the bike yet. I am going to drill and safety wire the ones that I haven’t put back yet.

1 Lower shock bolt- on and torqued to spec
2 Upper shock bolt-on and torqued to spec
3 All 4 bolts in the top of the triple tree- on and torqued to spec
4 All 4 clipon bolts- on and torqued to spec
5 All 4 lower triple tree bolts- on but NOT torqued to spec
6 Front axle/bolt- on and but NOT torqued to spec
7 All 4 front axle pinch bolts- not installed
(IDK how to safety wire these, they are recessed into the forks when fully installed)
8 All 4 caliper bolts- not installed

Let me know what to do and I will do it. Also to make everyone’s life easier just tell me the number and the appropriate correction. Pictures and links help.

Thanks for helping me keep myself safe and everyone else too.

 

[Dave561]

Will you be at NJMP this weekend? If so bring a pair of 1/16 inch bits and we can get this all sorted out

 

[Motofun352]

Regarding safety wire, follow what the rule book requires for the advanced group. If racing then follow that org's rules. You can go all aircraft like, if that's your thing, but be prepared for the extra time it takes. Proper torquing and use of loctite (Usually the blue) is sufficient for most things. Just as important is to pay attention for loose stuff and fix it before it becomes a real problem.

 

[Mike:p]

Will you be at NJMP this weekend? If so bring a pair of 1/16 inch bits and we can get this all sorted out

No, my first TD of the season is August 24 at NCBike. Thanks for the offer. I will do some more leg work and figure it out.

 

[wmhjr]

No, my first TD of the season is August 24 at NCBike. Thanks for the offer. I will do some more leg work and figure it out.

Mike, the most "stringent" race organization in our regions essentially require the following to be safety wired. I say "stringent" because they only require the presence of safety wire in these locations - not really the technically correct application of the safety wire Anyway, here is what you need to think about - and it's really only applicable if you're going to race with WERA.

• Front Axle Nut
• Brake Caliper Mount Bolts
• Front axle pinch bolts
• Rear Axle Bolt
• Oil Filter
• Oil Drain Plug
• Oil Fill cap
• Radiator Cap
• Rear Exhaust Hanger
• In addition to these, there are other things that WERA requires to you to secure using a dab of RTV or something else. Those include things like water pump drain bolt, etc

The ones in red are the only ones you need to think about for running in N2 Advance group - or CCS racing (or MotoAmerica for that matter)

For the axle pinch bolts, I have one set of forks that I had to replace the pinch bolts with ones that had a "taller head" so there was enough room for the holes for the safety wire.

 

[Mike:p]

Mike, the most "stringent" race organization in our regions essentially require the following to be safety wired. I say "stringent" because they only require the presence of safety wire in these locations - not really the technically correct application of the safety wire Anyway, here is what you need to think about - and it's really only applicable if you're going to race with WERA.

• Front Axle Nut
• Brake Caliper Mount Bolts
• Front axle pinch bolts
• Rear Axle Bolt
• Oil Filter
• Oil Drain Plug
• Oil Fill cap
• Radiator Cap
• Rear Exhaust Hanger
• In addition to these, there are other things that WERA requires to you to secure using a dab of RTV or something else. Those include things like water pump drain bolt, etc

The ones in red are the only ones you need to think about for running in N2 Advance group - or CCS racing (or MotoAmerica for that matter)

For the axle pinch bolts, I have one set of forks that I had to replace the pinch bolts with ones that had a "taller head" so there was enough room for the holes for the safety wire.

Thanks that’s what I was looking for.