[HappyCamper]

I was out running some the backroads just north of home today, taking it up to 240-260 kmh (150-160mph) on several occasions.

Is it just me or does anyone elses front end seem light under full throttle at high speed, or is it just that this beast still wants to lift the front up at these speeds.

Before bought my new BLUE '02 I owned a '89 ZX10. The front end always seemed fully planted on the ZX10 at high speeds under full throttle acceleration.

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[orvrider]

I have posted before that my '02 exhibited a headshake at 155mph and I chickened out to power thru it...have you gone to 170mph and what is it like then?

'00 ZRX1100 E.L.R.

'02 ZX12R Black/Gold



"When all else fails... get a bigger hammer!!"</p>

 

[Guest]

what rpm range are you in at those speeds.....???

you bike is trying to rotate..... not unusual
lots of the guys with turbos will tell you
thats the neighborhood it wants to come up

you may need to dial in more ride height at the rear
do not lower your forks in the triple clamps

will make the front nervous..... twitchy

ok now all the dreag guys...... no i wouldnt raise the
rear if i were draggin.....he did say riding fast
i do assume nice backroads..... similar to raod racing

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[HappyCamper]

Not yet OVR. In have been to 170 on my old ZX10 but not on the 12 as of yet.

I am just testing the waters to see how this beast handles at high speeds.

When you mention head shake, do you mean the one on your shoulders or the steering head on the bike?

I felt somewhat uneasy with light feeling of the steering on the 12 at 155mph.

I just curious, is this the normal feel on this thing at high speeds or is something else in regards to alignment or suspension setting caused this. Or maybe this beast pulls so hard that it is slightly unweighing the front end?


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[CrotchRocket]

Make sure you adjust the rebound and compression, front and rear... Drop the front forks a 1/2 inch and tighten the rear shock spring 2 turns clock wise and you should not get anymore headshake!!!

Dont waste your money on a steering damper...


CrotchRocket

" I just live my life a 1/4 mile at a time "</p>

 

[Guest]

we may have been typing & posting at the same time

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[HappyCamper]

Hello zed,
I believe is was somewhere in the 9-10k range.

What do you mean by lowering the front in the triple clamps?

My front end setting are showing three lines and three turns back from full on the damping screw. Haven't checked or changed the screws at the bottom of the forks yet. Still at the settings when picked up from the dealer.

Hmmm, wonder if they even set them?

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[Guest]

not to worry

after 3-4 miles make sure the steering stem nut is set properly

make sure you forks are straight.... not tweeked to one side
if you really like road riding
adjust your preload, compresion & ride height rear

explanation
several things are happening..... the chain is actually trying to shorten your wheelbase..... inducing a bit of yaw
to the chassis & actulaly trying to get your bike to
rotate upwards....wheelie

easily exacerbated by going 1 tooth down on the front sprocket
made worse still by going down 2
mentioned in in another post..... always better to go up on rear to obtain same gearing

the suspension is squatting uunder the torque & hp in that range...... by increasing ride heighht.... you are simply
compensating for that effect

many have & many will lower the forks in the clamps
can & usually does make front end nervous & twitchy
the only time i make that adjustment is for the earholing factor...... when i have it laying over at least 50 deg
that does help other problems

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[Ted Edwards]

Happycamper,
Yes the front end goes light at those speeds. I had mine come up at 160 mph! I hit a small bump as I changed into top and up it came! Scary!!
Regards
Ted

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[entropy2]

I'm kinda flumoxed by the comments above. I have mine dropped 1" at the forks and 1" at the r links, and it is rock solid at 160, getting ever more planted all the way to 201mph (on GPS). This is with a 1361 18/44 gearing, taking it just shy of the limiter in every gear. At 160 you really don't even need to be in a full tuck; it'll cruise like that for ages. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT="">

With 17/50 (strip) gearing, I have also had it to the limiter in all gears, MUCH less speed that 201 (didn't use GPS), but it never felt light in the front end in 3,4,5,6. Maybe if you sat w-a-y back on the seat, hit a bump, at full throttle in 4th, it might come up?????

Perhaps you guys were running in a quartering/crosswind??? THAT'LL make it feel odd, fo sho!!

You guys are turining out a lot more power than my bike is if yrs gets light because of acceleration at 160mph. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/frown.gif ALT="">

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[zx12mark]

buy a line rite from muzzy. it will make make your bike track straight and planted. 80.00 bucks shipped.. killer

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[JadeGreenZX12R]

Before I dropped my forks ½ inch at the front, my bike felt rock steady at VHS (very high speed). Now that I have dropped the forks a bit, it isnt as confidance inspiring as it once was, but its low speed handling and cornering is significantly improved. Everything is a trade-off, I guess.

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[Guest]

I get light in the front end when I'm on the gas hard!
I was going to actually start this post but I'm a little relieved to see some others having this problem aswell.
It threw me into a small tankslapper when I hit a bump in the road and I wasn't going too fast (3rd gear roll-on)

It's pissing me off now! It makes me leary to race anyone full-out! Yesturday I'was on the highway doin 240-260kph in 4th gear I think? around <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/nerd.gif ALT="8o"> ooRpm and the front end was light!! I was holdin' the trottle steady but anytime I go into the 200kpm's this happens.

I was litteraly lying on the take waiting for some thing awful to happen <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/frown.gif ALT="">

The only other o2' 12 rider in my area says he's not having any trouble at all and hasn't touched the suspension!! I'm 6'2 185lbs would that be a factor??

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[Guest]

8000 Rpm

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[Guest]

mentioned b4.... not a front end problem

raising the rear ride height....dialing in a little more
preload should help

the front end is light
the front end is going to be light
the air rushing over it makes it want to stand up
the engine running in the phat range.... max torque
& working its way up the rpm range to max hp will
do exactly what you are talking about
the bike is literally trying to wheelie

now if you want to just drag rac
your launch & front end is more critical the
1st gear......60ft times most strap down the front

road racing or just hi speed riding or a top end run
presents a whole new set of parameters
cant take that strapped front end & lowered rear into a 90mph kink...... they will shovel yo a~~ up....

a bike set up for drag racing would be left for dead
on a curvy road.... & vice versa

so really you have to decide
what type of riding you really do.....

used to make a living street racing
used to endurance road race
very different creatures.... both are

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[entropy2]

Either you guys with "light" front ends have something set up wrong, your position on the bike is wrong, or you guys are just plain smoking crack, and additionally have never ridden at 120mph+.

Sorry folks, I know this is a "kinder, gentler" site (not LABusas), but I can't stand to see such missinformation about the most stable bike at speed I have ever ridden (40 years' incl some club road racing, plenty o' draging lately).

On an extended high speed test with Houston's "go nowhere fast" posse, I had my 12 at 140-180/190mpg for miles and miles with a couple of other 12's and a few Busas. All bikes were ROCK solid doing long sweepers at 140-160mph. This is no exaggeration, I am a gps kind o' guy.

At speed the wind does NOT try to lift the bike, au contraire mon frere, it pushes it down harder the faster you go. Certainly in 1, & 2nd if you are not in the right position, you can get rollon wheelies without trying too hard. In 3rd hmmmm... maybe with a bump in road. In 4th, 5, 6th???? No way, jose, unless you are majorly TRYING to get the front end up.

Quit talking nonsense about the 12's light front end at 120- up. Unless, of course you are fishing: in that case congrats, you got me.

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[orvrider]

Do you have a '02? Seems most the responses have been from those like me that have an '02. Kawi changed the geometry for the '02 and this may have something to do with it. When I had the stock tires on I was getting the headshake at 110 mph, now with the Macadams it has moved to 155. Sorry if I am a wuss but in a full crouch seeing the handlebars moving back and forth at 155 is somewhat attention getting. I don't want to find out the hard way that it turns into a full blown tankslapper if I try to power thru it. Its that 30+ year old self preservation thing kicking in.

'00 ZRX1100 E.L.R.

'02 ZX12R Black/Gold



"When all else fails... get a bigger hammer!!"</p>

 

[HappyCamper]

Hello Entropy2,
Haven't tried crack yet, and have no plans on it either.

Adreniline is my natural drug of choice, and what not a better way to extract it then with a ZX12-R.

I stated that I was have this problem under full throttle acceleration, not during 250kmh (150mph) runs. The bike is on rails at these speeds.

As zed racer stated it's probably a rear suspension setting that needs to be addressed. I will play with in more before heading to work tomorrow.

P.S. Entropy, I actually make it a point to take up to at least 200kmh (125mph) every time I ride it. Have been doing it for years on my old '89 ZX10.

I AM NO STRANGER TO SPEED

What happens if someone asked you to GO SLOW.....JUST SAY NO!!!



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[SleepyKat]

I had the same problem on mine ('02 PMB); had the same thing on my '00 ZX-9R, same shit on my '95 GSXR 1100. It was always was a matter of static sag.
It is not a matter of wrong position on the forks, myself or neither was I smoking crack.
Ah, btw, been on a bike for 30 years now.

Fausto

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[Ted Edwards]

Just had mine up to 180 MPH several times tonight! Rock steady!! '00 Faster silver!
Regards
Ted

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