Evening folks

[Class—]

Hi
So I thought I'd finally say hello after a few weeks of looking around the forum, you guys seem awesome
I just recently bought a k5 blue and white beast and im slowly finding the time to get some miles on it (read 20mile commute on twisty roads). I have a k5 bandit 1200 (that needs to go now, or does it  ) and have owned that for 8 years. That bike I loved but always wanted a GSX1400, now I have both I'm not sure if the 1400 is what I am suited for. After tonights commute home I told myself to type this post to tap into your wealth of knowledge and see if the gsx1400 is for me.

So, where do I start? Well I guess its at a beautiful 'S' bend on my commute, tonight I absolutely browned my knickers when the pegs scrapped (and maybe the centre stand) and then dug in and gave me a nice little jolt. That, I'm not used to on the bandit. Dont think I've ever scraped the pegs on that to be honest. I do enjoy my twisty ride home as my hours mean there is very little else on the road and I get to have "fun" but is the gsx not really for this? Is there rearsets that work with the placement of the pillion pegs? Oh, I should tell you that the last owner put K3 genuine double exhausts on and modified the centre stand so it was wide enough for the nearside exhaust. So I'm not sure if its wider than a genuine k3 centre stand would be ( I will post pics eventually, I just dont have any for now  )

I love naked bikes with big round headlights and owning a gsx 1400 has always been my dream but I'm slightly worried its not for my style of riding. I really hope I'm wrong and cant wait to read what you think or know what I should do.

Over the years I have slowly upgraded the bandit with Nitron shock and Hagon springs but kept most of the bike standard ie. no rearsets and kept the centre stand. I was going to do the same with the 1400 but will I have to change a lot more to get the bike flying like the bandit?

Any hoo, this is a hello and I'm sure I wil post a lot more in the proper places.

Cheers

Class--

[Roo]

Maybe you need a little more ride height ?   55 rear profile tyre, Longer shocks or just blocks to raise rear 25mm should do it.   

[GSXKING]

Lifter kit will give you height clearance and push more on to the front tyre improving tip in and grip.
1400 has heaps more grunt than 1200 IMHO 
Welcome to GSX1400 life.
It's never boring here and lots of like minded individuals.

[Andre]

Static and rider sag ok? Nitrogen fill ok?
Fork stanchions upper edge line up with yoke?



With proper suspension setup and pegs as in the pic I have no scraping problems (and no chicken strips) in the bends.

K2 with twin exhaust here.

[grog]

Class, agree with Andre. I do scrape outside of boots, pegs sometimes fold up. Have never scraped centrestand but im old, dont go as i once did. 

[KiwiCol]

Gidday Class & welcome to the forum, great to have you aboard.   Check the things mentioned above & maybe if your still scraping the bike in corners, change the rear tire or put lifters on it.  Best not both though.

Irish Jeff would know for sure what scrapes on a std 14.       Man's a legend!

[Mick_J]

Welcome to the forum Class. 

[lurch]

Welcome from another newbie.

Watching replies with interest as, like you, I always wanted a GSX 1400 but am also a little concerned re my riding style. My shocks are in need of some love so I'm in the middle of internal debate between 55 profile rear tyre vs replacement shocks + lift blocks vs longer shocks right now actually. I'm also 6'4" and 110kg so suspension work is always a given for me....

[Blubber]

Welcome from another newbie.

Watching replies with interest as, like you, I always wanted a GSX 1400 but am also a little concerned re my riding style. My shocks are in need of some love so I'm in the middle of internal debate between 55 profile rear tyre vs replacement shocks + lift blocks vs longer shocks right now actually. I'm also 6'4" and 110kg so suspension work is always a given for me....

6'8" / 203cm and 112kg here. One up a stock 14 wasn't to bad for me. I cant leave anything stock but never felt the need to swap out the rear shock. I did add 2cm of thicker foam in the stock seat .. well had that done .

[Hooli]

Evennig. I'd start off checking the suspension settings before you start buying stuff for it. If it's got bugger all pre-load or the damping is screwed up* then that could be a the cause of it running out of clearance.


*say it's got loads of rebound damping & sod all compression damping wound on, then as the suspension compresses easily it can only extend slowly & ends up in a lower ride height till it's got time to settle again.

[Class—]

Thanks guys for the welcome. I really wish I had more hours in the day to play with the 1400 but time is limited for the next few months, it sucks 

Lifter kit will give you height clearance and push more on to the front tyre improving tip in and grip.
1400 has heaps more grunt than 1200 IMHO 
Welcome to GSX1400 life.
It's never boring here and lots of like minded individuals.

Hmm, never had a lifter kit before, with that changing the geometry of the bike what else should be done to compliment it and make it perfect?

Evennig. I'd start off checking the suspension settings before you start buying stuff for it. If it's got bugger all pre-load or the damping is screwed up* then that could be a the cause of it running out of clearance.


*say it's got loads of rebound damping & sod all compression damping wound on, then as the suspension compresses easily it can only extend slowly & ends up in a lower ride height till it's got time to settle again.

Yes, I havent even checked my sag or changed any other suspension settings yet as I havent had anyone to help me measure. Anyone got any tips for setting the susoension? I've only checked that all settings are the same on each side.

Static and rider sag ok? Nitrogen fill ok?
Fork stanchions upper edge line up with yoke?



With proper suspension setup and pegs as in the pic I have no scraping problems (and no chicken strips) in the bends.

K2 with twin exhaust here.

Now theres a thing, I'm pretty sure the fork stantions do not sit flush with the top yoke. Nitrogen? no idea  How do I check?
Static and rider sag I have know idea either. Again got any setup videos, tutorials inside deeper knowledge to help this noob out? 

oh, if the rear shocks are leaking then am I correct in thinking they are toast as they cannot be fixed properly due to the 'L'
 o'ring?
Thanks

Class--

[Eric GSX1400K3]

Welcome mate, great intro, I'm sure we will be able to convince you to stay with the 1402.  As said, check all suspension settings and tyre pressures.

I also think the modified centre stand is what gave you the scare. Me personally I don't like the centre stand on these bikes, they sit too low and don't swing up away enough.   K3 with single sided Akrapovic here on mine.

[grog]

If your shocks are leaking,lowest preload probably, clearance question answered.

[Andre]

Now theres a thing, I'm pretty sure the fork stantions do not sit flush with the top yoke.

Nitrogen? no idea  How do I check?

You need the proper equipment to do that. Without it, you can only go by feeling: Is the damping "mushi"?

Static and rider sag I have know idea either. Again got any setup videos, tutorials inside deeper knowledge to help this noob out?

Suspension and Springs - Sag
What's all this ruckus about suspension these days? It seems everyone is clued in that suspension setup can be a key to riding fast and safely, but how do you do it? No matter what shock or fork you have, they all require proper adjustment to work to their maximum potential. Suspension tuning isn't rocket science, and if you follow step-by-step procedures you can make remarkable improvements in your bike's handling characteristics.
The first step to setting up any bike is to set the spring sag and determine if you have the correct-rate springs. Spring sag is the amount the springs compress between fully topped out and fully loaded with the rider on board in riding position. It is also referred to as static ride height or static sag. My company, Race Tech, 951.279.6655 has an advanced method of checking spring sag that I'll describe.

If you've ever measured sag before, you may have noticed that if you check it three or four times, you can get three or four times, you can get three or four different numbers without changed anything. We'll tell you why this occurs and how to handle it.

REAR END
Step 1: Extend the suspension completely by getting the wheel off the ground. It helps to have a few friends around. On bikes with sidestands the bike can usually be carefully rocked up on the stand to unload the suspension. Most race stands will not work because the suspension will still be loaded by resting on the swingarm rather than the wheel. Measure the distance from the axle vertically to some point on the chassis (metric figures are easiest and more precise; Figure 1). Mark this reference point because you'll need to refer to it again. This measurement is L1. If the measurement is not exactly vertical the sag numbers will be inaccurate (too low).

Step 2: Take the bike off the stand and put the rider on board in riding position. Have a third person balance the bike from the front. If accuracy is important to you, you must take friction of the linkage into account. This is where our procedure is different: We take two additional measurements. First, push down on the rear end about 25mm (1") and let it extend very slowly.

Where it stops, measure the distance between the axle and the mark on chassis again. If there were no drag in the linkage the bike would come up a little further. It's important that you do not bounce! This measurement is L2.

Step 3: Have your assistant lift up on the rear of the bike about 25mm and let it down very slowly. Where it stops, measure it. If there were no drag it would drop a little further. Remember, don't bounce! This measurement it L3.

Step 4: The spring sag is in the middle of these two measurements. In fact, if there were no drag in the linkage, L2 and L3 would be the same. To get the actual sag figure you find the midpoint by averaging the two numbers and subtracting them from the fully extended measurement L1: static spring sag = L1 -[(L2 + L3) / 2].

Step 5: Adjust the preload with whatever method applies to your bike. Spring collars are common, and some benefit from the use of special tools. In a pinch you can use a blunt chisel to unlock the collars and turn the main adjusting collar. If you have too much sag you need more preload; if you have too little sag you need less preload. For road race bikes, rear sag is typically 25 to 30mm. Street riders usually use 30 to 35mm. Bikes set up for the track are compromise when ridden on the street. The firmer settings commonly used on the tract are generally not recommended (or desirable) for road work.

You might notice the Sag Master measuring tool (available from Race Tech) in the pictures. It's a special tool made to assist you in measuring sag by allowing you to read sag directly without subtracting. It can also be used as a standard tape measure.

Measuring front-end sag is very similar to the rear. However, it' much more critical to take seal drag into account on the front end because it is more pronounced.

FRONT END
Step 1: Extend the fork completely and measure from the wiper (the dust seal atop the slider) to the bottom of the triple clamp (or lower fork casting on inverted forks; Figure 2). This measurement is L1.

Step 2: Take the bike off the sidestand, and put the rider on board in riding position. Get and assistant to balance the bike from the rear, then push down on the front end and let it extend very slowly.

Picture

Where it stops, measure the distance between the wiper and the bottom of the triple clamp again. Do not bounce. This measurement is L2.

Step 3: Lift up on the front end and let it drop very slowly. Where it stops, measure again. Don't bounce. This measurement is L3. Once again, L2 and L3 are different due to stiction or drag in the seals and bushings, which is particularly high for telescopic front ends.

Step 4: Just as with the front, halfway between L2 and L3 is where the sag would be with no drag or stiction. Therefore L2 and L3 must be averaged and subtracted from L1 to calculate true spring sag: static spring sag = L1 - [l2 + l3) / 2].

Step 5: To adjust sag use the preload adjusters, if available, or vary the length of the preload spaces inside the fork.

Street bikes run between 25 and 33 percent of their total travel, which equates to 30 to 35mm. Roadrace bikes usually run between 25 and 30mm.

This method of checking sag and taking stiction into account also allows you to check the drag of the linkage and seals. It follows that the greater the difference between the measurements (pushing down and pulling up), the worse the stiction. A good linkage (rear sag) has less than 3mm (0.12") difference, and a bad one has more than 10mm (0.39"). Good forks have less than 15mm difference, and we've seen forks with more than 50mm. (Gee, I wonder why they're harsh?)

It's important to stress that there is no magic number. If you like the feel of the bike with less or more sag than these guidelines, great. Your personal sag and front-to-rear sag bias will depend on chassis geometry, track or road conditions, tire selection and rider weight and riding preference.

Using different sag front and rear will have huge effect on steering characteristics. More sag on the front or less sag on the rear will make the bike turn more slowly. Increasing sag will also decrease bottoming resistance, though spring rate has a bigger effect than sag. Racers often use less sag to keep the bike clearance, and since roadraces work greater than we see on the street, they require a stiffer setup. Of course, setting spring sag is only first step of dialing in your suspension, so stay tuned for future articles on spring rates and damping.

-Paul Thede

Magazine: Sport Rider
Issue : Aug

oh, if the rear shocks are leaking then am I correct in thinking they are toast as they cannot be fixed properly due to the 'L'
 o'ring?

If the lowest setting is the proper one for you (you are a feather) then you don't have to worry about it. Seen a pic where someone has super-glued an ordinary o-ring instead. Never reported back if his solution past the test over an appreciable time period.

Since you saw the post with the L-ring, then you probably saw the solution of chucking the hydraulic for the common preload adjust mechanism.

[Class—]

Ah thanks guys, yer im 100kg so not a feather :D I'm not used to this bike yet so im not sure about the 'mushi' feeling

My forks are definitley higher up in the top yoke than in that pic, so I will fix that. I know the last owner put new stanctions in the forks himself so I might have to quizz him a little more about them. I'm not sure if my rears are leaking but I keep an eye on them.

Since you saw the post with the L-ring, then you probably saw the solution of chucking the hydraulic for the common preload adjust mechanism.

Do you mean the solution was to buy new shocks without hydraulic or do you mean take the hydraulics out of the standard shocks? I'm afraid I didnt see that in the thrread I read.

Thanks for the suspension guide I will be doing this as soon as I can, unfortunately it wont be soon as work is mental