REVIEW

I broke one of the big rules of motorcycling and did the installation just before leaving on a trip. I finished installing the cartridges on a Wednesday night, before leaving from DFW, TX on a week-long vacation to the coast of Georgia on Friday. I didn't even have time for a proper test ride - Thursday night was spent packing - so rolling out as wingman for my friend on his Versys (with GPS!) on Friday night's leg from DFW to Texarkana was the first 200 miles on the new front end. From Friday to the following Tuesday we rode across east Texas, Arkansas, a corner of Mississippi, all of Tennessee, rode The Dragon and some of the Blue Ridge Parkway, into South Carolina and finally arrived at the beach in Georgia. I covered big highways and small in various states of repair, mountain twisties, and back country roads, at speeds and conditions from holy-shit-I'm-terrified mountain hairpins at 15mph, up to 119 indicated passing trucks on sweeping highway curves outside of Knoxville. The following Saturday and Sunday was the return across Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas again, in conditions from light Georgia rain to 90+ degrees when getting back into TX. So, the bike got a pretty good shakedown over various types of pavements and conditions. Not the Dakar, but certainly more than a mere commute.

My assessment is that these cartridges are very sport-oriented, which makes sense - it's aftermarket Italian suspension for a sport bike, it's not going to be sloppy stuff. At the default settings they transmit every little bump and ripple in the road, for better or for worse. The feel is amazing, IF you are going on a decent road surface, or, for example... a track. The default settings were fine on most highway, but anywhere else and especially on the crummier back roads of the American South, it was a different story. Crossing Arkansas I found myself lifting off the seat when approaching bridges because the transition from road pavement to bridge was usually a hard slam. I don't remember any problems in Tennessee, but going down through South Carolina and into Georgia - memorably, the "scenic highways" out of the Smokies into Pickens, SC - the washboard was like riding a jackhammer. The guy leading our group was on a Tiger 1050, and riding 2nd and staggered to the right, I remember watching his suspension eat up the bumps while I was having to ride near the edge of the road to stay off the ripples in the road and keep my teeth from getting rattled out. It was there that I truly understood the difference between "sport" and "touring", and I knew for sure that I had something set wrong. It only took 1,300 miles of getting my ass kicked before I realized maybe something wasn't set up right. I catch on quick! (I CAN HAZ ADJUSTMENTS? What the hell did I put in adjustable stuff for, if not to set it right? Sheesh!)

I had a couple of non-riding vacation days to investigate things, and before leaving Saturday morning I backed Compression damping off 2 clicks (from 12 to 10). The change was instant and effective - the jackhammering disappeared, and the hard slams at bridge pavement went away. I remember only a couple of hard hits on the ride home from bumps, instead of dozens. I didn't have the immediate sense of feeling every last little ripple and pock-mark like before, but I happily traded that for not being kicked every time I ran over everything bigger than an anthill.

I didn't have any issues besides the hard response over bumps. I haven't felt anything that indicates Rebound damping is set poorly, either, though I do need to set my sag and preload correctly. I really should have made an effort to set that before leaving. The original bad vibes I got from the front - skittish in turns, pitching over bumps, etc. are all totally gone. If anything I'm a little more nervous now, because the Street Triple just falls into turns without any sense of resistance, compared to my Ninja 250. I'm still getting used to the Triumph, so it's a bit early to say if any of my nervousness is due to suspension, and how much is just my need for saddle time.

I can take some pictures of the adjusters on the bike, too, if anybody's interested. They look good, silver and black like the rest of the front, without being too obvious. It's a bit of a "sleeper" upgrade. I'll also answer any questions as best as I can, whatever they may be.

TLR - The cartridges are light, well-made, give great feedback, and are a great improvement when set up correctly. They'd be a great for a track bike, especially, but the compression needs to be set with care for street riding or touring.

 

Great post :thumbsup: ..... a

I have had the Matris F05-R cartridges (and matched M05-R shock) for the R which are set up for the track for two years now. They are far from harsh or jarring when set up properly and handle the front end almost telepathically. Just as well (if not better) than any Ohlins forks or cartridge I have had in the past and absolutely better than my Traxxion or Race Tech equipped bikes. My advise would be to spend a few minutes with a suspension expert and have your bike set up properly. If the S units are anything like the R each and every single adjustment makes a difference and can be felt so proper set up is a must. It will make a world of difference especially since you already have an aftermarket shock and the bikes balance is probably way off.

Look forward to a follow up once you get it sorted......

.

 

Awesome write up! Would love to see more pics of them installed.

 

My advise would be to spend a few minutes with a suspension expert and have your bike set up properly. If the S units are anything like the R each and every single adjustment makes a difference and can be felt so proper set up is a must. It will make a world of difference especially since you already have an aftermarket shock and the bikes balance is probably way off.

You're right - That's a must-do. I winged it with the front settings due to time constraints, and even the rear shock came set up from Dan Kyle based on what I told him when I ordered. I spent the money for adjustability and quality, getting it all properly adjusted is the only sensible thing to do. I'm running other people's settings at the moment and it still beats the crap out of stock, if a professional can sort it for me, I imagine it'll feel even better. I am at least going to measure & adjust the sag before I go out anywhere again.



Thanks... Here's what they look like from the pilot's POV. Clicker screws are 4mm hex, and the leg of the "L" on the hex wrench needs to be short because there's very little clearance to get at the adjusters beneath the handle bars. I'm still looking for a small wrench of the right size to keep around for adjustments.

 

Nice write up. I was thinking of putting these into my ST3, to go along with the CBR rear shock I'm about to put in, as I would like something adjustable up front. I haven't had any issues with the front end yet, and I'm about 220 ready to ride, but if I'm going to change the rear, figured I should do something to the front end too.

 

I have the standard as well, a 2011. As I have posted previously, Rs were hard to find and I did not want to wait for the 2012. The dealer knocked off $600 so I took the deal. Being $700 less than the R this left me with $1300 to play with I figured.

I first got a Penske rear shock and, after a while, shipped the forks to Catalyst Reaction Suspension Tuning. They were going to replace the valves but, after opening things up, said the new valves Triumph used were MUCH better and I only needed new springs, shims and oil. They are not adjustable but, at 160lbs, they seem fine as it was setup for solo riding only and no track days. Things can be a bit firm over big bumps but the bike just snaps back on line on rough roads. I'm sure guys over 200 lbs would have more issues with the standard suspension.

Tim

 

Awesome post! Subscribed for later use. :thumbup:

 

Hi, new here and found this post while searching google. I've never had an adjustable suspension before and just installed this same kit. I understand that other factors (like sag measurements) will determine the final settings but I'd like to at least start with a sort of factory default. I plan on having a professional set this up for me in the next few weeks but right now I need the bike to be ridable.

Anyway, I want to know if I'm understanding the instructions correctly regarding initial setup and have a couple of (potentially dumb) questions...

1. When adjusting the compression and rebound are you turning the adjuster all the way clockwise (toward the +) and then backing it out counter clockwise (toward the minus) by 12 to 16 clicks? Does the + correspond to firmer and the - to softer?

2. When adjusting the preload are you starting with the adjuster all the way counter clockwise (toward the minus) and then turning clockwise by 12 clicks?

 

1. When adjusting the compression and rebound are you turning the adjuster all the way clockwise (toward the +) and then backing it out counter clockwise (toward the minus) by 12 to 16 clicks? Does the + correspond to firmer and the - to softer?

2. When adjusting the preload are you starting with the adjuster all the way counter clockwise (toward the minus) and then turning clockwise by 12 clicks?

1. I started from "zero". I turned the screws towards minus until they didn't turn anymore, then set them forward, about a quarter turn, until they made the next click. So the "0" position would be the first click-stop up from hard physical stop of the adjuster. From there I was counting towards + up to 12. Compression damping towards the plus made for harder, harsher, but more detailed feedback. Minus two clicks (down to 10) softened it up. I haven't adjusted the rebound any yet, because I'm just not sensing anything that feels like rebound-related issues.

2. Preload minus, all the way in, fully retracts the bare aluminum piston inside the cap. You can see in the photos that the bottom of the cap is uncolored, that's the rim of the adjuster "piston" (for lack of a better term). Fully clicked in to "minus" was also fully retracted, so "zero" position sat the piston flush in the cap, minimum preload. Turning towards "plus" extends the piston down, adding preload onto the spring, about 1mm worth per + "click", with each click coming at about a full rotation of the wheel.

 

super post- thanks for taking the time

have thought about this for so long now, would love to get this done - just not sure I can justify the 900e it would probably cost me all in

 

Great write-up, The Blue Rider... Big thumbs-up :thumbsup:

Ok, I'm a touch late to the party here, but this thread deserves to be bumped, methinks! I've been toying with the idea of Matris fork cartridges v. used Daytona forks for a while now. Reading this thread may have made up my mind. The cost of good, used Daytona forks, them being so hard to find, combined with the fact a lot of people say any of the aftermarket fork set-ups from the likes of Matris, Penske, Ohlins etc. will be better than any of the OEM set-ups, even if Ohlins were involved (Daytona R), has me tending towards this solution for the standard ST. Ok, no radial brakes, but that is extra cost and I'm not setting up a race bike, I just want my ST to be better for track days and fast road riding. In terms of bang for buck, I think you've just sealed the deal for new fork internals over new front end.

Thanks!

 

Great write-up, The Blue Rider... Big thumbs-up :thumbsup:

Ok, I'm a touch late to the party here, but this thread deserves to be bumped, methinks! I've been toying with the idea of Matris fork cartridges v. used Daytona forks for a while now. Reading this thread may have made up my mind. The cost of good, used Daytona forks, them being so hard to find, combined with the fact a lot of people say any of the aftermarket fork set-ups from the likes of Matris, Penske, Ohlins etc. will be better than any of the OEM set-ups, even if Ohlins were involved (Daytona R), has me tending towards this solution for the standard ST. Ok, no radial brakes, but that is extra cost and I'm not setting up a race bike, I just want my ST to be better for track days and fast road riding. In terms of bang for buck, I think you've just sealed the deal for new fork internals over new front end.

Thanks!

Im not so sure about the cost. The Matris carts are about $1000 once all is said and done. But you can easily put a new front end on your bike for about $600-700 depending on year model. But as far as quality I would like to hear others chime in. Ive also heard that the Matris carts are very nice and well built, but I'd like to hear more reviews from those that are still running them.

 

Weird.. shows 676 EUR for me.

 

HANG ABOUT!!! These have, literally, been reduced in the last few days, right? Have you been eyeing these up for a while? I'm confused, now. Apologies for my last reply, UAV.

 

Ok, making some sense now. They're cheaper if they're shipping to US. For little old me in UK they're 824 Euros. Thought Christmas had come early, for a short time, then. :verysad:

 

Price discrimination is a terrible thing. I think the Euro is a little weak relative to the dollar right now, too.

 

I guess they have gone down some, sweet! When PJ's quoted me the price it was in the high 900 range. Im sure the matris carts are better than the Daytona/str forks but how much Im not sure.

 

UAV, post that review when you can. I'd love to hear your thoughts. And I have all the respect in the world for Orangeman, he has probably forgotten more than I will ever know. Im just wondering if the carts are without the radial brakes are worth the extra costs.

 

Keep in mind here, guys, that I already have the R model with radial brakes (calipers and M/C). And since I have compression adjusters the carts I ordered may differ from the standard Street Triple version. In fact, that was the reason I chose Matris' over the offerings from K-Tech and Traxxion. The 2013+ Street Triples (standard and R) have an odd fork cartridge mounting scheme. Instead of having a hole in the bottom of the axle casting for a mounting screw, from what I've gathered there's a spring-loaded support in the inner tube that the cartridge clips onto. Both K-Tech and Traxxion decided to replace this support with one that mates with their cartridges. And in so doing, they block off the chamber in the axle casting where the stock compression adjuster lies. Traxxion at least retains the base valves in their carts, but only gives one leg a compression adjuster (at the top) and the other leg a rebound adjuster. K-Tech's solution was to fit their IDS carts, which ditch the base valves altogether for an Ohlins NiX30-like design, but with 25mm pistons instead. I didn't like the idea of rendering my compression adjusters useless, nor the reduction in piston port flow area in going four valves down to two. And I especially didn't want the hassle of removing the inner fork tube from the axle casting to install or remove the cartridges. So once I had all the info the Matris carts were the obvious choice. (I'm not patting myself on the back yet, though. There's still a chance this all goes to hell because I missed some minor detail.)

If I had a standard Street Triple I'm not sure what I'd do. Upgrading the fork internals will make the brakes work better, but will ultimately highlight their weaknesses. On my previous bike ('09 Yamaha FZ1) I was able to swap in an R1 front end, which made a huge difference in both ride quality and braking performance. But it wasn't until I completed the package and installed the R1 master cylinder and SS brake lines that the brakes really wowed me. Keep in mind, of course, that the R1 is a true supersport machine. (The STR definitely is not. My brief stint on a '12 GSXR 750 this spring/summer made it clear that the extra $K's in a supersport's MSRP are not wasted by the engineers. I bought it used and am still dazzled at the performance value it offered---after the heavy first-year depreciation, anyway.) I considered revalving or installing cartridges in those R1 forks, but they were so good already.. I never bothered. I'm not sure I would say the same for the standard Daytona forks. I've only done one test ride, and from what I remember they were very stiff and harsh. I was not comfortable in that riding position, though, so I might feel differently if they fitted to a Street Triple. I'd probably just have to wait patiently for a deal on a Daytona 675 front end that left enough in the budget for cartridges, or at least a revalve. On the bright side, you guys should have a little extra in the budget since you didn't spring for the R model. Right?

 

A little extra in the budget? Right, I already blew that money on beer and...well just beer actually.

I have the story behind the Traxxion carts but I cant remember the thread where I read its review. But it did seem like a lot of work they went through to design the mounting configuration. I think I read it took them 8 weeks or so to design it (evidently this person was the test subject). I have ridden the 2012 str and a 07 Daytona and yes Ive gotten to old for that riding position. But the forks are identical and felt the same. The brakes are much better than the standard striple brakes! Im 175lbs and the forks aren't bad on the striple (like they are on the FZ-09, my god those forks suck!!!!). But they are lack compression and to much rebound (although I could be feeling to much lack of compression and it actually lacks rebound as well). Anyways, when I installed my R1 shock on the rear, my god it magnified the front issues so much that corner entry at a good speed gets scary!

One issue that I ran into and those with 13+ bikes with ABS need to keep in mind. You must use 13+ forks!!! The 12 and below models don't have the ABS mount in the lower fork boot and they wont work.

Now the matris carts have compression in one fork and rebound in another I saw. One there web site it even states that it is not to be used on the R models! Maybe you bought different carts but someone asked them that and matris replied "This part doesn't fit the "R" version. It has rebound and compression alternate. One cartridge has preload and rebound and the other has preload and compression" (directly from their site). UAV, which exact carts did you get?

 

Sounds good. Another suggestion would be to create a "followed search" on eBay that will alert you when matching items are listed. Saves you the effort of running a search every day/week and might help you snag the parts before someone else does. eBay has a built-in tool for this, but for other classifieds (e.g. Craigslist) you might need a 3rd party app.

 

All in place... :thumbsup:

 

This is for UAV. You wrote "I didn't like the idea of rendering my compression adjusters useless, nor the reduction in piston port flow area in going four valves down to two." I am very interested in your view about this, I don't exactly know what your referring to, and was wondering if you could expand on it.

I have experience with Penske/Traxxion AK20 on a 2001 FZ1, Ohlins front and rear on my 2010 Tuono Factory, and just recently went with K-Tech front and rear on my 2014 STR. The installation challenges were correct on the forks, but the suspension shop was able to install the cartridges with rebound on the right, compression on the left. I questioned this, and was told it was actually better to have each fork dedicated to compression and rebound. I was not to sure I believed that until I rode the new suspension. It works really well, and may even be slightly better than my Tuono which up to now was the best handling/ride I ever experienced.

 

This is for UAV. You wrote "I didn't like the idea of rendering my compression adjusters useless, nor the reduction in piston port flow area in going four valves down to two." I am very interested in your view about this, I don't exactly know what your referring to, and was wondering if you could expand on it.

I have experience with Penske/Traxxion AK20 on a 2001 FZ1, Ohlins front and rear on my 2010 Tuono Factory, and just recently went with K-Tech front and rear on my 2014 STR. The installation challenges were correct on the forks, but the suspension shop was able to install the cartridges with rebound on the right, compression on the left. I questioned this, and was told it was actually better to have each fork dedicated to compression and rebound. I was not to sure I believed that until I rode the new suspension. It works really well, and may even be slightly better than my Tuono which up to now was the best handling/ride I ever experienced.

First I should admit that my opinion here is based on very limited practical experience with suspension tuning and design. Furthermore, my knowledge of the fluid dynamics within a damper are far from complete. Most (all?) of what I've read about suspension could not be considered objective or impartial. Nevertheless, I've got an opinion and you asked for it. So here goes.

I'm not at all surprised to hear that the K-Tech IDS cartridges work really well. I might have chosen them had the Matris cartridges not been---in order of importance---less expensive, (presumably) easier to install, and with a different internal design that could potentially make them perform better. Without disassembling and comparing the two cartridges side to side there's really no telling. For all I know a single K-Tech 25mm piston flows better than two 20mm Matris pistons. But my prejudice is that the opposite is true. And therefore the one-piston (per leg) system would require either a more viscous oil or a stiffer shim stack to produce a similar damping curve. Furthermore, at the extremes the two-piston system would have an advantage. That is, at very high suspension velocities the one-piston system would be more prone to hydraulic lock. And at very low velocities the two-piston system's softer shims could deflect and start working sooner. This assumes that both systems have had their shim stacks tuned with identical target damping curves.

In reality, even if all my assumptions are correct, the differences between these systems could be so subtle that I could not tell them apart on the road. When I asked Chris Taylor at K-Tech he said the only performance difference between their RDS (two-piston) and IDS (one-piston) system was a "slightly different feel". The million dollar question, of course, is how slight is that difference? And if I could feel it, which system would I prefer? I made an educated guess.. hopefully I didn't outsmart myself.

But this is also for UAV, which Matris carts did you buy? Reason I ask is cause you said that you have the STR and on the website for the matris carts they said that these carts are not to be used with the STR only the standard. Did they have a different carts for the R model?

The part number I ordered is F12T115S. It was not listed on any website, but when I asked for it Carpimoto put it up on their site, here:

http://www.carpimoto.it/en-US/Bike_...is/43981_F12T115S-Matris-Fork-Cartridge-Kit-for-Triumph-Street-Triple-R-13-.htm

Alberto sent me a .pdf showing all the parts available for the 2013+ STR (attached) and the installation instructions for the F12S kit (also attached). Aside from the adjustment setup numbers they're just generic instructions. He confirmed at least Step 6 is incorrect.

 

I will agree with UAV in that redoing either front or rear of the bike suspension doesn't really make the bike unbalanced. But instead highlights what part of the bike does well and doesn't do well. For me anything under acceleration through and corner exit the bike is on a rail. On entry at a good speed the bike scares the shit out of me! But that's cause on entry the front (poor suspension) is trying to lead the rear (good suspension) into the corner (not good). Any other part of the corner the front and rear are working together or the rear is trying to push the front out of the corner on exit.

 

But this is also for UAV, which Matris carts did you buy? Reason I ask is cause you said that you have the STR and on the website for the matris carts they said that these carts are not to be used with the STR only the standard. Did they have a different carts for the R model?

 

Thanks UAV for the reply. They are slightly more expensive but allow you to maintain 2 valves per fork?

But I would like your opinion on something if you will? What didn't you like about the STR carts? Was the valving and shim stacks that far off? A feeling of vagueness?

 

They do preserve the traditional two valves per fork leg---rebound on the cartridge rod and base valve for compression. Whether that's necessarily better than the independent leg setup from Ohlins/K-Tech is just an educated guess. There does seem to be some consensus that the newer style is trickier to tune, though. At least that's been commonly reported with the new Ohlins NiX 30 vs their previous R&T cartridges. Perhaps it's because changes to the shim stack have magnified results. JanM, who clearly has more experience in this department, said this:

I do work with setting up various cartridges and I like the "old-style" cartridge setups with two basevalves and two rebound valves. But in my own bikes I also use cartridges that are similar to NIX30 (NIX20) and variations using different basevalve setup and bleed/refill paths. Using only one piston for each direction gives a very one-dimensional or on-off characteristic of the damping, so at the moment I am focusing on implementing basevalves and distributing damping between the valves and still have one compression adjuster on the top and one rebound adjuster on the top, so this setup can be used in a lot of bikes - similar to the way I have modified my stock forks with CBR1000RR cartridges (etc.).

The new implementation he's describing there is similar to Traxxion's solution. They can fit their AK-20 cartridges in forks without axle clamp compression adjusters and still give you compression adjustment on one leg. Many ways to skin a cat.. the Matris carts just made the most sense to me, in terms of design and price. They are the least expensive drop-in cartridge I found.

As far as the original STR forks, it's the same complaint I've had with most stock suspension parts. They do a pretty good job of damping at medium velocities, but a pretty bad job at high and low velocities. The result is harsh ride quality and imbalanced performance---sometimes over-controlled, sometimes under-controlled---especially on my freeway commute. Too much brake dive, acceleration squat, and slower steering response than you'd expect, considering how stiff it feels over sharp bumps. The linear linkage helped quite a bit with the acceleration squat, but not enough. It actually feels pretty good on a twisty road, where it operates in that medium velocity range. But I can tell the chassis is capable of so much more.

The only bikes I've ridden that felt properly tuned out of the box have been supersports---which tells you something about my riding style. Even though they aren't what I would call plush, at least they respond consistently to the full range of inputs. Some expensive touring bikes achieve this kind of balance, except they are uniformly plush. In any case, I've mostly owned commuter-style bikes that are both built to a price and designed to do a little bit of everything---rather than do one thing really well. My Kawasaki Versys was billed as having the ideal "combination of long-travel suspension and stiff springs"... So I get the extra travel, but not a softer spring so I can actually use it? Clearly there are categories where marketing is more important than engineering.

As far as what it would take to "fix" the STR forks, I really can't say. I haven't seen the guts of the fork yet. Probably won't even look inside the cartridge. And I've heard conflicting reports of the potential of reshimming the stock valves. Ed at Lindemann Engineering asserts that the pistons have sufficient flow potential, at least. But that fits his business model. In the same way that Race Tech will assert that they are too restrictive and must be replaced with gold valves. If this was my 2nd bike I'd probably take a stab at a simple reshim/respring. But I wouldn't be surprised to find the stock valves is just as wacky as that spring-loaded cartridge retainer.

 

I can add a little to the stock cartridge question. While waiting for the K-Tech solution, I had my forks reassembled with the correct springs, stock cartridges, and a different weight fork oil. Thicker, I think. I rode on that with the K-teck shock for 5 weeks. The front was completely acceptable in feeling, and communicating what the front end was doing. But it did not have the plush feel, like the back, and was still unbalanced in damping. If the solution took much longer than it did, I was considering a re-valve, to see if I could balance out the damping, and calling it quits.

 

Thanks UAV and Apeman. I have the standard forks and my main issue with them as you said is unbalanced dampening and soft springs, and will pack in over ripples in the road, unstable front end off throttle. I have the ability to get some 2014 Daytona forks for an awesome deal, (I think they are the same carts as the STR but with stiffer springs). But if Im going to go that route then need new springs, revalve, shim stack then I might as well save up and get the matris carts. But Im also pretty certain that the daytona forks are better than the standard and any new forks will be an upgrade, but Im not sure if they will be worth the $$$. What Im looking for most is stable, compliant, PREDICTABLE dampening forks.

 

My only take on all this suspension work is the recommendation by Orangeman that was mentioned then sort of ignored a bit which is usual when it comes to upgrading our beloved T's...

That is, if you haven't had your suspension set by a pro whether it's the standard or R model or full Ohlin's or whatever, then you are simply spending money, making comments that really don't have basis for truth unless you can do it yourself and understand what you are doing. (I don't)

I'm not saying don't improve your bike and don't spend $$ on better suspension and I certainly don't know any of you, your riding style, your weight or anything else, so have at it.

All I am saying is find your local pro that everyone goes to and spend the 40-60 $$ to have your current suspension set up properly as best as possible. Then spend months riding it and make sure you know the direction you want to go.

I have a STREET R and from the factory to properly set up was NIGHT / DAY. Actually, didn't think I would like the stock suspension as much as I did. Would like I like something more? Yes, why not improve the situation for sure, but I now feel like I can wait to do that until the right deal comes along or maybe I won't... Hasn't hurt my track times not having a Penske even though it might affect tire wear or something else.

So... just an encouragement to have stuff set up right... it's like making an informed decision.

 

My only take on all this suspension work is the recommendation by Orangeman that was mentioned then sort of ignored a bit which is usual when it comes to upgrading our beloved T's...

That is, if you haven't had your suspension set by a pro whether it's the standard or R model or full Ohlin's or whatever, then you are simply spending money, making comments that really don't have basis for truth unless you can do it yourself and understand what you are doing. (I don't)

I'm not saying don't improve your bike and don't spend $$ on better suspension and I certainly don't know any of you, your riding style, your weight or anything else, so have at it.

All I am saying is find your local pro that everyone goes to and spend the 40-60 $$ to have your current suspension set up properly as best as possible. Then spend months riding it and make sure you know the direction you want to go.

I have a STREET R and from the factory to properly set up was NIGHT / DAY. Actually, didn't think I would like the stock suspension as much as I did. Would like I like something more? Yes, why not improve the situation for sure, but I now feel like I can wait to do that until the right deal comes along or maybe I won't... Hasn't hurt my track times not having a Penske even though it might affect tire wear or something else.

So... just an encouragement to have stuff set up right... it's like making an informed decision.

Cheers Superhawk. I can only speak for myself, of course... Couldn't agree more. The direction I am going in has been informed, in no small part, by Steve Jordan, who has set up bikes to compete, and win, in BSB.

The problem I pretty quickly found out with the standard ST is that there really isn't much there to set up, and even a numpty like me has learnt that at intermediate track day speed the ST's suspension really is not up to much, so I have to upgrade it properly, but yeah, not go silly. The suspension feels awful and, I would go as far to say, scary, at times. My first option was to have the forks serviced and have new springs and spacers put in, which would have cost me £350, or about $550. I'm sure that would improve them, but I was also made fully aware it could well not be enough. I couldn't do that work myself, so I would have no choice but to pay to have it done, and it wouldn't really be a future-proof solution... If it didn't work, I'm back to square one. So I decided a Daytona front end was the way forward, and the experts agreed. They're not selling me the forks etc., I might add. Once I have the new front end and rear shock (all recent, excellent condition standard Daytona stuff) in place I will be going straight to have it properly set up, for me, by the experts. Indeed. :smile:

I agree totally with what you say, but don't think it realistically applies to the standard ST, not for intermediate to fast (which is where I want to get to) track day riding, anyway. I do indeed hope that once I've done these, in the grand scheme of things, moderate upgrades and had it set up right it will be like a different bike, and that it will then be good enough to keep me happy for a long time. That's what I'm aiming for! It will be good to know that I'll have a set up I can effectively upgrade further, though, should I ever want to, but I'm not saying I definitely will, and yeah, this would only be after thoroughly learning the full capability of my 'new' bike. And getting a few proper nice jobs in! I'm guessing with Daytona suspension it will be very much my own self that is the limiting factor in this whole equation of speed. I hope so...

Cheers blue

 

Mr. Mark... you are spot on... Plus, it will always feel better. I'm a top intermediate level rider and so a ST Triple or the plain SV while nice on the street suffer badly when you dive into a corner at speed, especially when you are not as smooth as you should be.
In fact my first SV taught me all about that and that's when I did the Penske along with gold valves / springs in the front (basic forks w/ spring & oil) and wow...

Forward later to my 2012 Street R and the forks are better than my SV's with Gold Valves and springs as they have more adjustment and more modern design.

With my standard R shock... we got it pretty close, but even setting it we noticed some of it's limitations... but with 20 minute sessions at track day and riding a bike that is power user friendly, I've been surprised how well that shock has done at the track. By the way... I am considering a JRI - Street fighter shock... just waiting on a few reviews more.

 

By the way... I am considering a JRI - Street fighter shock... just waiting on a few reviews more.

I hadn't even heard of them... Another option! Got a few years to research that one, though... Looking forward to your own review already :thumbsup:

 

new kids that are big in drag racing and sprint cars and Nascar.

now bikes and they are posting 100k contingency $$ so they are good... and folks have started using their stuff.

The SF shock is their cheaper $$ shock with the resivor at the top, not separate and it still has all the ride height / compression / rebound etc. $600 sprung for you, your bike, etc.

They've had club level racers using the shock to good results... but the product is new so for me... is the 600 a great deal or should I add 300 and do the Penske 3x?

If it's a tad better than my stock unit I'll be pretty happy for sure and I am sure with the quality components and being set for ME... that it will be nice.