Are 99- Super Sports slow steerers?

[twitchmonitor]

I've been riding a 2007 Suzuki SV650, but I picked up a 2001 750 Sport last night. I rode it an hour on the freeway back home, and the steering felt incredibly sluggish, both at low and high speeds. I test rode this bike 3 weeks ago, and was hit by an SUV at very low speed about a block into the test ride. I felt like I could have avoided that on my SV, but the 750 Sport just didn't want to maneuver quickly enough.

I used to ride a 1995 900SS, and I don't remember it feeling like that, but the weight bias felt more even, whereas the 750 sport feels front-biased.

Is this just a matter of switching to an unfamiliar bike with different handling characteristics? I'm going to give the bike a thorough inspection, but nothing seems off, and front tire (Pilot Power) pressure is a healthy 32.5 psi. The handling felt the same before I got hit, and the accident left me with with a lot of muscle pain, but the bike just slid down the street and scrapped up the fairing, muffler, mirror, etc. so I wouldn't consider that a culprit. My friend, who I got the bike from, had the same impression of the steering when he got it, but it was his first sports bike, so I don't know how useful that impression is.

[psycoduc]

Try dropping the front end by raising the forks in the triples. Go gradual though. I would suggest perhaps 10mm to start.

[gomura]

Is your SV a standard or with a fairing? Is the 750 Sport totally stock?

I have an 02 SV standard and the handling is *very* different from my 750 Sport. The SV has the reputation of being one of the most flickable bikes around. Conversly, the Supersports are not exactly known for their quick turn-ins. The trade off is that the SS feels like it's on rails in the corners. My SV doesn't impart that same sense of confidence. The Duc is also much more stable on the freeway.

I also have a Triumph Speed 4 which is regarded as a great handling bike, and a Yamaha Tmax. In the handling department, the SV feels noticably quicker than either of these bikes, though the Yamaha is a close second just by virtue of it's low CG.

I'd say, give yourself some time to get used to the way the 750 Sport handles before passing final judgement.

[470four]

Dukes will always handle slower - the front pot's position gives a long wheelbase to work with... got my '95 carby a lot better by using an adjustable Fox shock (made 14mm longer, the injection SS's will have a longer shock anyways) and by dropping the forks through 10mm (dont drop them too far or you risk mashing your fender underneath the fork yoke!)

[twitchmonitor]

Originally Posted by gomura

Is your SV a standard or with a fairing? Is the 750 Sport totally stock?

I'd say, give yourself some time to get used to the way the 750 Sport handles before passing final judgement.

Both my SV (unfaired model) and Sport are bone stock. I feel like I can outmaneuver anything when I'm on the SV...hopefully I can get that feeling with the Sport. There's nothing worse than needing to get out of somebody's way and not being able to.

[bruce19]

FFWIW, I've put about 30K on each of two different SS/SP's and now have about 16K on an '05 SS1000DS. Although neither model will ever be described as "flickable" my SS1000DS is a bit more so than the SS/SP's. All suspension setting are/were pretty much stock.

[YellowDuck]

Originally Posted by bruce19

FFWIW, I've put about 30K on each of two different SS/SP's and now have about 16K on an '05 SS1000DS. Although neither model will ever be described as "flickable" my SS1000DS is a bit more so than the SS/SP's. All suspension setting are/were pretty much stock.

Pretty sure they reduced the rake quite a bit with the redesign.

[Joe-B]

My 320 lb. track SS (that's with 1/2 tank of gas) with a longer Penske shock and shorter SBK forks is quite "flickable !

[Satansfist]

Give yourself some more time to get used to the difference between the two bkes before heading off and making changes, you will adapt to the slower turning nature of the SS. It may be harder if you still have the SV and are changing between the two.

[twitchmonitor]

I was going to sell the SV and ride the 750, but now I'm not sure, so I'll probably hang onto both for a bit. But I'll try to put some miles on the 750.