Hypermotard handling/riding question

[CAlexio]

As I'm getting used to my hyper, I have some questions that other owners may be able to answer. It's so different from my 749R, that just getting on and "riding" it is not an option... at least not at high speed.

-brakes: 1 finger or 2? also, do I use the rear brake on this... I feel like it dives so much that especially when trail braking my rear tire is going to come off the ground... does rear brake help?

-suspension: related to item 1 clearly...even with constant and smooth brake lever pressure, the fork just seems to dive when leaned over, which unexpectedly unsettles the bike.

-final point related to turns: when leaned over and braking bike feels like the wheelbase somehow gets much shorter. In a constant radius turn, as I lean it over more and more, the inside bar feels like it just wants to close and I have to apply much stronger force. this in turn makes the steering a little wobbly and again unsettles bike.

-best option i have found is to keep head down and over handlebars (much like a sportbike) which makes it much more stable. Problem in braking with this though is that rear wheel seems to get even lighter still... and that is not confidence-inspiring during braking.

I weigh 175lb+gear and I believe suspension is set up stock. Bike was set-up by ducshop engine-wise (105hp at the wheel ripper) but I need to do something on the suspension.

sorry for long post, thanks for any advice.

[NikMusolino]

Set up your Ohlins, man. Mine cornered a lot better after I set the sag, ride height, and rebound/compression damping to my liking. I'm assuming you have an S.

[remery]

Originally Posted by NikMusolino

Set up your Ohlins, man. Mine cornered a lot better after I set the sag, ride height, and rebound/compression damping to my liking. I'm assuming you have an S.

I reckon mine feels a lot better with the compression front and rear backed off one turn and about eight (8) turns of preload on the front to get the sag right. The front end chatter seems to have gone and it no longer bottoms out on monos.

Mine's not and S and what I just said could be crap because maybe I've just gotten used to the bike. Bottom line is I'm enjoying it a lot more and feel more confident with the front end.

[HyperGirl]

Originally Posted by alexio

does rear brake help?

-final point related to turns: when leaned over and braking bike feels like the wheelbase somehow gets much shorter. In a constant radius turn, as I lean it over more and more, the inside bar feels like it just wants to close and I have to apply much stronger force. this in turn makes the steering a little wobbly and again unsettles bike..

Yes, I think a light touch with the rear brake helps settle the bike a lot (gently!)

I know what you are saying about the steering, and the Scott's Steering Damper helped me 100%, and solved the problem you are describing

You might need to firm up your front compression damping a tad (assuming your SAG is set) .... the suspension settings on this bike are really sensitive, and it takes some trial and error to "dial it in", so, don't be afraid to play around and experiment with it

[freezer16801]

Originally Posted by daisyup

Yes, I think a light touch with the rear brake helps settle the bike a lot (gently!)

I know what you are saying about the steering, and the Scott's Steering Damper helped me 100%, and solved the problem you are describing

You might need to firm up your front compression damping a tad (assuming your SAG is set) .... the suspension settings on this bike are really sensitive, and it takes some trial and error to "dial it in", so, don't be afraid to play around and experiment with it

the front end should dive much less once you set the correct preload. Mine doesn't dive nearly as much as it used to.

The question of whether you need one finger or two probably depends most on what model bike you have. I'd say no more than one with the S or the standard with better pads.

I wouldn't even think of spending $500 on a steering damper until you set the suspension up.

If you have a standard hyper, I'd consider finding an adjustable rear shock linkage. It is the best thing that I've done to the hyper yet. 15 minutes to install it made a huge difference.

[freezer16801]

Originally Posted by daisyup

Yes, I think a light touch with the rear brake helps settle the bike a lot (gently!)

I know what you are saying about the steering, and the Scott's Steering Damper helped me 100%, and solved the problem you are describing

You might need to firm up your front compression damping a tad (assuming your SAG is set) .... the suspension settings on this bike are really sensitive, and it takes some trial and error to "dial it in", so, don't be afraid to play around and experiment with it

the front end should dive much less once you set the correct preload. Mine doesn't dive nearly as much as it used to.

The question of whether you need one finger or two probably depends most on what model bike you have. I'd say no more than one with the S or the standard with better pads.

I wouldn't even think of spending $500 on a steering damper until you set the suspension up.

If you have a standard hyper, I'd consider finding an adjustable rear shock linkage. It is the best thing that I've done to the hyper yet. 15 minutes to install it made a huge difference.

[sconly]

the hyper in my opinion handles great out of the box but takes some getting used to specially if your coming from a superbike. if you really dont like the nose dive though you can up the compression on the front end which will help the nose dive a lot (one finger on the brakes, sometimes two) I use the rear brake all the time but mostly for fun.

remember its not a superbike, if you want it to feel like a superbike might as well go back to the superbike, otherwise she just takes some getting used to.

[CAlexio]

thanks for info guys: forgot to mention that it is an "S".

interesting info. about the adjustable linkage... I will research that. How did it help... does the front not dive as much, or rear not rise up as much during braking?

I'm not sure about the steering damper yet... I don't want to mask existing issues and would rather try setting up the suspension first.

thanks for all the advice... multidirectional as it may be

[johnnymotocros]

Alexio, with all due respects, you should have bought a Space Shuttle instead of a Hyper !!!
All that technical talk that I see is just killing your fun of riding this bike, which was made for rather slow twisties and not for flying at 80,000 feet.
I hope you can see the good intentions on my post. Just relax and enjoy your rides.
Let`s see.... perhaps you are just kidding.

[AXE]

Setting sag, then compression and rebound will make a huge difference. With all that HP, you may as well spend another $2k for the Race Tech fork cartridges and rear shock revalve. At least you can use all the power then.

Out!