[Oldrider57]

Have a queery I'd like to throw out to those with more knowledge than what I have. Bought one of the new Hypermotard S models one year ago when Ducati offered the 2% interest rate. Only rode the bike 500 miles this past summer because the bike scared me each time I got caught in any wind (almost every time I headed out)..This is the 3rd Ducati I've owned, with the last being a 99' 996 Biposto.. Been riding bikes most of my life, and this is the first that I feel has something terribly wrong with it...
I know there's been much debate over the Marzocchi front forks and that for an additional 1-2 grand you can alleviate the problem.....AGH!!!!
After talking with another local dealer (not the one I originally purchased bike from and also took care of the first 500 mile service) I've decided to open up a warranty claim for possible problems with the front-end.
Also, guess I should have done some more research a few months ago before I shelled out the $600 bucks for a Scott's steering dampener..Thinking back on that, I'm agreeing with several who've made comments about a dampener only being a "band-aid" for a more fundamental problem.. How should I communicate with the service center about what the bike is/isn't doing? Love everything else about the bike (other than the "F" brand windscreen that broke when first installed) and don't mind putting some time into solving what needs to be fixed with the front forks....Thanks in advance....

 

[Karlr]

The issue with the forks isn't severe, you can ride around it. New cartridges makes it better buut it wasn't as bad as you describe in the first place. Change your tyres and don't hold on too tight.

 

[Monstaman]

The issue with the forks isn't severe, you can ride around it. New cartridges makes it better buut it wasn't as bad as you describe in the first place. Change your tyres and don't hold on too tight.

Mine were shocking and still are sticky but better now with 12000 on them.

Mine were very stictiony compared to Doons and Toddys, both their forks work better than my by quite a bit.

I added non slip mix and combo of 5w/7.5w oil 380mls to experiment and also a 5mm linear spring which has made a huge difference.

We still shouldn't have to spend 1500 - 2000 k to make them right tho.

 

[Oldrider57]

So are you telling me that the OEM springs are too heavy or the opposite? Same with the oil, did you lower or raise from factory...Where I'm located in regards to shops and or people who have any "usable" knowledge would be similar to living on the dark side of Mars....This is why I'm pissed about the whole situation...15 grand for an air cooled motor bike, and then I still have to reinvent the front suspension???? Hello!!!!
Also, does anyone actually know if some of these problems have been addressed to DNA or others?

 

[Monstaman]

Unfortunately most people just say oh that is Ducati and stump up with teh coin, I bought the S thinking I was doing the right thing, I wanted black so no choice either.

I am in the same boat, our nearest dealer is 420 km away, 99% of peopl on this forum are unhappy with their forks but no one wants to do anything about it, I approached Frasers in OZ where our bikes come from and they told me to shove so slippery shit in there, that was their remedy.

I refuse to spend another 2k on fork guts after paying extra for the S, it is wrong and my wife would have words about it too.

 

[dwnhillskater]

They should have put Ohlins in just like every other "S" Ducati. F*n Bull$h!+

On another note. Just had mine anodized and put back together with 110mm gap for oil and 5w. We will see how that does. From me just bouncing on the bike it seems a bit better...

 

[PedroHM]

'Best way to approach front forks.'

From the side?

 

[PedroHM]

Have a queery I'd like to throw out to those with more knowledge than what I have. Bought one of the new Hypermotard S models one year ago when Ducati offered the 2% interest rate. Only rode the bike 500 miles this past summer because the bike scared me each time I got caught in any wind (almost every time I headed out)..This is the 3rd Ducati I've owned, with the last being a 99' 996 Biposto.. Been riding bikes most of my life, and this is the first that I feel has something terribly wrong with it...
I know there's been much debate over the Marzocchi front forks and that for an additional 1-2 grand you can alleviate the problem.....AGH!!!!
After talking with another local dealer (not the one I originally purchased bike from and also took care of the first 500 mile service) I've decided to open up a warranty claim for possible problems with the front-end.
Also, guess I should have done some more research a few months ago before I shelled out the $600 bucks for a Scott's steering dampener..Thinking back on that, I'm agreeing with several who've made comments about a dampener only being a "band-aid" for a more fundamental problem.. How should I communicate with the service center about what the bike is/isn't doing? Love everything else about the bike (other than the "F" brand windscreen that broke when first installed) and don't mind putting some time into solving what needs to be fixed with the front forks....Thanks in advance....

actually they are not that bad, just undersprung and overdamped. I can't see how wind could affect your bike that bad as there is no fairings to catch the wind! I've ridden in gale force and had no issues even at the track.

If you are having that many problems go back to basics and follow these steps with a mate.

1. write down all the current settings of adjusters (from all way in) preload is from all way out.
2. forget about the front end and get the rear right. lift rear up and measure wheel to frame, sit on bike and adjust rear preload to get ~35mm of rider sag. If you have to crank on heaps of preload then you were always going to need a stiffer spring (~70kg is good for stock spring)
3. now set the rebound, wind all the way off and bounce the back watch how quick it is, now wind it all on and watch how slow it is. Now wind it off and add 1 click at a time till it comes back quickly but does not bounce over. stick with this. Set compression at half way in. if you have an 'S' make sure the ride height adjuster is set stock.

4. now set your front comp/rebound at half way and go for a ride. go through a few corners on neutral gas, if the front feels soft and turn in quick with a lot of dive add 2 turns on front preload, if it feels slow high take 2 out and retest.

when you are happy with that set the front rebound so that its nice and plush, if you get a tucking feeling when tipping in take a bit off.

compression on front is just feel and height of stroke.

short of that if its still a prob then springs are the way to go first. its all been spoken about before

 

[jboothe]

'Best way to approach front forks.'

From the side?

I try and sneak up on em from behind...

 

[disgo duc]

the forks are not bad at all once you properly get them set up for weight and riding style by someone that knows what they doing ...not just claiming they do.as for wind protection well....maybe you should of bought a harley bagger with a 4ft windscreen...and last of all if you think you got ripped off because its aircooled then you just dont have the passion for an aircooled 90 degree twin they are great motors with minimal weight...made for the track.so maybe you should of bought a gxr or some other watercooled jap bike.:think:

 

[Oldrider57]

Okay already with the flaming....My comment about being aircooled is that this is certainly a much less expensive unit to produce (correct me if I'm wrong) than a 4-valve water cooled unit....Yes, one thing I'm totally in love with is the power this bike makes. Otherwise, I'd have had the bike up for sale the second time I rode it... Will copy off the recommended sag suggestions and such to be sure that I'm correct with front/rear bias....I do know how this totally changed the ride/turning characteristics on my YZ 450. Help me out though, what is the correct oil to use, at what height, and as long as I have the front-end apart, what springs should I be ordering up from Race-Tech? I'm right at 200 fully suited.....Thanks for all the help....And also, this is the 3rd Ducati I've owned. First two, all I ever needed to do was change the oil and put gas in them...

 

[Decreasing Dave]

If you're calling Race-Tech already, why don't you ask them the same questions?

I have the same questions as you. I don't have any miles on my bike yet (110) as my schedule sucks, but I want to get the suspension set up correctly. I know Race-Tech has a killer cartridge set for this bike so they must have some ideas for trying to bandaid the stock set-up.

I'd love to hear what you come up with for answers, whether from Race-Tech or not.

Thanks and good luck,
Dave

 

[Martyn]

A big thumbs up to Racetech!

The front suspension problems on the hypermotards have been discussed here at length. After reading PedroHM's very informative comments I had Racetech build me a set of cartridges and springs for my weight and riding style. This, along with a Scotts steering damper, literally transformed the bikes handling. I know, it's not cheap, but if you are going to keep the bike..... I was seriously thinking of selling it because the front end did not inspire any confidence. And thanks to PedroHm's suggestions. I'm going to have Racetech re-valve the Ohlins rear shock as well.

"You're only alive once, maybe"

 

[Karlr]

I think I've posted most of this before

but here goes.. I had Maxton in UK look at the hyper front end and they installed new Maxton cartridges for £450... Results

Ok ..no more of that corner entry seesaw before getting back on the power...no more high speed wobbles as you change gear (no need for a steering damper) and better on the brakes. It also likes to turn, made me realise how much I was compensating for the stock set up in corners. Now it just tracks and can get on the gas much earlier. Also less of a wiggle (negligible) over white lines on the power...and this is on old tyres

this is what maxton said.

oe Front springs too soft...rebound adjustment inadequate, too much compression. Using the adjusters make little difference to the settings. The bike was like a see saw because of the forks. Ohlins unit is pretty good quality at the rear. They also felt that the travel was too extensive for a road bike. They couldn't revalve the marzocchi cartridge cos it was a sealed unit so would really need a new cartridge.

What they did
SAE 5 oil
new maxton cartridge
harder springs 0.85kg/mm
airgap 110mm
spring length reduced by i think 10mm (will check)
Total cost under £450 inc VAT
THey also gave me a base setting and the adjusters are very sensitive, a quarter turn makes a big difference.

They basically said that the externals were good quality but the internals were surprisingly rubbish.

It certainly handles a lot better with a lot of what we put down to HM 'character' removed. It's immediately quicker round corners cos you dont have to wait for it to settle, plus it turns faster and the front doesn;t kick out on turns.

 

[Oldrider57]

Again, thanks for all of the wonderful comments...No, I haven't called any suspension houses as of yet...After having as much money in this bike (Termignoni twin pipes, Woodcraft clutch cover, Fabbri screen, and lastly the high-end Scotts dampener) I'm kind of stopping to do some investigative work before I spend anymore money... Yes, this discussion has been talked about at length, but my reasoning for opening this thread was, to find out if anyone has actually held Ducati's "feet-to-the-fire by opening a warranty claim. One thing I also know is, that here in Alaska almost 2/3rds of the Hypers being sold have been crashed by riders taking them off of corners. Kinda makes you stop and wonder???
Regarding the way the bike feels in the wind is very similar to the comment Karlr had made about being "wiggly" when crossing white road lines (extremely unsettling).
Also, what does the currency work out to be for sending my legs across the "pond" for Maxton to work with? Not sure of the current exchange rate. Is our Yankee Dollar 1/2 or 1/3 of the English Pound?
At this point in time, all I'm wanting to do is make the bike go through a corner the way my other Ducs in the past have.
Thanks in advance for the comments I'm sure I'll receive from these last comments... What did we ever do before we had On-line forums???

 

[Karlr]

Oldrider

the current exchange for £430 is

430.00 GBP

=

709.569 USD
United Kingdom Pounds United States Dollars
1 GBP = 1.65016 USD 1 USD = 0.606002 GBP

That's without shipping of course.

 

[bigpuss]

Suspension is not one-size fit's all...

I just read through this post after posting info on a new front end kit for the Hyper and a few things struck me...

1) Suspension is not one-size fits all and especially given stock springs, if you want your bike right for you, you will need to do some tuning.

2) The stock Hyper forks are not truly tunable, they are the same junk I found in my Aprilia scooter... and for a Ducati, that is insulting... to both the bike and the consumer.

3) I love my Hyper and bought it knowing the suspension would need to be gutted... that's why I bought the non-S.

4) No dig to Race-Tech as a whole, but I recently had an opportunity to open up a set of forks with their cartridge kit inside and, although greatly improved over stock, you can do better for the price... the Race-Tech hyper kit looked like they just chopped their Hayabusa kit to fit the Hyper. Not bad, but you can do better for the money... I almost bought their kit until I saw it.

5) I have gone re-valved Penske in the back and new GP cartridges made especially for me (you're welcome, I was the guinea pig and gave up my forks for over a month)... but you can now buy them too. See my group buy post.

6) Steering dampers for the street... if you need one, something else is wrong or you're riding too hard on the street to be safe. One the track... they do help. If your bike is set up and working correctly, you shouldn't need one on the street.

and finally...

7) What Oldrider57 describes sounds like something much worse than a suspension issue... I have never experienced that even on my stock suspension.

 

[bigpuss]

and...

I forgot to post the link...

<http://www.ducati.ms/forums/showthread.php?t=76850>

 

[Karlr]

Hi Here's the blurb from Maxton

The GP25 fork internal cartridge kit is the new addition to range of Maxton fork conversions for 2006. The GP25 fork internals are designed to fit into any modern upside down fork. They are adjustable for rebound damping, compression damping and preload. In some cases they are adjustable for high and low speed compression damping. Each cartridge is built to order so we valve the cartridge to suit the individual and the bike. The cartridges also are supplied with springs to suit rider weight and the bike.

GP25 Front Fork Cartridge Kit We have manufactured the GP25 cartridges to keep up with the racing demands of modern riders, bikes and tyres. The internals have been developed to give greater "feel" mid corner whilst giving support under braking. The damping adjusters give a finer and greater range of adjustment than a normal 20mm fork conversion. The rebound damping, compression damping and preload adjusters all click on the GP25 fork cartridge, making the forks easier to use. ( On the hypermotard I think they retain the original adjusters to they can keep the caps)

The GP25 cartridges have been designed and developed by our own technicians. All of the components are machined at Maxton by our engineers, so we can closely control the quality of all the components. The cartridges have been machined from a high grade 6082 Alloy and hard anodised to protect the internals from wear. The springs used in the GP25 cartridges have been manufactured from Silicon Chrome to our own specification. They are rate checked by the manufacturers, then by our own engineers using our own equipment to ensure they are correct. The cartridges can either be supplied direct to the customer, for them to fit to their forks with a recommended oil and air gap, or by our own technicians.

 

[AXE]

Oldrider, I can sympathize with your situation. I have been on those roads around Anchorage (north and south) and they can be in poor shape. That coupled with the weather (wind off the Arm or Inlet) and it is a surprise around every corner.

Anyway, the stock suspension can be tamed. It does take some work, but if you have done bike suspensions before you can make this bike very rideable. I have a thread with a lot of specifics and I think anyone following that will get close or at least find their way to a better ride. It is in no way perfect, I too expected more, but it is better than a lot of bikes I have owned in the past. If you really can't find the sweet spot, perhaps there is a mechanical issue that the dealer will have to work out. I doubt you will get anywhere with a suit, I think your gonna have to work with the local dealer.

If you want to have them worked on, I would save the shipping to the UK. Get a plane ticket to Seattle and have Seattle Ducati (I hear great things about them) dealer rework the forks with a kit of your choice. You get a trip out of the cold and a set of forks you can live with. Sounds like a good January or Febuary trip.

That being said. If I can get a kit installed for around $1k I am gonna do it. If Karlr's numbers are right, that isn't a bad deal. I figure about $250 for dealer work.

Out!