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Friday, June 22, 2012

Sunday Shock & Dock Ride

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On Sunday we decided to ride to the coast for two reasons: 1) to test the stock settings on the GSXR shock in Max; 2) to see the Japanese dock that washed ashore in Newport. Okay, 3) I needed allergy relief.  Troubadour has already blogged about the dock itself and you can read his post here ----> link, if you haven't already.

We had a relaxing morning and left the house about 11 o'clock.  It was warm but quite windy in the valley.  We chose not to wear our mesh jackets since I'd checked the ODOT trip cams and could tell it was only 58˚F (14˚C) in Newport and overcast.

We rode south to Alpine where Troubadour stopped to see how my shock was feeling.  My only thoughts at that point were that it felt like a bouncy/bumpy ride.  It felt as if every little variance in the road surface was coming through the bike.  Not a hard bump, but more of a bouncy bump.

We continued east around Alsea Falls (a favorite twisty road) until we met up with Highway 34 in Alsea.  We then headed west on Highway 34 and stopped at the junction with Five Rivers Road.  I took the first pictures of the day while standing on the bridge at that junction.

(Looking east)

(Looking west)
(Looking south down Five Rivers Road towards Lobster Valley)

Five Rivers/Lobster Valley is a great twisty road that we saved for another day.  When stopped we talked a little about the shock and how it handled up over the twisties.  I really didn't think it felt much different from the previous stock shock.  With the fuel tank running low the extra 30 lbs from petrol was absent as well, which normally weights the front end a bit.  
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Maybe there was just too much of a gap between riding that road on the stock shock and then again with the GSXR shock.  Much easier to compare two bikes back to back than two shocks weeks apart.  

We closed some vents on our jackets and pointed the bikes west towards the coast. Highway 34 ends at a junction with Highway 101 in Waldport.  We stopped at the Chevron on the corner and fueled up the bikes, used the restroom facilities and had a quick break.

From there we went north on Highway 101 into Newport and made our way to Agate Beach.  Man were there a lot of people out looking at the dock.

FYI - walking in deep dry sand in full gear and riding boots is not as easy as it might sound.  Luckily the wet sand by the ocean was much easier to stroll along.  I know that Brad posted a few pictures of the dock so I will try not to duplicate them.

(Looking North along Agate Beach)

(Antique tint compliments the safety vest)

(Not sure why so many people wanted to climb on it)

(The kids found a foothold to climb up and down)


(Photo by Troubadour)

(Troubadour enjoying the beach)

(Hard not to squint without the shades on)

(Steady stream of people heading to check out the dock)

We were going to have a snack when we got back to the bikes then ride home.  When we arrives at the parking lot we found some hillbillies had parked beside the bikes and were smoking and chawing on some grub.  We lit out of there as fast as we could and headed to Starbucks for a coffee and a relaxing sit on the patio by ourselves instead.

We took Highway 20 - a more direct and less twisty ride home.  Unfortunately it was 5:30 pm and most of the valley it seemed was also driving home from the coast.  It was an uneventful return trip, but I did notice that the bike seemed to handle fine at highway speeds.  In 5th gear it was vibrating enough my right hand was falling asleep so I put it in 6th on the long straight stretches. Usually it feels underpowered like it is lagging in 6th so I ride most of the time in 5th.

I still wish the bike felt as planted in corners as the Bonneville did, but I know that isn't going to happen.  I loved how the Bonneville felt in corners and how it loved holding 70 mph, but I can't keep it  for those reasons alone.  

Now if I could get Max to ride like that I'd be set.

- Au Revoir

" And in today already walks tomorrow."  Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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38 comments:

  1. Whats your preload and rebound set at? Tr backing them both of a little. If its still a bit wallowy try turning the rebound up (faster) a little.
    That clock on the beach was something else! Good stuff.

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    1. Hard to believe the dock floated over here from Japan.

      We set the new shock up to match GSXR stock setting as follows:

      SPRING PRE-LOAD
      Stock is 7.14" spring length. When we set it for SAG for me without gear it is about 7" and the sag is about 1" (20-25 mm) According to the GSXR service manual maximum preload spring length is 6.94" (176.4 mm) and minimum is 7.14" (186.4 mm)

      DAMPENING FORCE ADJUSTMENT
      Rebound side: 1.5 turns out from stiffest
      Low Speed Compression: 1.75 turns from stiffest
      High Speed Compression: 3 turns out from stiffest

      The front forks are the stock Gladius forks with stock fork oil and we have turned it from the stock setting of 3 out of 5 down to 2 out of 5 to make it stiffer.

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  2. Trobairitz:

    I'm also thinking it has something to do with "rebound" rates. There must be a way to adjust it.

    I only use 6th on flat, straight, or downhill stretches when cruising. Otherwise I'm in 5th, just like you. If you want to take a corner faster, gear down to 4th BEFORE the corners starts, and twist the throttle a bit as you start to lean. Just a slight bit of throttle, not a crank. As you reach the apex you can twist a bit more . . . This may solve your "loading problem"

    bob
    Riding the Wet Coast
    My Flickr // My YouTube

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    1. At least I'm not the only one cruising around in 5th. Doesn't seem to make much of a difference in gas mileage and the bike is more responsive.

      I rarely have to use my brakes going into corners because the engine braking on the Gladius is that dramatic. I usually enter the corners slower than probably needed but I can really accelerate well quick coming out of them. The bike feels best when really rolling on the throttle out of the corner. The problem comes with rough road surface entering or part way through the corner and how the bike reacts to that mid-corner. It seems we have more bumps in the corners than we do on the straight stretches.

      Both Chris and Brad after riding it feel it is trying to stand up in the corners instead of staying leaned over.

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    2. I only have a 5th on my Sporty, and I am in continuous search of the 6th gear...

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    3. I was always looking for 6th on my TU250 too.

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  3. You can always ride Bella when we go on our trip for a bit if you want. I won't ride Max, but if you want to run around on her for a bit, I am sure we'll have time!

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    1. You are sweet to offer Meg, but after riding Brad's America for a short stretch I will have to gracefully decline. I can't do forward controls. Just feels too odd to me and I can't find the foot pegs, lol.

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  4. Please describe the Oregon version of 'hillbilly'

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    1. Out of all that dock and shock talk you got focused on the word hillbilly?

      The dictionary defines it as "an unsophisticated country person". The details of their uncouth behavior and disregard of the dozens of folks around them doesn't need to be spelled out on the internet.

      Maybe hillbilly was a poor choice of phrase - what would you prefer? Something a little more PC?

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    2. Trobairitz:

      Selfish, self-centred people who only care about themselves . . . and are not considerate of other people

      bob
      Riding the Wet Coast
      My Flickr // My YouTube

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    3. Living in the South I wouldnt quite want to define them as selfish or self-centered. Our hillbillies are just a tad bit different from generally URBAN attitudes. But they definitely have their own culture and language.

      I just don't think all hillbillies are selfish, nor all selfish people are hillbillies. :)

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    4. Yes, I have come to realize it was a poor choice of words. I need to apologize to hillbillies everywhere. Apparently these people were just hick a$$holes. Wait, does that offend hicks now?

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  5. Nice tint effect on the one photo and I was somewhat curious about "hillbilly" as well.

    I have absolutely nothing to add or comment on the handling of the bike or adjustment of the shock.

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    1. Thanks Richard. I couldn't resist warming the tones up a bit on that picture.

      In regards to the hillbilly comment, see my answer to Mr. No Name above.

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  6. I LOVE the pictures! The cloudy beach with cool reflections. Artsy angles on the dock shots. The antiqued one with the reflection is very cool. I have never noticed beaches out here on the East Coast providing as many reflections as the beaches out there. The one time we visited Cannon Beach and Seaside, I was amazed. We even rented little 3-wheeled thingies, that I guess were like Big Wheels for adults, to ride on the beach. LOL at the stir your "Hillbilly" caused. We just call 'em all rednecks. Although motoring through the mountains of WV and VA, I have seem some real Hillbillies, i.e., extreme rednecks. Oh, and I like the header shot, too!

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    1. I think we get the reflections because it was late afternoon and our sunshine is on the water side of the beach not the beach side and back east it is only like that in the morning. Also the sand was wet as the tide was not quite all the way out. Of the sand had of been dry I don't think we'd of had any reflections. Good timing I guess.

      I thought about using the word rednecks but somehow didn't seem to think it fit. Hillbilly was probably the wrong word and is mean to hillbillies unless hillbillies eat and holler with their mouths open because they are too lazy to walk over and talk to someone. Trust we I shall choose my words wisely in the future.

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  7. Brandy, what's your static and loaded sag front and rear? If they're in the range which I gave you, then all you need to play with is your compression and rebound damping. It shouldn't feel harsh and jump around over ripples etc but soak them up.

    Excellent photos again!

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    1. Geoff;

      We don't understand what you are talking about, nor do we know what to set. I would suggest that you fly over here and show us all how to do it. thank you in advance

      bob
      Riding the Wet Coast
      My Flickr // My YouTube

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    2. Geoff - I read the materials you gave me and we set the SAG using the method shown. Measuring tape and all. But I combined that with the Gladius forum info that said the SAG shouldn't be more than 1" (25 mm). After rereading the materials you sent I am thinking it might need to be softer though for street bike use. The front is not fully adjustable so all I could do was tighten it one to help with the softness. (trying to get the back and front to rebound the same)

      When we have a few minute I think we need to loosen things up in the back spring a bit more.

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    3. Brandy,
      Yep, I think that a little more preload off the rear spring would be useful. 1" loaded sag is a little firm for normal public highways. Same goes for front sag if it's similar. With the Gixxer shock you have on, the spring might be too stiff.

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    4. Done and it worked. Thank you.

      Had a great 90 mile ride on it today and was super happy with it. Surprised when the front tire came off the asphalt, but still fun.

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  8. The five rivers road looks like an awesome ride. What the heck you took the straight way homne and not the twisties..... I just can't understand that one, thats why god invented motorcycles.

    Your hillbilly comment was describing me,i'm an unsophisticated country person, just lucky I read the next bit that made me fell better.

    I agree with what Geoff said about your shock. If its set to your weight range etc then there are only those 2 settings to play with. Motorcycle suspension is that other black art that not many people know much about. It can be frustraiting changing those settings and then not noticing any difference. Good luck with it.

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    1. We were tired and cold and it was starting to rain so we went the quick route. It still has some twisties but with traffic we weren't even doing the speed limit for most of it. We would have had to ride 20 miles south on Highway 101 to reach the twisty road and by this time of day there was a lot of traffic on 101. Next time.

      You may be an unsophisticated country person but I think you still have manners. These folks did not. I was raised in a small town in the country. Only 23 people in my grad class in high school. The same could be said of me but I have manners damn it. :-) I meant no offense to any readers.

      I'll tweak the suspension on the shock and it should work. It is probably the nut at the end of the wrench (me) and the bike is fine it just feels off to me.

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  9. All this hillbilly talk! I enjoyed it immensely! My homeland of central IL had/has plenty of them- homegrown, up from KY, over from IN, TN, etc. Every state has their own version, but I know what you were saying. There's always a discomfort level when you are around them. And no doubt everyone has made someone else uncomfortable at one time or another. Them there motorcycle ridin' people- tattoos and orgies!

    Well....other than that, I thought Alsea was NW of Corvallis. I'm all twisted around after going on this ride with you! Thanks for the beautiful beach shots and memories!

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    1. We thought them uncouth and they probably though we were uppity or yuppy so I guess it works both ways. Two cars of them had to park almost on top of us and then proceeded to light up, holler at each other, chew with their mouths open etc. It was just not the view we wanted while eating our snack.

      Alsea is south and a little west of Corvallis. Adair (village) is just North of Corvallis. Maybe you were confusing the two. We head south down the back roads to Bellfountain and Alpine then over Alsea falls into Alsea then over Highway 34 to Waldport.

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  10. Looks like you had a lovely day Brandy. I hope it helped the sinuses too :)

    Awsome pics, I also really like the sepia toned one.

    I liked your description of the interesting people you didnt want to spend time with, if a description fits then ya just have to wear it. I know I never would have thought of such a good word to use (or as polite) :)

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    1. It did help the sinuses, I didn't sneeze once when we were out riding os that was nice. I should really complain about my allergies they seem to be a bit better this year than they were the last few. I think more farmer planted wheat this year instead of grass for seed.

      I thought it was a police description. What I really was thinking was fricken a$$holes, but I thought that was mean.

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  11. Enjoyed the read and the pictures. If I were to see it (Dock) I'd probably want to touch and climb on it as well. It's the wow factor of "Man just think, this thing was actually in Japan and now I'm walking on the very same place folks in Japan were. And without going to Japan to do it. Coooool."
    I'm not really sure it is a Dock though. It has wheels and electric motors on it, plus it is upside down looks like.
    Spectacular river pictures by the way.

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    1. Thanks Wooley, I couldn't resist the river pics. I should have rolled the bike up there too.

      The news reported that 'they' whoever 'they' are confirmed that is was a dock so I have no idea if it really is or not. If it is upside down I could understand that after the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. I do think it is cool to think it floated her all the way from Japan but wonder if there could be any radiation in it from the nuclear meltdown. The authorities had to come in iwearing hazmat gear and scrape all the invasive species off, torch it and then bury the scrapings.

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  12. It's amazing how fascinating, yet a little horrifying, it is to be reading about the debris coming all those thousands of miles by ocean from Japan. Great photos. Definitely not photos of Texas.

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    1. More debris is washing up all the time. Plastics have started to show and birds are getting caught in it (so sad). They are expecting tons and tons more to wash up all up and down the coast from Vancouver BC down through the California coast.

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  13. Brandy, I wonder how low in the water that dock was sitting. It must have been next to invisible on the open sea. I wonder how many other hazards to navigation are out there waiting to sink someone's boat. As usual, great photography and banter, thanks for posting.

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    1. Who knows what will wash ashore that is out there right now. They expect several hundred thousand pounds of debris is floating this way.

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  14. Well...I would enjoy reading all the comments on preload and springs and such, my brain just doesn't want to take them in. I will hand it over to Oilburner to interpret for me, cuz I need to play around with the shock on the "R" bike.

    Great photos!

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    1. Geoff sent me excellent guidelines for setting suspension, let me know if you would like it and I will pass it along. It really helped.

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  15. Those pictures are absolutely beautiful! Looks like you have good riding near you :)

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    1. Thanks. We are lucky to live near such twisty roads. And now that the rain has stopped for a bit, it is time to get out there again.

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