Old GS handling limitations

[RichDesmond]

I'm going to replace the tire and add the fork brace. What rear shocks do you have and how much sag? My front feels much better with the 1.0 sonic springs but how much is too stiff and my rear feel mushy. I had half the usable range of motion (68mm) used up with sag.

Is the 68mm the front or rear sag?

[greg78gs750]

ikon shocks in back, don't know the sag off the top of my head, but i set it up "correctly" when I put them on. they are a bit over length from stock, 13.5 if i remember correctly....

I'm going to replace the tire and add the fork brace. What rear shocks do you have and how much sag? My front feels much better with the 1.0 sonic springs but how much is too stiff and my rear feel mushy. I had half the usable range of motion (68mm) used up with sag.

[Baatfam]

I mean exactly what you describe, fork brace helps. I find it sort weird that you can sort push past the flexiness once you're used to it or comfortable with it.

Yes Sir...I have a fork brace on the 1100E, plus replaced the bearings in the swing arm, steering head, and wheels a few years ago. It all helped, but you can still feel her flex, especially after riding one of my Triumphs...

[glib]

Are the Works 13.5" eye to clevis? That extra 1/2'' out back makes a difference, not sure if yours are that length.
I get that the air fork crossover doesn't allow lowering the forks in the triple clamps much, maybe 3mm or so but I think even that helps a hair with turn in.

I have some ancient progressive springs in my forks, but ditched the 83 forks for older 80-81's as they have some preload adjustability on top and some minimal dampening adjustment on the bottom of the fork legs, which I don't believe the 83's have. No anti-dive BS either.
I think the pvc spacer I have in the forks is about 4" long, and the preload ramp on 2 or 3 of 4.
No air in forks and 250ML of 20W fork oil per leg.

I'm pleased how well the spindly 37mm forks perform doing trackdays, considering their age amonst all the modern machinery usually on the track.
They seem to work, though I do scrape alternator in long radius left handers, might be just my girth.

My Works shocks are 13.0" eye to eye. I'll try raising the forks and adding the fork brace.

[glib]

my 1100 es has a fork brace, emulators and rt springs up front, ikons in back and roadriders front and back. at track days, I don't notice any wobble and have ground the peg bumps off on both sides....any handling issues are due to my lack of ability rather than the bike.I would say I push about 8.5/10 at the track, not as hard as some, but much harder than I do on the street. I agree, replace the tire and go from there?

I'm going to replace the tire and add the fork brace. What rear shocks do you have and how much sag? My front feels much better with the 1.0 sonic springs but how much is too stiff and my rear feel mushy. I had half the usable range of motion (68mm) used up with sag.

[mrbill5491]

With new Sonic fork springs, emulator, fork brace and the right fork oil, forget the air you don't need it.

[Sandy]

What do you mean by "wobble?"
No matter what you do, these old bikes will flex when cornering hard. You should feel the frame bending and moving around. Nothing to worry about, and I've always kind of enjoyed it.

I mean exactly what you describe, fork brace helps. I find it sort weird that you can sort push past the flexiness once you're used to it or comfortable with it.

[greg78gs750]

my 1100 es has a fork brace, emulators and rt springs up front, ikons in back and roadriders front and back. at track days, I don't notice any wobble and have ground the peg bumps off on both sides....any handling issues are due to my lack of ability rather than the bike.I would say I push about 8.5/10 at the track, not as hard as some, but much harder than I do on the street. I agree, replace the tire and go from there?

[Baatfam]

What do you mean by "wobble?"
No matter what you do, these old bikes will flex when cornering hard. You should feel the frame bending and moving around. Nothing to worry about, and I've always kind of enjoyed it.

[Carter Turk]

Are the Works 13.5" eye to clevis? That extra 1/2'' out back makes a difference, not sure if yours are that length.
I get that the air fork crossover doesn't allow lowering the forks in the triple clamps much, maybe 3mm or so but I think even that helps a hair with turn in.

I have some ancient progressive springs in my forks, but ditched the 83 forks for older 80-81's as they have some preload adjustability on top and some minimal dampening adjustment on the bottom of the fork legs, which I don't believe the 83's have. No anti-dive BS either.
I think the pvc spacer I have in the forks is about 4" long, and the preload ramp on 2 or 3 of 4.
No air in forks and 250ML of 20W fork oil per leg.

I'm pleased how well the spindly 37mm forks perform doing trackdays, considering their age amonst all the modern machinery usually on the track.
They seem to work, though I do scrape alternator in long radius left handers, might be just my girth.

[glib]

Well, my example might be a little extreme but I have done that on a previous GS1000 with track compound tires so yes it can happen .....maybe. 10mm might not be that critical but you do have to realize that under hard cornering the suspension does squat a whole bunch and if the road isn't perfect bumps will eat up some more. Ground clearancewise these old heavy bikes need as much help as they can get and stiffening up the suspension and dampening too much will just transfer the loads to an already wobbly frame. Don't get me wrong though, with a good setup and decent tires these things will handle quite respectably. Too soft they'll squat and scrape like crazy and too stiff they can get wobbly, gotta find that balance.

Ok, I get that. In fact, when I got my bike it had Works shocks (which I recently rebuilt but have not installed), and they were leaking and had no nitrogen pressure (they take 245 lbs). I did scrape the pipes and scared myself before I realized what was needed. What a mess. I forgot what a learning experience this has been.

[Sandy]

Really? 10mm will do that? That would be about 7mm at the bottom of the header pipe and at a 45 degree lean that would be 5mm. Wouldn’t a bump in the road be more significant than that?

Well, my example might be a little extreme but I have done that on a previous GS1000 with track compound tires so yes it can happen .....maybe. 10mm might not be that critical but you do have to realize that under hard cornering the suspension does squat a whole bunch and if the road isn't perfect bumps will eat up some more. Ground clearancewise these old heavy bikes need as much help as they can get and stiffening up the suspension and dampening too much will just transfer the loads to an already wobbly frame. Don't get me wrong though, with a good setup and decent tires these things will handle quite respectably. Too soft they'll squat and scrape like crazy and too stiff they can get wobbly, gotta find that balance.

[Big T]

worn tires will create an uneasy oscillation when cornering.
Replace that front tire

[glib]

Raising the forks might quicken the steering a bit but will not only reduce overall ground clearance but make the bike a little low on the front. With stock exhaust and good rubber they can actually grind the outside edge of the #4 exhaust header pipe in that configuration. At least on a GS1000 it will and I assume the 1100 isn't much different.

Really? 10mm will do that? That would be about 7mm at the bottom of the header pipe and at a 45 degree lean that would be 5mm. Wouldn’t a bump in the road be more significant than that?

[Sandy]

If you raise the forks on the ES model, it will interfere with the air in the forks—that is, the holes in the tubes will be above the seals that hold in the air. I could try it anyway but what do you think about this?

Regarding the shocks, I hate having to assume anything but the truth is I just assumed the Ohlins were good because they are Öhlins. I only know they have nitrogen pressure because I had that done. Beyond that they could be in need of service. What I can describe is that they seem squishy when I come off the center stand and I feel that they bottom out too easily but the preload is in the proper range.

Raising the forks might quicken the steering a bit but will not only reduce overall ground clearance but make the bike a little low on the front. With stock exhaust and good rubber they can actually grind the outside edge of the #4 exhaust header pipe in that configuration. At least on a GS1000 it will and I assume the 1100 isn't much different.