handling
handling
If you drop the nose but not the tail, it will turn in quicker, making it longer will make it turn slower. As for lowering it, you can either get shorter rear shocks, or move the mounting point on the frame, dont cant the shocks forward when you do this, as this makes the geometry to one of falling rate, and that is exactly what you want to avoid. I think how you like the results is going to depend exactly on what sort of handling you like from your bike, and how it behaves under you is a matter of preference. My fav handling bike before the gs was a gpx600r, and theyre not exactly well loved because of the speed of the steering due to the 16" front wheel and ultra short wheelbase.
Going to the gsx-r wheels is going to make the most changes to the handling I think, one of the charecteristics of the ol gs is the stable but slow steering front wheel, caused mostly by having the 19" wheel up front acting as some sort of huge gyro. But of course good rubber in a 19" size is a sod to get hold of, but you can order a dual compound bridgestone battlax in the correct fitment to suit a gs. Theyre pretty good too.
As for ground clearance, well, a stock gs doesnt come with enough anyway, with modern tyres on you'll soon have the ends of the rests worn away, great for feeling a hero, but only until the centre stand digs in. Ive kept every one of mine on the wall of the workshop, with pins i can just push in when i need a centre stand for maintenance. With your extra length, your going to have more of a clearance problem, its no coincidence that you only see drag swingarms on drag bikes and those designed for not going round corners.
What are you aiming for? a fast straightliner that you can ride occasionally on the street for a bit of traffic light grand prix, or something to scare people in the twisties?
Having both is a problem. Its suck it and see teritory with frame mods this radical im afraid...
Ive personally got 8" longer usd's up
front but keeping the 19" wheel in a attempt to not quicken the steering up too much, with 10" or so longer swingarm at the rear, with a monoshock set up to jack the rear up to suit, ive been off the edge of my front tyres on quite a few occasions but it does have a tendancy to spin out at the rear in the damp, and having something that long wag its tail on the power is serious brown trouser material...
I used to run 8" over gs forks (used motorcross stancions) but they had a tendancy to flex when on the brakes banked over, despite a monster fork brace, steel front guard etc...
Ive also got more MrFluffy bits on it than suzuki too, so you cant really use my setup as a baseline for anything, sorry!
Have fun
de Phil
http://fluffycentral.com/photos/GS850DB-pic2.jpg
:twisted:
