I cant get my GSXR to go around the track as fast as my 00 r1. Short of selling the grand and getting a 6 what can I do without spending big bucks? The suspension is as sorted as it gets right now but the front forks have to much high speed compression dampening and the forks are to soft. I am bottoming out the forks even though I have ramped up the preload to the point that I only have about 7mm of sag.


The shock is having issues too I have some serious tire wear the rear shock often doesn't last an entire track day. I have already shimmed the rear I have about 25MM of sag but I really need quicker steering as I am running past the edge of the tires at times. I cant drop the forks anymore or raise the rear as it gets to bumpy and and I loose even more rear grip with all the weight on the front.


Thinner fork oil new front spring new rear spring or just give up and have the forks and shock reworked. Any suggestions?

Maybe consider a different tire with a pointier profile or shorter wheel base. I'm no expert so just take this with a grain of salt. Did you consider going with a stiffer spring set up in the front? Some guys I believe also switch the 1000 forks for the 750's as they are considered by some as better out of the box. I'm sure some of the more experienced racers will chime in so I'm outta here. Take-care and let us know how things go.

Well you've reached the limits of the stock suspension so guess what........ it's time to spend the money. When the manufacturers build a bike they must hit a price point of around 10,000 usd for the 600, 750 and 1000 sport bikes. They also must choose settings that will acomodate riders all over the world. If you think about the economic food chain from manufacturer (say Suzuki), importer (Amercan Suzuki) and your dealer all having to make money from the sale of the bike, it does not leave room for $1200 shocks and $2400 forks. This is why there is so much room for improvement over the stock components and why some, most notably shocks, simply get replaced. Our typical set up for street, track day and supersport racers, though the setting are very different, runs between $1800 and $3000 depending on shock selection and fork options, and includes "Sweet Numbers Geometry". It's not a lot of money when you think about what you're getting, but it is 20-30% of the cost of the bike. It really high lights what a bargain a good sportbike is. Of course every one has a buget, some just have more zeros than others, so each step can be taken over a period of time. Some of the changes such as shocks, can even be installed in a new model with little or no modification. Personally I have a Scott's (Ohlins) steering damper that is on it's fourth dirt bike with nothing more that regular rebuilds.

Think about what you can spend and give me a call. If all you can afford is fork oil and springs, we sell a Hyperpro fork kit you can install your self that will help a lot. And, don't forget that untill 6/30/04 you get 20% off all fork work, and dealer pricing on Penske shocks (15%) for Ohlins pricing, call me.

Find somebody who knows a lot about suspension (an expert not a mate or just some guy you met at the track) who isnt trying to sell you something. Even if you have to pay for the advice it could save you a fortune in unnecessary, or incorrect components.


The suspension is as sorted as it gets right now ...


Clearly this is not true! Your own words contradict this statement.

I dont know a lot about suspension but i do know that 7mm of sag is never going to work.