vw151

My shoei Fogs like hell. Sucks. My Icon helmet had anti fog shields you could buy that worked fairly well and were $10 more than regular shields. For the shoei there is a pinlock shield offered. It also works fairly well but also isn't great at night, causes glare.

I think the pinlock is offered for other helmets as well.

Here are a few links

http://www.webbikeworld.com/anti-fog-visor/

http://www.kneedraggers.com/details/Pinlock_AntiFog_Faceshield_HJC_HJ09_Replacement--633909.html

u have erased my highside!!!! Thanks! looking great man!

Yah, I've been waiting on other stuff so I figured I might as well work on the body for now. It's gonna look good for a track rat.

How is that 2004 treating you? Curious, what differences you have noticed from 1 generation to the next.

got a few pics of the tank uploaded. I forgot to take pics of the bondo and the braising of the nails an slide hammer we used to get rid of the dent. I kept forgetting my camera. Just ended up using the iphone to take these pics of the tank after fresh paint. It dries more flat than this but you get the picture. Looks good eh?

I remember the lodge bar. What happened there? I only heard vague reasons as to why it was canceled. Maybe we should talk about it so we can avoid any of those sorts of problems in the future.

No worries. I always have little boys tied up in my trailer...

That is funny shit.

Ever need any notes, I got a book full of them. Raced that model from 2001-2003 and was VERY intimate with it. Watch a few things, but they were tanks and held up really well... Again, if you come to any STT events at Mid-Ohio or I can leave them with the boys at Pony, I have a book full of notes and gearing. I can tell ya gearing we ran at Barber back then, too...

Getting back off the suspension competition topic.

Lizard, bring those notes. I'd love to talk to you about this bike when I'm at Mid-OH on the 25th and 26th. Information is good. I may not be to the point where I can use it all but I'm sure it will help as I progress.

Yah, much over 50 miles on my monster with the GF on the back isn't really comfortable. I'd love to have something bigger to ride around with her on the back but I think she just likes being seen on the Ducati too much. all the bigger bikes are ugly, in her opinion anyway.

We usually just ride 20 minutes to and from places in town. Every now and again I take her out on some mild twisties. Something like a V-strom or many of the BMWs would be much better for 2-up. At least it looks that way. I can't imagine what it's like an an R6.

The Stig says "Matt's forks are clearly superior"

Bad driving record, you are 20 she is 19, her parents don't want her on your bike and you don't have any gear for her yet.

sounds like 4 reasons not to put her on the back of your bike. Sucks man. I know you want to take he for a ride but I have to agree with everyone else. If she is still listening to her parents on this stuff then leave it alone.

Honestly, the way I drove when I was 20, I'm glad I didn't have a bike then and I would be skeptical about my daughter in this scenario as well if I had a daughter.

Thanks for your response, Matt. I have even more respect for you and that post. I think you do great work and feel you are a solid suspension guy and tech for motorcycle performance. You have a good reputation.

As far as Jensen goes, Robert and Reuben go way back and they are friends. Friends tend to help each other out and he can be a sounding board for Reuben at times. At the track, we are a community of friends that rarely is seen in other sports. You want to beat the hell out of them on the track, but off, we don't share everything, but set-up questions can be answered if the circle is tight enough. Suggestions, if you will or address issues one is having that another is not.

On the rider competition thing, I don't think it would prove anything due to the fact that the rider is still at MINIMUM 80-90% of the equation. I've seen top WERA National guys ride stock suspended bikes at a pace that would embarass most seasoned racers at the regional level. But, I think it would be a fun day and would certainly come and watch.

What's really cool is that there are such good suspension and motor guys so damn close to us all around here. Also, the fact that they are both seemingly cool people and are passionate about this sport.

Cheers, Matt.

Surely we could find 2 riders that are closely matched. I love it Ducati Indy vs. Reuben Suspension ride off. It'd be a lot like celebrity in a reasonably priced car on top gear. Maybe it'd be better if we had the same rider (a control) and have him ride a few session's on matt's forks then a few on reubens. That way they can both set the stuff up for the riders weight and everything.

Is the Stig available? he could settle this with out even riding. He could probably just press on the forks a few times and say which is better and you couldn't argue. he's the stig.

They would never give Jenson's prototypes to Reuben because then Reuben would beat him!

I agree with you that you haven't dogged me, you are just saying that you believe Reuben is better at suspension. Actually you have said many nice things about me and for that I thank you. I don't think Yota is very pissed. He for sure didn't call me for information.

Your arguments for Reuben having the edge over us at IndyDucati are very good ones. I can tell you know alot about suspension and the industry from reading your posts. I called Reuben and asked him what he thought about this thread and we didn't come up with much more than we both respect each other's abilities. Although I am not sure we are going to be recommending each other for suspension work!

Of course, there are some things that you may not know about me and/or some of my connections and approaches to suspensions. Imagine my surprise when a colleague and I found a change inside a TTX shock that we had come up with a year earlier. It was things like this that Reuben and I really had a great time connecting on in the short time we worked together. Whatever the case, we should in all good fun have a fairfight IndyDucati vs Reuben suspension showdown and see what the reality is. This would be a blind test in which the rider attempts fast laps at Putnam on forks that are identical other than marks the rider can't see. No matter who wins it would be cool and you and yota have to be there and have some fun too!

LOLz My suspension is gonna kick your suspension's ass that's all I know. I can't wait to get that shock and those forks back Matt. This thing is gonna rail compared to the way it was feeling at Barber.

Hahaha - sneaky way to post a pic with me in it:funnyshit:

I do what I can to include everyone. I blame you for standing next to Macy when she was looking cute.

and i look like fool, only guy on cruiser there.

I don't think what you show up on is gonna determine if you look like a fool. That's just me though.

I'm guessing the 996 is track only?

I don't know a lot about this stuff but I vote for big bore and spray FTMFW!!!!!!

Where do you need 200hp to keep up with these new guys anyway. Drag strip?

This thread just got a whole lot better Nice track pics VW!

Thanks man. Hope to have some more good one's in April.

I learned in school that boobies make guys calm. I applied this knowledge today.

Well my guess would be that since you only have to worry about compression or rebound in one fork, it allows you to put more components in that fork which only have to deal with 1 aspect of suspension. Instead of cramming all of the compression and rebound components in each fork, you can load one fork completely with more specialized compression parts and the other with more specialized rebound parts. More room to work with would give you allot more options with what types of parts you use thus allowing larger parts and more parts per fork to focus on one thing. Its just like the GP bikes.

Sounds right to me.

It wont handle differently at all.. You're thinking that your forks move independently of each other however when it comes to compression and tension, you have to realize that your front suspension system is a rectangle and they move together. Just like the new R1, the left fork handles compression damping and the right side handles the rebound damping

I can see that. Very interesting to think about. And now that you put it that way I can see that it would be impossible for your forks to move independently unless it was really broken. That's some crazy shit with the compression and rebound on separate sides. What is the advantage of splitting them up other than illustrating an interesting point about forks. Isn't the new R1 the bike that has the really cool firing order also? Those guys are crazy.

Yup, for example... I have a set of 1.00 in the right fork and .95s in the other. So, I get that .975 rate that I need. It's just that slight tweek that can make a difference...

I'd love to see this explained in a physics class type of discussion. I can see how it would work but it goes against intuition a little. You'd be inclined to think it would handle differently in left turns vs. right turns but I could just as easily be convinced that it works the way you say.

I need some diagrams and text books explaining the way forks compress

Just a note, too. Remember, you can mix springs. You can take that 1.05 and 1.00 and put one in one fork and the other one in the other fork and get a 1.025 rate...

Interesting.....I did not know that.

I don't mind a good pissing match. As long as it ends eventually. Personally I think both parties have said their piece, made there point and then some. Not much more to say.

Suspension what.....

What were you guys talking about? I can't remember.

now my girlfriend is going to want one!!!! What ended up being wrong with the adjuster on the forks? What was the rear shock sprung to b4 it was changed? What about the front?

The fork adjuster wasn't stripped but it had been spun too far down and came off track so it had to be taken apart to get it back together.

Rear shock.... I can't remember the spring type but you were right it was set for a 200lb rider. When I get the stuff back I'll tell you what type spring it was. I'm keeping all the old stuff.

Forks had 1.05 springs in it..... ended up going down to a 1.0 to see how they feel, if they end up being too soft I'll go back to the 1.05.

Have I mentioned I can't wait to ride that bike once it's set up.

I got that hoodie at the pony for her for V-day. I thought it was pretty cool but wasn't able to find them anywhere on the internet. Only ever saw them at the pony. I just posted that stuff up to try and throw off the suspension flame war. It clearly didn't work. LOL

Well....... I think both cases have been stated about as far as I can see them being productive.

I'll reiterate a point I made earlier.

That will always be a matter of opinion so there isn't much point in arguing.

Sounds like Reuben does very good and professional work. Matt does great work too. End of story. As I said before. I've developed a good relationship with Matt. I've always been very happy with his work and he is highly recommended among the people I ride with so I'm probably not gonna jump ship for another guy in Indy. Maybe one day if I become an AMA racer or get serious about WERA and I feel like Matt's set ups aren't working for me I'll shop around but I don't see that happening anytime soon and especially not with the old 2003 GSX-R750 I bought. This bike is pretty much a track toy, if things get serious and I can support doing some real racing one day I'll likely move up to something newer. I just bought this bike so I could do track days, work on my skills and not have to worry about messing up my pretty bike. No less, I'm confident Matt could continue to help out my riding with his work even if I did get a little more serious about it. Matt rides Ducati's but also Rides and has ridden GSXRs (little known secret). He didn't always own a ducati shop. He has come to a lot of his own suspension conclusions based on the riding he has done on these bike. I really do trust the guys work, and again, I'm taking nothing away from Reuben. I'd love to meet him sometime. Keep in mind, I do know Matt and have hung out with him socially before but I am speaking more from a customer standpoint. I don't have the same ties as yota does to Matt or Lizard does to Reuben. I've been to a lot of dealers since I bought my ducati and Indy is the only one I've truely been happy with.

Again, thank you for the input. I have to admit, this whole thread has turned out to be very educational and entertaining.

Anyone see that Alpine Stars hoody on my girlfriend? Pretty sweet huh.

in this pic she is sporting some budweiser schwagg. She likes beer! So do I. Those are some of my Dayton buddies hanging around her.

LOL,

I bought a track bike. I'm just now starting to get into intermediate riding class and thinking about lap times. I am sure either guy would do an adequate job. Honestly. I've known Matt for a year or two now and was turned onto him through the Ducati club. Lot's of the guys I know have sent there stuff to him and been very pleased. Ducati Indy is a race shop and that is why many of us actually take our stuff out there rather than stick to another closer shop. I don't know Reuben at all. It's my understanding that he worked for Matt at one point. If anything speaks volumes I would think that does. I'm not trying to take anything away from anyone here but I'll stick with Matt. I've worked with him in the past, he's honest with me, he's a generally cool guy to hang around and talk to and he takes the time to explain why he is doing what he is doing. He's dyno tuned my monster, set up the suspension and helped me out with several other things with that bike. He has tracked GSXRs and knows that bike well also. Knowing he was ohlins certified and also had the equipment to work on penske stuff I figured I'd send all of my stuff to him. He's also willing to work with me at the track and set stuff up right for my riding style. This kind of commitment to quality is as much as I can really ask. Good and better? That will always be a matter of opinion so there isn't much point in arguing. I think it's clear, yota and I will likely be going to Matt for quite awhile and Lizard will be going to Reuben. Nothing wrong with that. I do appreciate the input either way.

As far as the shock dyno. I sent my stuff to Matt and more or less asked him to make it right as I don't really know the condition of any of the stuff in the suspension. He checked the rear shock with the shock dyno and said the valving was exactly with in the spec he liked to see and put in the correct weight spring. Further we discussed fork springs and got that settled and he fixed my issue with the preload adjustment. This is the sort of thing I like about the place. He actually charged me less than he could have because he checked the stuff out and did only what needed to be done. Not saying Reuben wouldn't do the same thing but when you find a guy that does good work and that you trust then why change.

Not saying I'm as fast as all of you WERA guys or instructors but here's me on the monster after getting the suspension worked out by Matt. This is novice at Mid-OH That thing handled awesome. I got about 60 miles in after work on that bike tonight with my Girlfriend on the back. I love that bike. It's so much fun.

This is my girlfriend Macy in her Alpine Stars hoody (don't worry she has leather for the bike). She likes bike stuff if it's cute. LOL I keep telling her we aught to get a bigger bike to ride 2 up, something V-strom esque but she likes the duc too much and doesn't want to ride on something ugly. Not that I'd get rid of the duc. I just want more bikes.

Anyway..... I'll keep posting updates as things happen. Should get the suspension back soon so I can put the bike back together.

Whose goin april 25th and 26th? I'll be there along with some of the other desmohioans.

Oh and I should add to that, I felt out of place being the only person there wearing 2 piece leathers (that I saw), but it saved my hide.

Just a reminder to wear ATGATT!

I went through that ramp maybe 30 or 40 minutes before then on my duc.

Don't ever feel out of place in your leathers. I have only gone down once. Last year down in hocking hills. I was in my full 1 piece race leathers, gloves, Sidi Vertigo boots and of course my helmet and there was not a scratch on me. Had I been in street cloths I don't really know, could have gone either way I guess. No less.... I'm sure you'll hear it a million times, your leather many times will be the difference between a bruised ego and a trip to the hospital for some skin graphs (I guess you'd still have the bruised ego too). I'd much rather be in your situation where you just have to deal with fixing a bike. That is for sure.