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Fork Gold Valve Assessment

I thought the front has a little more travel than 4.5" your right about the rear. A Gixxer can go just as fast on a dirt road but you'll never emulate similar lap times without changing the triple clamp angles. You could shorten your chain and draw the rear in an inch....

I looked up an older model GSXR 1000 and 600 for random comparison and it shows both to have 4.9" travel front and 5.1" travel rear. I'm not out to prove you wrong but much of what you are saying isn't correct. If my NC had 100 more hp and dual front brakes, and more cornering clearance. I could easily run with the guys on 600's and 1000's. I can through the turns now, but they leave me on the straights bc the NC is so darn slow. The only other thing that hurts me on track is cornering clearance. The NC is not made for lean angles like sportbikes are. I drag kickstand, pegs, exhaust, plastic guards near engine case, etc.

I've owned a CBR900RR, GSXR 750, and a ZX10R, all ridden many aggressive miles. The 750 and ZX10R both had some trackdays under their belts too, so I have that experience to compare the NC to and the NC doesn't handle much differently in the corners despite it's weight and upright body position. What separates me from faster guys on the track is horsepower, brakes, and pure rider skill level. I have passed many bikes that has triple my horsepower in the curves, and out-braked them going into turns as well. However, I have been passed by club racers on R3's and Ninja 400's, which have similar power to the NC but the rider is extremely advanced. Once having the forks rebuilt with the gold valves and sprung to my weight, and maxed preload on oem rear shock, I can't say that the NC suspension is a limiting factor in me keeping up with the faster bikes. It's simply the lack of horsepower, brakes, and mainly cornering clearance.


You can skip to about the 2:00 mark in the vid, I don't run tire warmers and allow the first lap or two for the tires to get up to temp. In this particular vid, I was running a Pirelli TD front and a Michelin Power Cup Evo rear. When the Pirelli front wears out I have Power Cup Evo front to replace it with. That's my new favorite tire, plenty of grip and corner stability. Also if you see some guy completely smoke me and they are wearing an orange jersey vest over their leather suit, those are instructors and they are usually club racers that can smoke most anyone at a track day. Lol

 
Impressive Kebrider! I like it when guys can push a budget commuter past the K rockets. What brand of tires is he running?
Dunlop Q3+ is one of the best street tires you can run. It would be VERY difficult for someone to surpass that tire's capability on the street. I started doing trackdays with the NC on that tire, as many do, actually. The NC is heavy and runs a narrower tire than most sportbikes, so I bumped up to a 95% track tire for more grip and stability. BUT....lots of guys run the Q3+ up through the lower Advance group level. I ride intermediate group. The NC just isn't fast enough and doesn't allow for the cornering clearance I need to ride in Advance group, otherwise that's where I'd be. I rode in Advance group back in the day on my ZX10R. Also one of the tech requirements is "No centerstands allowed" for Advance group, but they are allowed in Intermediate....and I love my center stand, so Intermediate is where I will probably stay.
 
Cool Tacoma, you've certainly got the experience. Must be fun flogging the NC. I'm aware a 250 can out corner a 600 bike for all the reasons you've mentioned. The underpowered bike probably makes you a better rider on the track. Can't hide cornering sins with brakes and brute bhp.

I was at Barber 2 years ago, motorcycle heaven. Did the airspace museum get finished?
 
Cool Tacoma, you've certainly got the experience. Must be fun flogging the NC. I'm aware a 250 can out corner a 600 bike for all the reasons you've mentioned. The underpowered bike probably makes you a better rider on the track. Can't hide cornering sins with brakes and brute bhp.

I was at Barber 2 years ago, motorcycle heaven. Did the airspace museum get finished?
Nice, and yes a slower bike will make you a faster rider. I always heard that back in the day, but now I know what it's like after dogging the NC the past 2 years. And I have no idea about the airspace museum, first I'm hearing about it actually LOL
 
I looked up an older model GSXR 1000 and 600 for random comparison and it shows both to have 4.9" travel front and 5.1" travel rear. I'm not out to prove you wrong but much of what you are saying isn't correct. If my NC had 100 more hp and dual front brakes, and more cornering clearance. I could easily run with the guys on 600's and 1000's. I can through the turns now, but they leave me on the straights bc the NC is so darn slow. The only other thing that hurts me on track is cornering clearance. The NC is not made for lean angles like sportbikes are. I drag kickstand, pegs, exhaust, plastic guards near engine case, etc.

I've owned a CBR900RR, GSXR 750, and a ZX10R, all ridden many aggressive miles. ........

Thanks for the info and insights. I have hit my toes in corners and felt a slight shift of the rear tire in corners and that's enough for me. I run fairly hard Shinko Ravens tires. Also, interesting to know that serious skilled riders exist "been passed by club racers on R3's and Ninja 400's". Most sport riders just reach for power and without ever learning to corner. To me a sport 600 is everything a person could really ever use on the street.
 
A-arm suspension like the latest gold wing 2019?+ uses and the BMW Duo-leaver is the closest you will ever come to suspension that is softer than a 1000 lb harley -- glide over some of the worst pot holes -- but stiffer than most sport bikes - touch the brake and the front becomes almost rigid with no dive.
 
Thanks for the info and insights. I have hit my toes in corners and felt a slight shift of the rear tire in corners and that's enough for me. I run fairly hard Shinko Ravens tires. Also, interesting to know that serious skilled riders exist "been passed by club racers on R3's and Ninja 400's". Most sport riders just reach for power and without ever learning to corner. To me a sport 600 is everything a person could really ever use on the street.
When cornering, put the balls of your feet on the peg instead of the arch, of the foot on the side the turn is on, of course. If you still drag a toe, offset your body/head more to alleviate this. Get some Michelin Road 5's when the Shitkos wear out and you will long for grip no more. They are excellent street tires for aggressive riding.

As for a 600 being all a person could ever use on the street, I agree, to an extent. Depends on how big of an idiot you are I suppose. I used to be, and still would be, an idiot if my leg would allow me to still ride sportbikes. I had 20k miles on my 2007 ZX10R when I crashed it, bought it brand new. I'd say at minimum 3k of those miles were on the back wheel. That was my thing, wheelies. I loved wheelies even more than track days. I could stand in the seat and do wheelies at 90mph, sit on the tank with my feet kicked up behind me and do wheelies, and there were several times I got that torque'ey bastard to come up in 5th gear around 120mph and would ride it until my arms got tired of holding myself up against the wind (standing up on driver pegs). I loooooved that literbike power!

My only regret is that I did not capture enough of all that on film. This was before good camera phones and gopros were so common. I have these two vids below and that's pretty much it, from my wilder days. One of me on interstate doing a rookie standup wheelie not too long after I started learning how to wheelie. Longest one I ever rode was probably around 3ish miles, at around 80mph. Then there's a vid of me stunting at local drag strip at a bike-fest, sitting on tank with feet kicked up in seat behind me. This was all 2007-2008 era. Damn I miss those days. I was one with that ZX10R. I rode a TON of my buddy's bikes over the years and never felt as comfortable on anything as I did that one. It was perfect. I'll probably never feel that unity again with a machine. Very bittersweet to think about.


 
The underpowered bike probably makes you a better rider on the track. Can't hide cornering sins with brakes and brute bhp.
This is exactly why when I hear people say they "outgrew" their bike, all I hear is "I lack skill, so had to get a faster bike to make up for it."
My other ride is a Ninja 300, so I hear the "outgrew" comments alot...
 
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