Front suspension

[DeltaFoxtrotZulu]

So apparently Racetech service department has never worked on a 300 yet. In order to go in there to get them to do the front forks, they wanted to keep my bike for a week they they can fully explore the 300. Kinda ridiculous considering how many riders are using their emulators and springs. Even though I'm somewhat local, I can't easily setup that situation.

Talked to Cyclemall and I'll likely be going there instead. Sounds like a better results and price is right, and hopefully a 1 day job. Just need to setup a time to go in there. Should be this week if they can do it.

[subxero]

i'd ask if there are an perks to your bike being a guinea pig

[omesh]

Had a blast at NCBike on Saturday.

I haven't thought about venturing over toward Ohio. Seems like a far drive for me (DC Area). My limit is right around 4 hours, so that leaves me with the following raceways:

NJMP, VIR, Summit Point, NCBike, Pocono Raceway, NYST (ehh...maybe).

I just took the Ninjette out for its first trackday with the yosh' rearset adapters and woodcraft clip-ons - quite a different BP experience - and my body feels it today! Much easier to lean properly. Now I need to get my inside shoulder lower.

I feel like I dont currently have the best anchor-position on my outside knee when in-lean. Maybe I should try scooting back in my seat. I was experiencing a little interior knee pain. Once I get get a more stable 'lock' I'll work on getting my inside shoulder down further. Videos coming soon...

Originally Posted by csmith12

Would love to go to NCBike, sadly there is no chance this season. I am completely booked up for track/race time. Do you ever venture over toward OH?

[tooblekain]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Jay:

A tip on getting the caps off the forks:

Go to Harbor Freight and buy two things:
A cheap gear puller, and
A set of dental picks

If you don't you'll waste hours and scratch the living chit out of the caps trying to compress them enough to remove the circlips.

When I got my preload adjusters I spent most of a Saturday morning just trying to get the effin' caps to compress, and failed. When I got back from HF, the job was done in about five minutes.

You can borrow my stuff if you like, but frankly it's so cheap that you'd spend more in gas just coming to get it.

You'll be doing this with the forks still on the bike, right? That matters for the gear puller since you need to hook it over the top triple. Also, you need to suspend the front end, of course.

On oil level... I do believe somebody like Motion Pro makes a simple gadget that makes measuring and filling precisely very easy. Not expensive IIRC. Look it up... you'll probably be able to duplicate it without much trouble.

Ive got a much better way....

Go to Harbor Freight. Buy the case of various circlips

Get Circlip pliers from Harbor Freight. I have different kinds

Have a large philipps screwdriver or punch you can use to push down the caps.

Change the OEM c-clips to the circlips. Shave the pins on the circlips pliers as necessary to make it easier to get pins to fit into circlip holes.

For reinstalling, but the circlip over the shaft and prep circlip pliers in place. While pushing down on the cap into the fork, use circlip pliers to push circlip into place.

Doing this makes removing and installing fork caps a breeze.

You're welcome.

[Bigballsofpaint]

Rich got back to me last night, he said he was having email issues just in case anyone else tried contacting him. Placed my order last night, back to work!

[mgentz]

you'll be much happier with a properly sprung front end

[Bigballsofpaint]

The only thing i havent ordered that i wanted was emulators. But honestly at my pace and where i am at, i will more than likely never need them. I wanted to get my brakes and suspension up to snuff, and then next year do things like exhaust, efi, and intake.

[subxero]

you could CNC your own block off plates, bet that would be easy. They only run maybe $25 bucks so i dunno if it is worth it at that price point. just food for thought if you haven't already removed the kleen air sys

[Bigballsofpaint]

Does it make much of a difference? I wouldnt want to re jet the carbs either

[adouglas]

Kleen air delete is dead nuts simple and you don't need to buy a block-off plate. Just get a rubber cap for the nipple, and same for the vacuum hoses.. That's what I did. Keep the parts in a box. When/if you sell the bike it's a plus to include all the stuff you took off of it.

ANYTHING that messes with air going into, through, and coming out of the engine calls for a rejet. That's the whole point. All the various mods do is let the engine breathe easier. Jetting compensates for that so you maintain the proper mixture. Easier breathing (intake, emissions, exhaust) plus more fuel (jetting) equals POWAH. Easier breathing without more fuel equals too lean a mixture.

Rejetting isn't hard and, in conjunction with the other usual mods (e.g. full exhaust) is totally worth it. Lots of info here and on the Ninja250Wiki. The hardest part by far is getting the carbs out of the bike, and that's not hugely difficult. Supposedly you can do it without removing them, but I wouldn't want to. Key tip: Buy a JIS screwdriver to get the cap screws off and replace them with Allen bolts.

Were it me I'd wait for any power mods until you've got the exhaust system in hand... do everything at once. AreaP Quiet Core was my choice and it was a good one.

I did the following:

K&N panel filter
Snorkel delete
Kleen Air delete
Jets
Full exhaust.

It made a big difference... bike dynoed at about 29 rear wheel horsepower, which was a significant and truly noticeable gain. Probably could have gotten more if I really tried but I got it pretty much right on the first try, and it's simpler to leave the airbox in place than to try and bodge up a pod filter. Plus it sounded AWESOME yet not loud... the bike had real character after that. Only issue was some popping on decel.

Total time spent: A couple of lazy afternoons.

[Bigballsofpaint]

Thats why i asked Andy, its the reason im not doing the exhaust until i have EFI waiting as well. I plan to spend the coming winter converting to EFI, do full exhaust, pod filters, and kleen while im at it.

[MirinNinja]

Are 250 and 300 springs interchangable?

Also a noob question, I understand that a stiffer spring will give better stability under heavy braking (my rear wheel is lifting on a regular basis) but how does it affect your corner speed/stability?

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by MirinNinja

Are 250 and 300 springs interchangable?

Also a noob question, I understand that a stiffer spring will give better stability under heavy braking (my rear wheel is lifting on a regular basis) but how does it affect your corner speed/stability?

Well, you don't wanna be bottoming out the front, that is a given. While cornering you want your suspension to work in the mid stroke range.

How does it affect your corner speed? Well, it really won't have much effect in the corners until near lap record paces. By then, your gunna "mostly" know what you need to do to keep it stable. Basically at top pace, you will be fighting to keep the front from tucking. Now, if you ride on a track that has as many bumps as craters on the moon, then having proper springs helps keep you in your seat and more stable in the corners.

[Bigballsofpaint]

I feel like this may be an obvious and silly question, but im lazy and done for the night. I realized i didnt put the washer in between the springs and the pvc spacer when i installed my pre load adjusters. Do i need to take it back apart to put the washer in or will it be fine without it? On the bright side, taking the forks off and doing the oil wasnt as bad as i thought it would be. I lowered the front by about .100 for better tip in as well.

[mgentz]

Not too big of a deal but you will want to get it back in there quickly. The point of the washer is to keep the spring and spacer separate. If not in there they may slide past/through/in each other.

[Bigballsofpaint]

So thats a yes...

[mgentz]

Yes

[mania]

Originally Posted by Bigballsofpaint

I feel like this may be an obvious and silly question, but im lazy and done for the night. I realized i didnt put the washer in between the springs and the pvc spacer when i installed my pre load adjusters. Do i need to take it back apart to put the washer in or will it be fine without it? On the bright side, taking the forks off and doing the oil wasnt as bad as i thought it would be. I lowered the front by about .100 for better tip in as well.

You know I have a set & while I did use the washer I do not think it
is an emergency for you.
Given the spring & the spacer are basically the same diameter I do not see
one ever sliding past the other.

But I would put it in when you have the time because basically the edge of the PVC & the edges of the spring are both narrow so the washer gives them both a bit better mating surface.

[Bigballsofpaint]

I put it back in that night, put my clips on 2 days ago, did my oil change and finished putting the bodywork on this morning and took it around the block Everything feels great, no leaks anywhere. Just need to adjust my shifter now. 9 Days til i hit the track!