Track bikes for large humans?

[satz]

I have not been following the bouncing ball here..

I thought I would chime in. I'm bigger than average and ran my Duke 790 the last two days at Palmer. Yeah. It's dandy for big lads.
I'm beyond in love with this bike.

I saw a pic of a guy on duke and a guy on a motard on the facebook group of instructors. Is that you?. Do you have to alter the suspension to fit the bigger folks. i hate to spend a few thousand for a brand new track purpose bike.

[nhbubba]

Yes, that's him.
Joel was the instructor next to him on the Husky 701 Supermoto.

[tls25rs]

Do you have to alter the suspension to fit the bigger folks.

As Colin mentioned that was me on the 701SM and Adam on the 790.

To answer your question about suspension, the sad truth would be yes. The bikes are designed and tested with a much lower rider weight in mind. Even if you were the same weight rider as the bike was designed for you might want to have the suspension done though. The manufacturers are balancing a lot of things when they spec out a configuration to be sold to public at a certain price point. Having a reputable suspension shop get the correct springs and redo the valving to your riding style/preferences will always work out to be better. The 790 apparently comes stock with some pretty basic suspension components and so people that are buying them for track use have been upgrading their bits to more adjustable components. I haven't even looked at what I should do to my 701 suspension as of yet. For the pace that I am trying to ride at I have been pretty comfortable with what it came with. That being said, if I were to have the suspension done I am sure the difference would be night and day.

[nhbubba]

You haven't even done springs, have you?
Are you still running the stock tires?!

[tls25rs]

You haven't even done springs, have you?
Are you still running the stock tires?!

I have not modified the suspension in any way from delivery.

The stock tires carried me through most of the first season of track riding this bike and I have been on Pirelli Rosso Corsas since then and just about ready to go to my second set. I do have a set of the stock Conti Sport Attack tires in my garage in the event that I have an emergency need for tires.

[satz]

As Colin mentioned that was me on the 701SM and Adam on the 790.

To answer your question about suspension, the sad truth would be yes. The bikes are designed and tested with a much lower rider weight in mind. Even if you were the same weight rider as the bike was designed for you might want to have the suspension done though. The manufacturers are balancing a lot of things when they spec out a configuration to be sold to public at a certain price point. Having a reputable suspension shop get the correct springs and redo the valving to your riding style/preferences will always work out to be better. The 790 apparently comes stock with some pretty basic suspension components and so people that are buying them for track use have been upgrading their bits to more adjustable components. I haven't even looked at what I should do to my 701 suspension as of yet. For the pace that I am trying to ride at I have been pretty comfortable with what it came with. That being said, if I were to have the suspension done I am sure the difference would be night and day.

Thanks even in my previous bikes, i usually buy front springs and rear spring for 200 or so and swap them. that seem to fix most of the issues for me. Probabily do it, even though it not as good as custom work. Its cheap.

my current sv has damping rods drilled, race tech springs and preload adjustors i installed form a part out race bike which i got for 90 bucks and a 30 dollar zx636 shock so i am not bottoming the suspension...Its night and day between before and after.

[satz]

Yesterday track day was fun. the bike fit has improved. i was afraid i am going to touch down the peg so was hanging off alot. the boots did touch down.

werid, my elbow and knees are touching while hanging off... i felt my elbow is going to touch before my knee haha would that be something
the clipons gave me the upper body length and the pegs felt good ...

[satz]

I quit trying to fit the sv650 and put it on facebook market place for 1200 and sold it in an hour.....

[Garandman]

First track day this season a while back. I’d bee doing stretches but my knees still didn’t have enough flexion to move very well on the bike [GSX-R with 1” taller seat]. First couple sessions were rough, and I demoted myself to Red group.

By noon they were loosening up. Brought a bicycle and riding that between sessions helped. Really been working on them for the days coming up in August.

Lost 20 lbs since last season, I feel better but it didn’t help with my knees.

[satz]

What about a KTM 690 there is a cheap one near me and yes its not the 790 but what the heck i am bald,old and creaky so.... i will do a spring upgrade. i have a 1.0 race tech brank new spring for a sv650 so cut the washer and fit that sucker. I think the ktm is also a 43mm fork.
put a heavier spring out rear and go track riding... will keep me slow and cheap. any thoughts.

Also, as i do not have my fjr i can take it with me every where with a hitch rack on my truck in the winter during winter vaca down south

[drstimpy]

I have a 690 duke for sale set up for 200 pounds with quality shock and fork internals. Pm if interested

[Garandman]

Woodcraft stator cover. Beauteous.

[obsolete]

Have you tried doing some yoga for your knees? I hate it and do it rarely, but it really helps with my joint mobility issues.

[Gixxer]

School me on rearsets.

Woodcraft makes them for the 99 zx9r I have.

That will allow me to lower the pegs a bit?

Worth it?

[OreoGaborio]

Unless it states so in the description, Woodcraft won't lower your pegs. Now without adapter plates you can drop them down (but then you have another potential bend/failure point).

A 99 zx9r probably has pegs about as low as you'd want to go, anyway. I had an '01 zx6r and it ran outta ground clearance pretty quick.

If I were you I'd go the opposite route and raise the seat with extra padding.

[Kurlon]

You might be able to find 'drop pegs' that'll fit the stock mounts to gain an inch or two, with a matching loss of ground clearance but at least they'd still fold?

[loudbeard]

Unless it states so in the description, Woodcraft won't lower your pegs. Now without adapter plates you can drop them down (but then you have another potential bend/failure point).

A 99 zx9r probably has pegs about as low as you'd want to go, anyway. I had an '01 zx6r and it ran outta ground clearance pretty quick.

If I were you I'd go the opposite route and raise the seat with extra padding.

We’ll need to see pics of his tires to understand if this is a clearance is a concern or not

[tls25rs]

We’ll need to see pics of his tires to understand if this is a clearance is a concern or not

Let's see some pics of the Multi-Strada tires there Colonel Sanders

[Gixxer]

We’ll need to see pics of his tires to understand if this is a clearance is a concern or not

It’s not a concern.

[Rada]

If anyone is looking for a track bike for a large human I am considering parting with the Duke.
Set up with GP cartridges in the forks and Penske shock. Woodcraft rear sets of course. Sprung for a BFD

Super fun machine.. Guaranteed giggles

[tls25rs]

If anyone is looking for a track bike for a large human I am considering parting with the Duke.
Set up with GP cartridges in the forks and Penske shock. Woodcraft rear sets of course. Sprung for a BFD

Super fun machine.. Guaranteed giggles

Don't know if I want to thumbs up this or be sad.

Thumbs up because it is a great bike.

Sad because riding on track with Adam won't happen anymore