I have '17 plate SDGT, I bought bike just over 2 yrs ago with 16K on it, it now coming up to 34! Coming from sportsbikes (my last being a RC8 R) I find it much more accessible, it's comfortable, I know people seem to have problems with the seat (the RC was a plank on wheels) so to me it is very comfortable, I've put more annual miles on it than any bike I've owned. It is a very versatile bike, handling long trips very well, it's also pretty dam fast not quite as crazy as the RC but not far off. It's also proved pretty reliable the only issue being the rear damper failing at aprox 20K, this was dealt with under warranty so didn't cause me any problems. The bike is pretty stock, it has an Arrow can, I've changed the brake M/C to a RCS 19 to improve brake feel, also deleted the carbon can, SAS and exhaust servo, this was mainly done to avoid any of these items causing potential reliability issues, if they aren't there they can't go wrong. This gets me to the only real issue I have with the bike, the suspension... For the most part is is just fine, pottering about round town or blasting along fast A roads it works very well it's even OK on pot holes B roads and tracks because you have to limit your speed due the crap surface. Where I have problem is on fast and relatively smooth B roads ( eg Hawes to Ribblehead, Alston pass in Yorkshire). These roads are biker favourites but despite the surface being smooth some of these roads have undulations. I find these undulations taken at speed can cause the GT to get, well 'untidy' , at its worst the front will clear a hump but the rear hits and can't cope, I've had several occasions where the back end bounces off the pitching it forward, this is quite disconcerting when you are approaching a 90' left! It seems to me the just isn't set quite right. I think a little less preload, a little more compression damping along with less rebound would go along way to helping stop the back end bouncing up therefore keeping the wheel on the road where it belongs.
The obvious issue is the gen 1 WP semi-active suspension doesn't allow you to tinker and finely adjust the suspension outside the system pre-sets. It is on the latest software, the rear damper is relatively new, OK maybe the forks could do with a rebuild but even then I don't think it would sort my specific problems. Now I'm looking at thoughts and opinions here but I'm now considering completely ditching the WP suspension. I have seen it done, Maxton offer fully adjustable fork internals and a matching damper all set up and sprung to suit the rider, problem here is it is a not inconsiderable ÂŁ2.5k if you opt for a hydraulic rear pre load adjuster. From the brief conversation I had with the owner of a 'Maxton'd' GT he said it simply transformed the bike, more comfortable, more compliant but with infinitely better wheel control and of course fully adjustable so can quickly reset to suit road types and conditions. The bikes have been around for around 6 yrs now and I find there is very little information or suspension options out there save the previously mentioned Maxton, I'm pretty sure any suspension 'tuner' could offer an appropriate rear damper / fork internals solution, K-tech, Nitron are just a couple of options here. Before I decide whether or not to peruse this cause of action ( firstly I better get saving!!!) but more importantly I need to do the research, but before I start talking to suppliers I thought I should ask the question here, so anyone with any thoughts / observations or better still have actually followed a similar path I would value you input, positive or negative.
The obvious issue is the gen 1 WP semi-active suspension doesn't allow you to tinker and finely adjust the suspension outside the system pre-sets. It is on the latest software, the rear damper is relatively new, OK maybe the forks could do with a rebuild but even then I don't think it would sort my specific problems. Now I'm looking at thoughts and opinions here but I'm now considering completely ditching the WP suspension. I have seen it done, Maxton offer fully adjustable fork internals and a matching damper all set up and sprung to suit the rider, problem here is it is a not inconsiderable ÂŁ2.5k if you opt for a hydraulic rear pre load adjuster. From the brief conversation I had with the owner of a 'Maxton'd' GT he said it simply transformed the bike, more comfortable, more compliant but with infinitely better wheel control and of course fully adjustable so can quickly reset to suit road types and conditions. The bikes have been around for around 6 yrs now and I find there is very little information or suspension options out there save the previously mentioned Maxton, I'm pretty sure any suspension 'tuner' could offer an appropriate rear damper / fork internals solution, K-tech, Nitron are just a couple of options here. Before I decide whether or not to peruse this cause of action ( firstly I better get saving!!!) but more importantly I need to do the research, but before I start talking to suppliers I thought I should ask the question here, so anyone with any thoughts / observations or better still have actually followed a similar path I would value you input, positive or negative.
