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Any advice for keeping your finger on the lever at all times? I’ve tried many times and just can’t seem to get it
I adjust the reach on my levers to where the first joint on my index finger can wrap over the lever. That kind of keeps your finger locked in and I also keep my middle finger resting on the lever too. For braking I use only use my index but I use my middle and index on the clutch lever.
I run my brake pretty close to the bar and still have trouble keeping my finger on it while opening/closing the throttle. I probably just need to keep at it
Same.
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Bars/controls, including brake lever and most important for me, shift lever height.
throttle position and slack, Clutch engagement and pull,
I usually pay around 100$ Give or take a few bucks.
Regarding your fork height procedure, there should be minimal difference (a couple mm or less) between the left and right leg length for this to matter. And that little difference is not caused by anything important (slight differences in top out spring stiffness, etc.). If there's a big difference in leg lengths, something is wrong internally to the fork and it should be addressed.
Regardless, if you're not setting the fork tubes to the same height left and right, you're going to end up with different bending stiffnesses between the left and right, less overall travel, and also different bottom out heights between left and right. So one leg will be doing the majority, or all of, the work in a bottoming situation. None of that is good! I can't think of any advantage to setting the fork height as you describe.
I will take that advice.
But wouldn't setting the top fork tubes even (and supposing that one of the lugs is compressed or extended) affect the bottom out bumper either way, if both forks have the same travel, and one starts slightly compressed?
I assumed that since the axle is resting when you line them up from the bottom, you will get the same travel.
Either way, as you mentioned, I have measured the difference and it is always around 1mm or less.
If you set the tubes even in the clamps, then the axle insertion will guarantee the lowers are also even when all is tightened down, so everything will work together left and right. The only downside is that the axle will be slightly more difficult to install as you'll have to overcome that 1 mm difference by compressing the spring, but it shouldn't be too hard.
Is there any benefit to tightening engine mounting bolts in a specific order?
what if your linkage is really progressive and you want a more effectively linear leverage curve?
The order Andy7 posted earlier in the thread is what I’d recommend, with the bike on the ground. You’re just trying to take the slop out of the attachment points in the direction of the largest forces the bike will see. It will get there eventually anyways when you have some big hits on the bike, but best to start there in the first place so the parts don’t have to slide under load.
Preload is stiffening the shock by setting how much force it takes for the shock to begin to move in the first place. So, with a lot of preload, it takes a force larger than the preload value before the shock even starts to work. All bump forces lower than that value will go straight into the bike and rider, and not be absorbed by the suspension. You’ll lose small bump compliance and traction.
The ideal setup will have just a slight amount of preload to remove all slop from the shock (you don’t want the spring loose and rattling around). I wouldn’t recommend using excessive preload as a band-aid for wanting a more linear linkage ratio.
Apart from levers and stuff, most of it is sorting out wheel spindles and spacers, making captive spacers that hook behind the seals, if they dont already have them, and polishing and rounding edges, on all of the spacers and polishing the spindles, so we can do fast wheel changes , which Supermoto demands.. also better caliper bolts that are correctly marked and drilled for a retaining spring.
Grip Donuts
&
Pirelli Sand Tire
Pit Row
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