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[Jones43]

After the first 1000 miles on my Continental GT, my confidence is growing, and with it the feeling that the ride is just that bit to hard to push the bike at all both front and rear, I am 14 stone but the back end just bounces around on the lowest Pre-Load setting, the Front Forks do not soak up the bumps but just tracks the white line or any other ridge in the road.

OK it may just be me expecting my £5K plodder to handle like a race bike, does anyone else have the same feelings ?, I intend to sort the Back out with some Hagon Shocks, the Front Lighter Oil, Progressive Springs ???.

Am I the only one with any thoughts on this ?

[apparently lucky eddie]

I had a problem with the Continental tyre on my T90 tracking the white lines and ruts in the road, no amount of trying different pressures or fork oil made the slightest difference. Simple answer was ditch the Contimentals for a pair of K82's and problem solved. Could be you're not suited to the rubber on your machine too. Have you messed around with pressures? Also I've always tended to keep the preload on maximum, like you I'm no lightweight. Can't go far wrong with Hagons either, highly recommended.

[Jones43]

Hi Eddie
Thank you very much for the suggestions, that is really interesting, I had just not considered that it could be a tyre problem, with the tracking but it just makes sense, I have Avon Roadriders on my 69 Bonneville (+ Hagons) and I love them .

I have checked the pressures and I am running as per the book, but I will now change the rubber, before next summer, the Hagon shocks are on order and I try a thinner oil in the forks.

[greaser]

Hi Guys

I have no issues at all with the handling of my 535GT & I do ride hard through corners, I find that cornering on the GT is the most fun as it is quite limited speed wise on a fast straight road.

One thing I would suggest is going up in tyre pressure,the stock pressures are very very low, the other thing is "don't" put lighter oil in the front forks this will cause the front end to become softer & it will pogo wallow around in the corners.
as i said previously I personally cant fault the handling.

one of my favourite runs has some good bends & rural roundabouts, one long sweeping bend in particular I can do at 75mph no problem & the bike dosnt move at all & that's No Exaggeration!!, some other shorter corners I can almost get the pegs scraping.

Spending money changing the suspension on this particular bike would be a waist of money in my opinion, its just not fast enough to warrant it.

I have opened up the air box on mine fitted a K&N + a Motad Can & put a 40T rear Sprocket on,the 40T gets it revving & going much quicker especially for overtaking in the higher gears, now no need to go down the box from or 5th to overtake.
Rod Gaskel MotoGB's warranty manager put me onto the Rear Sprocket, he fitted one on his GT & he,like me loves it.

Good Luck

[Jones43]

Hi Greaser
Thanks for the feedback it's really nice to get other owners opinions, don't get me wrong I am not at all dissatisfied with the overall handling of the GT for a £5k bike I just think it could soak up the bumps better,
I will be fitting Hagon shocks just as much for the look as the ride, the Paioli look like shocks fitted from a 40 year newer bike and I am trying to get a full 60s look with mine.
I will certainly try your suggestion of playing with tyre pressures, 20/30 does seem odd to me.
The 40 tooth back sprocket sounds interesting, I am surprised the bike will do 75 with that on, I was thinking of going down to 34 for my next trip to the IOM !!!
Where did you get the 40 T sprocket from our host only lists up to 38.
I already have the Motad and K&N you say that you opened up the filter box, did you just drill some holes ?.
Top of my shopping list , proper Clip-ons and a Half Fairing, and when available I will get some cams etc,

[greaser]

Jones43

The 40T sprocket I had specially made.... you say you are surprised I can do 75mph with this on,I can now do 75mph in 4rth gear with this on, I don't think you understand what the larger rear sprocket actually does for the bikes gearing,it lowers the gearing so you can get the engine revving quicker in each gear, & in top gear I can now get to 90+mph no problem, with the original 36T sprocket I could not get the bike to go any more than 80/85ish in top gear revving a around or slightly over 5000rpm & that took forever to get there simply because he gearing was too high.
The airbox is too restrictive even with a K&N so I have cut off the snail-type air intake hole that's part of the plastic cover which open up the box enabling it to breath much better, also fitted a iridium spark plug, the bike starts first pull every time.
The bike also seems to sound much healthier & with much less vibration.

Regarding he fork oil the oil has already in from he factory is only 2W according to the manual, I did not know anyone could get 2w oil, it must be like water, so if anything & especially for performance & handling it wants to thicker oil not thinner, not that you get owt thinner than 2w......I have a 2013 Triumph Thruxton also the fork oil I have in have in it is 15w, along with Ikon progressive springs & Ikon Rear Shocks also Pirelli Sport Demon tyres, The Thruxton needed this upgrade as the stock set up & stock Metzella tyres are Crap, now its on rails,& my 535GT handles almost just as well & without any suspension mods.

535GT front tyre pressure 28psi & rear 35psi

[Jones43]

Hi Greaser, once again thanks for the info, I thought that I did understand the principles of gearing, I have raced on and off since 1968, and I currently run a 1969 Thruxton Bonneville in parades etc. inc the Classic TT for which I fit a smaller rear sprocket , I am very interested in trying all of your advice on the GT I will mod the Air Box today and up the Tyre Pressure ,
What'll number plug are you using, I will get one of them to, are you going to change the ECU ?

[apparently lucky eddie]

As a fellow former racer I'm sure you know and as Greaser said in other words, bigger rear sprocket = more acceleration, smaller rear sprocket = more top end. The problem is that the bog standard enfield simply does n't have the power to achieve that higher top speed. Therefore the compromise is a reasonable top speed but get there quicker by fitting a bigger rear sprocket. Obviously a modified motor will get there even quicker still and then some. As for 2w oil - whats that, WD40?!

[greaser]

Hi Guys
I am not sure without taking the plug out what the number was [its a few months since I fitted it] but I think its a 5 heat range.... give NGK a ring the will let you know. you will get a 40T Sprocket made from "Talon" http://www.talon-eng.co.uk/ £54.
When cutting up the airbox cover I just used a hack saw and cut off that trumpet thing & then smoothed off the edges with my dremel, anyone who did not know would not tell it had been altered. I fitted 19T front sprocket on the Triumph Truxton [stock18T] I found that it was revving too much with the 18 on & when in 5th gear I was always looking for another gear, I have also had it re-mapped fitted with "British Custom USA" tuning kit, which includes preditor exhaust, Air box removal, SAi removed, K&N cone filters, rear fender removed tail tidy fitted, gold chain & sprocket, relocated & fitted smaller indicators,plus the suspension mods I mentioned in the previous post....it looks terrific & goes like stink [aprox' 15bhp over stock]but it seems a lot more.


Eddie it must be WD40 or similar, but that's what it says in the hand/service book, I am tending to think its a printing error, but who knows, I could be curry sauce.

[greaser]

Forgot to answer one question in the previous post above regarding the ECU, I am thinking of going to Torquetune at Ollerton next year,he does lots of rolling road tuning, ECU's etc,etc, & he has a very good reputation.