Sunday 21 June 2015

Blue Rhino

After the day in the Hills yesterday I thought it wise to keep Coastal today.

A couple of mates joined for a cruise Bayside.
It's the middle of Winter.
The sky was bright and Blue.

Not a breath of wind.

No better way to spend Sunday.









As with any bike - I don't really name them. 
The Ape was called 'Ape' due to being an Aprilia. 

The 'Kawasaki' was 'Kawa' or 'Kwaka'....
The Yamaha is 'Yammy' or 'Yam'....

One of my riding mates clocked my state registered number plate and coined the new Girl "Rhino"



Well.......she is Matte Grey and a little full on....

Hmmmm.....that might stick. 

Always a pleasure Gentleman. 

\BitSar
..........Blue and Grey.......avoiding ivory poachers. 

Saturday 20 June 2015

A Matte Grey - kind of day

'There be Fog in those there hills.....'

I am a proponent of riding in all conditions, to the conditions.
You never know when you'll get caught out in bad weather or when you'll need to change modes and settle in to get the distance covered.

It's important to learn these skills.
It's better to learn on your own terms.

I knew the Hills would be cold, foggy and somewhat dodgy this morning - great opportunity to put the MT09 through its paces and see how she dances when things aren't quite right.

I head in the general direction of Emerald, the fog is hanging in the distance - the dash reads 8 degrees Celsius.

Heated grips on. 100 percent. Check.

The temperature continues to drop, eventually bottoming out at 4 degrees as I pass over Mount Burnett in a roundabout way to Gembrook. I'm getting on with the bike - beginning to to understand her a little more.......BANG! The rear lets go instantaneously, the bars dip violently - I've just hit some black-ice.

Settle down - settle in. All is well - you 'saved' it.

I continue calmly allowing the adrenaline to subside before pulling over to take a break.

Matte Grey MT on a Matte Grey day



Time to push on. I take a detour to Nar Nar Goon (north) - some small roads out this way which will allow me to come off pace entirely and enjoy the scenery. The fog is persistent, however there are moments of clarity, both in mind and environment.

The Sun desperately peeking through


As I'm backing up to take the photo above I almost literally fall into a Wombat borrow. The little fella is probably keeping warm inside. 


Detour over - back on track towards Gembrook. 
The fog is lifting somewhat and I'm in good spirits. 
Fleeting patches of Sun break through and the MT is behaving herself - more or less.


I am mindful of the kilometres already travelled and the odometer reading. I'm kissing 900kms and my 1,000km service isn't booked for a couple more days.

I point her nose home and look forward to defrosting. 
All in all, an educative ride with the new girl. 
The suspension still needs some work, possibly even a rebuild.
But at the heart, the motor is sublime and she has good bones - a light chassis, great ergonomics and a willingness to dance. 

\BitSar
........Hey Mr. Wombat......anyone Home?

Wednesday 17 June 2015

Kriega tailbag: Setup

I've been using my Kriega US-30 for well over 5 years now.

In that time it's seen daily commuting, overnighters, running errands and everything in between.
It's seen torrential rain and extreme heat.
It's 100% waterproof, rugged as hell, and relatively lightweight.
It has never let me down.


The US-30 provides enough room for a large laptop to lay flat for commuting to the office.

I can easily store my wets and basic tools and still fit extra clothes, shoes and whatever else I need for touring.

Off the bike it has a shoulder strap so you can lug it around easily.

All. Very. Versatile.

So - by way of the new MT09, it was time to again setup the Kriega.


Step 1
Remove the seat to access the sub-frame - you'll need to locate some spot to thread the mounting straps. 

For the rear straps I used the last set of frame tags which hold the rear faring on


Step 2
Use two of the four straps supplied and thread one through on each side



Step 3
Repeat Step 2 for the forward mounting straps. 
I used the gap between the sub-frame and the seat-lock. 


Step 4
Tidy up all the dangling straps and make things neat. 


Step 5
Attach bag.
Done and done



In the past I've used cumbersome Ventura packs and their associated (and required) frames which attach to the bike - this type of luggage is good, however it is not transferable from bike to bike. 

On the other hand, the Kriega gear can be used on any bike, it does not detract from the aesthetics, and when removed, leaves all but no trace of ever having been there - no frame, no brackets. 
Just - gone. 

\BitSar
The packhorse. 
-----more like, donkey....

Sunday 7 June 2015

Setup & Shakedown: Solo suspension & Tyres

Time to get busy setting up the Yammy.

It's no secret the stock suspension on the MT09 leaves most riders wanting, however it is adjustable - both front and back - so before a final assessment can be made, some tweaking is required.

As always, the first step is to record the default setup.
As per my previous post Setup: Solo Suspension my shorthand is as such:

R - Rings visible on suspension crown for preload
C - Clicks closed from fully open on rebound.

For the uninitiated, here is a very simplistic explanation of preload and rebound:

Preload
The suspension spring is statically compressed to increase preload tension, thereby requiring more force to further dynamically compress the spring. End result - stiffer suspension.

Rebound
Suspension rebound refers to the rate at which the suspension oil returns to 'rest'
The rebound adjustment manipulates a valve aperture which increases or reduces the rate at which the suspension oil can flow.

Open the aperture and you reduce rebound damping, thereby providing less resistance to oscillation.
Close the aperture and you increase rebound damping, thereby proving more resistance to oscillation.

The stock MT09 front-end settings were:
R = 6.5
C = 7


There is no doubt in my mind that I need to add preload and increase rebound damping.

After some adjusting, measuring and static tests I arrive at the following settings.
R = 4
C = 13

14mm Spanner - Preload adjustment (required evenly on both fork legs)

Flathead screwdriver - Rebound adjustment

Time to dial in the rear. Again first step is to record stock settings:

The rear shock has stepped notches ranging from 1 - 7 and a rebound screw without clicked internals. As such, my shorthand is as follows:

N = Notches from setting 1 preload
T = One full revolution of the screw head from fully closed

The stock MT09 rear-end settings were:
N = 4
T = 4.5



Again, after some fettling I arrived at:
N = 6
T = 1.5

Using the supplied C-Spanner to add preload

The rebound screw can be accessed via the left side of the bike through the frame

Finally I checked the tyre pressure - oh dear!
(F/R) - (38/40) psi

That won't do - especially if I'm going to kill these Dunlops. 

I reduce the cold pressure to:
(F/R) - (30/31) psi

After completing my setup and rechecking my work to ensure everything was cinched down I set off for a shakedown. Let the fun begin.

Day 2 - photo roll.



I stopped mid way through the ride to readjust the rear-end. She was chattering about.
I reduced preload and rebound to the following:

N = 5
T = 3.5

I think there is still room for improvement. I will let things bed down for a week or so of daily use and adjust as necessary. 

That said, the chassis is much more compliant after these changes. She is still a little misbehaved in the Hills, however in the Urban environment the adjustments have improved stability dramatically. 

\BitSar
Preloading the Yam whilst on the Rebound from the Ape......

Friday 5 June 2015

Yamaha MT-09. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

Today was both a day of sadness and happiness.
I was simultaneously and preemptively pining for the soon to be gone Ape, whilst excitedly anticipating the arrival of the new Yammy.

I busied myself in the morning with housework, bike-trade preparation and YouTube.
Trying NOT to play the waiting game......

Tick-tock.....

I'd been sitting in my riding gear for well over an hour - when the phone rings.
Yeah.........not toey at all..
The MT-09 is ready for pick up. Game on.

I make it to the dealer in record time to take delivery of the new girl and trade the old girl.
"Cheers fellas - see 'ya later."
Onto some black stuff.

First impressions of the MT-09A

The good:

  • The throttle mapping and ECU tune are greatly improved - dramatically so. Both A and STD modes are eager and satisfying whilst remaining usable. B-mode is not required. 
  • The mirrors are brilliant - excellent vision
  • The chassis is taught, tight and nimble with a small, flick-able footprint. 
  • That engine - sublime, tractable. Instant torque, instant response. A masterpiece.
  • The brakes have great feel and power, the ABS module has not diluted this. 
  • The gearbox is tight as a drum. I'm still breaking her in and clutchless shifts are laser precise. 
  • I LOVE THE ERGOS! Damn - nothing like a sit in bike steered by telepathy!

The not so good:
  • The OEM Dunlops are terrible - I'm going to reduce tyre pressure to shred them ASAP. Yuk!
  • The suspension is very soft. I have not yet adjusted from factory settings (plush), once I have dialled this in as much as possible I will reassess.

So. The time has come for this Blog to turn a corner.
Stay tuned for some Yammy antics.
Thanks Ape, you were a good girl. 

Day 1 - photo-roll.










/BitSar
I think I'm turning Japanese-A!........I really think so.