AberdeenBikers

Hi folks. I am riding my 1st big bike(kwak ZZR 600 only picked up on 22/11/11). When was out today the bike was wanting to veer off to the same direction of the wind and find myself fighting with the bike (50mph +) is this normal in wind or is it something else? I have a new rear tyre on and tyre pressures should be correct. Also my left hand seems to be getting quite stiff after riding, could this be my riding style?

Any advise would be welcome and much appreciated

The ZZR is a wee bit slab sided and will be affected by wind. It is a little disconcerting at first, but all bikes suffer buffeting to some degree or other.

Stiff hands could be a sign of being tense on the bike. It will also affect shoulders.

Zathos wrote:The ZZR is a wee bit slab sided and will be affected by wind. It is a little disconcerting at first, but all bikes suffer buffeting to some degree or other.

Stiff hands could be a sign of being tense on the bike. It will also affect shoulders.

Take it there is no way to minimise the veering off, at the time felt like I was coming off the road put could be panicing but braking seemed to have pulled it back in line, when you say slab sided what is meant

When looking at the side of the bike it is a big flat shape. If the wind hits the side it acts like a sail and pushes the bike. Even worse when the wind isn't constant as it can be difficult to predict.

The long wheelbase on the ZZR makes it more prone to wind than physically smaller bikes.

Applying a wee bit of brake will firm up the suspension and create a gyroscopic effect to straighten up the bike. Hence the reason it is damn hard to turn and brake at the same time

A wee dod of rear brake can help pull the bike upright, but your best friend is counter steering.
Sounds daft but if you want the bike to go right push the end of the right handlebar away from you slightly. This will initiate a dip to the right, then normal steering takes over.

Gentle movements are the key. Practice on a straight road to get the feel. it will help with small corrections like wind buffeting.

You do get used to it and I'm sure others will have tips to help

Is your back wheel straight in the swinging arm ? I badly adjusted rear wheel could cause the bike to veer to one side , defo worth checkin it out as it's a bit of a safety issue

Ok thanks prob my inexperaince showing Zathos that makes a lot of sense, but is it worth putting on stiffer/after market rear suspension to stabalize the bike bit better, some researching in some forums i`ve done last wee while are saying this helps so hard to tell whats fact sometimes.

Steve that would be worth looking at for sure,thing is its going to be anoying if that is the case as just been serviced at Eccosse before I picked it from them, also there is a break in the veering off and is not constant

A mate of mine has a ZZR600 , its a few years newer than yours and he loves it , he hasn't modified it at all from standard , he has set the rear shock on it's hardest pre load setting as he takes a pillion alot , if I were you I would ask a much more experienced rider than yourself to ride the bike to see if they can identify any potential problems or safety issues with your bike , if there is issues with your bike your not happy with I suggest you go back to Ecosse and tell them

I'm off the rest of the week if you want a second pair of eyes to look at it or take it for a spin. If you're happy with that then I'll get googling some standard suspension settings and make sure it's on a base setting, set up the static sag for your weight (assuming we have enough adjustment) and take it from there.

The Rossi Kid wrote:I'm off the rest of the week if you want a second pair of eyes to look at it or take it for a spin. If you're happy with that then I'll get googling some standard suspension settings and make sure it's on a base setting, set up the static sag for your weight (assuming we have enough adjustment) and take it from there.

That would be brill bud, very much appriciated i`m free from 1300-1430 today/thur. all day friday after 1300 and till 1630 sat. If you could help I would be in debt to you
pm me and could give you my mob n.o

OK, we'll go for tomorrow pm. Haven't found a standard setting online for the 2000 model specifically but have found several sources quoting these as good setting for the road, what do the previous owners on here (Zathos, MeepMeep) make of them?

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The Rossi Kid wrote:OK, we'll go for tomorrow pm. Haven't found a standard setting online for the 2000 model specifically but have found several sources quoting these as good setting for the road, what do the previous owners on here (Zathos, MeepMeep) make of them?

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Ok Rossi thats great I will pm you my number so you could txt me a meeting place etc

Thanks "The Rossi Kid". I defo have a better understanding of things and feel more confident about things and will continue to practise what you said when the weather allows, any time I can return the favour please ask (used to work as sky engineer for AVC). Funny how the simplest of things make a big difference really enjoyed things today and learnt allot