"Handling" Mr. Moto

Since I had just about everything off of the bike and I was doing some pretty significant changes to the suspension and brake system, I figured I might as well do just a little bit more. Let me list the changes I've done to him, since the end of last year.

1) Changed the oil to a racing synthetic
2) Put in a K&N oil filter
3) Flushed the radiator and used Water Wetter
4) Raised the gas tank 1/2" to increase air flow
5) Replaced front and rear brake lines with Galfer S/S
6) Replaced front and rear brake pads with Galfer
7) New Dunlop 208ZR tyre in front
8) Flushed brake fluid and replaced with Galfer SuperDot4
9) Swapped the rear shock with a GSX-R, which raised the rear by 1/2"
10) Installed Race-Tech .80 fork springs
11) Installed Race-Tech cartridge emulators
12) Changed fork oil to Bel-Ray 15W at 130mm
13) Dropped triple-clamps 2mm to influence head angle
13) Adjusted sag, both front and rear, to 32mm

Some of these changes are more significant than others, but all together, wow! they really make a difference! The handling is a little more plush (though I can't tell the difference as much as others have raved about it on the Net). The suspension feels so much more confident, whereas I can't really tell how fast I'm going anymore. Because of the suspension advances, the bike sits higher off the ground, making it harder for me at stoplights, but the tradeoff is remarkable. And it might just be having a new rounder front tire up there, but it doesn't take hardly any pressure to initiate a turn. It's like the bike had power-steering- almost like the bike can read my mind, when I want to turn! The braking is more crisp, which is really noticable from higher speeds. And since I made those simple maintenance adjustments with the clockworks of the bike (i.e. motor oil and air intake), Mr. Moto runs through the mid-range much more freely. Very sweet! All in all, the cost of all what was forementioned was a hair under $600, but then there's tax, and of course, there's always some lube, solvent or tool that you're going to end up paying for.