Gotta have faith!

[Skid Jackson]

In the front tire (dunlop 756)

I have an 01 drz E. I don't have any faith in the front tire. It seems to wash out alot plus i don't feel as though i get alot of feed back from it. I just seems vague and inspires no confidence. I also doesn't seem to want to turn in. It seems as if it wants too fall overwhen you go to lean it. this is starting to bum me out. My learning curve has gone flat and it's not going to go up again till i get this front end thing figured out.

I don't know if it's me or the bike

I rode from age 12 to 18 or 20 then got a drz about this time last year. Now 40, that's a 20 year lay off for you special ed types!! I've probably got 600 or so miles on it.

I just had factory connection install heavier springs and do a re-revalve front and back. I told them to set it up for trail riding, and they were familiar with where i ride. For those in NH it is Clough state park. Which is your typical eastern, roots rocks, and mud. there is lots of trail junk to deal with, softball size rocks in your line, loose stick etc etc. Definitely technical riding.

Does anyone know of any drills i could do to develop a little faith in the front end. the trails are all one way. trying to run the same section over and over can be dangerous(why are you going the wrong way? I'm practicing. what being an idiot??) and sometimes impossible because it's too tight to turn around. the only place to practice anything, on a quick repetitive basis, is a 1 acre field in the park. It has a "dirt oval" track w/too big bermed turns at each end and the usual whoops. It has some nice flat grassy areas and a small gravel pit, up hill type entrance. so there are some different types of terrian to play with there

What can i do in this area that will help me develope a "feel for the front end" and try an figure out why my bike feels like it wants to fall over when i lean it. the drz is a little wide at the gas tank so oyu can't get up on it like a mx bike (damn those things are skinny!) I think i may have over tightened the steering head bearings and plan to loosen them up next time out. this may help the fall over syndrome. I have also been playing around w/ the clicker settings and sag but haven't gotten anything "sweet" yet.
Thoughts anyone??
Thank You

 

[dirt bike dave]

Three thoughts:

1) Steering damper

2) Michelin S12 front tire w/heavy duty tube

3) Practice Super tight figure 8's

 

[Smitty]

Practice braking before the turn and turning the throttle on through the apex. Also focus on leaning the bike but leaving your torso upright.

 

[mackay]

Is everything else OK?? Is the front brake dragging?? I've had poor front tires but nothing like what you are describing ... man that sounds miserable.
If it washes out that much my thought would be front brake probs

 

[02CR]

What tire presure are you running? Do you lean back or lean forward when taking turns? Leaning forward will get some weight on the front wheel and help it to not wash out. Do you go into the turn standing up? If as you go into the turn (standing up ) and as you are entering the turn you sit down as far forward as you can, leaning your upper body forward and extending the inside or low side leg out ( all in one motion) I think you will stop having the washout problem.
Also putting weight on the outside peg through the turn is critical. Also as has been mentioned all over, don't look directly in front of you look at the exit of the berm or turn or even up the track where you will be shortly. As dirt bike dave said practice tight figure 8's on different types of terrain. Post back with your progress but most of all HAVE FUN!!

 

[drudin]

Skid, I too have recently started riding again after 18 years off and I also have an 01 DRZ400E.
I know NOTHING about tires... but I do know that tight turns on this bike were unnerving at first. This bike is pretty heavy!
I had to practice during odd hours (so I wouldn't be a menace) and run circles and figure eights til I was sick of them. Than, when I started riding the track, I found that I could wash out anytime by using too much front brake. (ouch)
Try using more engine compression to brake and have confidence that this bike will stand RIGHT BACK UP with some throttle. Oh yeah... an after market pipe beefed up my low end horsepower for moments like these.
have fun... don't give up! after only 3 months of riding I'm tearing it up (sort of)
Dan

 

[Z0RR0]

Use your rear brake!
I once lost my rear brake (for some reason that I don't remember) and for the rest of that race, I kept losing the front end.
Be sure not to cut the throttle ompletely during the curve...just keep it rolling...it will help a lot with the balance ofthe bike

Maybe you're not sitting far out in front enough...
Maybe your tire pressure is wrong...
Maybe you should lower your front end (raise the forks in the clamps)...

 

[dell30rb]

Keep in mind that most four strokes dont turn very well with the throttle off!

Try using tjust a little bit fo throttle during a turn, and whatever you do DONT BACK OFF!!! Backing off the gas will almost surely send you into a wash-out. I wiped out at least 5 times on this one berm until Ike de jager (a gary semics certified instructor) waved me down and told me what I was doing wrong. I would start the turn with a little bit of throttle, but I would chop it if I felt like the tire was going to wash out. He said the idea was to give it a little bit of steady throttle about 1/4 way through the turn, and then roll it on while exiting the turn.

Like smitty said, it is also a very good Idea to lean the bike and not the body! (In most turns)

 

[Skid Jackson]

thanks for the replies guys!!
I took some of your advice and put it to use this past sunday. I think most of my problems are rider related!! I did much better. I think my body position was bad and i was chopping the throttle too much!!