Very True Sixpac577. I will check the front breaks if they are ceramic, if not I will order a ceramic embedded pads. I will check the Brocks exhaust and the Power commander from him.
They probably are not.
Look for EBC HH "Extreme Pro", they are not the same as standard HH, as those don't have ceramic.
I have not used Veshra, but I know they make a high quality synthetic as good as the Extreme Pro's, only a different material.
Do not buy Race Specific pads, even from top name companies. As they are no good on the street.
Their compound is designed to work best when hot, as they are used constantly in a road race. When on the street, and not always using brakes often, they cool quickly, and work like wood blocks, much worse than stock.
I can't tell in the pics, but if you don't yet have stainless steel front brake lines, they make a big difference in lever feel.
If your grips and levers are comfortable to you, perfect. If not, try different kinds until you find what fits your hands the best. Move your levers up/down/left/right, until their position is perfect.
These little changes make a huge difference in control.
Everyone has their own riding style, but I always have 1 or 2 fingers on the brake and clutch levers, always in a good spot to control and change grip immediately.
As for suspension sag, you'll never get it great on a stretch and lowered, but, you can make a dramatic improvement in how the bike rides, stops, and handles. Nose dive under braking can really affect the handling, good or bad. And how rough or sloppy it is over bumps.
Bike suspensions are set to nothing from the factory, and are set by rider weight.
99.9% chance you can turn a few screws front and back, compression and rebound, and move the lock rings on the rear shock, and make a noticeable improvement. Nothing to it.
Basically, with your stretch and lower, you want to stand next to the bike, upright, hold front brake, and push the front down as hard and fast as you can. You want the forks to return to their normal position, as quickly and smoothly as possible. You don't want a double bounce as the forks return to the top and settle, or slow, or stiff, or sloppy. You'll know it when you find it, as you can imagine a sloppy suspension pogo sticking or sliming down the road. As opposed to you and the bike staying parralell to the road, with the suspension working between you, without disturbing the bike.
The fork should be "sagged" roughly 1/3.
Broken into 3, the first third is the "laden" sag, where it rests under it's own weight and the rider's weight, the middle third is where you want the forks to work, and the last third of travel before the forks bottom out, should be basically you're over rev. The middle for the ride, the bottom third for the pothole and speed bumps. If that makes sense.
Turn the compression and rebound screws on both forks fully clockwise.
Then count your turns, half turns counter clockwise. equally per side.
Play with it. Start with a ballpark, 3 turns compression, 4 turns rebound. Is it good? I'll bet noticeably different, but in need of improvement. Pick compression or rebound, and go 2 full turns back.
Now bounce it again. You'll feel the difference, and you'll get the idea of what you're trying to accomplish.
Keep playing with it, as long as you don't force a screw, you can't mess it up. You just go back to full clockwise, and you can find some baseline settings to get you close.
A wrench to turn the nut on the top of the forks. Make sure the number of visible rings is the same on both. This is spring preload. You will feel it in the bounce. 2 lines feels right? 4? Start all the way in or out.
On the rear, much the same.
Have someone around your weight sit on it. You hold the rear seat and push down fast.
You could likely benefit from backing the lock rings off to just a couple visible threads above them when they're tight(you can buy the right size spanner wrench, better yet, an adjustable spanner wrench, or a big flat blade screwdriver and hammer, just be careful not to damage the rings with that). That'll really smooth it out for you, make it not too harsh over bumps. Do the compression and rebound the same. The rear shock will likely turn out to 16-18 turns, as opposed to 4-6 on the front, just an average. Try 10-12 turns, bounce, and go up or down as needed.
After being happy with the settings, go for a ride, on the typical road conditions you normally do.
See how it feels, nope, still not right, pull over, get out your flat blade screw driver and wrench, adjust it, ride, repeat.
If you get frustrated, no biggie, you are learning to do what every sportbike/dirtbike rider should know how to do, do first on any bike they get, but yet such a small percentage actually know how or do.
Correct suspension sag for the riders weight makes the bike ride, stop, and handle at it's fullest potential.
It's done correctly by supporting the bike on stands and measuring. If the front is right and the rear is wrong, or vice versa, the whole ride suffers.
As said earlier, a stretch and lower is a different thing. The by hand and eye I described works well, and once you get the hang of it, you can set suspension on the roadside, and for anyone. It'll get you in the ballpark for when you measure. Which is still back to roadside to dial in.
Sorry, I didn't mean to write a book.
You've done so much to bike, don't stop where most guys do.
Suspension isn't magic, or difficult, but makes a Huge difference overall, and once you figure it out, you'll be able to look at tire wear, and learn to turn a screw a half turn or 2 and change it.
Give it a shot. If no one you ride with knows how, become the guy in your group that does.
Maybe there's an org member within riding distance of you that could give you a hand.
Enough of my rambling......
