Head shake

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So is the S model worth it? Why not just get a Base and swap the shock?
For what I want to do with a bike? Hell yes. The fixed mode is one of the reasons I went with the S. I can have the dynamic suspension for my daily commute and soften it up, I can set it to be harder for the broken choppy back roads around here, or I can go with fixed if it seems to work better at a certain track ...

If I was just racing a bike, I would have gone with an "R" with it's regular Ohlins suspension, but the S kinda gives me that as well as dynamic.

I have had over 30 bikes and tried Ohlins, Penske, Bitubo and some ther stuff and when it comes down to it, Ohlins has the most widespread support and knowledge base, so I decided on the S. For me it makes complete sense.

Cheers.
 
Try to sort out the headshake via setup. A stiffer spring on the rear shock may help; it has helped me in the past with headshake and more importantly with being able to finish corners on the gas.

Make sure you keep a very light grip on the bars and stay in the gas. Sometimes, it just happens. My R6 Superbike is setup like a dream...and I still get headshake in certain spots on certain tracks. It happens. Just stay loose, stay in the gas and it will work itself out.

Most importantly, when you get bad headshake, always give your brakes a quick/light squeeze before you get deep into your next braking zone. Headshake can push the pads back into the calipers...which means when you initially grab the brakes, you won't have any. If you are at race pace and braking at the last possible second, that extra grab it takes to put the pads back in contact with the rotors is enough to send you off the track.

More than one career has been ended due to the aforementioned scenario and entering the next braking zone only to find out there are no brakes.
 
Hi there,
If you had Dave Moss at your place then you are lucky man. What settings did you work out and how much do you weigh? Appreciate any info mate.

Cheers,
 
Hi there,
If you had Dave Moss at your place then you are lucky man. What settings did you work out and how much do you weigh? Appreciate any info mate.

Cheers,
I weigh 195 lbs (need to drop 20 lbs)... He set my sag figures correctly to 25mm rear and 35mm front (if you want it softer, you can go as far as 40mm front and 30mm rear).

We then rode the bike around and did the usual stuff to get to the FIXED settings.

I just had the bike out yesterday and spanked the living hell out of it on my local backroads and it was near perfect; I did add 1 to the rear rebound and that got it spot-on. I won't be able to tell more, until I get it to the track, but that's the fastest I have ever ridden those roads on any of my bikes and the 1299 felt far more stable, precise and able to deal with things like mid-corner bumps than any bike I have ever ridden.

My decision to go with the 1299S was the right one; the Ohlins when set up correctly is sublime and confidence inspiring.

P.M. me for more info.

Cheers.
 
My new 1299 had viscous headshake as described, like I couldn't open the throttle in a straight line no matter how loose I was on the bars, etc.

Started by loading in the damping settings that JPH had arrived at for my 1199R. Better, but still bad. I'd already set my sag numbers identical within a mm or so.

Did some sleuthing and compared the geometry, and found that the 1299S had 10mm less ride height in the rear than the old R (which I'd never had headshake problems with). Cranked the 1299 up to match, and rode it yesterday. Totally different bike, and now almost no issues, even grabbing the throttle going into Pacific Raceways front "straight" which is bumpy and kicks the front end around all over the place. I think the ride height setting on the Base/S bikes is to blame, if you ask me. I had a base 1199 originally that did the same thing, but it didn't have the kind of power the 1299 has to amplify it.

If you don't have any other good ideas, I'd start with this, and see what it does from there.
 
Another thing, again, just my recommendation so take it for what it's worth. First day out, we'd forgotten to do the tire calibration for my slicks, and it caused the IMU/DES system to go haywire after about 5 laps.

When you are in Dynamic suspension mode, if the system takes a dump, it goes to some unknown suspension damping settings (full soft, who knows). At any rate, if this happens on the road, probably no big deal. If this happens while you are trail braking into Turn 1 at your favorite track, this is going to be a rude wake-up call. I was fortunate that when it happened on mine, I was about the middle of a medium speed back-straight. The front end started feeling really bad and mushy for the next few turns. I had to more or less limp around to get off the track as I wasn't trusting the front end at all.

Point to the rambling: I will not run Dynamic mode on the track for fear of getting wiped out by a DES error code. Since the tire calibration, I haven't had any more problems, but all the same...
 
My new 1299 had viscous headshake as described, like I couldn't open the throttle in a straight line no matter how loose I was on the bars, etc.

Started by loading in the damping settings that JPH had arrived at for my 1199R. Better, but still bad. I'd already set my sag numbers identical within a mm or so.

Did some sleuthing and compared the geometry, and found that the 1299S had 10mm less ride height in the rear than the old R (which I'd never had headshake problems with). Cranked the 1299 up to match, and rode it yesterday. Totally different bike, and now almost no issues, even grabbing the throttle going into Pacific Raceways front "straight" which is bumpy and kicks the front end around all over the place. I think the ride height setting on the Base/S bikes is to blame, if you ask me. I had a base 1199 originally that did the same thing, but it didn't have the kind of power the 1299 has to amplify it.

If you don't have any other good ideas, I'd start with this, and see what it does from there.

What kind of ride height and sag numbers are you using? 25/35?
 
Hello all. Could someone please provide me with some good base setting to try for spirited street riding. 6'2" 220lbs. I see 25mm/35mm setting as a start but was hoping for some rebound and compression setting to start with as well. Thank you so much in advance.

Wanted to ask another question. I noticed that my bike rear it set to F not P. But some of the videos I have watched on line the bike has the rear linkage set to P. Can someone please explain. I have read the manual but would like some feedback from the forum.

Thank you again.

Dave
 
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You should go chase around the guys who purchased the "R" and tell 'em how you're amazingly content with your base model.

I'm actually amazingly content with my R.........

Having said that, it is nice to get a bike and have to to do absolutely nothing with it. Paid premium, but now I don't have to shell out on new parts for a brand new bike :confused: to make it the bike I was actually looking for?!?! It all balances out in the end
 
I hope you read all of the previous posts leading up that comment...

But damn, I hope you're content with the Pani R. Such a sick ride.
 
When I finally get content with how I want the bike a new bike usually takes its place shortly thereafter.
 
No one is content with anything for long, it's the human disease

This.

All of my bikes go through 4 phases.

1. I ride it on the street in stock form and enjoy the "newness".

2. Then I race it in Superstock form (SS motor build, suspension, brake lines/pads, exhaust and tune for race fuel, rearsets, levers, bodywork and tires).

3. Once I get bored of it in that trim, I go Superbike with it (Superbike motor build, Marchesini wheels, Brembo MC and Rotors, aftermarket clutch, Triples, etc).

4. It goes up for sale because I get the fever for something new.

Every one of my bikes has gone through those 4 phases. Sometimes I will keep them and use them on the street instead of selling them (my RSV4 has been returned to the street). But no matter what it is, how fast it is or how modded it is, I get bored and want something new.

Part of me is actually disappointed with the 1299S because it already has good suspension, brakes, aftermarket wheels, etc and there isn't much I can do to it.
 
Chaotic - the offshore drilling business must pay well my friend, but you're usually near a rig somewhere?
 
Chaotic - the offshore drilling business must pay well my friend, but you're usually near a rig somewhere?

I actually don't work offshore anymore. I am a shorebased Superintendent. :)

But yeah, I am out of the country a good bit.
 
Hello all. Could someone please provide me with some good base setting to try for spirited street riding. 6'2" 220lbs. I see 25mm/35mm setting as a start but was hoping for some rebound and compression setting to start with as well. Thank you so much in advance.

Wanted to ask another question. I noticed that my bike rear it set to F not P. But some of the videos I have watched on line the bike has the rear linkage set to P. Can someone please explain. I have read the manual but would like some feedback from the forum.

Thank you again.

Dave
F is flat rate, P is progressive rate. Flat rate means the suspension compresses at the same rate throughout it's travel; progressive means the suspension gets progressively stiffer through it's travel. Progressive is really only for riding two up, or if you want a bit more comfort for your street riding. Personally, I leave it on F for all my riding.

If you want to try some FIXED settings, rather than leave the bike to sort it out in dynamic, try these as a baseline for your weight - P.S. this is ONLY if you have your sag set correctly!!!

Front compression 14
Front rebound 12
Rear compression 10
Rear rebound 9
Steering damper 10

Cheers.
 

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