Raptor Chapter

hi,all, had my vraptor 1000 for about 3 months now, love the bike. one thing is putting me off though, i cant take islands and tight corners as well as i could on my previous inline fours! is it me? or is this normal with a v-twin?
have tried higher gear/lower gear but still cant master it. anyone got any tips?? i do ride quick, but islands and corners are my thing, not into top speed stuff. if i cant get it sorted i will have to let her go(which i dont want) but i need my handling!!

Hi and welcome... apart from the obvious , tyre pressures, bearings etc... I know it sounds silly but try changing down 2 gears.. put the raptor into her "growl zone" and relax.

....there will now be a selection of people with more techical suggestions about changing forks, triangles ..... Mine is still bog stock and 99% of the time is still better than I am so I might not be the person to ask

Hi griff,

what seems to be "wrong" thats stopping you taking corners as well?

Is it just you are slower?

Is it feeling jittery or heavy?

Is your bike completely standard?

Are all the things Shebee mentioned checked and OK?

Hard to diagnose without more info really!

Give us some details and you never know.............................

Martin

Hiya - sorry to hear your not enjoying your rappy to its full potential

The twin is a very different ride to a four and especially the gearing - I tend to take roundabouts in first or second if pushed - anything to keep the revs up else it becomes a little less stable. The extreme engine braking can take some fighting but can be beaten with the right rev range and rear brake stability - well that what seems to work for me but we are all different and I'm sure there will be different advice out there

Hi Griff, I agree with all the above points as having come from a background of four cylinder bikes, I found the roundabouts etc a challenge. My work colleague who is much more experienced than me (on his umpteenth Ducati-rich git!) says with a v twin always keep a little bit of power going to the back wheel-even if you have to slip the clutch a bit. I tried it and he's right. The other thing which helps a lot on corners of all speeds is jacking the back up a bit using triangles. I did this last month and the difference in agility is amazing although it makes straight line stability is a bit more twitchy. Loads of threads about that on here. Stick with it, its worth the wait when you master it!

Another thing that helps is getting your backside off the bike ie keep the bike more upright. And yes triangles help. Do you find the forks too hard? Are you on standard tyre sizes? Good luck the bike will grow on you.

what they said ^^^^

It's not you it's just V twins are different - try lower gear - get the revs at 6k ish


Oh and welcome to RaptorChapter

When you say "handling" do you mean the roadholding or are you referring to the drive from the engine?

If it's the latter then I'd agree with the others - you just need to adapt your style a little and get used to the V twin delivery.
I was concerned when I changed from IL4 to V twin but soon got used to it - having had big singles helps. I prefer to run a 15tooth front sprocket which helps smooth things out a bit at lower speeds but it does muck up the speedo readings to a degree.

I'm like you in that I prefer tight twisties to fast sweepers and think the V twin is perfect for the task. You have so much more spread of power and gear selection is less critical - unless you are used to a 1200 Bandit or something.

Stick with it - I cannot believe you'll go back

The Rap was my 1st real v-twin after years of il4`s and i thought i`d made a mistake untill discovering what others have said here.Keep the revs up in a lower gear and even slip the clutch a little.At small throttle openings the response is very snatchy and you can end up going round roundabouts like they are a 50p piece.Now i try and do all of them slightly on the power and now it`s a revelation and could not imagine going back to a 4 with throttle response like elastic.I like to feel the GO as soon as i twist the grip although they do need a little respect in slippy conditions and now i spin the rear out of bends and roundabouts on a regular basis ,I LOVE IT !!!!!!!!.

whats the width of your tire ? rappy is a heavier bike for the sv650 engine so make sure your rear tire hasnt sqauared out which affect your (slow) speed leaning angle dramatically. you get the square rear tire easy on 180 tires easy in the US due to long high speed commuting on the straights.. also make sure that your forks have oil and are straight... cheers

hi, everyone, thanks for all the advice, think i,ve cracked it with the v-raptor,fitted a tre, and a power commander, what a difference!!!!! highly reccomend!!! i must post some pics of my bike as i think its one of the best looking bikes out there.
need some new tyres as the front is worn and i allways change them as a pair. thinking bridgestones, anybody got any suggestions on tyre choice? cheers.

Michelin Pilot Powers both ends have worked a treat for me this year. 7000 miles of commuting and other stuff. Rear started squaring off at 4k, but a more twisty route to work has evened it out a lot-just means I have to get up 15 mins earlier! Front looks perfect. Very pointy shape so difficult to get to edge of tyre though. Very grippy, even in wet but I believe the Pilot Power 2ct is even better, being harder in the middle and (even) softer at the edges. May well stick one of those on the back in Spring.