no more wiggles

I noticed that my '74 Commando was very susceptible to getting a bad head shake whenever I was crossing or riding on a longitudinal seam in the roadway. The bike was also very sensitive to minor crowns in the roadway and felt pretty instable.

Starting with the basics, I changed the tires. I had a set of Avon SuperVenoms on it with plenty of tread, but they were 12 years old. So I replaced them with new set of Avon RoadRiders. While I had the front wheel off, I decided to change the fork seals which were also 12 years old and leaking a little. Then, I figured that as long as I had the sliders off I'd do something I'd wanted to do for awhile, which is install a set of Lansdowne dampeners and go back to stock fork springs as I've never liked the Progressive springs that were in the forks. And, I also installed JS Motorsport's turcite fork bush kit upon the recommendation of forum member Stockie.

Just got the bike back today and went out for a nice ride. I'm happy to report that the head shake/wiggle that I used to get with even a small seam or painted line is now gone. The bike is completely stable, even when leaned over on a bad road with some grooves and high spots. Very nice. This may be more related to the tires than the Lansdowne kit, but whatever the reason, a very troubling stability problem is gone.

I don't have many miles with the Lansdowne dampeners, but I can say that the ride is good, the front end communicates with good feel and no clunking or bottoming. As I got some more confidence in the tires and suspension, I began riding more briskly and went into a few corners too hot. When that happened I just leaned the bike harder and gently applied the front brake to scrub some speed off and the bike kept it's angle and simply motored through the corner...it didn't try to stand up when I tapped the brake, no headshake, no drama at all. The front end really handles countersteering inputs nicely, whether I'm initially diving into a corner or making a minor adjustment in mid-corner. A light push on the handlebar is all that it takes, and again, no drama. So far, very pleased with this mod.

I also did some other upgrades when the fork work was being done and I'll post on those later.

Hi had exactly the same result with a new Avon Venom 100/90-19 front, new TT 100 -19 rear and Lansdowne damper inserts, didn't use JS bushes as there was no need at the time. Diodn't have quite the head shake you tell of, more high speed weave when crosing median line of change of tarmac edges.
Since rebushing and new spindle in the swingarm, bike even tighter now and tons more confidence in the front end as a track day recently revealed, never an issue to use the very edge of the tyre (no chicken strips)and governing factor now in cornering is the height of the standard foot pegs and my fear factor on some days or the wet ???
Regards Mike

Not to sure the dampers sort out wiggles,but they reduce high speed patter,so the track lads tell me.

john robert bould said:

Not to sure the dampers sort out wiggles,but they reduce high speed patter,so the track lads tell me.

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You don't know how good these Landowne units are until you revert to the old one. Swapped back to the Lansdowne's with in an hour. Sold the old stuff and never looked back.

Thank's for the feed back, i have sold over 350 set's but only a few ever report back. I suppose "No new's is good new's" hopefully :!:

john robert bould said:

"No new's is good new's" hopefully :!:

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You got that right!

I'm sure that I'll never get out on a track on this bike, but the stability on curves with rough surfaces make the Lansdowne kit a great upgrade for a street bike.

Just got back from a ride where I hit some long sweepers with choppy surfaces at 70 mph and the bike was rock solid. Impressive as hell for a 38 year old bike. Light touch on the bars, slide over on the seat a bit, drop the inside knee just a touch and cruise on through. As mentioned before, a complete lack of drama.

Just got back from a ride where I hit some long sweepers with choppy surfaces at 70 mph and the bike was rock solid. Impressive as hell for a 38 year old bike. Light touch on the bars, slide over on the seat a bit, drop the inside knee just a touch and cruise on through. As mentioned before, a complete lack of drama.

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Glad to hear the pleasure and stability gained with the hi end fork kit and new tires, BUT what you describe above is not very secure sounding to me at all but kind of scary to read as even my pure stock Combat takes lumpy sweepers w/o any body english or bracing - after decent tires mounted. If you really needed to shift off center on mild leaned sweepers for settled sense beware you are getting very close to sudden hinge onset if an extra lump encountered. Try the sweeper accelerating 5-10 mph faster to see if you got more than just new tire help, which was most dramatic handling anti-hinge improvement I've had on factory bike. With the forks also upgraded should be able to foul factory pegs on powered leans on fairly lumpy/gusty sweeper conditions before need of body english to settle out. New-ish tires on my once floppy eared Combat allows centered posture and steady state leans in long-ish turns with light fork effort so we just stay at set lean angle to guide around almost magically. That's what temps me to press some more till the weird stuff begins and I back down ahead of time.

Yesterday I had a real test comparison of with elites on completely factory Combat and only had to do as you describe, lean off some and steady forks some for almost no hint of hinge while going around with them 80-90 mph near pegs and not losing ground in the lumpy sweepers - just them pulling away out of turns on higher hp - that I could soon catch back up too before the next turn slowed them down again. i've got the perfect test rig and conditions to test Lansdowne forks with nothing else cluttering the issue and very much want to see what I may be missing out on too.

Steve, throw a set at your bike and give us all feed back, i wrote to John on several occasions and on here after I fitted mine and a track day recently reaasured me of the confidence and feed back in the front end.
Regards Mike

Oh my do I ever want to see what I may be missing out on. its In my long term plans to find best pecking order of mods to take on elites with Ms Peel. I can't-don't ignore the pleased reports of Lansdownes hi end kit, but also know hardy anyone presses Cdo's to point I get to and know it don't take much to improve a lot on factory clunkers. Much as my ego may suffer the acclaims of Lansdowne, deep down I'm tickled with pride he's moved the breed ahead w/o me. I'm still of *opinion* hobot Roadholders are better when the going gets tough but admit I do not know, so just personal opinion, open to change if I can test something better, will let world know.

Alas forks ain't the whole handling issue, so will take me two cycles to really find out, on factory Trixie and then tri-linked Ms Peel. I just need time/money interval w/o recovering another home to car to mower crisis. Rats got car wires 2 days ago so must preserve Trixie till its fixed.

One thing I'm curious about is what Lansdownes do on panic pull downs. Please attempt front lock up as if car or bull in the way to see if dives too much or hops tire too much or neither. Its scared me to test this of course but less so than finding out the harder way.

hobot said:

Just got back from a ride where I hit some long sweepers with choppy surfaces at 70 mph and the bike was rock solid. Impressive as hell for a 38 year old bike. Light touch on the bars, slide over on the seat a bit, drop the inside knee just a touch and cruise on through. As mentioned before, a complete lack of drama.

Click to expand...

Glad to hear the pleasure and stability gained with the hi end fork kit and new tires, BUT what you describe above is not very secure sounding to me at all but kind of scary to read as even my pure stock Combat takes lumpy sweepers w/o any body english or bracing - after decent tires mounted. If you really needed to shift off center on mild leaned sweepers for settled sense beware you are getting very close to sudden hinge onset if an extra lump encountered.

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I probably didn't provide enough information in my comment. I don't feel that I needed to use the weight shift, that's just what I do when I ride a little hard. It's something that I picked up when attended Keith Code's "superbike" class at Laguna Seca a few decades ago. It was a real revelation to feel what a light touch on the bars and some gentle weight shift at the right moment could do to make a bike really responsive. It's not needed in most situations, but it's one of the things I enjoy about riding. Kind of like doing heel/toe rev match downshifts in a manual transmission car. Not necessary, but it makes driving more fun and engaging.

mgrant said:

hobot said:

Just got back from a ride where I hit some long sweepers with choppy surfaces at 70 mph and the bike was rock solid. Impressive as hell for a 38 year old bike. Light touch on the bars, slide over on the seat a bit, drop the inside knee just a touch and cruise on through. As mentioned before, a complete lack of drama.

Click to expand...

Glad to hear the pleasure and stability gained with the hi end fork kit and new tires, BUT what you describe above is not very secure sounding to me at all but kind of scary to read as even my pure stock Combat takes lumpy sweepers w/o any body english or bracing - after decent tires mounted. If you really needed to shift off center on mild leaned sweepers for settled sense beware you are getting very close to sudden hinge onset if an extra lump encountered.

Click to expand...

I probably didn't provide enough information in my comment. I don't feel that I needed to use the weight shift, that's just what I do when I ride a little hard. It's something that I picked up when attended Keith Code's "superbike" class at Laguna Seca a few decades ago. It was a real revelation to feel what a light touch on the bars and some gentle weight shift at the right moment could do to make a bike really responsive. It's not needed in most situations, but it's one of the things I enjoy about riding. Kind of like doing heel/toe rev match downshifts in a manual transmission car. Not necessary, but it makes driving more fun and engaging.

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When I'm riding I don't push on the bars at all (at least it doesn't feel like I am. Just a wiggle of the butt and around the corner I go. Helps when your arse is so far back too. The further forward you are the more you have to use the bars.

swooshdave said:

[ Just a wiggle of the butt and around the corner I go.

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Oh Dave, you bananaman you.

hobot said:

I can't-don't ignore the pleased reports of Lansdownes hi end kit, but also know hardy anyone presses Cdo's to point I get to

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You flatter yourself, but I think it will be you trying to reach their limit-rather than the Lansdownes trying to keep up with you! :lol:

hobot said:

One thing I'm curious about is what Lansdownes do on panic pull downs.

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They are markedly superior, in fact there's so little drama involved during a panic-brake situation when compared with the standard setup that you may think your front brake isn't working properly once you've got the Lansdowne kit. :wink:

L.A.B. said:

They are markedly superior, in fact there's so little drama involved during a panic-brake situation when compared with the standard setup that you may think your front brake isn't working properly once you've got the Lansdowne kit. :wink:

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Yes, exactly my point. Lack of drama.

Ok least effort to get around means a better handling cycle when the going gets rough. If ya enjoy shifting weight even w/o need to settle chassis then why not since we just in it for fun. I shift myself more to rear and down lower when stressing a power turn, to point on Peel it can turn into a sideways wheelie so fork not even in contact but turning sharper w/o them.
Glad to hear Lansdowns brake good too - but up in the air on just how hard that means. I don't need-seek ego flattery I get my hits in clinic and by spanking hot shots so if Lansdowne fork kit is better then that's what I want too. I don't know nor do you who's got a better fork mod yet, Take that how you like but I've lost most my respect for elite hi end forks on moderns so I'm a bit hard to please. Keep comparing upgraded vintage with factory vintage but I'm way past that comparison level on my simpleton Roadholders. I'm trying to be fair but getting snapped at is not pleasant and if you think I'm just blowing smoke oh well - are you also planing a shoot out with elite moderns for pecking order in handling powered turns? Stay tuned and I'll stay out of your posts to.