[jgstroup]

I've returned to sport bike riding after 30 years - on a 2010 848. I've read many threads about the rear suspension settings - and as I weight 240 lbs., I get 30mm of sag with the factory settings. No complaint there.

I'm 5'7" - so the bike requires tip-toes at stops - but I don't find that to bother me.

My question is about fork settings - I've had several cases where the front tire experienced brief slips on what appeared to be smooth dry pavement.

The 848 forks are still at factory settings - I've seen nothing to suggest there might be a problem there - unlike the rear shock/spring

Two days ago - on a tight, downhill, slow speed S-turn (probably posted about 25, probably doing about 45) the front tire washed out completely, and I went down on my right side.

My first mistake was I was tired - it was after 250 miles of fairly hard riding - and I should have been going slower. There is the possibility that I unknowingly grabbed some front brake. But walking back over the road - I could see nothing that would have caused the tire to slip.

I'm curious if anyone has had similar issues with 848 front wheel traction - and would welcome any and all suggestions, comments or ideas.

I've posted 2 photos of the accident site.

Thanks for your input! J.S.

 

[Duc_L_over_V]

If you weigh 240 and haven't adjusted the forks, they're WAY too light.

 

[neda]

sorry to hear about the incident. Ruling basic stuff out first, what tire pressure are you running?

 

[Pork]

Sorry to hear about the accident, hope you're not too put off and the bike is ok.
I'm not sure grabbing a little brake alone would be enough - a lot, sure but I've got away with some pretty deep braking compared to on other bikes I've owned.
It looks like the skid started whilst you were flip-flopping in the s bend, could you inadvertantly grabbed a little throttle and brake sort of together as you leaned to the right? Sort of off-loading the front tyre if you know what I mean.
Do you still have the stock Supercorsas fitted? They've got a bit of a reputation for moving around if not really warmed...

 

[jgstroup]

The forks being too light makes sense - and I have read something recently about 848 forks being somewhat lightweight. Most of what I had been reading up on has been about the rear shock - it seems that if the rider isn't up to my weight, the rear shock/spring is too "heavy."

As info - I'm using a totally stock setup - the bike has only 1,500 miles on it. Tires were at stock pressures, and should have been warm - had ridden 250 miles - at least 100 since lunch.

I'll do a complete suspension recalibration - thank you for helping me expend my mind-set that the forks may be in-fact, way too light.

Regards - J.S.

 

[JHTmcrider]

Hey, here is my .02 cents: First, switch to stiffer springs and or a Dan Kyle Ohlins fork upgrade, due to the fact you weigh 240+ pounds riding weight.
Next, check your rubber. You should be at around 30-32 PSI for the front tire while street riding. Possibly, a few points higher for your weight?
Next, try another brand of tire if the money allows. I have been running Super Corsa III before switching to Michelin SC2 and love the Michelin tires!
Also, if a set of DK triples is possible, I would get those ASAP! I just installed mine, and HOLY COW!! They completely transform the front of the "lazy" 848!!!
Worth every penny! and DK has the BEST service too.

Also, easy on the brakes! Don't be ham fisted they are very strong. Only 2 fingers on the front allowed.

Wish you much luck!

 

[Cecil]

If the forks are "WAY too light" how did they maintain enough contact patch to leave the front wheel ***** in the second pic?

Here's my 2 cents. You bought a bike with front brakes that actually work. Learn how to use them properly and you won't land on your ass.

Trust me. It wasn't the bike. It was you.

 

[Duc_L_over_V]

If the forks are "WAY too light" how did they maintain enough contact patch to leave the front wheel ***** in the second pic?

My guess is they got pretty heavy once he gabbed a handful of brake.:stickpoke

There's no way a 240lb rider should be running on stock settings. I'm sure the front end felt like shit, which was part of his problem.

 

[mac900]

The bike is basically built for two up riding so even if the front forks didn't have an exact proper pre-load sag adjustment they were probably close enough. This seems like a brake & tire traction issue only and I don't think I'd drag the forks into it.

 

[brettc63]

...... This seems like a brake & tire traction issue only and I don't think I'd drag the forks into it.

+1

I assumed he must have been riding it like Casey Stoner.

 

[Cecil]

There's no way a 240lb rider should be running on stock settings. I'm sure the front end felt like shit, which was part of his problem.

I'm 6'3" and 230lbs. I've never had an issue. If anything the stock settings on the shock were so stiff that I felt forced of the front wheel. It was the back skipping around. Not the front. I actually removed preload from the rear, still had decent sag numbers, in order to get the suspension balanced.

But that really has no impact on what happened here. We're talking street speeds. The suspension could have been set up perfectly and the result would have been the same. I see this all the time on the track. Rider comes into a corner hot, panics, grabs the front brake...HARD. The art of trail braking is best learned on the track. And it can save you in these situations.

Hopefully this was a valuable lesson learned. Be smooth.

 

[Duc_L_over_V]

I'm 6'3" and 230lbs. I've never had an issue. If anything the stock settings on the shock were so stiff that I felt forced of the front wheel. It was the back skipping around. Not the front. I actually removed preload from the rear, still had decent sag numbers, in order to get the suspension balanced.

But that really has no impact on what happened here. We're talking street speeds. The suspension could have been set up perfectly and the result would have been the same. I see this all the time on the track. Rider comes into a corner hot, panics, grabs the front brake...HARD. The art of trail braking is best learned on the track. And it can save you in these situations.

Hopefully this was a valuable lesson learned. Be smooth.

I weigh 135-140 so I had big issues with the stock setup. Donnie Unger was able to get my forks to a reasonable setting but the rear pretty much bounced me off the bike anytime I hit a slight bump. A new spring fixed most of that problem.

Agreed, I think he probably panicked and learned the hard way how well those Brembos work.

 

[canyonchaser]

I have to add something.

Yes, the OP is a little bigger than optimum for the suspension. But, eliminating a slippery surface, the reason why he tucked the front has a lot more to do with the brake application than the suspension setup. Yes, he will certainly benefit from getting the correct springs for his weight - but I contest that it's not why he fell.

If he was hauling the mail, and went to the brakes hard enough to get the forks to bottom and start bouncing, he could have tucked the front - but again. Thats a brake application problem - he should have gone to the brakes sooner and smoother.

The OP never reference's his riding experience, but does say the bike only has 1500 miles on it, so best case is he may not be used to how strong the Brembo brakes are.

The most likely cause of the fall was that he grabbed the brakes and tucked the front. All the suspension tweaking in the world isn't going to fix bad brake application habits.

dp

 

[Mik3ymomo]

I wasn't used to how grabby the front brake was on this bike either. It has the best brakes I've ever felt on any bike period. That being said, I would have Imagined a lot of front brake in a turn would likely stand him right up and high side him. I am assuming that he wasn't so far over as to be dragging his knee.
I would have guessed that he accidently tapped the rear brake that low sided him. At least that's the dynamics I've felt when braking inside a turn.

 

[doorsdude]

Plus applying front brakes generally results on more grip on the front wheel as a result of the weight shift. Bottoming out the forks would obviously be bad and cause loss of traction on a bumpy surface on a lean angle going to fast.

 

[DucDown]

I have to add something.

Yes, the OP is a little bigger than optimum for the suspension. But, eliminating a slippery surface, the reason why he tucked the front has a lot more to do with the brake application than the suspension setup. Yes, he will certainly benefit from getting the correct springs for his weight - but I contest that it's not why he fell.

If he was hauling the mail, and went to the brakes hard enough to get the forks to bottom and start bouncing, he could have tucked the front - but again. Thats a brake application problem - he should have gone to the brakes sooner and smoother.

The OP never reference's his riding experience, but does say the bike only has 1500 miles on it, so best case is he may not be used to how strong the Brembo brakes are.

The most likely cause of the fall was that he grabbed the brakes and tucked the front. All the suspension tweaking in the world isn't going to fix bad brake application habits.

dp

Agreed.

 

[garrettjkubiak]

I'm glad I learned to ride on a Ducati Superbike. I have no idea what sloppy brakes feel like. Always feared these brembo's so I learned to brake smoothly. Glad the rider was ok. Being that the OP is 240lbs and 5'7" my advice would be to get a good meal plan! We want you around to keep posting so get rid of some of that weight!! That can't be healthy.

 

[EIGHTFOUREIGHT]

It's interesting to speculate, but nearly impossible to reach any conclusions that will be helpful. Way too many unanswered questions. If there is nothing mechanically wrong with the bike, there's no reason at ~45 MPH that an 848 couldn't handle those 's' curves in my opinion (haven't been there - can't say that with 100% certainty). I've had a low side from a handful of front brake on my monster when an SUV pulled out in front of me. I replayed that scenario in my mind 1,000 times, as I'm sure the OP will. I came to a few conclusions that will stick with me after riding that same road several times. What did they do? What did I do? What should I have done? How did I end up on my ass? What would I do differently?

Best advice I can give is to ride that curve a few times if it's near home at a speed you're comfortable with (slower) and try to figure it out. Understanding what might have happened and working through it a few times might deliver some answers and provide some insight. The next time you'll be acutely aware of how the bike feels and how it's reacting to your input. You'll figure it out without us - cuz so far we've narrowed it down to suspension, tire pressure, brake application (front and back) and too many cheeseburgers.

Glad you came out of it with nothing more than curiosity and a mystery!

 

[soulvoid]

Also, if a set of DK triples is possible, I would get those ASAP! I just installed mine, and HOLY COW!! They completely transform the front of the "lazy" 848!!!
Worth every penny! and DK has the BEST service too.

I am thrilled to hear more good things about the DK/Nichols triples. I have a set of the 30mm Nichols and a TTX rear coming my way along with DK revalving my Ohlins 1098s forks and respringing them to my weight. I can't freeking wait.

 

[Dukaki848]

I wasn't used to how grabby the front brake was on this bike either. It has the best brakes I've ever felt on any bike period. That being said, I would have Imagined a lot of front brake in a turn would likely stand him right up and high side him. I am assuming that he wasn't so far over as to be dragging his knee.
I would have guessed that he accidently tapped the rear brake that low sided him. At least that's the dynamics I've felt when braking inside a turn.

Grabbing the front in a turn will stand you up but grab too much so the tire locks up and your low sliding. My first couple squid years I had a few assholes in the group that liked to ride by you and slap your front brake on the Way by. What a way to get your blood pumping.