Improve the handling.

[Rackovanz]

If i want to upgrade the shocks on my bike what should i get? I do not want to switch swing arms if possible. I like the speed of my bike but I would like to get better handling. Also wher eis a good place to get the parts suggested.

[sadrik]

While only half of the equation, I just replaced my stock fork springs with Progressive springs and increased the weight of the fork oil. Holy! No more brake dive! The bike feels incredible now. No more panic attacks as I brake before a curve and have to wait for the front end to rebound. Wooonderful.

I haven't done anything with the rear shock, and I don't doubt it needs a rebuild (bike is a '92), but never having rode another bike, I wouldn't know what a good shock feels like.

[paperairplane]

buy a new rear shock and rebuild the forks.... penske and ohlins are about the top of the suspension mountain

[KatanaO215]

are you still running stock tires? Upgrade those bad boys and you WILL notice it

[Rackovanz]

I have avon azzaro(SP) 150/70/17 on it. and 120/70/17

[The CyberPoet]

I have avon azzaro(SP) 150/70/17 on it. and 120/70/17

Moving to a triple apex tire will help more than any other upgrade (Pirelli, Metzeler).
If you have the inseam length to do it, raising the rear of the bike by an half inch or inch will greatly increase the turning tendencies (shorter dogbone, aka rear suspension link).
If the forks haven't been rebuilt in two years, they're due for new oil. The upgrades mentioned in the above posts are also very spot-on.

Exactly which part of the handling isn't to your tastes?

Cheers
=-= The CyberPopet

[floxera]

Diablo, Diablo, Diablo

I have rebulit the front end and put a gixxer shock in the rear and both made big improvements in handling. The biggest single improvement was the diablos. Honestly though the handling is still no where close to a gsxr or cbr.

[The CyberPoet]

Diablo, Diablo, Diablo

I have rebulit the front end and put a gixxer shock in the rear and both made big improvements in handling. The biggest single improvement was the diablos. Honestly though the handling is still no where close to a gsxr or cbr.

You can't have the handling of a GSXR or CBR until your Kat weighs the same as a GSXR or CBR and has the same rake angle, trail, etc. You might as well just break down and buy of those sport bikes then :P

Oh the other hand, as was shown so nicely in a real-world test in Bike magazine late last year, a pro-rider (in this case, a Brit traffic cop who rides an ST1100 all day) put in better or identical lap times on his work bike than their top test riders did on the newest bits of cutting edge race bikes -- and he never went knee-down. It's a matter of skill and practice; the ability to carry corner speed and work what the bike's strengths are. He also popped their cherries when he got on the race bikes It's a good read if you can find it...

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[floxera]

You can't have the handling of a GSXR or CBR until your Kat weighs the same as a GSXR or CBR and has the same rake angle, trail, etc. You might as well just break down and buy of those sport bikes then :P

Well said. That was exactly my point.