R.P.M. REAR SHOCK... Authorized...?

[Mike Ramos]

Hello everyone,
Below is another update that I emailed to the gentleman from R.P.M. I mailed him the chip from the camera for his viewing. I was in Walnut Creek when I sent this email to Randy.
I switched the camera over to the right side as to show the brake caliper which gives an improved view of the up & down movement of the rear wheel.
Changes or additions are in [  ] to clarify.
Impressions of the shock's performance are self-explanatory. 
The date is January 6 of this year.




Good evening Randy,

[   ]  I took tomorrow (Monday) off and motored down here to Walnut Creek.

No editing is available so I am mailing you the chip from the camera for your viewing. There are three sequences to review.

On my way home from here last week I turned on the camera (it was mounted on the left side) at a Valero gas station in Red Bluff. As I rode I thought this road (Hwy 5) is too smooth to show anything. Well, the wheel is actually quite active soaking up the road's imperfections. This was the morning it was 28* in Willows and thirty minutes later in red Bluff it seemed just as cold. At 4:30 into it I exit and then accelerate hard - no apparent 'jacking' of the rear end.  The rest is mundane.

Coming here today, I mounted the camera on the right side. The brake caliper gives a better relationship (up & down movement) as you can see it move better than just the rim.

When I turn the camera on at a stop sign (a road goes off to the left) I accelerate to 90+ twice. I was going to head for the mountains [west of Red Bluff] at that time (before coming here) but the roads remain quite wet in sections. In fact, the roads were damp & wet all the way down here. Watch this sequence for awhile after I enter Hwy 5 - some pretty good bumps are encountered. You can hear the thudding of the wheel as I do my best to ride the bumps between lanes.

The time I turn the camera on at an off ramp is on Midway Road on the 505 cutoff just before it ends as it enters Hwy 5. At 2:40 into it I enter the very rough right hand sweeper that enters Hwy 5 @ 85 mph, however I am unable to maintain that speed through the turn because the damp road surface spooked me. I entered Hwy 5 in the high 70's. You can see the wheel taking shot after shot, not much if any is transmitted to the rider. Look at the fender (especially here but when any bump is encountered at any time); the relationship of the fender to the road remains unchanged - it may be the camera but I do not think so. Apart from gripping the tank with my knees, I sat normally, no weight on the pegs at all. Pretty darn tootin cool..!

Now on to my impressions on the ride itself: before I left Redding (my son's home - still snow at my place) I lowered the shock pre-load two full turns. I left the fork pre-load the same for now. Judging by how far the suspension dipped when I rocked off of the center stand, as judged by the side stand clearance to the floor, the static heights appear to be unchanged.

This (as I describe it) "harmonic' window has indeed increased, or should I phrase it as it has widened its' latitude?

I can, under highway conditions at least, confidentially state there is no undue "float" that is not attributable to the road surface. I now have 1,200 miles on the shock without having any dry back country roads to travel... 

Today it was almost unnerving at times - uncanny may no longer be a descriptive enough word. Touch the tips of your fingers together and flex them steadily against each other until you get the sensation (they feel as if) they are on a pane of glass. That particular and most peculiar feeling is quite unreal and I find it rather unsettling, as is the sensation I get from time to time when the "harmonics" all come together. I actually look around and ask myself if I am at a movie watching the road go past or am I really out here on the open road?

I head home early Tuesday morning [      ]. I plan to lower the spring pre-load one notch to see if it balances the rear setting.

I'll mail the chip to you, mail it back or I'll pick it up next time I'm at your shop.

Good night & take care,

Mike.

[racerrad8]

I am not sure if you guys understand, Mike has been having to keep all of this information under his hat for many months since the shock has been on his bike. He has been very detailed in his notes and does not ever question any of the adjustments I have asked him to make. He has kept an open mind and been a major asset to testing. Sometimes it is very hard to change things when you are happy with the performance, but Mike has made every change I have asked of the shock. Sometimes it got better and others it got worse, but that is the testing process.

I know it seems like time is crawling by on the introduction of the shock, but it is because of guys like Mike, David and several others not associated with the FJ that have put in 1000's of testing miles behind the scenes. Between the two shocks we have exceeded 12,000 miles of testing and the number increases everyday.

I have just posted and update here on the progress of the shock over at David's truly unauthorized post;
Totally Unauthorized Teaser for the RPM Shock

Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks as I hope to get all of the pieces in place and be able to get you guys the availability date & price.

Randy - RPM

[Mike Ramos]

Good morning,
Well, here is description that was sent to the gentleman from R.P.M. of a 104 mile ride this past January 8. Particular questions that were addressed was if the shock was "floating'' inappropriately and its' ability to absorb quick, hard "jolts".  The weather remained poor for back country riding so to address these questions I rode different kinds of Bay Area freeways.
I am in the Bay Area at the moment, leaving for the far northern area of the state. There is nice weather here and by early evening I should be in the Hwy 36 area. If the weather hold, I will have some video of a few country roads.
Have fun everyone,
Mike Ramos.


Randy: It is almost 9:00 & I get up at 1:30 am (on the road by 2:00) so I have to condense this...
Good evening,
It has been a very hectic weekend - I had to stay an extra day unexpectedly - [     ] I went to San Jose (Alum Rock exit) on a linguicia run (if you like it I'll bring some next visit) -

Before I left I set the fork pre-load to the first notch (it was on #2). I think I like the # 2 better; however I did put washers in so as to split the difference between notches. My intuition tells me that I will remove the washers and leave it there on #2. I do not have the tools here so we'll have to wait. I plan to leave it on this setting for the ride in the morning.

I left here and took Hwy 680 all the way. Traffic was light and moving high 70's mph. Without question I suspect that I am watching a movie; however I know I am not. Just a most strange almost unnerving sensation...

Prior to the Sunol grade I see a motorcycle way ahead and so I pick it up a notch; however he is riding just like me - favoring the slow lanes and motoring along just a few mph faster than the general traffic, not tail-gating at all when he gets behind a slower car & patient to pass.

I finally catch up to him on the far side of the grade. It is an older fully fared BMW with smallish saddlebags & top trunk - the engine is the in-line four that lays on its' side. I set off to his right for quite some time with one lane between us, just behind him so that I can observe his suspension working. His does not seem to be articulating as much as mine; I do believe the FJ rides smoother. His bike is older, skinny tires & all, however it is a highway bike. But then I have to return [Walnut Creek] here so I pass him and motor on to the Alum Rock exit.

A few miles of surface streets & to the linguicia factory.

I decide to take Hwy 101 back to Walnut Creek, looking for different road surfaces. I make my way over to Hwy 880 and in the slow lane is the new 6 cylinder touring BMW with very wide saddle bags & top trunk. I set off on his left and BAM he travels over the joint between the pavement & the overpass. It was quite a jar, I saw his arms shake and the bike really jolted him. I was one lane over so I cannot say that the FJ absorbed it better but it does lay to rest (for now) the fact that once in awhile I get jolted. I am thinking it is the road as much as anything to do with the suspension.

So, I know that Hwy 13 (Warren Fwy) has a somewhat smooth surface; however it is an up & down surface that really makes a car float. I make my way over there via Hwy 238 & 580 (MacArthur). Hwy 13 is short, however the surface is as expected and undulating. The suspension "floats" in a most appropriate and predictable manner. Just as it should.

I cruise back through the Caldecott Tunnel and arrive here just elated. It was 47 miles to San Jose & 104 when I arrived here again.

It was quick & just a fantastic ride. It was significantly a ride to remember.... In broad day light no less! I searched and found just about every kind of road surface and the FJ suspension worked very well. I even shadowed two BMW's from two different eras. I do wish the 6 cylinder stayed on the road longer however he was not exiting to another freeway but to a surface street.

Because I cannot get any back road riding in I have taken to accelerating over bumps, especially sharp bumps and the rear shock really seems to handle it extremely well.  More on that aspect later.

A note on the ride on the night time 505 in the rain two weeks ago: That was just an incredible ride - on par with the night time triple digit sojourn through the mountains in Arizona on my way back from the ECFR. 

IMPORTANTLY: I enjoy all aspects of [street] motorcycling and your products, time & energy has allowed me pure enjoyment on the open road. I do thank you.

Continued success & take care,

Mike.