In the July issue of Motorcyclist ($3.99 US), pages 74 through 83, there's an interesting look at the primitive world of 1980 Superbike racing, featuring a brutally stripped-down GS1000 Wes Cooley rode to beat Spencer and Lawson.
In the picture on pages 74 and 75, note the upper shock mount has been moved so as to create a 54-degree angling of the rear shocks. In stock configuration, the shock on my GS 1000 looks to be mounted at closer to a 75 or 80 degree angle. My question for suspension experts out there is, how does this affect the handling?
A second question to ponder: the upper shock mount on Cooley's bike is part of a gusset welded to the frame for stiffening purposes. Might not such a modification on a street-going GS make for a more solid rear end and overall improved handling? A Motorcyclist staffer rode the old beast and commented that it was "long, low, stable and plenty controllable, even at full-honk speeds."
In the picture on pages 74 and 75, note the upper shock mount has been moved so as to create a 54-degree angling of the rear shocks. In stock configuration, the shock on my GS 1000 looks to be mounted at closer to a 75 or 80 degree angle. My question for suspension experts out there is, how does this affect the handling?
A second question to ponder: the upper shock mount on Cooley's bike is part of a gusset welded to the frame for stiffening purposes. Might not such a modification on a street-going GS make for a more solid rear end and overall improved handling? A Motorcyclist staffer rode the old beast and commented that it was "long, low, stable and plenty controllable, even at full-honk speeds."
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