Kyle Racing 5% Linear Race Link
| This is
without a doubt my favorite mod to the bike, yea it is
expensive, but it is absolutely worth it! Installing this link REQUIRES modifying the internal valving on the Ohlins TTX Shock and a different spring rate as well OEM supension linkages are designed by the engineers to haul the weight of a rider & passenger. The more the suspension compresses the more progressive it becomes to support more weight. Nobody races their bike with a pillion rider so as we have known for many years now on racebikes an aftermarket link is crucial. Aftermarket linkages alter the rising rate of the swingarm making it more linear. This provides more compliance, better feel and ultimately more traction especially when trying to get that drive out of turns. The GEN 4 ZX-10R needs this more than many other bikes because it not only has an overly aggressive link, but a really high start rate as well. Kyle Racing has developed a new link in collaboration with Ohlins Suspension/Geometry Expert Jon Cornwell that addresses all the issues with the OEM linkage. What you get for all this effort and expense is a bike that feels like it truly belongs on a race track. A predictable, compliant rear end that actually offers the traction that the bike seem to otherwise miss out on with the stock linkage. It was kind of a bummer to have so much horsepower on tap that couldn't be used because of a lack of grip, but the addition of this linkage has given me a lot more confidence in the rear end of this bike. Essentially this link differs from others on the market in that it not only makes the rising rate more linear, but it also alters the start rate which is very important! The start rate is the rate of spring required to begin with. The ZX-10R uses the highest spring rate in the industry at 110Nm, the second highest is the CBR1000RR at 105Nm for the "std weight" rider. Funny enough all the other current sportbikes on the market use between an 85nm and 95Nm spring as their standard rate and are all significantly lower than the CBR and the ZX. Therefore it is not exactly coincidence that the CBR & the ZX are two bikes with notoriously bad rear end traction problems stock. By changing that start rate and bringing it back down to a rate closer to what other sportbikes already have we are getting it closer to the sweet spot that all the other manufacturers have already figured out suits their requirements. There is more than one way to get things done when it comes to geometry and traction from a motorcycle, but physics does not lie and certain ideas work better than others. I went with the one that works better plus we have the added benefit of knowing exactly how to valve the shock to match the new linkage and of course the correct and LOWER spring rate that works as well. the combination of a lighter spring with more damping is exactly why this combination of shock and linkage work so brilliantly.
|
