toast449
top rider
I wish I saw this sooner. I was going to move to the Nitron but I hate that baby blue, I had no idea you could get it in a dark spring. That is getting ordered this weekend.
My New Svart 401
- Thread starter Jester1971
- Start date
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Jester1971
expert rider
Honestly I had an Öhlins on my Hornet 600 and this is better quality. The machining is to notch and you can remove the spring by just turning the preload.
The damping is just right, I have not touched it from out of the box, it is set right in the middle of the 24 clicks.
I hate that blue also, I’m not a fan of yellow either and the standard white was screaming change me. Glad I got the Ti grey. I have not thought about my suspension whilst riding since I fitted it.
Hey Jester,
Did you consider this Andreani cartridge kit? I know it’s vitpilen but aren’t they essentially the same?
Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 Andreani Misano Evo Fork Cartridge Kit (17-23)
These are fully adjustable fork Cartridge developed by the Andreani Group and equipped with a sophisticated hydraulic system which guarantees exceptional cornering and braking performance. The new fork cartridges and damper rods are DLC treated for greater friction reduction. Fitted with 20mm...
twsuspensiontech.co.uk
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Jester1971
expert rider
At nearly £700, no I have found the spring upgrade and good quality oil has sorted the front for me. I originally had no intention of changing the suspension but found the WP shock really quite cheaply made and the damping too much for the spring. The forks are better quality, though not by much. The fork springs are where the most change could be felt. Changing to a Linear spring from the standard progressive ones made a massive difference. My bike now sits higher both front and back. I have now finished playing with the damping (front and rear) and I am very happy with the handling now.Hey Jester,
Did you consider this Andreani cartridge kit? I know it’s vitpilen but aren’t they essentially the same?
Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 Andreani Misano Evo Fork Cartridge Kit (17-23)
These are fully adjustable fork Cartridge developed by the Andreani Group and equipped with a sophisticated hydraulic system which guarantees exceptional cornering and braking performance. The new fork cartridges and damper rods are DLC treated for greater friction reduction. Fitted with 20mm...
It’s taken over 1000miles of riding mostly the same roads to get the perfect set up. I have no further planned mods, just going to ride it till it, or me, fall apart.
I am absolutely loving riding again now though.
Jester.
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Jester1971
expert rider
Just a little mod to remove the horrible rear brake reservoir, it was more the colour of it really. Anyway, a new tiny one from eBay and a new bracket and it blends in nicely.
Same original hose but with the slightly larger clamp from the kit. I filed the hole in the lid holder on thing to still hold this new lid on. Works fine and holds plenty for a rear brake. Thanks for looking, Jester.
Same original hose but with the slightly larger clamp from the kit. I filed the hole in the lid holder on thing to still hold this new lid on. Works fine and holds plenty for a rear brake. Thanks for looking, Jester.
toast449
top rider
That really is so much better. I keep telling myself I will turn one out of aluminum on the lathe but just being dark makes a huge difference. Link?
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Jester1971
expert rider
I just put rear brake reservoir into eBay search and picked the cheapest. £4.91 here in u.k. people buy these from china and then sell on eBay so it came in a couple of days.
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Jester1971
expert rider
Quick update, I ordered a 42 teeth Afam rear sprocket a while ago and because I had some downtime after a hand operation I fitted it to test the difference. Well I like the slightly milder acceleration, it goes through the gears at a slower rate now. I always felt that the gearing was a little off, like too much low down and this change of rear sprocket seems to help. I no longer really use 6th gear on the backroads unless there is a long straight between bends, I sometimes just snicked it to 6th for a few seconds before going back down to 5th before another fast bend. I can easily sit at 70 mph on main roads whereas before it felt a little revvy.!! The quick shifter also works a lot smoother and for the first time I can use it on downshifts under 5000 rpm and it feels smooth, not like I just crunched it into gear. I fitted a new 15 teeth front sprocket at the same time as the original was showing wear in the rubber Dampener. I did not change the chain as it is well within specs, length wise and barely shows any sign of use. Anyway I reckon with the better quality front and rear sprocket over the Indian one that it came with and the DID chain I already changed, will last as long as I have the bike.
Pics..
I used the original chain length so flipped the adjuster block to keep the bolt a bit shorter. There is about 12mm of space for the axel to slide backwards left, so should be more than enough. I have also gained around 15mm of wheelbase, which is a small win.
Thanks for looking. Jes.
Pics..
I used the original chain length so flipped the adjuster block to keep the bolt a bit shorter. There is about 12mm of space for the axel to slide backwards left, so should be more than enough. I have also gained around 15mm of wheelbase, which is a small win.
Thanks for looking. Jes.
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Jester1971
expert rider
Ohh!! Forgot my new Ergo seat. Much more of a firm ride, like “sitting on top of” firm not “sitting in” soft like the standard. Not sure if it is worth the £150 price but I will let you know after a longer ride, I could only manage 90 mins today as my hand was aching.
Pics..
Material is not the same, more of a smooth vinyl than the original. The centre is like a jeans cloth and very grippy. I do not like the neon yellow embroidered bit at the front but it would match the rad guard (if I had not painted them) and the tiny Swedish flag cross on the side panel. I do not care if it does not match the rear as the bag is staying on mine, because in UK if you have a rear seat you must have rear foot pegs and I don’t want rear foot pegs.
I have also ordered a pair of Bridgestone S22 to try out. I will be fitting them myself for the first time ever. How hard can it be with only one good hand. I’ll let you know next week.
Just one final pic with the Rally STR..
I think she needs a wash, dirty girl….!!
Thanks for looking. Jes.
Pics..
Material is not the same, more of a smooth vinyl than the original. The centre is like a jeans cloth and very grippy. I do not like the neon yellow embroidered bit at the front but it would match the rad guard (if I had not painted them) and the tiny Swedish flag cross on the side panel. I do not care if it does not match the rear as the bag is staying on mine, because in UK if you have a rear seat you must have rear foot pegs and I don’t want rear foot pegs.
I have also ordered a pair of Bridgestone S22 to try out. I will be fitting them myself for the first time ever. How hard can it be with only one good hand. I’ll let you know next week.
Just one final pic with the Rally STR..
I think she needs a wash, dirty girl….!!
Thanks for looking. Jes.
GeoKrpan
top rider
You increased the gearing, made it taller.
I rather like the stock gearing. It's much taller than on my previous bike, CB300R. On the CB first gear was pretty much useless, too low. On the Vit I can make good use of first gear on tight switchbacks where second gear is a tad too high. I'm finding that first gear is much more usable after I installed the FuelX, less snatchy.
I rarely use 6th gear as is but I did spend some time on the freeway three weeks ago and I thought it was plenty high. I was going 70-80 mph. I use 6th gear so infrequently that I almost forgot it was there, lol. On the CB I used it a lot.
I find the quick shifter works better the higher the revs. I never use it for the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts if I'm not hard on the gas, revving it out.
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Jester1971
expert rider
I only use first for pulling away or really slow manoeuvres in traffic which I barely ever drive in. I cannot think of a corner where I ride that second gear would be too high of a gear. We have no switchbacks here in my area of the UK. The last time I was out I noted the revs at 70mph in 6th gear at 7000rpm, I am now at 6250-ish. I ride through a lot of rural villages which are 30mph speed limits, I ride them at 35-ish and that was in 4th gear, as I exit the 30 back to 60mph speed limit I did not have to change down to accelerate back up to speed. Now I use 3rd for the same roads, I can stay in 4th but it feels more laboured.
The main reason I changed was to calm the manic feel of constant gear changes, also I felt my lightly modded engine can handle the higher gearing. It can so I will stick with the new set up. Don’t get me wrong the standard gearing is so much fun on this bike, a real hooligan if you ride it hard but that can get wearing for me. Also it makes me ride like a lunatic.
I now have to learn my favourite roads again as I had got used to certain corners being ridden in certain gears and now that has all changed.
I never use quickshifter from 1st to 2nd either. It only used to fail if laboured, like going up a hill or if you are still winding throttle on. It is much smoother now, definitely. It is my clutch hand that is the weakest and I rely on the quickshifter to take the strain out of long (1 hour+) rides so I know it’s limits. 3rd 4th and 5th I can change so smooth like it’s an auto box.
What I had not thought of until today was I have ordered a 140-70-17 rear tyre so that will make the gearing even taller..!
GeoKrpan
top rider
Obviously there's a difference in the roads we ride. Mine are tight and twisty mountainous canyon roads. A guy from Sicily visited a year ago and said the roads here are more technical than in Sicily. He scared himself a few times here.
Yes, I had to relearn corners when I switched to the Vit from the CB. It only recently dawned on me that I could use 1st gear on the Vit. Using 1st gear reduces that little wobble that I get in 2nd gear when pulling through a super low speed turn. There's less of an interval between braking and accelerating.
The 3-4, 4-5, 5-6 shifts are pretty good even if short shifting and the downshifts are all good, even 2-1, but I still sometimes use the clutch and rev match when I want a smoother shift.
Yes, I had to relearn corners when I switched to the Vit from the CB. It only recently dawned on me that I could use 1st gear on the Vit. Using 1st gear reduces that little wobble that I get in 2nd gear when pulling through a super low speed turn. There's less of an interval between braking and accelerating.
The 3-4, 4-5, 5-6 shifts are pretty good even if short shifting and the downshifts are all good, even 2-1, but I still sometimes use the clutch and rev match when I want a smoother shift.
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Jester1971
expert rider
Sorry but I would put in a link if I knew how but I am not good on tech.
If you are interested in the types of rubbish roads I ride and have some time to kill there is a video on YouTube, just type in “riding motorcycles in Suffolk” it is the one titled “do you always ride like that” or “keeping it smooth”. It’s 40 mins long and for the most part It is not exactly where I ride but very similar. You can fast forward it and it all looks similar. It is not me obviously and I am riding much faster, mostly but same type of rubbish roads.
For the record I love watching American canyon, coastal or mountain riding. Some of it is very fast and flowing and would be the roads and weather we dream of here in the UK. Most comments from UK riders are “wish we had roads like that here” etc.
GeoKrpan
top rider
GeoKrpan
top rider
I see what you mean. Light traffic but all those houses so close to the road, I'd be afraid of cars backing out of driveways.
It'd be unsafe to go super fast on those roads. Makes a case for small bikes like the 401s. The roads I ride here are tight and twisty, ideal for 401s because it limits the speed.
There are faster roads here but they're heavily patrolled and the speed limit is 50mph. I'd rather not have an encounter with law enforcement.
I have to hand it to riders in the UK. They go out riding in all weathers.
I'm spoiled here, don't like to go out if the temp is below 65F. Today it's 80F, 20% humidity, and sunny and I couldn't get my buddies to go out for a motorcycle ride. We did spend 3 hours on bicycles this morning, however.
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Jester1971
expert rider
So quite a bit has happened since last year. I have gone back to standard gearing (15/45) albeit with better quality Afam rear and a new rubber dampened front. Bike is now back to Hooligan antics and I think I prefer it with more acceleration and can live with more revs at higher speeds.
I can recommend the 'Comfort Seat' from Husqvarna Technical parts. Even at £145 it is not as soft and for my Butt is more comfortable being stiffer foam. It is also not as slippery as it is like a 'Jeans' type of material in the center.
I have also now gone to Bridgestone S22 (140-70-17) tyres and they are very smooth. They take more to warm them up than the Pirelli STR' as it is barely 15C here in the UK. When summer gets here I am sure they will warm up faster and my initial thoughts on grip once warm are looking good. Probably 'over-tyred' for such a small bike with no power but I wanted to try the 140/70 rear and these were good value at £200 for the pair.
Pics of tyre with around 100 miles on, all scrubbed in.
I have also managed to finally get a Galfer disc for the front. After changing to EBC HH (with the standard disc) the braking was slightly improved. I did around 60 miles with the standard disc and HH pads before fitting the Galfer wave disc this morning. After a short ride this afternoon doing some repeated heavy braking I am impressed with the new disc pad combo. I have mentioned before I use engine braking a lot so initial bite is important as I am not constantly keeping heat in the brakes.
pics of disc fitted.
ABS ring is silver so might have to be painted black at a later date, I'll live with it for a while first.
Pic of bike now hopefully finished.....
...it will never be finished, they never are!
So with my sticky new rubber and single finger brakes, I am set for a great summer out on the rural roads of Suffolk UK.
See you out there....
Thanks for looking Jes.
I can recommend the 'Comfort Seat' from Husqvarna Technical parts. Even at £145 it is not as soft and for my Butt is more comfortable being stiffer foam. It is also not as slippery as it is like a 'Jeans' type of material in the center.
I have also now gone to Bridgestone S22 (140-70-17) tyres and they are very smooth. They take more to warm them up than the Pirelli STR' as it is barely 15C here in the UK. When summer gets here I am sure they will warm up faster and my initial thoughts on grip once warm are looking good. Probably 'over-tyred' for such a small bike with no power but I wanted to try the 140/70 rear and these were good value at £200 for the pair.
Pics of tyre with around 100 miles on, all scrubbed in.
I have also managed to finally get a Galfer disc for the front. After changing to EBC HH (with the standard disc) the braking was slightly improved. I did around 60 miles with the standard disc and HH pads before fitting the Galfer wave disc this morning. After a short ride this afternoon doing some repeated heavy braking I am impressed with the new disc pad combo. I have mentioned before I use engine braking a lot so initial bite is important as I am not constantly keeping heat in the brakes.
pics of disc fitted.
ABS ring is silver so might have to be painted black at a later date, I'll live with it for a while first.
Pic of bike now hopefully finished.....
...it will never be finished, they never are!
So with my sticky new rubber and single finger brakes, I am set for a great summer out on the rural roads of Suffolk UK.
See you out there....
Thanks for looking Jes.
GeoKrpan
top rider
Looks boss! Glad that you are able to go out and ride.
I rode last Sunday and I was thinkin' that gearing it DOWN might be better for the roads that I ride. I am not using 5th and 6th gears much.
Nice work! What's that little bag you've got on the back?
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Jester1971
expert rider
Thank you. We half 5 days of 15c (near 60f) dry weather here, I had to wait a couple of days for the roads to dry out but managed 3 rides before it went back into winter. The roads are very greasy where they are damp as there is still some salt around, very scary on new cold tyres. Managed to get them up to better temps and got the tyres bedded in before the weather changed though. Bring on the spring.
OP
Jester1971
expert rider
Thank you, I have a FuelX and it’s wiring under the seat so this has layers of foam cut for various tools. Also here in the UK if you have a rear seat you must legally have rear foot pegs, I have deleted mine so needed to cover the rear seat. I can also put my phone in on its side and record lean angles, braking and acceleration forces using the Pirelli app, not that I would do that sort of irresponsible thing on the road, honest officer!!!