How can i get the front end planted under hard braking on track?

[James75]

I’ve been trying to dial in the suspension on my sportbike for track days, but I can’t seem to get the front end to feel planted under hard braking. I’m wondering if I’m missing something with the fork oil weight or if my preload is just way off.

[JerryEW]

Yeah I get that feeling. I fiddled with fork oil weights and preload and still felt the front end washing out under hard braking. The front would dive and push straight ahead instead of digging in. It seems like the bite changes with tire temps too, not just oil weight.

[Avery_L]

I tried bumping up preload a bit and running hotter tires. The first laps on track felt more stable but then the lever still felt soft at the end of braking. I measured sag and found the front static sag was too little, so I added some and it helped a touch.

[ZoeyOS]

I'm leaning toward not blaming the oil weight alone. The front plantedness can come from damping balance and tire contact with the pavement. Maybe check the fork internals for stiction or the brake system causing dive before the tire can grip.

[Donald_L]

Could this be something else like tire pressure or rear setup showing up under braking rather than the fork?