US motorbike guru returns to Nelson
United States motorcycle suspension set-up guru Dave Moss is back in town this weekend - and it’s all in the name of rider safety.
Moss made a brief visit to Nelson prior to Christmas. Popular demand has drawn him back.
His first trip down under four years ago was in response to an emailed request for help from a rider wanting to make their bike handle better but baffled by the suspension literature, he said.
‘‘If that person did not get the help they needed there could have been an injury and their family would have been affected,’’ Moss said.
The impetus for his latest trip, already a month old, was the overwhelming Facebook response to his suggestion of a return visit.
Moss said most riders thought motorcycle suspension would take care of itself.
‘‘If you are too light or too heavy the bike rides in a way which is not comfortable.’’
Rider ergonomics were critical to set-up and every one was different, he said.
Sticking with factory settings could create rider fatigue and poor reactions which could result in injury, Moss said.
A relaxed rider on a better handling machine was more capable of taking avoidance actions.
Moss said everything he did came with endless explanations so that the rider understood what the changes in setup meant for their bike’s performance and handling.
The most riders worldwide did not understand how motorcycle suspension worked and what was the right tyre pressure for them.
Moss, of California’s Dave Moss Tuning, has worked with street, dirt, track and amateur and professional racers setting up bikes to rider weight, experience and style of riding since 1995.
In return with providing knowledge all Moss asks is for riders to pay it forward.
‘‘The person who you don’t help could be the person who gets hurt.’’
Saturday’s workshops will be held from 9.30am at Speights Ale House for Ulysses members, then from 1pm at Donaldson Civil in Echodale Place for BMW and Route 6 riders and from 4pm at the same location for any bike type.
Sunday’s workshops would all be held at Echodale Place with Ducati, vintage and classic bikes from 9.30am, any bike type from 12.30pm and women and Silver Ride Forever riders from 3.30pm.