Power, ABS & DTC settings

Sport/ DTC-1/ ABS-1

I use Touring/ DTC-3/ ABS-1 if I'm tired/ really early in the morning/ late at night/ traffic.

Urban/ DTC-6/ ABS-2 in bad rain/ heavy traffic.

Sport with no change from the default DTC and ABS settings.

I have the SP so my settings are Race, Sport, and Rain.

I mostly switch between Race and Sport.

Race is DTC 0, ABS 1, Engine High - for hooligan wheelie times 10% of the time.

Sport is DTC 2, ABS 2, Engine Medium - for 90% of riding on twisties, highway, etc.

The DTC is sensitive. I noticed much more intervention with the PR4's than with the stock tires. As they wore out, I noticed even more - the rear wheel gets more worn out, smaller diameter, spins faster than the front, makes it think the rear is slipping slightly.

I'm not sure I agree. When my stock Skorpions were 50%-ish, I used to full-throttle slide out of many turns with DTC-1. My stickier PR3's just grip like crazy glue.

My settings right now.. 99% of the time;

Sport : DTC 1, ABS 1, Throttle High

The leftover 1% of the time (rain or highway cruising)

Touring : DTC 4, ABS 2, Throttle Medium

I've never put the bike into Urban. The reduced power and/or lagginess from Touring mode is enough to drive me crazy. If I was to track the bike, I'd imagine I'd turn DTC and maybe ABS off. However, I wouldn't dream about using the Scorpions on the track.. That would be flipping scary, they slide enough with DTC @ 1 that I feel they would actually cause me to go down.. I just can't get any heat into them.

But tell you the truth, that's what my motard is for.. Track day hooliganism...

I run my Strada in Touring, with the engine response set to Medium, TC at 3 and ABS at 1. When I'm breaking in new tires I go to Urban, with the standard settings. That's for the first 50 miles.

For me, the throttle does not have enough travel to run the engine in Sport. I have too many other bikes with much longer travel, and it's hard to deal with. Besides, in Medium when above 4 or 5k you get full power anyway.

I'm pretty sure that the TC has saved me from dropping the bike in a blind, sandy corner once. Two-up, too. I'd not turn it off.

I ride mainly on smaller country roads, but do some commuting in urban/near urban areas. I minimize interstate time wherever possible - too boooring...

I use Sport and I have the DTC at 1 and ABS at 1. I haven't really tried the other power modes since the bike was new and don't feel a need to change. I just use less throttle when I don't have the room or the traction to handle it. I got used to the quick throttle response fairly quickly, and now I really like it. I find it easy to modulate and I can still take it really easy when I want to/need to. I could use more power from bottom to 6000.....

Riding some on gravel roads I noticed that DTC 1 was quite enough.... actually, if I rode gravel regularly, I would have to switch it off completely - it's very intrusive. ABS worked great in the really loose stuff.

I am past 3000 miles and the Scorpions look in quite good shape. I am a big Michelin fan, but frankly, I am not really sure that I would want a sticker rubber... getting the rear tire to spin takes a lot of effort as it is.... I have had no sliding or slipping when it was not a good thing or due to loose road surface, so I cannot complain about grip. I tend to ride mainly in a more dirt style than a road racing style, as far as seating and leaning the bike more than my torso, etc. - I try to keep from getting that hated flat spot in the center .... there are never enough turns, and always too many straights...

For sure, I would never turn off the ABS.

I have had moments (loose grass clippings in a corner, for one), where DTC/ABS were instrumental in saving my hide....

I think a SuMo class would be great. But, I would prefer a dedicated bike for it (envy you zibbit..), and that takes extra cash I am not spending at the moment.... dreams... what we live for.....

oh, and I did not know you could adjust throttle response in the modes too..?. but, I am also that guy that never resets the trip meter, or has ever measured actual gas mileage...

The Skorpions were fine for advertised purpose of the bike: mostly tarmac with some off-roadability. Never got mine in the dirt but they ran well in the wet and were very predictable when I went full-****** on them.

Mostly I wanted bias-ply street tires. I knew I was never purposefully taking mine off road so I went with best rated street tires...well, most popular with this style of bike.

I'm boring I run touring at standard settings, and urban in the rain when I remember. I'm not good enough to slide out of a corner so I don't need much to keep me happy.

I did dump it though, going up a wet dirt and rock mountain road. Couldn't really get it going properly and after much clutch slippage and fuss, it fell on me, and I got pinned under it. I had good boots and a friend, so no harm no foul.

But I'm thinking the TC might have been part of the problem. Next time I get in that situation I'll turn it off to keep the wheel spinning and see if it helps. It might also be gearing and the slipper - or maybe I just suck. Perhaps a deadly brew of all of that. I'll start with TC.

I think my cb500f wouldn't have had too much of a problem. I seem to remember picking my way through rocks pretty well - but it's lower, no tc and the gearing and engine conspire to make that stuff easier. But that hill was steep...

appliance821 said:

Couldn't really get it going properly and after much clutch slippage and fuss, it fell on me, and I got pinned under it. I had good boots and a friend, so no harm no foul.

Click to expand...

Sounds like you threw yourself under the bike to protect it as it is more important than we are! Lol

I change modes similar to gatdammit.

Urban when I'm in urban areas where I know there is heavy cop presence. Urban for dirt or gravel roads.

It seems I've switched sport and touring so many times the difference gets more and more subtle.

On my long trip last summer I was in sport mode entirely to big bend and it was half way back I felt tired or ill in some way. I changed to touring mode and I felt immediately a lot better. This was just when I reached northern Arkansas twisties and hills.

I'm planning this year's trip to Sturgis before or after the great party. Then an 800 mile circle through Wyoming, a route I read about in Roadrunner magazine.

Any you guys been to Sturgis, fun or nightmare?

Joecati said:

Sounds like you threw yourself under the bike to protect it as it is more important than we are! Lol

I change modes similar to gatdammit.

Urban when I'm in urban areas where I know there is heavy cop presence. Urban for dirt or gravel roads.

It seems I've switched sport and touring so many times the difference gets more and more subtle.

On my long trip last summer I was in sport mode entirely to big bend and it was half way back I felt tired or ill in some way. I changed to touring mode and I felt immediately a lot better. This was just when I reached northern Arkansas twisties and hills.

I'm planning this year's trip to Sturgis before or after the great party. Then an 800 mile circle through Wyoming, a route I read about in Roadrunner magazine.

Any you guys been to Sturgis, fun or nightmare?

Click to expand...

Sturgis is both. Hotels for a hundred miles are booked and massively overpriced - motel 8 for $300.00. Was there by chance and after paying that money I was damned if I didn't go into the thing. Thousands of bikes in a 100 degree traffic jam...quite a show. Don't remember too many ducatis. Go and represent.

Wyoming is beautiful. If you get a chance, ride the Beartooth pass into Montana - RT212. A small winding road up into a glacial mountain landscape and down between cliffs into Montana. Stunningly beautiful - do it and thank me. If you get a chance to loop into Idaho - you'd be a lucky man. Awe inspiring.

National Parks are crazy full this time of year - Yellowstone is a traffic jam. The Tetons are beautiful though and there's great camping at Gross Ventre near the park (Gros Ventre Campground | Camping in the Grand Tetons | GTLC - Grand Teton Lodge Company).

Jackson is a strange rich oasis. I usually hate that **** but it's kind of a hoot - and if you're lucky you can catch a rodeo. I bought my fancy cowboy shirt there: The shirt is made in China, and the guy who sold it was heavy British. I asked what part of Texas he was from (because I'm funny like that) and he said "Birmingham mate." It's a great country.

I've turned Urban into my gravel mode, turned off the TC and the ABS. Not so sure about the ABS, might turn it back on. Lately I've been riding mostly inSport mode, love the throttle response!

I pretty much only ride in sport most, at least since an early software update that eliminated the on-off throttle abruptness. Now that I have the new throttle with the stiffer spring thanks to the ’recall', I don't think I'll ever switch it up, unless on dirt/gravel or in heavy rain (and I'd change to touring only to ratchet up the abs/dtc settings).

A good question Jokeshop. For me it was a case of finding that it works at edge if traction on level one. Where else would we need it, I supposed and left it there. Maybe I will play with it again....

What about your own experience?