98-01 suspension adjustment

My bike feels a little "soft and squishy"....a plus with the girls back in college but not inspiring much confidence on the road. I've read the owners manual but need someone to advise on what to do/where to start. Also, please define "preload" vs. "rebound" as it refers to the rear. Primarily solo riding, BTW.

The bike is going in for a set of Michelin pilot Road 4s/ brake service next week. But I don't have the money to have them change the fork oil to something stiffer at this point but would entertain suggestions on going that route in the spring.

Any other pointers appreciated!

 

^^^This^^^

 

I've been going through the process of suspension upgrades this year. New tyres are always the best place to start and restore a lot of confidence with a new profile.

A general clean-out of the forks would be next on my bang-for-buck list, and that could involve new bushes, seals and oil. Forks have small passages that get gunged up, and the wear on tear on the bushes and seals introduces lots of foreign matter into the oil. Any suspension rebuild should include new bushes as these are what minimise slop between the fork components. These are DIY projects that only take a couple of hours to do. You should also take a look at steering head bearings as these can affect handling confidence.

I put a modified CBR929 shock into the back (supplied by Jamie Daugherty, US$420 http://www.daughertymotorsports.com/ ) . The standard shock at 76000km was very tired and the damping adjuster had seized. The new shock has oodles of adjustment and is correctly sprung for my weight. No more bouncing and weaving on bumps, lots more ground clearance. CBR929 shocks can be purchased off eBay as well, but bear in mind they are shorter than the standard VFR so some kind of extension is needed, either to the shock (as JD does) or to the upper shock mount on the frame.

Next up for me has been a rebuild of the forks using parts supplied by Jamie, with new springs, new compression damping valve and modified rebound shims. I've picked up more ground clearance and the ride is smoother with less jolting, at the same time with lots more control and less brake dive.