Adjusting the suspension

I have the upgraded springs and valving in my forks and a penske rear shock. I noticed last time i had it on the trailer the cylinder was leaking on the rear so im sending it to penske for a rebuild. At that time they are setting it for my height and weight. That got me thinking that i probably should adjust my fronts for me instead of the original owne.

Is this something a diy'er can do or is it best to bring it to a dealer? (ie, is there expensive tooling involved)

Thanks

 

If you're just doing a height adjustment its as easy as sliding the forks in the triple clamps. Just make sure you use proper tightening procedures and align the forks properly to avoid alignment issues and binding from un-even forks.

 

I was thinking about the other adjustments, not the height

 

how to set up motorcycle suspension - Bing Videos

Suspension Setup 101 Part I: Setting Sag - Motorcyclist Online

Motorcycle Suspension Tuning, Sport Bike Suspension Settings & Setup at Sport Rider

How to Setup Suspension on your Sportbike Motorcycle | eHow.com

A ton of info online to help you set it up.

 

On a side note I just did a small session with Race Tech a week ago, what a wealth of information, and it wasn't even the full class!!! If you have an oppourtunity to jump on it they come around to your local shop, teach you a bunch o stuff, and help you set up your bike as it is currently configured. In my case he told me what I need to do to be in the ball park to start proper adjustment cause I gots WAAAAAAAAAAYYY too much sag in the back end of my girl out:. Long story short, it's absolutely worth the $75 to do the setup day course thingie.

If no suspension companies come to your local shops, start talking to your local shops/email the suspension companies. I personally really like the way the Race Tech guy taught, he wasn't passing out Kool Aid which I didn't even really notice until someone asked me "So, how much Race Tech stuff did he try to sell you" my response "None, just told me what I need, didn't give me part numbers just steps to resolve my suspension squishynesss."

 

Thanks guys.

The race tech thing sounds cool, and thats what i have for front suspension so they wouldnt be able to sell me it if they wanted to lol

 

Sweet, just got back from the MC show today, picked up the "Race Tech Bible" can't wait to read it!!!

 

Oh, and kick ass lookin exhaust too there Bat :thumbsup:

 

Hey Batmobile, do you know what kind of valving is in your forks? Is it Penske or another brand?

 

I have race tech in the front and penske in the rear

Thanks guys! Race tech bible huh....................?

 

I'd suggest digging into the forks and letting us know what the stacks are in there (both rebound and compression). I can give you an idea if it's in the ball park for you or not.

I guess we should really start from the beginning: what sort of problems are you having? I'm a strong advocate of letting your tuner get you setup with a good baseline. From there don't make changes just "because someone online said so" but rather to adjust/correct for problems that you are having. If you aren't having trouble then keep working on technique. As you get faster the issues will pop up and you'll have to change your setup to correct them.

Don't bother with the RT bible. I've got one and was pretty disappointed. It focuses mostly on motocross and doesn't really give a lot to the novice tuner. There are a list of tips and tricks that aren't shown in there!

 

Well Fuck. Once I got a little more knowledge and an idea of what I was gonna do with mine I was gonna bug you about what you thought as you seem to be one of the suspension Guru's round here. So, please o wise one, what are the tips and tricks. Also, if I get the proper spring and valve kit for the rear shock on my 6th gen, can you rebuild the stocker for me with new bits or is that not possible with the stock shock (ABS model BTW)

 

The first step is setting the sag or preload for your weight. This is easy to do but takes a friend or two and a measuring tape/stick. Any of those links posted above should provide the formula for calculating the proper sag. Adjusting is just a matter of taking a large flat head screwdriver and turning the screw on the top of each fork. I can't speak for the 5th Gens but the 6ths are WAY undersprung for most adult males.

If your forks have been upgraded they may or may not have the proper springs. Racetech's website has a spring rate calculator that allows you to plug in your weight and a few other variables to come up with the proper spring. You may not necessarily need to take the forks apart to determine what springs are in them, I would try setting the sag first. If you end up cranking down the preload to achieve the correct sag you'll probably benefit from heavier springs. I just did mine and it made a world of difference.

Once the spring rate/sag is set you can move on to valving. The only way I know to get valving right is by seat of your pants feel, tire wear, and lap times. An expert like Jaime would also be able to offer some educated suggestions on fork oil weight, valve stacks, shims, etc to acheive excellent handling.

I'd say 90% of street riders have no idea what properly adjusted suspension would do for the enjoyment and safety of riding a motorcycle. It really pisses me off that dealerships will take your life savings and send you out the door without offering to set up the suspension. A baseline setup will transform even a long time rider's experience incredibly. And possibly save their life.

 

So your're helping me with mine this spring then?

 

No problem. If you are interested in shock upgrades you won't want to buy any parts - I pass along my discount on those for you.

As suggested, do some homework to see what springs you have in there now. That's the best place to start. I would also advise that you ride the bike for a while and see what it does. Find out what you like and what you don't like about it. If you have some issues then we can start talking about changes to the shim stacks. That way we aren't blindly chasing a setup that may or may not be what you need.

 

Sure! I've got heat in the garage now so get some springs and fork oil and come on down. A friend of mine got springs and oil for just over $100 from Sonic springs.

 

Interesting post by NCB. But its not on here anymore. Guess he posted before taking his medication today.

 

Oh sweet, thanks for the bonus discount option sir! I am allmost postive I have stock springs installed front and rear now, with my front preload jacked sky high the sag is "correct" at mid 30mm somewhere (34mm I think Lenny told me). Rear is WAAAAAY off, like 70mm sag, and I only weigh like 130-135lbs!! Talk about an undersprung machine!!

As for what I like or don't like, I might not really know, the best you know is the best you've ridden right. This is the best bike I've ridden, and allthough I am in love with her, I think I can get a better base line (proper sag) to start and ajust from there. Also, Lenny said my rear shock is blown (preload not doing anything) I can "feel" the preload adjuster make some difference when it's adjusted, but probably not as much as it could be doing. The hose/line running between the shock and the preload adjuster knob dealy is pretty rubbed/chaffed from some previous jackass poorly installing a rear hugger. Can you repair/replace that line when you do the rebuild or should I be looking for a different unit in better shape??

 

Digging in and letting you know what the stacks are.............i dont even know what that means lol

I wouldnt say im having problems, It was brought to my attn when i looked at the Penske rebuild order sheet (they set the shock based on info you provide) that the fronts may need to be set for me and my riding style, since they were installed and set for the previous owner of the bike


I finally dug my RaceTech paperwork out of storage and took a look at it. There is way too much information that i dont understand. Id probably be better off letting a professional do it?

If i had a scanner i would post the 4 pages of jibberish that all i see are numbers that dont make sense to me