im new to this whole tuneable suspension thing. any tips?

i came from a 1st gen sv650, so i have never seen much in the way of tuneable suspension.
i tried to mess with the rear shock a few days ago in the garage, but i dont know if i did any good. probably not. i havent touched the forks yet, which is most likely a very good thing.

any tips for commuter who occasionally has a spirited weekend ride in the twisty stuff? i weigh around 180lbs

 

Loosenoose, Greetings from another 180 pounder. I suspect your 180 is differently distributed and composed than mine at 32 years older. Anyway, sorry I can't help you with the answer to your question but I want to congratulate you on your courage in undertaking the task. Let me suggest that you add some pics of the bike and let us know what bike you are talking about. You told us what you got rid of but not what you have. Welcome aboard VFRW and good luck

wrestler

 

cant beleive i left that out. i now have a 92 vfr 750.
and here are the pics

 

This is not a new concept but is one that often goes by the wayside. Try this link to understand the concept. You'll chuckle I'm sure!
suspension tuning
Since you rode the sv650 you may be able to relate to the suspension performance you experienced first hand and apply some of the observations and explanations in the article to your past, present and future rides. Remember there is not a perfect and definitive setting for all conditions or situations hence the need to tune as required. It's important though.
There are great articles on this topic on the web and once understood are easily adapted to you and your ride.
Sorry it's not a packaged answer but it isn't quite that simple. Nor is it beyond your understanding and responsibility as a rider. Good luck with your VFR.

 

i understand that suspension tuning is more of an art than a science, and i'm glad that i got 2 responses that arent 'use the search function' or somthing to that effect. thanks for the link- im checking it out now.
i thought that it was quite probable that my vfr, being as old as it is, and quite nice, might have plenty of 3rd gen owners who know the bike inside and out, and be able to recommend a good setting to start tuning my suspension from.

 

Welcome aboard. Tinkering with the suspension is a good idea. To get the best out of it, make sure your tyres are in good condition. They always recommend writing down what you have changed and do one thing at a time. ie wound out preload all the way. Go for a ride and report on it.
Probably a good place to start is setting up the sag.

 

You might want to pull those bars and check for internal corrosion, scare up the missing bit on the right hand side of the fairing, Ditch the cable ties , lube your chain and figure that if your bike is that out of shape your monoshock is toast and the fork oil needs changing. Just a small suggestion. Pop for one of the plexiglass cleaning products and clean the port on your clutch master cylinder after you wash the bike.

 

The first thing to set is the sag. There is a static and a rider sag.
And after that you will be able to start tuning it right for your needs. But setting the sag should allways be the first thing that will give you a good starting point.
Oh and as said before always write down the change of settings so you know where you where before.