Suspension setup for your weight/riding style

[Hoomgar]

I posted this in here rather than OT so the greater majority could see it.

I know how important it is to get your suspension setup correctly for your weight and riding style. You see a lot of comments about this all the time and a few threads that touch on some of it from time to time. What we don't see is any in depth how-to guide that goes over the process of how to do it on our older GS bikes. If there is one, I am missing it. I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread where those of us who have done it can share our experience with those of us less knowledgeable. Tips, techniques, do's & don'ts can all be posted in here so that we can all benefit from the years of experience that some of you have in setting up suspensions.

I myself have a limited knowledge on this subject and feel it is not enough to be shared. I need to learn more. For example:
I am 6'4" and weigh over 250 lbs. I ride fairly aggressive and find that on most bikes I bottom the front forks out easily when hitting small bumps while braking. I also know that most bikes don't "feel right" to me when I ride them if I haven't tweaked the suspension setup. Often times they feel to me like the front wheel wants to slide out from under me even before it does, I can feel it wanting to. Sometimes the turns feel wormy and hard to get a good line. I have tried many things and always seem to get an improvement but I don't really know exactly what the science is or what it is I am actually looking for. I just play until it feels right.

You old school veterans and anyone who knows a bit about it, please share your knowledge with the rest of the GSR crew on this subject.

Thanks

Mark

[Billy Ricks]

This site will probably do a better job of explaining things than I can. http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0006_susp/ Most of the GS models have very little adjustment capability as far as damping goes. About all you can do there if you feel damping isn't sufficient is to use a heavier oil.

[Pharkmeh]

bloody good call Mr Hoom....


I am about the same size- slightly larger but with 1/10 the riding experience.... and I noticed similar behaviours....

I recently adjust my rears to max - and pumped a few pounds of extra air in the front - it seems to have improved a lot...

but some real science from some of you wizards would'nt go astray:-D

[Jethro]

I'm the same size, only I'm 5' 10"

[Billy Ricks]

I am 6'4" and weigh over 250 lbs.
Mark

Note to self, never pi$$ Mark off.

[Hoomgar]

Note to self, never pi$$ Mark off.

I'm a pu$$ Billy, you don't have to worry about me. Now if you want to ride, eat a burger or a steak and BS about anything, I'm your guy

I would have said kick back a cold one too but I know you said you don't do that anymore so I'll skip that

Now if only the country were smaller :?

[Billy Ricks]

I'm a pu$$ Billy, you don't have to worry about me. Now if you want to ride, eat a burger or a steak and BS about anything, I'm your guy

I would have said kick back a cold one too but I know you said you don't do that anymore so I'll skip that

Now if only the country were smaller :?

I occasionally enjoy a beer but for the most part I've lost my taste for alcohol. I may drink a six pack a year. I used to love Jack Black and Crown but even that doesn't do anything for me these days.

[airportcop]

Yes I too have a suspension problem. I seem to have more problems with the rear shocks on my old bike (80 GS550L). I have tried adjusting them and even replaced them with some old used shocks off a GS 850. I just figure they are worn out. Any cheap suggestions?

[Billy Ricks]

Yes I too have a suspension problem. I seem to have more problems with the rear shocks on my old bike (80 GS550L). I have tried adjusting them and even replaced them with some old used shocks off a GS 850. I just figure they are worn out. Any cheap suggestions?

Progressives or Ikons are what most people get when they buy new.

[80gs1000e]

I'm the same size, only I'm 5' 10"

Hahaha....me too....well, OK. I'm 5' 11" at 235....but its all muscle I swear (somewhere under all of the lard)

[KGB]

Our bikes were built to cover all types of riding, hence the "universal Japanese motorcycle" Universal being the operative word.
They were not geared or designed for one specific type of riding.
As such from the factory they come with middle of the road settings, according to the manufacturers. The Japanese built them to what they thought we wanted, and without an actual American to test with.
Anyway, out bikes need more weight on the front end.
This describes Marks's feeling of the front end sliding. More weight bias will typically stop this feeling. This can be done a few ways.

One, lean forward during turns, get your weight forward.
Second, raise the rear end, think teeter totter, or a fulcrum.
More ride height in the rear will put more weight on the front, giving it a planted feel. This can be done by simply installing longer rear shocks.
Third, raise the fork tubes in the triple clamps. By lowering the front you have raised the rear. The problem with this is ground clearance, you've lost some by lowering the front.
Another option, seldom used and difficult with our bikes is to move the motor towards the front.This is an old racer technique. Cutting or moving motor mounts to place the engine more forward biased will again put weight on the front end.

The downside to all this? Wear on the front tires and brakes.
The other downside? Not many of our bikes will spin the rear tire at
speed, so raising the rear will not lighten the rear enough to be effected by a spinning tire.

Not many of us can scrape pegs on our bikes.
I know it's been a long time since I've leaned my S over enough to touch anything down.

It doesn't take much of an adjustment to throw your bike way off or to make it feel perfect.
My Triumph has adjustable everything. The owners manual is ok at
decsribing changes or how to make changes.


take your time and make one adjustment at a time.
If you adjust 3 things, which one worked and which one didn't?
It will probably be a combination of adjustments.
And remember when riding 2 up, it will be totally different.

[Hoomgar]

That's the stuff we are looking for Keith! Thanks. More of that please
Anyone else?

[KGB]

Sorry I overlooked the most important part of suspension setup

Tire pressure !!!

[8trackmind]

It doesn't take much of an adjustment to throw your bike way off or to make it feel perfect.

Very true!

On My 550, I switched to 20wt fork oil, set the sag to about 1" with pvc spacers and lowered the forks about 3/8 in the clamps. It made a huge improvement in the ride and handling.
It already had a great set of upside down Fox shocks in the rear when I got it.

This was a good Idea for a thread, Hoomgar.:-D

[Billy Ricks]

As Keith pointed out you can only make an adjustment here or there and see how it effects handling. The link I provided goes into detail as to what each adjustment will accomplish. The first place to start is getting the suspension set up for your weight, adjusting the sag or preload. That's the difference between the suspension fully extended and up in the air, and on the ground with your weight in the seat with all your regular riding gear on. The difference between full extension and just the weight of the bike should be negligible. If you ride really hard and are willing to put up with a stiff ride around town start with about 1" of sag. If you want a softer ride that will still react well when the going gets a little more serious go for just under 1 1/2" of sag. You have to set up both ends the same or as close as adjustment will allow. The fork can be stiffened using PVC above the springs in the fork. The rear shock, or shocks, normally have preload adjusters on them. If they aren't stiff enough after using all of the built in adjustment try shimming the spring.

If you're happy with your tire pressure then it's on to damping adjustment. Ideally you use as little damping as is necessary to allow the spring to do its job. When you push down on the fork, again with your weight in the seat, you want the suspension to rebound and settle back down without any pogo effect. It should happen quickly without any bounce. Since most GS models have no damping adjusters this has to be accomplished with oil weight, Emulators, or having the damper rods modified. The easiest method of course is experimenting with the oil. You don't want to go too far with the damping otherwise if you hit a series of bumps the fork will progressively grow shorter and shorter with each bump because it never rebounds from the last bump. At the rear unless you have aftermarket shocks you are probably stuck with the damping characteristics.

Once you feel you having done all you can with the preload and damping if you experience oversteer, which is the rear wheel trying to step out on you, then gradually pull the fork tubes down in the triple clamp about 1/4" at a time until steering becomes as neutral as you can get it. If you experience understeer where the front end wants to step out then pull the fork tubes up in the triples until you reach a point where the steering is neutral.