Suspension Adjustment

After giving myself a few months to get used to my bike, I feel like I need to adjust the suspension - my first course of action is to set everything back to the factory settings if it isn't already. I'm sure it's pretty simple but can anyone give me a "Beefy-Proof" guide to doing this?

Front -

Pre-Load Initial - 4th groove from top

Rebound - 1 3/4 turns out from fully turned in

compression adjuster - 1 1/4 turns out from fully turned in

Rear -

Spring - Position 3

Rebound adjuster - 1 1/2 turns out from fully turned in

compression adjuster - 1 1/2 turns out from fully turned in

So what bits do I turn, and will I know what I'm fully turned in to back it off a bit?

Currently the bike doesn't feel as planted as I like, bouncy rear end in some corners so I'm hoping adjusting to this will help me. If this doesn't help I'll take it to a guy who sets is up properly for you for around £20.

"Beefy-Proof"

take it to someone else......

Stock suspension is notorious for never been any good as its made to a broad range of riders! more than likely not for you.

First of all for the pre load you need to set the rider sag (google it) if you can't get the correct sag then the spring rates are wrong for you and you will need softer or more than likely harder springs.

This is the first step and if this is no good then you are wasting your time with the rest.

Don't get me wrong you may make it feel a bit better but it will never be as good as you can make it without spending money.

If you don't want to spend money on it then you are just going to have to set the sag and twiddle with the rest till it feels right for you as suspension is a bit of a personal thing.

You would also probably benefit from an oil change in the forks too but this also needs careful consideration as not all fork oils are the same even if they are the same weight! [mention]raesewell[/mention] can probably link you to more info on that as he has done some research in to it all

I'd be happy to help, just let me know the original recommended fork oil and whether you want harder or softer.

Thanks Rae, the fork oil in the service manual says - Pro Honda Suspension Fluid SS 8. I assume if it's bouncing a bit I would need the suspension harder, I've had a look at setting the sag and seems easy to do with a helping hand but it does recommend putting it back to stock first anyway.

Not my image, but when it talks about Pre-Load, Rebound and Compression which bits am I altering for each?

I am not familiar with your bike so cannot help with the settings. Do you know the viscosity of the original oil?

OK I've done a bit of digging and the original oil seems to be 35.48 Centistokes.

Silkolene RSF viscosity is as follows

5W = 24.1

7.5W =35.1

10W =47.4

So as you can see the 7.5W is closest to original.

have a read of this

http://www.gostar-racing.com/club/motorcycle_suspension_set-up.htm

Preload: This is the amount of tension set in a spring before a load (the rider or braking force) is applied. Without it your bike would sag under its own weight, too much and the springs barely move.

Rebound damping: This controls how your springs ‘bounce-back’ or ‘rebound’ after being compressed. Without it your bike would bounce you out of the saddle over even the tiniest bumps.

Compression damping: This controls the speed that the springs compress under load, for example: braking, accelerating and hitting bumps. Too much

compression damping and the ride is harsh and unforgiving, too little and the bike will pogo from end to end.

Front Forks

Preload adjusters: these live at the top of the fork legs and normally require a 14 or 17mm spanner to adjust. Adjustments are made by turns and measured by the ‘rings’ marked on the exposed part of the adjuster.

Rebound damping: Rebound adjusters are the flat-headed screw nipples on top of the fork. Adjustment is measured by turns, or half turns. Some will make an audible ‘click’ during adjustment so you can easily count them.

Compression damping: Adjusted via a small screw in the base of each fork leg. Like rebound, count each half-turn while you’re adjusting. And remember to do each leg the same amount.

Rear Shock

Preload adjuster: You’ll find a collar of some description on the rear shock. Some are at the bottom but most at the top of the shock. You’ll need the tool kit’s C-spanner for this. Double check your owner’s manual for the standard setting.

Rebound damping: Again, this is normally a screw adjuster and it sits at the bottom of the shock making it pretty tricky to get to.

Compression damping: Another small screw adjuster and it should sit on top of the shock or on the remote reservoir, if your shock has one.

Ride-height: Some modern sports bikes may not have this. It’s a threaded nut adjuster either at the top or bottom of the shock that lifts the back end of the bike to help it steer quickly by placing more weight over the front-end. Many aftermarket shocks have this adjustment.

Thanks for that, I should be able to give it a good go know. So where the adjustments for the standard are saying 'from fully turned in' I just fully tighten the said screw/nut and back it off again to the desired settings. Then I go from there ?

Thanks for that, I should be able to give it a good go know. So where the adjustments for the standard are saying 'from fully turned in' I just fully tighten the said screw/nut and back it off again to the desired settings. Then I go from there ?

yes but don't overdo it....no torque wrench needed

basically lightly seated then the first click is classed as 1 ......some people take it to the first click then count after that