Suspension, what do you look for in a bike ? What would you change and why ?

[weeksy]

Oh ffs………….

I love these threads, every man and their dug all of a sudden become Dave Moss suspension experts

Oooh controversial picking Dave Moss as plenty don’t always agree 100% with him.
But those of us that know how we like a bike to feel and set it up ourselves to make it so can’t be wrong. I’ll happily swap a shock and set it up static to my personal base setting and then tweak it for the first few rides to get the feel I want. Forks take a bit longer especially if damper rod and I’ve got to play around with weights and levels of oil. A few times I’ve changed the hole size in them too. I’m about to convert my MT07 to cartridges so that’ll be another setup I’ll have to do on them. I’m no expert but I’ve had enough bikes and ridden enough on track and road to know exactly what I want and how to get it. I’ve watched enough pros setting bikes up at track to know I would only trust one or two to work on mine. The others are no better than me and tbh now I can get my bikes as good or better than any pro setup I’ve had. I reckon a base setup on most people’s bikes would be an improvement on what they have now.

I struggle with feel at times, i can feel it's different when i twiddle, but struggle to associate the differences to better or worse. Nowdays it simply for me comes down to what feels more compliant. Whereas once upon a time it was more down to what was faster. The only time i really noticed a change was at Mallory on the 750K2. I was there with MSG and got Sean (Greedys brother) to make some changes as it was running wide in Gerrards. I was then after the next one able to hold a fast/better line in Gerrards. So that one worked for me.

The rest though i've had bikes and i ride and think "yeah that's good...." then get them twiddled and "yeah that's good" but is it better good, the same good or slightly differently good, i dunno.

The Wilbers in the MT-07 has made the back end better for sure... less bucky... on the test ride i did over at Blade i ended up on the outskirts of the Cotswolds chasing a Golf R down a back-lane, i came to one section and it was like a bucking bronco, i almost got spat over the bars .. But i don't get that now, so the world is good. There are occasional bumps in the road where you can feel the bump sort of pushes your breath out a tiny bit.... But on the MT-07 i get that less than i did on the XSR900 that's for sure. But still not quite as 'plush' as the CB1000R or the 690 was.

I assume i've got no adjustment at all on the MT-07 front end, but i'll admit, i've not actually even checked. It's not a priority that's for sure.

Where i get confused is when someone says "that suspension is dangerous", i had this a couple of weeks ago with a 690 Duke discussion, "that'll try and kill you".... However over the years i've done 20+ trackdays on stock suspension on a 690 Duke and countless 1000s of miles on them. Sure i've also done them on a 690 Duke that's had a shock and forks done and whilst it was better, the standard stuff never tried to kill me... not even a little bit. Although if you gave it another 50bhp, maybe it would

[The Spin Doctor]

Some.

I did ride a 90s Kawasaki ZXR and wondered if it had a hardtail.

[wull]

It’s so subjective, that’s the very reason I don’t bother putting in my £4,278 worth, I’m the same, I always set up new to me bikes initially with sag etc then set the hydraulic settings initially and tweak here and there.

[wull]

I purchased a Motool slacker or whatever it’s called, that’s a handy bit of kit, I purchased it purely because at the time I was doing a lot of suspension and was a great addition to the tool kit.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Well dropping the preload by 1 notch on the GSX has massively improved the back end, much more grip and feel, I'm surprised how much difference it's made, seat height doesn't feel any lower btw. Forks might need a little preload removed now.

[Skub]

I purchased a Motool slacker or whatever it’s called, that’s a handy bit of kit, I purchased it purely because at the time I was doing a lot of suspension and was a great addition to the tool kit.

Wassat?

[Demannu]

Well dropping the preload by 1 notch on the GSX has massively improved the back end, much more grip and feel, I'm surprised how much difference it's made, seat height doesn't feel any lower btw. Forks might need a little preload removed now.

Twat!

Try knocking it all the way off, then all the way on,, then you'll notice the difference.
1 notch is @ 3-5mm adjustment.

[weeksy]

Well dropping the preload by 1 notch on the GSX has massively improved the back end, much more grip and feel, I'm surprised how much difference it's made, seat height doesn't feel any lower btw. Forks might need a little preload removed now.

Twat!

Try knocking it all the way off, then all the way on,, then you'll notice the difference.
1 notch is @ 3-5mm adjustment.

Easy tiger.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Well dropping the preload by 1 notch on the GSX has massively improved the back end, much more grip and feel, I'm surprised how much difference it's made, seat height doesn't feel any lower btw. Forks might need a little preload removed now.

Twat!

Try knocking it all the way off, then all the way on,, then you'll notice the difference.
1 notch is @ 3-5mm adjustment.

LOL you need to take a chill pill

[wull]

I purchased a Motool slacker or whatever it’s called, that’s a handy bit of kit, I purchased it purely because at the time I was doing a lot of suspension and was a great addition to the tool kit.

Wassat?

A tool that allows you to set the sag on the bike by yourself. Ideal if you’re Billy no mates.

https://motool.co/products/slacker-digi ... n-tuner-v4

[Skub]

A tool that allows you to set the sag on the bike by yourself. Ideal if you’re Billy no mates.

https://motool.co/products/slacker-digi ... n-tuner-v4

That's me alright.

Spendy though!

[Hairybiker84]

Oh ffs………….

I love these threads, every man and their dug all of a sudden become Dave Moss suspension experts

Oooh controversial picking Dave Moss as plenty don’t always agree 100% with him.
But those of us that know how we like a bike to feel and set it up ourselves to make it so can’t be wrong. I’ll happily swap a shock and set it up static to my personal base setting and then tweak it for the first few rides to get the feel I want. Forks take a bit longer especially if damper rod and I’ve got to play around with weights and levels of oil. A few times I’ve changed the hole size in them too. I’m about to convert my MT07 to cartridges so that’ll be another setup I’ll have to do on them. I’m no expert but I’ve had enough bikes and ridden enough on track and road to know exactly what I want and how to get it. I’ve watched enough pros setting bikes up at track to know I would only trust one or two to work on mine. The others are no better than me and tbh now I can get my bikes as good or better than any pro setup I’ve had. I reckon a base setup on most people’s bikes would be an improvement on what they have now.

I struggle with feel at times, i can feel it's different when i twiddle, but struggle to associate the differences to better or worse. Nowdays it simply for me comes down to what feels more compliant. Whereas once upon a time it was more down to what was faster. The only time i really noticed a change was at Mallory on the 750K2. I was there with MSG and got Sean (Greedys brother) to make some changes as it was running wide in Gerrards. I was then after the next one able to hold a fast/better line in Gerrards. So that one worked for me.

The rest though i've had bikes and i ride and think "yeah that's good...." then get them twiddled and "yeah that's good" but is it better good, the same good or slightly differently good, i dunno.

The Wilbers in the MT-07 has made the back end better for sure... less bucky... on the test ride i did over at Blade i ended up on the outskirts of the Cotswolds chasing a Golf R down a back-lane, i came to one section and it was like a bucking bronco, i almost got spat over the bars .. But i don't get that now, so the world is good. There are occasional bumps in the road where you can feel the bump sort of pushes your breath out a tiny bit.... But on the MT-07 i get that less than i did on the XSR900 that's for sure. But still not quite as 'plush' as the CB1000R or the 690 was.

I assume i've got no adjustment at all on the MT-07 front end, but i'll admit, i've not actually even checked. It's not a priority that's for sure.

Where i get confused is when someone says "that suspension is dangerous", i had this a couple of weeks ago with a 690 Duke discussion, "that'll try and kill you".... However over the years i've done 20+ trackdays on stock suspension on a 690 Duke and countless 1000s of miles on them. Sure i've also done them on a 690 Duke that's had a shock and forks done and whilst it was better, the standard stuff never tried to kill me... not even a little bit. Although if you gave it another 50bhp, maybe it would

I think a lot of the time people struggle to feel what their adjustments have done is because, on a lot of standard bikes suspension, they actually don't do a great deal, you'd have to turn them through maybe 1/4 of their adjustment range to make much discernable difference!
One of the first things I've noticed after getting forks re-worked is that the adjusters actually do something.
Every bike's different though and I seem to recall there used to be a site that gave an insight into the failings or otherwise of a particular models suspension, can't think who it was though

[Skub]

I think a lot of the time people struggle to feel what their adjustments have done is because, on a lot of standard bikes suspension, they actually don't do a great deal, you'd have to turn them through maybe 1/4 of their adjustment range to make much discernable difference!
One of the first things I've noticed after getting forks re-worked is that the adjusters actually do something.
Every bike's different though and I seem to recall there used to be a site that gave an insight into the failings or otherwise of a particular models suspension, can't think who it was though

That's it in a nutshell. Sometimes you need to go totally one way,then the other to feel any difference. The middle bit most folk look for may not be there.

[Yorick]

I forgot to add that I had on Ohlins shock on my previous 4 GSXRs. Same fit

Didn't add much to the actual handling, but could get on the power a cock hair sooner out of every corner. Could easily stay with the expensive bikes with their TC

[Bigjawa]

I forgot to add that I had on Ohlins shock on my previous 4 GSXRs. Same fit

Didn't add much to the actual handling, but could get on the power a cock hair sooner out of every corner. Could easily stay with the expensive bikes with their TC

I put an Ohlins in my first GSXR1100 and rebuilt the forks. It was like a different bike. Put one in my SV as well.

I have the ESA on the K12, on "Comfort" it wants to run wide, putting it on "Sport" actually makes a big difference.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Late GSXR suspension is very good, early GSXR suspension is very 1985

[Skub]

Late GSXR suspension is very good, early GSXR suspension is very 1985

The GSXR1000 K3 I had was the only bike I didn't need to go aftermarket with suspension. A very good real world setup. Most comfy seat of any sportsbike too! It's one area I think Suzuki do better than the other big Jap companies.

[Yorick]

Late GSXR suspension is very good, early GSXR suspension is very 1985

The GSXR1000 K3 I had was the only bike I didn't need to go aftermarket with suspension. A very good real world setup. Most comfy seat of any sportsbike too! It's one area I think Suzuki do better than the other big Jap companies.

For road they're great. I only changed things for track.

[The Spin Doctor]

I think a lot of the time people struggle to feel what their adjustments have done is because, on a lot of standard bikes suspension, they actually don't do a great deal, you'd have to turn them through maybe 1/4 of their adjustment range to make much discernable difference!
One of the first things I've noticed after getting forks re-worked is that the adjusters actually do something.
Every bike's different though and I seem to recall there used to be a site that gave an insight into the failings or otherwise of a particular models suspension, can't think who it was though

Half the riders can't feel the difference between 42 and 22psi in the back tyre or bearings with an inch of play in them, so not too surprising they struggle to twiddle suspension effectively.

[Alan PBTD]

No point in looking for suspension on a Harley let alone for any adjustments..so after 5 years and 20,000 miles finally bit the bullet on my Road Glide and changed the lot. Mine suffered with the well know high speed wobble - either one up / two up / with / without luggage. Trawling various sites on the internet there's shedfull's of ''instant'' cures and all very expensive. Mind u once got a winning lottery ticket and you've fitted all the latest Ohlins units no one actually states what settings to put in so I guess they keep that quiet for customers only... Am lucky that a mate of mine is a bit of a specialist so sorted me out with some custom Bitubo rear shocks and front fork cartridges. Rear end was a complete transformation - in all situations and have some basic settings on the front end - which we're working on. Why Change ? - cos the std stuff is crap but also because the missus takes the pillion seat and there's more luggage to carry..
Did laugh tho' a fella in another Chapter had a 130 engine conversion done on his CVO - on a ''COVID Lockdown'' deal - but thinks the CVO std suspension is more than enough. Now he's a big fella and his missus isn't far off so I dread to think how that rides - over bumps and at speed.
At our last trackday was talking to our friend as he looks after a BSB Moto 600 - not that's taking suspension adjustments to another league !

Anyway have sorted rear sag / preload and rebounds out and as I said have basic settings for front preload / compression and rebound. Best mod was to lower the front forks by 3mm ( not any more i was told ) and couldn't believe the difference it made !