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Suspension Woes
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 3:21 pm
by KungFooBob
My Guzzi V7 came with a pair of Hagon Nitro rear shocks.
I got bounced out of the seat half a dozen times on the 20 mile ride home from the stealership.
Next day I took the wife out and it tried to bounce us both out of the seat, so much so that she refused to ever get on it again!
The day after I spent some time setting the sag and fiddling with the adjusters. It was on minimum pre-load, so I suspected it was bottoming out, took it out and was much improved, but still big bumps would unseat me... then lock down happened.
Now it's taxed again I've been fiddling some more. Set the rear sag at bang on 35mm, put some zip-ties on the rods and took it for thrash, better, but still trying to kick me out of the seat.
Set it to 30mm, again better, but still bottoming out.
I'm guessing I need higher rate springs (cos I'm going to struggle with eating less pies).
I have no history of the shocks with the bike, no idea if they were custom made for a lighter rider, I guess I need to get a pro to check the spring weights before ordering different ones?
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 3:23 pm
by weeksy
KungFooBob wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 3:21 pm
My Guzzi V7 came with a pair of Hagon Nitro rear shocks.
I got bounced out of the seat half a dozen times on the 20 mile ride home from the stealership.
Next day I took the wife out and it tried to bounce us both out of the seat, so much so that she refused to ever get on it again!
The day after I spent some time setting the sag and fiddling with the adjusters. It was on minimum pre-load, so I suspected it was bottoming out, took it out and was much improved, but still big bumps would unseat me... then lock down happened.
Now it's taxed again I've been fiddling some more. Set the rear sag at bang on 35mm, put some zip-ties on the rods and took it for thrash, better, but still trying to kick me out of the seat.
Set it to 30mm, again better, but still bottoming out.
I'm guessing I need higher rate springs (cos I'm going to struggle with eating less pies).
I have no history of the shocks with the bike, no idea if they were custom made for a lighter rider, I guess I need to get a pro to check the spring weights before ordering different ones?
Where you based ? North East isn't it ?
https://www.blackandwhitebikes.co.uk/
Take to him... he knows his shit.
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 3:27 pm
by A_morti
If sag is correct but you're bottoming them out, it sure sounds like you need a heavier spring.
Drop Hagon a message, tell them what shocks you have, what bike they're on, how much you weigh, if you take a passenger, if you ride tracks, yada yada. They'll know what springs it wants.
Might even be worth sending them the shocks in and let them rebuild the dampers. You may find they've also been revalved? Although that would be more a surprise than just changing the springs.
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 3:34 pm
by KungFooBob
Just got off the phone to a lovely chap at Hagon.
Confirmed the specs of the shocks with my ruler and they do seem like the right ones for the bike. Because I'm a fat bastard I am borderline for the standard springs, they'll happily sell me another pair for £120 delivered.
The spring weight is engraved on the ends of the springs, so you need to disassemble them to check.
I've got a suspension guru local, Mick Gardener. I've dropped him a question on friendface about providing springs, but he's an Ohlins dealer of the year winner, so he might tell me to bugger off with Hagons.
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:04 am
by Le_Fromage_Grande
Sounds like you need more rebound damping if you're being bounced out of the seat, the shock is compressing and then springing back to quickly, have they got any oil in them?
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 1:23 pm
by KungFooBob
They've got a combined rebound/compression adjuster. It does make a difference. I'm probably describing it wrongly, It's more bounced sharply into the seat than out of it.
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 1:53 pm
by Gimlet
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 3:23 pm
by KungFooBob
I'm from Yorkshire.
£120 for springs sounds better than £660 for all new shocks.
The Nitro's are 'Premium' Hagons and are almost £500 a pair new.
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 3:51 pm
by Le_Fromage_Grande
KungFooBob wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 1:23 pm
They've got a combined rebound/compression adjuster. It does make a difference. I'm probably describing it wrongly, It's more bounced sharply into the seat than out of it.
Is the back wheel skipping over bumps (springs too hard) or squelching into the bumps (springs too soft)?
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 3:58 pm
by KungFooBob
It feels ok, until I hit a larger bump, then it bottoms out and my kidneys take a battering, it's deffo using all the travel, I've done the zip-tie thing.
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 4:04 pm
by Le_Fromage_Grande
You want dual rate or progressive springs, soft for the first bit, then hard when you need it.
Some twin shocks used to have two springs on them, a big soft one and a little short hard one, these shocks worked really well, even the cheapies like R&R Street Shocks
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 4:20 pm
by Gimlet
KungFooBob wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 3:23 pm
I'm from Yorkshire.
£120 for springs sounds better than £660 for all new shocks.
The Nitro's are 'Premium' Hagons and are almost £500 a pair new.
I'm surprised you've got a bike at all. Surely a stick with a pram wheel on one end would suffice.
As my Dad (who was from Rotherham) liked to say "You should learn to make do lad".
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 4:24 pm
by KungFooBob
Gimlet wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 4:20 pm
KungFooBob wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 3:23 pm
I'm from Yorkshire.
£120 for springs sounds better than £660 for all new shocks.
The Nitro's are 'Premium' Hagons and are almost £500 a pair new.
I'm surprised you've got a bike at all. Surely a stick with a pram wheel on one end would suffice.
As my Dad (who was from Rotherham) liked to say "You should learn to make do lad".
I live just on the Barnsley side of the border with Peadotown.
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 12:56 am
by DefTrap
Pretty good Hagon shocks if treated right. I bought one 20 years ago for my bike, had it rebuilt about 10 years ago (wasn't desperate for it, just seemed a good idea as I was moving abroad) and it still looks virtually new now.
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 10:36 pm
by The Spin Doctor
KungFooBob wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 3:58 pm
It feels ok, until I hit a larger bump, then it bottoms out and my kidneys take a battering, it's deffo using all the travel, I've done the zip-tie thing.
Welcome to budget suspension on non-rising rate swing arms.
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:58 pm
by KungFooBob
I decided to have a look what springs were fitted, the block at Hagon said it was engraved on the flat ends on the springs, so....
They were already on max pre-load, so I zip-tied them up and slackened off the pre-load adjuster all the way, gave enough room to lift the spring from the bottom cup... they were engraved with... 17.
Yes I'm aware I could have died, or at least have had my eye out.
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 1:04 pm
by Druid
You were a bit overenthusiastic with the cable ties
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 1:21 pm
by KungFooBob
Druid wrote: Thu Jun 25, 2020 1:04 pm
You were a bit overenthusiastic with the cable ties
Indeed, but I still have both eyes and all my finger tips
Re: Suspension Woes
Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2020 4:05 am
by Taipan
Hagons are a fantastic company and been around for years. Send them back for the right springs and Hagons will probably check/service them anyway. They value their reputation and have a good on because of their excellent customer service.