Devilsyam
Well-Known Member
Suspension solutions.
Your Bike Bottoms Out
Symptoms: When you brake hard into a turn or at a stoplight the front end seems to dive down or bottoms out. You accelerate hard and the front of the bike rises up and the back squats down, like a boat. Entering a turn at speed the back or front of the bike feels like it drops significantly and then becomes unstable when get back on the gas. When you hit a bump you get an extreme double bounce from the front and then the back.
Solution: You need more preload. If you notice the symptoms on the front increase the front preload, if the rear, rear preload. Do one at a time and then test it out. One out of adjustment can give the feel of both being out. When you change the preload adjustments you will also be affecting the bikes ride height, which will affect the handling. So if you stiffen the front preload and not the back, the front of your bike will raise. This will cause you to notice that the bike doesn't turn into the turns as easily as before. To correct this and keep the same rear preload adjust the rear ride height or lower the front by raising the fork tubes in the triple clamps. Adjusting the front ride height by the triple clamps can be tricky and needs to be done in very small increment, 4mm at a time or so.
Your Bike Feels Bouncy
Symptoms: It's a sport bike but it feels more like a goldwing. Your suspension is soft and comfy, but feels bouncy. When you get into the twisties the bike has a floating feeling that makes road feedback vague at high speeds. The bike seems to bend in the middle.
Solution: Increase/ stiffen the rebound damping to dissipate the increased bump forces at higher speeds. Adjust the front and the rear independently, testing the changes as you go.
Your Bike Has A Rough Feeling Ride
Symptoms: When your bike goes over rough road it doesn't seem to absorb the bumps at all. Bumps seem to hit the bike hard and quick, like a pothole. After riding for a while you’re sore because your bike isn't properly absorbing the bumps it’s passing them on to you.
Solution: You should first try and reduce rear compression damping. In bad cases your overall set up may be too stiff and you should reduce compression and rebound damping both.
Your Bike Under steers Or Feels Vague
Symptoms: When exiting a turn you start to get back on the throttle and the front tends to slid or wash out. On slightly uneven or bumpy roads the front tire feedback goes away and the returns for a second just to go away again. The steering may also feel a bit heavy.
Solution: Reduce front fork preload. The front tire is not moving down fast enough and the ride height is probably to high up front. Reducing preload will lower the front and let the forks expand quicker.
Your Bikes Bars Violently Twitch Back And Forth - A Tankslapper!
Symptoms: When accelerating the front wheel shakes back and forth quickly. In extreme cases the bars can almost pull out of your hands or if you hold on tight throw you back and forth on the bike and then cause the back to skip left and right. This is a tankslapper. The bars might also twitch midcorner or feel unstable on turn in. The bike turns into corners to easily.
Solution: Increase front fork preload or lower the rear ride height. You have too much weight on the front tire.
Your Bikes Rear End Feels Wiggly, Or Breaks Loose Easily
Symptoms: You get on the brakes hard for that tight left hander and the back tire skids or wiggles side to side.
Solution: Increase front fork rebound and preload. You could also lower the rear ride height slightly.
Your Back Tire Feels Like It's Flat
Symptoms: Your rear tire feels vague or like it has a slight side-to-side wiggle, similar to a flat rear tire. You've checked your air pressure and it's not low.
Solution: Increase rear spring preload. This will stiffen the back for a more solid feel and slow down rear form rising to quickly.
ps every rider views the above differently according to there weight - take from it what you want it's a rough guide
Your Bike Bottoms Out
Symptoms: When you brake hard into a turn or at a stoplight the front end seems to dive down or bottoms out. You accelerate hard and the front of the bike rises up and the back squats down, like a boat. Entering a turn at speed the back or front of the bike feels like it drops significantly and then becomes unstable when get back on the gas. When you hit a bump you get an extreme double bounce from the front and then the back.
Solution: You need more preload. If you notice the symptoms on the front increase the front preload, if the rear, rear preload. Do one at a time and then test it out. One out of adjustment can give the feel of both being out. When you change the preload adjustments you will also be affecting the bikes ride height, which will affect the handling. So if you stiffen the front preload and not the back, the front of your bike will raise. This will cause you to notice that the bike doesn't turn into the turns as easily as before. To correct this and keep the same rear preload adjust the rear ride height or lower the front by raising the fork tubes in the triple clamps. Adjusting the front ride height by the triple clamps can be tricky and needs to be done in very small increment, 4mm at a time or so.
Your Bike Feels Bouncy
Symptoms: It's a sport bike but it feels more like a goldwing. Your suspension is soft and comfy, but feels bouncy. When you get into the twisties the bike has a floating feeling that makes road feedback vague at high speeds. The bike seems to bend in the middle.
Solution: Increase/ stiffen the rebound damping to dissipate the increased bump forces at higher speeds. Adjust the front and the rear independently, testing the changes as you go.
Your Bike Has A Rough Feeling Ride
Symptoms: When your bike goes over rough road it doesn't seem to absorb the bumps at all. Bumps seem to hit the bike hard and quick, like a pothole. After riding for a while you’re sore because your bike isn't properly absorbing the bumps it’s passing them on to you.
Solution: You should first try and reduce rear compression damping. In bad cases your overall set up may be too stiff and you should reduce compression and rebound damping both.
Your Bike Under steers Or Feels Vague
Symptoms: When exiting a turn you start to get back on the throttle and the front tends to slid or wash out. On slightly uneven or bumpy roads the front tire feedback goes away and the returns for a second just to go away again. The steering may also feel a bit heavy.
Solution: Reduce front fork preload. The front tire is not moving down fast enough and the ride height is probably to high up front. Reducing preload will lower the front and let the forks expand quicker.
Your Bikes Bars Violently Twitch Back And Forth - A Tankslapper!
Symptoms: When accelerating the front wheel shakes back and forth quickly. In extreme cases the bars can almost pull out of your hands or if you hold on tight throw you back and forth on the bike and then cause the back to skip left and right. This is a tankslapper. The bars might also twitch midcorner or feel unstable on turn in. The bike turns into corners to easily.
Solution: Increase front fork preload or lower the rear ride height. You have too much weight on the front tire.
Your Bikes Rear End Feels Wiggly, Or Breaks Loose Easily
Symptoms: You get on the brakes hard for that tight left hander and the back tire skids or wiggles side to side.
Solution: Increase front fork rebound and preload. You could also lower the rear ride height slightly.
Your Back Tire Feels Like It's Flat
Symptoms: Your rear tire feels vague or like it has a slight side-to-side wiggle, similar to a flat rear tire. You've checked your air pressure and it's not low.
Solution: Increase rear spring preload. This will stiffen the back for a more solid feel and slow down rear form rising to quickly.
ps every rider views the above differently according to there weight - take from it what you want it's a rough guide
