Adjusting rear shock preload

[Aleziel]

If we take the payload of the FZ as around 400lbs then it would make sense that at 400lbs or so the preload would be 7.

From that logic 3 or 4 may well suit the heavier rider.

i think that this logic is flawed.. it means that if you have a total weight of 70lbs... youre too heavy for the "1" setting, and if youre 300lb.. 5 is fine for you.

up to 60lb/27kg use setting 1
up to 120lb/54kg use setting 2
up to 180lb/81kg use setting 3
up to 240lb/108kg use setting 4
up to 300lb/135kg use setting 5
up to 360lb/162kg use setting 6
up to 420lb/189kg use setting 7

this looks awfully wrong to me..

 

[alanrim]

Lets assume a minimum load of 40kg and a maximum load 190kg

so that is a range of 150kg divide by 6 steps = 25kg per step.

So

setting 1 = 40kg
setting 2 = setting 1 + 25kg = 65kg
setting 3 = setting 2 + 25kg = 90kg
setting 4 = setting 3 + 25kg = 115kg
setting 5 = setting 4 + 25kg = 140kg
setting 6 = setting 5 + 25kg = 165kg
setting 7 = setting 6 + 25kg = 190kg

Done calcs in kg as Japanese will work in metric weights.

 

[Aleziel]

Lets assume a minimum load of 40kg and a maximum load 190kg

so that is a range of 150kg divide by 6 steps = 25kg per step.

So

setting 1 = 40kg
setting 2 = setting 1 + 25kg = 65kg
setting 3 = setting 2 + 25kg = 90kg
setting 4 = setting 3 + 25kg = 115kg
setting 5 = setting 4 + 25kg = 140kg
setting 6 = setting 5 + 25kg = 165kg
setting 7 = setting 6 + 25kg = 190kg

Done calcs in kg as Japanese will work in metric weights.

yeap. well the numbers are almost the same, but they dont look right...

if i weigh 160kgs.... i shouldnt put the maximum setting? can you see where im getting at?

 

[bluenova]

Lets assume a minimum load of 40kg and a maximum load 190kg

so that is a range of 150kg divide by 6 steps = 25kg per step.

So

setting 1 = 40kg
setting 2 = setting 1 + 25kg = 65kg
setting 3 = setting 2 + 25kg = 90kg
setting 4 = setting 3 + 25kg = 115kg
setting 5 = setting 4 + 25kg = 140kg
setting 6 = setting 5 + 25kg = 165kg
setting 7 = setting 6 + 25kg = 190kg

Done calcs in kg as Japanese will work in metric weights.

Sounds about right to me, I weigh 73 kg and it feels best between setting 2 or 3 when riding. I normally have it on 2 because I'm a short arse and I can then reach the ground better.

Don't forget you have to take heavy bike clothes and anything else on the bike into account too, so if you weigh 160 kg, setting 6 or 7 would probably suit.

 

[alanrim]

if i weigh 160kgs.... i shouldnt put the maximum setting? can you see where im getting at?

The bike set up is a personnel thing, but I reckon the sorts of weights listed will be a good starter. Engineers tend to think logically, and logic says that each adjustment should be linear, and that each adjustment needs to be enough to make a difference, but not too much that the change from one step to the next is too large.

If my guess is right then someone (or rider and pillion) weighing 160kg would find that a setting around 6 would be about right.

Setting 3 is the default which would come in around a 90kg rider and that seems to be an average weight for a white male http://www.halls.md/chart/men-weight-w.htm so that would fit too.

I may be totally wrong but it doesn't look far off to me.

 

[Fz6Daveg]

When i first bought my FZ6 S2 naked i thought setting 3 was too soft and it had a bouncy rear end. I changed it to 4 straight away and i have had some fun on that setting.(about 18,000 miles of fun)

I'm not sure of my weight, we don't have any scales at home. Maybe i'll get a shock if i looked.

I'm 6'2" tall and medium build. I've recently not been happy with my suspension, again it feels floppy on the rear so i have sent it up to 6 a couple of weeks ago and wow it's a big difference. I thought this may be the shock starting to wear out?? because i've read in magazines etc that 20,000 miles is average for the life span of the standard shock.
Can anyone tell me if this is true?

I've also dropped the forks yolk 1mm. It doesn't sound much but it sure does work and it turns in really sharp now.

 

[youngy]

The OE rear spring is right for a 160lb rider. 11st 6lb.

Dave your shock is knackered and you need a nice Ohlins in there. I happen to have one for sale.....

 

[spock]

I am in the same boat Fz6Daveg

at the beginning I was happy with preload in 3, even two up, then once I got familiar with the bike I started to push it more so 3 was not enough, 4 was better, after some time 5 was the best for spirited rides and for riding two up with some luggage ... now after 2 years and 45000 kms / almost 28000 miles 6 feels just SO SO for going solo and seven is absolutely not enough for going two up and loaded. Also the front has got softer, have in mind here that the maximum load capacity of the bike has never been exceeded.

So time for rebuilding suspension has come.

Given that I ride in every kind of condition:
- good roads
- bad roads
- spirited rides solo
- less spirited rides with passenger (thin girlfriend)
- touring rides with girlfriend no luggage
- touring rides with girlfriend and full luggage
- city rides solo
- city rides with girlfriend
- city rides with a different passenger (my not thin old man)

As you can see a springs and shocks specially prepared for a specific weight is not useful for me, it will be perfect for my solo rides, but what will happen when the bike is fully loaded , it will be messed up and I am not planning to get crazy spending my time with infinite rebound and compression settings.

So, I will go for front hyper pro progressive springs and their recommended 15 fork oil, for the rear I will get a brand new OEM shock and replace the spring with a hyper pro progressive one.

 

[Dunno]

All a matter of personal choice I reckon. I weigh 75kg & have it jacked up on 6.
I also have heavier fork springs up front. I like em high & hard, similar to my race bike.
There is a heap of $$$ you can throw at suspension & have custom built valving but I don't have that sort of cash to throw at my commuter/weekend warrior.

Fiddle with it & keep a log or diary of what you have done. Why not try all the different pre loads for a week at a time & then decide what you like after you have tried them all :thumbup:

 

[Fz6Daveg]

The OE rear spring is right for a 160lb rider. 11st 6lb.

Dave your shock is knackered and you need a nice Ohlins in there. I happen to have one for sale.....

Thanks but i am also not in a position to buy expensive upgrades yet. I don't think the shock is too bad yet. I does handle extremely well at the moment so i'll probably get another year (10,000 miles) out of it.

 

[lonesoldier84]

(Necropost, yes, but a search result netted this)

So much misinformation in this thread. You do not dial in preload for "how it feels in the twisties" by riding around with tools and tweaking it. You adjust preload so that:

1) your free sag is within the desired range (amount the bike compresses suspension front and rear without rider.....and this is done by taking stiction into account with a simple 2-3 step procedure)

2) your rider sag is in the desired range (amount the bike compresses the suspension with rider on top in riding position....same procedure)

That's it. Done. If you use any other SUBJECTIVE means to dial in your suspension then you are doing it wrong.

The subjective means come into play when you are dialing in compression and rebound dampening....which we don't have....

A bike is at its best when, during cornering, the suspension is extended not compressed.

This is just inaccurate.

I will try to get my suspension adjusted and I will try to make a step-by-step thing HOPEFULLY but time is stupidly short for me this week so I might not do it till AFTER my trackday which is not smart but might have to do it that way.