Somethin Black

DHoback

Junior Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
119
Reaction score
8
Points
0
Location
Phila, PA
Visit site
Joe, any update?


Dho, it seems Joe took his off to do some "refining" which is pertinent to rider weight as not all of us tip the scales beyond half our Bikes weight and get the instant drop in solution, "as is". . . And do you dislike that I didn't hack up the frame or plastic when its not required? :confused:

I'll get a 30" ride in tonight and play with it a bit more. Then she's gonna get parked for a bit. . . Not a dirt nap, just a little hibernation! :(


Yeah, I know... Im actually still a little under sprung. Should be at about a 13.4kg spring. I just never think about ride height. I come to a stop and stand up rocking the bike between my legs and still have about 3" between the seat and my behind! The only thing I dislike is turning the shock around. Not that it would impede function. Just looks strange. Not for me. I dont mind cutting some plastic and the shock bracket.
 

FinalImpact

2 Da Street, Knobs R Gone
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
11,137
Reaction score
184
Points
63
Location
USA, OR
Visit site
Yeah, I know... Im actually still a little under sprung. Should be at about a 13.4kg spring. I just never think about ride height. I come to a stop and stand up rocking the bike between my legs and still have about 3" between the seat and my behind! The only thing I dislike is turning the shock around. Not that it would impede function. Just looks strange. Not for me. I dont mind cutting some plastic and the shock bracket.

Sounds like you need a bigger bike regardless. Mod the seat and handlebars adding 3" :don'tknow:


It looks strange! haha! you're gonna have to look real close to see its any different! :thumbup: Hopefully, not cutting the hugger will keep the shock area cleaner. . . :don'tknow:
 

FinalImpact

2 Da Street, Knobs R Gone
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
11,137
Reaction score
184
Points
63
Location
USA, OR
Visit site
Rode the Fiz out to its resting place where it can hibernate for a couple a months. Dumped some stabil in before departing.

Long story short I left late, it was dark, came down a hill and was watching traffic at a T in the road, stuck my foot down in "HOLE" that was football/boot sized (insert "YIKES" HERE!). Woahhaaaa - about dumped on the left side as my boot went in about 3" unexpectedly. + 1 for the Hole.

Traffic clears so i go to leave and all be damned if my boot wasn't caught in the F'fffing hole! I grab the front brake, ANCHOR it (by now I'm sideways in the saddle, left leg behind me), And with the bars turned sharp right, front brake ANCHORED, the bike is headed over on the right side! Thankfully I caught it before it became unruly! >> +2 for the hole and 0 for me.
The rest of the ride was event-less even on the leaves and needles and my racing slick BT016-Pro which seemed to slid allot on the needles worse than the leaves!

Anyway - shock is now at +5 clicks out on rebound and still not enough as the back has the Cadilac ride while the front is more sports car.. .. .. Not balanced to say the least.
 

DHoback

Junior Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
119
Reaction score
8
Points
0
Location
Phila, PA
Visit site
"Anyway - shock is now at +5 clicks out on rebound and still not enough as the back has the Cadilac ride while the front is more sports car.. .. .. Not balanced to say the least."

Ok, have to comment. If you have a the "cadillac" ride, it's due to compression, not rebound. Being 5 out and still not happy(my taking is you are really trying to discredit this mod at every waking turn, wonder why:rolleyes:) dosnt sound logical, as Im still about 10 out. REBOUND! And 9 out COMPRESSION! A picture of ignorance is starting to come to light. And I think I know why. This statement makes it all too clear. "This is my first street bike" dated 03/27/2011. The date is the tell. I have owned street bikes since I was 16. That was A LONG time ago. I would have never claimed to really know what I was doing less than 2 years after owning a bike. I have learned over the years that 90% of something not working right is user error. It's just all to easy to blame the equipment, because human nature is to asume no responsibility for failure. We are always looking to place the blame. My advice, get some more experience under your belt:thumbup:

PS, last time I post on this thread, as it is going nowhere. I encourage others to read my posts, if you want to succeed at this and other mods.
 
Last edited:

FinalImpact

2 Da Street, Knobs R Gone
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
11,137
Reaction score
184
Points
63
Location
USA, OR
Visit site
PS, last time I post on this thread, as it is going nowhere. I encourage others to read my posts, if you want to succeed at this and other mods.


Fine by me and I'll have no love loss after arrogant words like that. And why the sudden burr up your @ss and to bash??? Because someone did something different? I'm glad "throwing it on" and calling it DONE met your needs, but that may not be the case for all of us and certainly not for those of us who are lighter than you. Go race in the desert for 5 years and see what you glean from running at 80mph over everything and work on telling others they KNOW NOTHING because they only rode on the street for 2 seasons. Brilliant Call! Hell, did I claim to be the expert??? I think not, but when the bike smacks you in the tail there clearly is not rebound control on par with the demand.

Anyway, had you read this thread from the beginning you'd see I didn't care for the soft squishy ride the second time I rode it. Its not me and not what I consider optimal for how I ride. As one continues to read you see I opt for small corrections made one at time so one can tell what actually changed. I mean you also must see that lots of people are happy with how it rides "AS IS from the factory" (should we bash them?). So people have different needs, Go figure!

Our styles are different and thats fine. I'm offering up what I did and why from start to finish. Successful or not, everyone sees and learns something. Like the R6 fork swap I didn't post in a high visibility thread until I had a chance to ride it and see that it certainly WAS a huge improvement over stock for me and how I ride. Also keep in mind I bought a used part and it may not be 100% which might explain something so stop jumping to conclusions. . .
 

jrevans

Old-School Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
520
Reaction score
14
Points
18
Location
Eastern Pennsylvania
jrevans.fbody.com
Yinz (pittsburghese) are getting me confused if I'm going to like this mod or not. :)

I guess I won't know until I try.

I definitely like the idea of flipping it around to avoid cutting the underseat storage, but I don't like that doing that means you can't access the adjustments without cutting other holes. It does seem the lesser of two evils though.

I don't know much about adjusting suspensions. I've probably done around 30 track days, but I rarely adjust my suspension, besides setting sag. Since I put the R6 forks on my bike years ago, I think I only changed the settings once. I keep saying I should learn about it, but I never really have.

I'm enjoying these threads, but am a bit confused why all of this good information is hidden in your "somethin black" thread. I almost missed it!
 

FinalImpact

2 Da Street, Knobs R Gone
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
11,137
Reaction score
184
Points
63
Location
USA, OR
Visit site
Because it was never intended for our bike it doesn't lend itself to easy access on the top or bottom. The top is straight shot in once the plastic is trimmed a very tiny amount and the pod removed. Yes, POD removed. IMO it matters not what direction the shock is installed, they are in the way and I personally don't want a hole in the pod.

The bottom is at an angle but its fine once a small hole is drilled though the hugger.

You need a long screw driver for either and it fits under the seat with the tool pouch.

As for the thread being buried, true. My intent was to keep all the cool links in one place for easy access and it turned into a diary or sft! lol Think of it as a book that's not finished. If it works, I'll do my best to convey the bottom line and what is needed to make it successful. My problem is apartment life. Major work must be done elsewhere, hence all the wasted time between action items.
And yes, I do want it to work but I really need that collar on it to get the sag proper.
 

Randomchaos

Flaming Hot Doughnut
Elite Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2011
Messages
595
Reaction score
9
Points
0
Location
Maynardville, TN
Visit site
There are some pretty good videos about adjusting suspension. Setting pre-load is pretty easy to do. Get somebody to help you. While sitting on the bike in your normal riding position, measure the sag, and adjust to the desired length. I believe the common for track is 20-25mm, and street can be as much as 30-35mm.

Dampening is a little bit more of an artwork. Its always best to start at the lowest amount of dampening, and work up from there.

For rebound, compress the suspension down, then release it back up. when it stops rising back up, it should have little to no drop back down. With the dampening turned all the way down on both compression and rebound, it will probably bounce a couple of times before settling down. Once you have the rebound set, lift the bike up some to unload the suspension, then drop it back down. When it compresses down and comes to a stop, it should have little to no movement back upwards. Do both test over and over with minor tweaking to both settings until you get the desired effect. Also helps alot to have springs that are designed for your weight.

These settings will get you pretty close to optimal. Some tweaking will probably be needed while you ride depending on how bouncy or stiff she feels on some roads.

I have used this setup method in the past with good results.

Or you can just go buy the new BMW HP4 and let the electronics do the work for ya mid turn ;)
 

Randomchaos

Flaming Hot Doughnut
Elite Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2011
Messages
595
Reaction score
9
Points
0
Location
Maynardville, TN
Visit site
FinalImpact, it might be a neat idea to create links in the first post of this thread to other posts in it where you do your mods. I guess the best way to call is is bookmarks in the first post. Would work EXTREMELY well for an all in one style of thread you are going for. Keep er shiny side up!
 

FinalImpact

2 Da Street, Knobs R Gone
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
11,137
Reaction score
184
Points
63
Location
USA, OR
Visit site
One other thing, how is the paint on the rearsets and handlebars holding up?

Bars are good! Rear sets; the right side has a tad bit of wear at the edges from the boot.

FinalImpact, it might be a neat idea to create links in the first post of this thread to other posts in it where you do your mods. I guess the best way to call is is bookmarks in the first post. Would work EXTREMELY well for an all in one style of thread you are going for. Keep er shiny side up!

Could be done.


There are some pretty good videos about adjusting suspension. Setting pre-load is pretty easy to do. Get somebody to help you. While sitting on the bike in your normal riding position, measure the sag, and adjust to the desired length. I believe the common for track is 20-25mm, and street can be as much as 30-35mm.

Dampening is a little bit more of an artwork. Its always best to start at the lowest amount of dampening, and work up from there.

For rebound, compress the suspension down, then release it back up. when it stops rising back up, it should have little to no drop back down. With the dampening turned all the way down on both compression and rebound, it will probably bounce a couple of times before settling down. Once you have the rebound set, lift the bike up some to unload the suspension, then drop it back down. When it compresses down and comes to a stop, it should have little to no movement back upwards. Do both test over and over with minor tweaking to both settings until you get the desired effect. Also helps alot to have springs that are designed for your weight.

These settings will get you pretty close to optimal. Some tweaking will probably be needed while you ride depending on how bouncy or stiff she feels on some roads.

I have used this setup method in the past with good results.

Or you can just go buy the new BMW HP4 and let the electronics do the work for ya mid turn ;)

I'm good thanks. This was the lead in to what I do >> http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-general-discussion/36842-somethin-black-2.html#post512826

NUTSHELL: note: my goal may be different than yours. . .
Set Tire Pressure.
Set the SAG: Fronts at 31, rear is *currently* 36mm. I want 29 to 30mm but it has no adjustment! I'm WORKING ON IT. SEE LAST SENTENCE!
Set Ride height: Bike doesn't have this option.
Set Rebound: Not overkill, but not packing down over repeated bumps/drops and doesn't top out over sharp changes in conditions.
Set Compression: Start soft until REBOUND IS DIALED IN! Its easier to tell where the Rebound is if the Compression is NOT to firm. Goal; set Compression such that its firm but not too choppy. It's OK to use the range of travel the suspension has!
AS YOU TWEAK, keep in mind what you ride over. i.e. the larger bumps you "typically encounter" on YOUR RIDE should NOT bottom out shock and make you bounce off the road but should control the compression so as not to jar your spine spine and teeth over little imperfections. The tire needs to maintain contact with the ground. Use the suspensions but DON'T set it such that routine bumps or drops allow it bottom or top out! This will crash you! Now Balance both ends so they work in HARMONY!
POST LESS - Ride MORE! :thumbup:

Seriously I'm about done updating this as I know what I want and how to get it. MONEY AND TIME IS A PROBLEM!!!!
 

Randomchaos

Flaming Hot Doughnut
Elite Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2011
Messages
595
Reaction score
9
Points
0
Location
Maynardville, TN
Visit site
I hear ya on the money front! Wouldn't it be nice to get a Ohlins rear shock? My rearsets are a little scuffed up too, but are holding up well considering how much my boots scrape on them. Where I used to live had a nice corner close by that I could run through to test out my suspension. Had a nice dip at the end, and some washboard rumble strip style bumps mid turn. Need to find me another turn like that here around my new home!
 

FinalImpact

2 Da Street, Knobs R Gone
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
11,137
Reaction score
184
Points
63
Location
USA, OR
Visit site
I hear ya on the money front! Wouldn't it be nice to get a Ohlins rear shock? My rearsets are a little scuffed up too, but are holding up well considering how much my boots scrape on them. Where I used to live had a nice corner close by that I could run through to test out my suspension. Had a nice dip at the end, and some washboard rumble strip style bumps mid turn. Need to find me another turn like that here around my new home!

Without going into too much detail that is what its all about. I'm not going to tune the bike cruising between stop lights and it takes 20 miles to get to a place that remotely mimics the bulk of our Fun Rides! And with the leaves contineious downpour everywhere its parked for a bit now. FWIW: I'm guessing I'll be into it for 280 and be able to rival other bolt ons if the suspension guy can hit his mark based upon the info I've collected thus far. Likely after Christmas the rear will be opened, get the collar and tweak on the valving.

So where have you been? You kinda vanished for a while. . .
 

FinalImpact

2 Da Street, Knobs R Gone
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
11,137
Reaction score
184
Points
63
Location
USA, OR
Visit site
Well - this story has changed directions as i had the rear R1 shock in for re-valving and to add the adjusting collar for preload adjustment.

Update: 2013-02-28
First off the guy was backlogged for a week so it took a while to get around to my shock. And when he did - I got a call telling me he screwed up and damaged the reservoir on the shock.

An offer is made to replace it and he's wanting a new FZ1 shock from Japan! Right off the bat I see this will take 3 weeks and that sucks. Mind you this is a Yamaha service center that builds for many race teams so it not your normal service center, it separate guy in their building essentially.. I suggest a used one locally for half the cost to expedite the service and the guy offers up a fleebay deal and I said fine. Low and behold he buys an Ohlins shock 2004-2006 R1! It appears to be 302mm, with different eyelets, and the adjusters are not orientated the same as I just cut my plastic for.

I got home tonight and found the sold item and there was no part number but it looks like this:

Ohlins Part Number: S46PR1C1-YA-348 Mono Shock
Shocks eye to eye length 300mm
Shocks stroke travel 65mm
View attachment 46865

Time will tell. When I get it back I'll post up what happens but the goal is to install it, ride it for a while and then valve it as needed to make it suit my style. The fee before this happened was $180 to $200. I shall cross my fingers at this point!

EDIT: Actual Shock, I'll contact Ohlins and see if I can order the correct eyelets. Then again, maybe these will work??
The stroke is 58 mm vs this at 65 mm (S46PR1C1).
46893d1362257891-somethin-black-ohlins-rear-shock-jpg

46894d1362257891-somethin-black-r1-ohlins-shock1-jpg


Thought I'd throw this in there:
Yamaha Pn for the Yamaha Shock, if someone needed a bushing for example. Not to say these bushings will fit that shock, but I suspect someone might find out.
1. 5VX-22210-10-00 SHOCK ABSORBER ASSY, 1, $239.90
2. 34L-22216-00-00 BUSH;REAR SHOCKABS 1, $11.91 **TOP
3. 93109-17071-00 OIL SEAL 2, $4.24 *BOTTOM
4. 93315-31758-00 BEARING 1, $12.06 *BOTTOM
5. 90109-10654-00 BOLT 1, $4.83 **TOP
6. 90201-101J1-00 WASHER, PLATE 1, $1.63 **TOP
7. 95617-10100-00 NUT,U 1, $2.35 **TOP
8. 90387-1012B-00 COLLAR 1, $6.89 *BOTTOM
9. 90105-10323-00 BOLT,WASHER BASED 1, $2.82 *BOTTOM
10. 95607-10200-00 NUT,SELF-LOCKING 1, $1.27 *BOTTOM
404 - File or directory not found.
 
Last edited:

motojoe122

No ride is too far...
Moderator
Elite Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2010
Messages
3,579
Reaction score
44
Points
0
Location
Somers Point, NJ
Visit site
Well - this story has changed directions as i had the rear R1 shock in for re-valving and to add the adjusting collar for preload adjustment.

Update: 2013-02-28
First off the guy was backlogged for a week so it took a while to get around to my shock. And when he did - I got a call telling me he screwed up and damaged the reservoir on the shock.

An offer is made to replace it and he's wanting a new FZ1 shock from Japan! Right off the bat I see this will take 3 weeks and that sucks. Mind you this is a Yamaha service center that builds for many race teams so it not your normal service center, it separate guy in their building essentually.. I suggest a used one locally for half the cost to expidite the service and the guy offers up a fleebay deal and I said fine. Low and behold he buys an Ohlins shock 2004-2006 R1! It appears to be 302mm, with different eyelets, and the adjusters are not orientated the same as I just cut my plastic for.

I got home tonight and found the sold item and there was no part number but it looks like this:

Ohlins Part Number: S46PR1C1-YA-348 Mono Shock
Shocks eye to eye length 300mm
Shocks stroke travel 65mm
View attachment 46865

Time will tell. When I get it back I'll post up what happens but the goal is to install it, ride it for a while and then valve it as needed to make it suit my style. The fee before this happened was $180 to $200. I shall cross my fingers at this point!

You lucky bastige!:D
 

FinalImpact

2 Da Street, Knobs R Gone
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
11,137
Reaction score
184
Points
63
Location
USA, OR
Visit site
You lucky bastige!:D

You notice the ends are not quite like the Fizzer and the resevour is turned all so slightly. Not to mention how the F am I going to adjust that top knob? I am really wondering if there is anyway it will fit. I honestly had NO idea the guy would do something like that - crap, if he was to spend that kind of money, I may of opted for the real thing that fits our bike! I'll keep you posted.. .. ..
 
Top