Motorcycle suspension setup for dummies

Check tyre pressures looking to buy or sell a motorcycle. Measuring and adjusting rider sag are the first steps in setting up any bike s suspension. Screw in for firmer quicker extension and out for softer slower extension. Race techs motorcycle suspension bible motorbooks workshop. Seven myths about motorcycle suspension motorbike writer. It will still support your weight, but you dont get the springy, bouncing. A proper suspension setup starts with properly set ride sag.

Motorcycle suspension 101 a complete guide for riders. Measuring and adjusting suspension sag are the first steps in setting up any bikes suspension. The goal is to lower the forks internally using spacers. How to set up your motorcycle suspension motorbike writer. Jan 31, 2018 suspension fork and shock settings for dummies.

However, if suspension bottoms at the place where the maximum grip is essential the tyre cannot create the. And stage one in the quest for a well setup streetbike. If you just had a spring on a motorcycle and no dampening it would be like a car going down the freeway without shocks. With a suspension geometry that consists of fork angle and height, motorcycles are designed. Youve got to get the basics right before tweaking suspension. Before attempting any setting changes, check to make sure your bikes. Simply turn a knob or a screw and you can make a real difference in your motorcycles ride or handling. The basics of motorcycle suspension motorcycle shocks as well as the suspension element of forks can be divided into two basic components. Get the best deals on complete motorcycle suspension units when you shop the largest online selection at. Whether a motorcycle has adjustable or nonadjustable suspension, it comes from the factory with the suspension set up for a single rider. Superbikecoach motorcycle suspension guide the suspension setting process provided here is a basic methodical guide to providing a way to update you current suspension to the style of riding to best suit your needs. Suspension tuning isnt rocket science, and if you follow stepbystep procedures you can make remarkable improvements in your bikes handling characteristics.

May 19, 2009 suspension setup guide staff weve heard practically every excuse in the book from sportbike riders who refuse to mess with their suspension, from, i dont know what knobs do what, to, it works. All of the different variables make it fairly hard to rely on the stock setup for optimal handling and comfort. I know a fellow who manages the press fleet of one of the major motorcycle manufacturers. Adding dampening to the suspension is like putting that trampoline in water. My bike has the spring on the outside of the damper on the rear wheel called rear shock but the front wheel suspension has the springs within the dampers hence. I am 220 lbs and 6 2 i have the stock settings to go by but i think this is for a lighter riders and is also for mx racing. Motorcycle suspension springs are designed so that theyre always under compressionand how much compression is. We should each take a page from lawsons book and experiment with our bike s full range of suspension. We take a look at setup routines and how you can dial in your bikes suspension. Your bike s suspension requires proper adjustment to work to its maximum potential. I just think if youre going to call it the suspension bible, it should include a lot more information. The damping settings that they supply have been developed by more than one high level racer on the same model motorcycle that i am using, during the race season prior, at many circuits. In fact two sources never recommended the same setting for my bike and no one adequately explained how they got those settings.

Consequently, for your motorcycle suspension to work correctly both elements must be balanced and tuned together. If suspension bottoms in big bumps or hollows, it should not automatically mean the suspension should be set harder. The basics whether you are a road rider or a racer correct suspension setup is the key to fast smooth riding and consistent lap times. Your dirt bikes suspension is made up of two components that work in conjunction with one another. The spring controls the mass of the bike and the damping controls the speed in which the spring moves. Adjust your motorcycles suspension for a smooth ride. Suspension set up for woods riding motorcycle suspension.

Its important to keep your motorcycle suspension parts in good working condition. Its usually managed by a red button save for manitou products which opted for a reversed colour scheme at the lower end of the suspension fork s arms or close to one of the ends in the case of shocks. Motorcycle suspension is in some ways for basics but to many people its black art so i am gonna go over few of the primers of what most of the motorcycles suspension is and. Jhs racing are ohlinstrained motorcycle suspension specialists as well as being a ktech suspension authorised uk dealer. Tyhe too tech suspension tuning page just about is a suspension for dummies book. Ride sag is the amount of sag or compression of the shocks that occurs when under load from the normal weight of the riders, gear and whatever weight is on the bike while riding. Complete motorcycle suspension units for sale ebay.

Learn about adjusting your bikes preload cycle world. Oct 14, 2010 motorcycle handling like a pogo stick with a broken spring. Apart from regular tools, i had to have the tool that fits the outer part of the top of my forks also had a holder for taking the bottom part off, an. At tfx suspension we often have people emailing in asking for some advice on how to set up their motorcycle suspension correctly, so we have created this guide to help explain.

A fork rebound damping usually located on top of the fork in the center of the preload adjuster. Setting up your motorcycle suspension is one of the most arcane and confounding disciplines, yet one of the most important. Also landing of the front wheel after wheelies can cause excessive use of the front fork stroke. Motorcycle suspension guide superbikecoach a motorcycle. Check swing arm and wheel bearingsbushes to ensure there is no wear.

Suspension set up explained motorcycle videos, pictures. We take a look at setup routines and how you can dial in your bike s suspension. Ktechs bullit shocks are proving hugely popular on the indian scout. Jeff stone teaches us everything we need to know about adjusting our motorcycle suspension, including the damping and compression. I get my suspension from ohlins with springs fitted that they recommend for my particular bike, rider weight and speed.

Adjusting your dirt bike suspension clickers dirt rider. Suspension setup guide staff weve heard practically every excuse in the book from sportbike riders who refuse to mess with their suspension, from, i dont know what knobs do what, to, it works. I tried suspension setting from motorcycle newspapers, sports bike magazine, top racing websites and forums and they were all crap. Motorcycle suspension set up and servicing md racing. One of the major keys to a successful suspension setup is the condition of the components. Motorcycle suspension explained tfx suspension technology. Aug 17, 2015 he ditched the system for a conventional setup half way through the season. If your suspension is just fine, but you want a better ride, there are plenty of options to accomplish just that. Motorcycle suspension setup for dummies carbatterychargers. Jul 08, 2016 your tires arent technically a part of your motorcycles suspension, but they play a crucial role.

Your suspension setup must match your pace duration. Hes told me the story of a motorcycle writer who actually wrote negatively about a bike that had not been set up right, so he now sets up each bike for each writer to avoid that situation being repeated. We take a look at suspension setup routines and how you can dial in your bikes suspension. The basics of motorcycle suspension high performance. Suspension fork and shock settings for dummies bike advisor. For bikes with 120mm of front suspension travel, you want around 40mm of rider sag. In order to understand how to set up your suspension you must consider the following. The first step to setting up any bike is to set the spring sag and determine if you have the correctrate springs. Until now, we dedicated articles to things less in hands reach for most bike owners, so. Getting the perfect setup as motorcycles get more and more complex, its easy to think that the science behind the suspension on your bike is almost too much to understand.

Jan 28, 2014 i found it took a little research to gather all of this. Before attempting any setting changes, check to make sure your bikes fork and shock are in good working order. Too big a sag figure it drops too much when you get on and your suspension could bottom out under braking and cornering. Changing of components from the suspension geometry of motorcycles can affect the geometry. This will not only leave you sore the next day but can also affect your handling enough to make riding dangerous. Lift the rear of the bike until the suspension is completely extended. In stock home delivery buy motorcycle suspension setup for dummies on. The position the suspension sits in relation to the top of the stroke is called sag. Thats even harder to believe when you know how much of a difference a proper set up can make to your motorbikes handling.

Understanding a motorcycles rake and trail cycle world. Whether a motorcycle has adjustable or nonadjustable suspension, it comes from the factory with the suspension set up for a single rider even if its a dualseat bike weighing about 7585kg. Hopefully, this will help you understand the basics of how suspension works and how adjustments change the ride. Mar 24, 20 i am a novice rider i need some help on setting up my suspension on my 2002 rm250 for the woods. The spring whose simplified function is to carry the load as well as absorb the impact of bumps and other road imperfections and a damper that dissipates the energy created by the springs compression and. Motorcycle handling like a pogo stick with a broken spring. Setting the sag lets you change where in the range your suspension sits with you on board, and it gives the suspension an initial point to work in either direction. How to setup motorcycle suspension sag rebound compression damping fz09 mt09 duration. Controls the extension of the fork after it compresses. Your motorbikes suspension can seem a daunting thing to take some spanners to, but do it right and youll almost certainly transform your. This includes replacing leaky seals, lubricating sticky linkage bushings, and changing old fork or shock oil.

We provide suspension setup, optimisation, installation, servicing and refurbishment for any type of motorcycle and for any manufacturers suspension components. How to set motorcycle suspension static sag yamaha yzf. Suspension set up explained the components, where are they and what do they do. This is more like motorcycle suspension for dummies. Every suspension unit built in the swadlincote factory is tested on the dyno before dispatch.

Yet knowing how your suspension works and what effect the various adjustments have will help you. Motorcycle club gives back to florence italy during pandemic. Tyre pressures are about as basic as it gets and can make a bike feel like shit, or like the best bike in the world. May 06, 2009 motorcycle suspension setup getting to grips with a black art suspension setup. Fully extend the rear suspension with the wheel off the ground. As enigmatic as the optimum suspension setup may seem, this guide sums up. Jun 19, 2010 i have to say the suspension rebuild instructions are pretty cool, but any service manual has those too. Here is a compression clicker adjustment screw located at the top of the left fork. When suspension works correctly the bike will be much more enjoyable to ride. Its important to start at the basics, so lets do that by breaking suspension down into the damper and the spring. Motorcycle suspension explained the basics of how it. Your bike will not handle the way it is supposed to if the tires are either under inflated or over inflated. You need to learn your bikes language and find out just what your suspension is trying to tell you. While the top classes of racing maintain a ban on assisted suspension, the future lies more with touring bikes, thinks colin leeder who as owner of 100 per cent suspension, is closely involved with race teams, track day riders and road riders.

In order to set a solid base line to test your suspension setup, you need to ensure that the tires are properly inflated. Motorcycle suspension seems like magic to a lot of people, but it doesnt have to. How to setup your bike s suspension trusted by some of the best teams in the world and rightfully regarded as one of the best men at bike setup in the world, niall mackenzie can suss and sort suspension in seconds. Take a measurement from the axle to a point directly above on the rear sub frame.