howard Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Hi All, Can anyone tell me in detail the whys and hows of suspension adjustment.?I'm 95kg and 5'11'' and a mere Clubman who wants to learn to hop etc.!!!Thanks in anticipation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copemech Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 (edited) Back the front damper screw all the way out and screw the rear shock screw in to just past half way in the range(about 9 clicks) and turn the rear spring preload up to where there is no more than 20-30 mm static sag(weight of the bike only). Then drop the forks in the clamps to at least the first groove. That should give you a good start i think. Edited January 27, 2007 by copemech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard Posted February 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2007 Thanks Copemech, I've done all you suggested and will try it today. Could you please tell me what each of the 4 suspension adjustments actually do and what aspects of riding each one helps or hinders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copemech Posted February 3, 2007 Report Share Posted February 3, 2007 (edited) Yes, but then I would have to kill you. There is a good article on this somewhere, I will try to find a link. LINKY AND set the bars forward to verticle or just beyond. A trick is to rotate the bars forward, insert allen wrench into the front clamp bolts, then bring the bars back untill the crossbar just touches the allen wrench. Lock them down tight! And be sure the front and rear gaps on the clamps are equal, if not, readjust the bolts. Ooops, you did say '07 in the title, so no crossbar to work with, just past verticle will do! If you added one more tic mark to the index on the bars, or sight a line on the front edge of the bar, difficult to describe but you get the idea. Edited February 4, 2007 by copemech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motofire Posted February 4, 2007 Report Share Posted February 4, 2007 Copemech....Nice article, thanks for posting it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copemech Posted February 4, 2007 Report Share Posted February 4, 2007 The thing about suspenseion setup that nobody EVER wants to talk about is that any thing you change can have a negative effect under certain conditions and much is left to rider preferance and riding style. If you can HOP, you don't need to turn as much, so that becomes less important, yet to us mere mortals it is very important. Setting the rear so the front does not push or tuck makes a difference. EVERYTHING is a tradeoff! The same setup that works well on the rocks may not work well on the slippry roots and mud such! Cost me a few points last weekend! Stupid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard Posted February 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 Thanks for the link article copemech, but i'd still like you to tell me YOUR synopsis of the 4 settings, even if I have to sacrifice my life for it! Confucius he say "man with too much static sag no good for ladies". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copemech Posted February 5, 2007 Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 One thing I have found in speaking with most folks that I have asked, is that more adjustments add to more confusion. This is in reference to the later model Paoli forks and the shock. Basically, the suspension should be balanced front and rear, in both compression and return. To me, the forks spring and return rate seem to work fine in the backed off positions and with the stock oil. Four(4) wt is still the spec in the manual, try and find it! I weigh 180lbs which is still in basic design limits of the springs. The rear spring sagged out quickly on mine and required about five full turns on the adjuster to keep it from falling a full two inches of static sag. With my weight in it, it makes the front end angle (rake) kick out considerably, making the bike "push" on turns. On a tight off camber, you can push the front right outside the boundry ribbon if you are not careful. This is one of the main reasons the front geometry was changed on the '06 and up. In years past, many "hoppers" complained the rear was too slow, requireing more effort to move the rear wheel, yet this same increased damping generally provides better "hook-up" and traction in slippery conditions as the rear wheel does not tend to "pogo' and break traction. My current thought is to increase the rear damping in these conditions. Comments welcome, as I have yet to get much feedback from riders. Also in muddy conditions, raise the forks in the clamps to transfer more weight toward the rear for traction. Some use footpegs with more rear offset for the same reason. Maybe even pull the bars back a bit to pure verticle to aid in getting weight back , but generally you want to keep them up as far as possible for obsticles. Correct body positioning, steering with your feet and proper clutch control will get you a long way. I no longer use first gear in the sections, but that is another story. My 2C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copemech Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 You see how much input you get on this topic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard Posted February 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 On the rear Olle shock there is a 2.5mm allen screw which I presume should be undone before turning the top nut to tighten the spring, however only a tiny part of the top nut is visible so how can one undo the allen screw with the airbox and silencer fitted so that adjustments of shock preload can be made and tried in practice sessions? Can the upper nut be tightened without loosening the allen srew?does the large lower nut have a function? Finally, what is the function of the lower left screw, which you advized to turn in 9 clicks, please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copemech Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 (edited) You will have to remove the airbox to ajgust top spring preload ring. You must loosen the set screw. The bottom screw increased return damping as you turn it in(right). Edited February 7, 2007 by copemech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard Posted February 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2007 Thanks Copemech, your suggestions and explanations have helped me a lot. Why don't the new bikes come with some sort of manual? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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