I'm hoping some folks who know their way around suspension more than I do can offer some advice.
I can't do any kind of emulators, sonic springs or anything else pricey. I kinda need some pennytech solutions to a very harsh ride.
Even little bumps make the fairing rattle and the ride is very uncomfortable, increasingly so in the last year.
I just re-oiled the rear shock and put in bronze bushings to replace the needle bearings (thanks for the idea and measurements, T Cro!) and it made a positive difference in the rear end. But the front still shudders and wallows over bumps. Bike has almost 60k on it.
The fork oil is not a year old. I did have Progressive springs in the front but they were entirely too stiff for my 150 lbs. I put the stockers back in and will likely give hubby the Progressives since he weighs so much more than me (and his '99 practically wallows when pushed through the turns, it really needs the springs.) Whereas my bike is so harsh I feel like the front wheel is coming off the ground when it's pushed hard.
I put in regular ATF for shock fluid, and I put in the amount that the manual calls for with the forks off the bike. I have had a fork brace on there since new. The front tire is inflated to spec, and it does have some cupping, but I can feel the difference between a cupped tire and really harsh suspension. The discomfort I feel is not the tire. The suspension settings are set to the manual's "comfy, normal stock riding" settings.
Is there anything I can do so I can bring home my groceries without breaking the eggs on bumps? It's really, really harsh up front. I'm spending a lot of riding effort trying to navigate the smoothest way over normal city roads, and shaking out a lot of fairing bolts....
I can't do any kind of emulators, sonic springs or anything else pricey. I kinda need some pennytech solutions to a very harsh ride.
Even little bumps make the fairing rattle and the ride is very uncomfortable, increasingly so in the last year.
I just re-oiled the rear shock and put in bronze bushings to replace the needle bearings (thanks for the idea and measurements, T Cro!) and it made a positive difference in the rear end. But the front still shudders and wallows over bumps. Bike has almost 60k on it.
The fork oil is not a year old. I did have Progressive springs in the front but they were entirely too stiff for my 150 lbs. I put the stockers back in and will likely give hubby the Progressives since he weighs so much more than me (and his '99 practically wallows when pushed through the turns, it really needs the springs.) Whereas my bike is so harsh I feel like the front wheel is coming off the ground when it's pushed hard.
I put in regular ATF for shock fluid, and I put in the amount that the manual calls for with the forks off the bike. I have had a fork brace on there since new. The front tire is inflated to spec, and it does have some cupping, but I can feel the difference between a cupped tire and really harsh suspension. The discomfort I feel is not the tire. The suspension settings are set to the manual's "comfy, normal stock riding" settings.
Is there anything I can do so I can bring home my groceries without breaking the eggs on bumps? It's really, really harsh up front. I'm spending a lot of riding effort trying to navigate the smoothest way over normal city roads, and shaking out a lot of fairing bolts....