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How can I 'soften' the suspension .... ??

bagger

bagger

Moped
Man, the roads here are crap.  I know I ride the Wing too much, but the Connie's banging my molars lately.

I'm running Traxxion front suspension on my 2010 and tire pressures are 41 psi.

I have no idea what the suspension setting are ... hence this post. 

Can I adjust the front/rear suspension to make it softer ... more forgiving?  Yes, I realize the C14 isn't a Wing ... but, I don't need to have my teeth clanking as I ride.  It would make the ride much more enjoyable.

I tried to determine how to 'soften up' the suspension, but I'm confused.  I'm about as mechanical as a bowling ball.

Any help ... suggestions ... would be appreciated.  Thanx.

 
Make small changes one at a time. I'd probably start by reducing pre-load on the rear shock.

I'd need to know your weight to make any specific recommendations.
 
Thanx, Fred ...

I'm about 210 lbs. 

I have not done anything to the suspension since I bought the bike.  Other than the front end Traxxion.

The bike does 'dance' in the rough corners, tho .... bounces side ways and chatters.

I'm not sure which way to turn the adjustments screws.  Clockwise, or antiClockwise to soften up the rear end, Fred.  Do I need to put it back to "zero" before doing any adjustments?
 
Start by turning the preload adjuster for the rear shock fully counter-clockwise, and count the number of clicks it takes to get to the full loose position so you have a known reference point for where it was initially set. Record this value so you can return to it if you need to.

Next, start turning the adjuster cw till you reach the very first click. This will be the "zero" click starting point. Now continue to turn it clockwise 17 more clicks. That should get the rear shock preload setting close to the proper point for your weight. You may prefer 16 or 18 clicks depending on your tastes. Now go take the bike for a ride so you see what that adjustment changed.

The rear shock rebound damping adjustment is a single screw on the bottom of the shock. The initial setting for a 150lb rider is 1 & 1/4 turns from the full hard position, but for your weight, a more appropriate setting may be about 3/4 a turn from the full hard position. Once again, ride the bike after making this adjustment so you can see what it impacted.


The Traxxions forks have the compression damping on the left fork adjuster and the rebound on the right. The initial starting point for both of them is 6 clicks from the fully closed (clockwise) position. So turn them both fully closed, and then start turning each one counter clockwise 6 clicks (or 1&1/2 turns). You can then experiment from there and adjust them for the feel you like. Reducing compression damping will soften the front end harshness.

The front pre-load settings on the Traxxion forks will also impact ride quality. Increasing preload will stiffen and reducing will soften. In general, you should have about 38mm of sag on the front forks. The baseline starting point on the Traxxion shocks is to have the preload adjusters set so that 5 lines are showing. This should get your sag close to where you need it.


The other thing to take into consideration is that suspension settings are very individual, and while I can give you what I think are some baseline settings, they may not be the ones you like. Some folks like a softer feel and some like a harder feel, and if you ride at higher speeds, you'll also probably want it set a little stiffer. It takes some time and experimentation, but try changing ONLY ONE adjustment at a time and then go for a ride and see how that adjustment affects the ride, so you understand what it does, and then move on to a different adjustment. If you make too many changes at once, it's sometimes hard to know what change did what.
 
Fred ... thanx! 

This is just what I needed to know.  The manual with the bike is not very 'user friendly' in this matter.  But, your instructions were very spot on ... as always.

Appreciate your help, m'friend.  Always helpful.
 
I made some edits to my post above, so if you read it earlier, you may need to go back and re-read it again.
 
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