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OK, I gotta setup the suspension

RideBellChain

RideBellChain

Street Cruiser
I know she comes from the box setup for a 150 lb rider, but I'm about 215...  I actually turned a little too fast into a driveway that was slightly sloped upwards and bottomed out the forks.  Ugh.

I think the ride now is fairly good coming from a cruiser...and I know I'm still on the stock tires too, so I really don't know what "good" handling is supposed to feel like...

So based on my weight, give me a setup that will still be comfortable, but also be a "better" ride than I'm having now.  :)

Thanks in advance guys!
 
Here ,Here!! I'm in the same boat! Well not quite 215 but I too would like to hear what others have dialed thing in at . I'm sitting with the Manual in front of me trying to better understand the process of adjustment!
 
Add me to the list. I weigh 215 and am looking for a happy medium setup for my new 2012. Grateful for any help.
 
  There's no one size fits all setting, it has to be set to your liking, roads & riding style. Get some tools go ride it, then stop & turn things. Ride it, stop turn some more. If one way don't work, turn it the other way. Keep riding & turning till you like it. At 160 lbs. I have mine set tight but it works for me & my riding. That's the only way, ride & twist. If you don't notice the difference while turning up & down then it really doesn't matter anyway!

Cliff  :beerchug:
 
Makes sense, but I think you started out at an advantage - it's just a couple of clicks either way for you since it came from the factory setup for your smaller guys.  :)

I'm looking for a good starting point. I guess the first thing to so is set the sag properly and most things I read indicate to shoot for 30-35mm for street riding, less for the track...and then they say after that you can start playing with the rebound.

I'm also wondering if the springs are ok for folks over 200lbs, or will I be chasing my tail here...setting ride height/sag will not fix soft springs...or so I've read.

I'm not planning on racing, but I am looking for the best bike I can have with a comprimise between comfort and performance.
 
The stock spring to stiff so for your riding at 220 lbs there ok to start with, as for rebound start  with 1/4 turn out from seated for the rear and for the front start at 5 out from seated then play from there. :)
 
I'm riding at a proud 250lbs. I have not touched the front setup since new November 2007 and 50k miles. Just put tire 7 on the front.
I wear them pretty fast . I like the comfort than jarring if you hit a bad piece of road. I think the small percentage of handling you get tweaking is not as large as the practicing of riding style unless your competing at a track.
 
I'm pretty overweight as well, 295 now down 20 and maybe I'll stick to the plan and lose more.

But anyway, I'm leaving my 2012 the way it was when delivered. I've been out on some mountain twisties and it doesn't wallow or act spooky. So I'll try it with stuff in the luggage on a trip May 17-20 and see how it feels. We'll be on BRP so its a nice easy test.

I retuned the suspension on my ZX14 after I put the Givi luggage on it, and actually made it too stiff in the front. I backed off some compression and it felt a lot better.

So maybe better to be just a bit soft, as you say, Richard, unless going to the track.
 
I weigh 225 .......let's call it 245 in full gear. I like it stiff but not over damped and I tend to ride from the front of the bike which is to say I ride it on the front wheel a-lot. I have 2 lines showing on the front forks to get 27mm of sag and I turned the rear to just out from full stiff on the preload ring for 27 mm there. I have not messed with dampening too much just yet but it feels okay. I will know more when I actually get to ride the darn thing hard on something twisty. I'm taking her to the track July 20th so if not before then it will be a good opportunity to play with it.

Set this way (which is most likely way stiffer than most guys will want it) it softens up nicely when I throw stuff in the bags and my 120lbs of wife on the back. The front is a little stiff at that point but overall worth the trade off for it staying put at other times.
 
Most people here are on the right track by telling you that you cannot go by someone elses settings even if they are close in weight. Too many other variables to take into account. You really need to learn the language of suspension tuning and read what each does and how it effects the other settings as well as what it will feel like when it is not set right. Too much this or that, or not enough, too much in the rear etc can effect different things, the way it handles, the way the bike turns in, the way it handles hard edge obstructions vs. rolling irregularities etc.

A good basic primer can be found if you google "sport rider suspension tuning". There is a complete guide published online by them that will help.
 
I have advocated this before and will again.

Go to a local bike shop that has experience in suspension.  Probably any local shop that has a race team can get you in the ballpark.

Pay the $50-100 and be happy with a better handling bike.
 
millsan1 said:
I have advocated this before and will again.

Go to a local bike shop that has experience in suspension.  Probably any local shop that has a race team can get you in the ballpark.

Pay the $50-100 and be happy with a better handling bike.
Click to expand...

ABSOLUTELY CORRECT,

If you don't know how or are unwilling to take the time to properly set yourself up then by all means take it to someone who can help you. Proper suspension setup requires a good basic knowledge of what all the settings do and lots and lots of note taking. A good suspension guy can help you a ton if you know how to feel what the bike is doing and relay it to him properly and can still help you a bunch even if you can't.
 
Final Word from me: Go on-line and order a DVD copy of "Twist of the Wrsit II" by Keith Code. It is an amazing video that will not only teach you everything you need to know about setting the suspension (SAG Bonus) but provides awesome street riding tutorials on cornering, braking, skid control, etc. The commentary and camera work is excellent. It is well worth the $22.

PS: The manual is about useless in trying to educate yourself on suspension adjustment. It tells you where the adjustments are located, but that is about it. 
 
JimA said:
Final Word from me: Go on-line and order a DVD copy of "Twist of the Wrsit II" by Keith Code. It is an amazing video that will not only teach you everything you need to know about setting the suspension (SAG Bonus) but provides awesome street riding tutorials on cornering, braking, skid control, etc. The commentary and camera work is excellent. It is well worth the $22.

PS: The manual is about useless in trying to educate yourself on suspension adjustment. It tells you where the adjustments are located, but that is about it.
Click to expand...

Will do!  Thanks!
 
I got some settings from a guy who had his setup done by a professional. These are for someone who weighs around 270. I've since dropped nearly 40lbs and the other day made a couple more adjustments. To get in the ball park, I took his settings as one end of the spectrum, and the stock settings as the other, put them in a spreadsheet, and then filled in the blanks for each 10lb weight increment in between 150 and 270 to gradually ramp between the stock and modified settings. This way as I lose more weight I can get some ball park settings.

For the 270lb settings:
Front- turn the adjuster nut in til it bottoms out, then back out 6 turns- 2 rings should be showing
Rear- turn the adjuster knob all the way in, then back out only 2 clicks.
Rear adjustment screw- no setting was given. Stock is 1 1/4 turns out, so I used 3/4 of a turn.

For my 240lb settings, I backed out the front nuts to show another ring, and backed out the rear knob another 2 clicks.
 
A local Cycle Gear had a "Bike Night" yesterday and I went to get my suspension adjusted by Dave Moss for only $20!!

I could tell the difference as soon as I got back on my bike. It was instantly more stable. Went for a little ride to pick-up my son and the handling was finally crisp and responsive (only had it since Oct 2011). I'm about 240# will full gear. Apparently, the rear shock was the most out of whack. The forks were "close," he said, but still needed some adjustment.

Dave advised adjusting an additional 4 clicks in for my 150# son (both of us together weigh in at about 390-400#). The ride back was better than ever with a passenger. My son (who rides well as a passenger) felt the difference as well. He said it felt smoother.

I was/am astonished at the difference. Some basic adjustments by a seasoned pro and suddenly my bike is MY bike. Amazing how sloppy it was and how much I had to compensate for that sloppiness because of my suspension ignorance. Honestly, the handling is so much more agile that the bike feels 100 pounds lighter.

Dave Moss is a really nice guy as well. Someone with that experience and talent could be a raging A-hole and folks would still seek him out. Luckily, he is very approachable and friendly. Met him for the first time last night. Here's one of his multiple web videos:

Motorcycle Suspension - Setting Sag

http://youtu.be/mK3flKxf41U
 
I couldnt agree more! Once you get the bike right, for you, it is like a whole different machine. Like yours, the rear on mine was way out too. I did the fork adjustment sitting still and then tweaked it using the zip-ties around the fork legs while out riding. I've only had it three weeks / 1800 miles, so I'm still slowly getting the damping right.
 
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