setting up the stock suspension

[sidwin]

I read in the manual that you can add air to the front forks. I'm 220 fully geared up. What suspension settings are most of you guys running with stock suspension? How much air in the front and what compression/rebound/preload setting on the back shocks?

when i pull up in my driveway i notice i bottom out the front forks and i want to stiffen them up a tad. 11psi isn't much so do you guys do that with a bicycle pump?

Thanks,
Sid

 

[dannymax]

I read in the manual that you can add air to the front forks. I'm 220 fully geared up. What suspension settings are most of you guys running with stock suspension? How much air in the front and what compression/rebound/preload setting on the back shocks?

when i pull up in my driveway i notice i bottom out the front forks and i want to stiffen them up a tad. 11psi isn't much so do you guys do that with a bicycle pump?

Thanks,
Sid

Rear shocks are pretty much trial & error imo.

Front forks....go to progressive or race tech springs, 15W Silkolene oil and you will see a huge difference.

 

[one2dmax]

No air - that only aerates the fluid and you lose chassis stability. I suggest to replace the springs and use a heavier oil (we use a BG synthetic power steering fluid - green). See the recent video we posted.

Sean

 

[dannymax]

No air - that only aerates the fluid and you lose chassis stability. I suggest to replace the springs and use a heavier oil (we use a BG synthetic power steering fluid - green). See the recent video we posted.

Sean

I THOUGHT you said BG in the video, but couldn't read the label. That prolly only comes in one weight right? Hopefully in smaller containers too.

Think I'll use that in upcoming fork oil changes.....there shouldn't be any conflict with a tiny residual amount of Silkolene is there?

 

[4gasem]

Silkolene is a really good oil too. I think the PSF just lasts longer.

Springs for sure!

 

[sidwin]

man my shop wants to charge $200 to put the springs in plus seals. I wonder how long it would it take for me to do it myself and can i get away with just a center stand.....

 

[4gasem]

man my shop wants to charge $200 to put the springs in plus seals. I wonder how long it would it take for me to do it myself and can i get away with just a center stand.....

Watch the video of Sean Morley's daughter doing it...

Super easy and worth doing it yourself. I take a can of brake clean and make them clean enough to eat off of when I do mine. You're dealer will do nothing more than add scratches to them. lol

Chris

 

[sidwin]

ok post the video url... i got to see this...

 

[one2dmax]

Watch the 2 videos. My daughter took them apart and if she had been around could have put them together. Note that I gave her about 2 minutes instruction right before shooting the this vid and had NEVER worked on anything like them before.

Your centerstand will be perfect. You will want a jack too (car mini jack will even work).

I think it took less then 5 minutes for her to take the one apart with me even talking about it. Then I took 10 minutes to put the one back together also talking about it. That's a half hour of work for the pair. There is time not recorded getting tools, the bike on the stand, cleaning the fork parts prior to reassembly, ect....

Still, $200 is a raping.

I am charging the customer in the vid $253 for seals (dust and oil), progressive springs with lowering kit, BG fluid (about $60 worth) and labor (but I have his front wheel off already for a new tire). Still a far cry from what the stealer wants.

The BG fluid container most would need is:
BG 334 (64 oz container which will do about 3 newer fork legs or 4 of the older legs).

Here's the MSDS which also has the viscosity ratings:
http://www.kansasbg.com/complete_set_of_msds/334.pdf

My jug is a lot larger then that so they put a label on it that says "Seans Fork Fluid" and listed it as a lab sample.

Sean

 

[4gasem]

ok post the video url... i got to see this...

A search here will find you all kinds of things!

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=11514&highlight=fork

 

[sidwin]

with my weight, i went ahead and set the rear compression to 2 and preload 2. My forks had no air in them at all. I noticed i was bottoming out the fronts so i put about 10psi in them. WHAT A DIFFERENCE. bike feels much tighter in the turns. I'm going to get the springs, seals, oil soon. I wish sean was in New Orleans.

Sean u need to take a road trip down here

sid

 

[4gasem]

Has the water gone now? lol.

It's really VERY easy...

Chris

 

[one2dmax]

See the vids we make. It is pretty easy! You can always mail a set here and we can prep them up. I may even have a set I can do some sort of exchange on.

Sean

 

[[email protected]]

I was checking out the MSDS sheets and saw that they list the viscosity of the BG fluid at 40 and 100 degrees C. How does this translate to a typical oil wt rating?

 

[2fear]

Can you adjust the rear shocks at the bottom? Or just the top?

 

[naughtyG]

Can you adjust the rear shocks at the bottom? Or just the top?

If you're talking about the OEM rear shocks, the ring at the top adjusts the damping. TBH I tried every setting and could not tell any difference.

The ring at the bottom adjusts the spring preload, which depends on your weight and whether you're riding solo or 2-up. You'll need a shock spanner (or the one in the toolkit) to do this.

 

[one2dmax]

Not sure how it compares to other stuff. Would need to see the MSDS for those products to see.

Sean

 

[sidwin]

If you're talking about the OEM rear shocks, the ring at the top adjusts the damping. TBH I tried every setting and could not tell any difference.

The ring at the bottom adjusts the spring preload, which depends on your weight and whether you're riding solo or 2-up. You'll need a shock spanner (or the one in the toolkit) to do this.

i didn't see one in the tool kit but had plenty spanner wrenches from my coilovers kit's i've installed.

set to two on both and i'm probably 220 full suited and it made a world of difference. Almost feels like i'm riding my FZ1 nah....

 

[Sonoran6]

In the owners manual it states "use the screwdriver included in the owner's tool kit to make this adjustment" there isn't a specific tool for rear preload included, the screwdriver works great. Mine is set at 2 and damping is set at 2, I set the damping to 3 with a passenger.

 

[vmaxrooky]

Get new springs you'll love them.. I just did the progressive lowering kit springs only lowered it an 1" 15W oil man what a difference race tech makes good ones also set to your weight but a lil stiffer either one is 100 times better than stock.. Did them myself and used Sean's video made it a cake walk... Front end dive is gone and the front end lifting on acceleration is gone bike feels more steady... One of the best upgrades you can do besides the MAXGASSER from what I hear.. Can't wait till I own a MAXGASSER!!!