suspension help
Discussion
Right for months I have battled with the standard suspension on my 675 and as I find my pace increasing I am struggling like hell.
I am 11 st roughly give or take. At first the suspension wasn't bad when I was just playing at track days but the faster I get the harder I have to work, and I mean coming in exhausted, come the end of twenty minutes I feel like dying. I physically have to force the bar in to get it to turn. I mean all my weight. Before I was getting moderate to decent lean angles, knee down stuff. If im pushing up im practically falling off the bike sideways and it seems bolt up right. At croft yesterday, corners I got my knee down on a full road bike im no where near. I know the answer but ill ask, should it be this physical fighting with the bike? Should I feel like im in a wrestling match every corner. Its getting worse and worse the faster I get. I know im not quick but its just ridiculous now.
I loosened the rear shock off to have a decent amount of sag, but I couldn't ride in that position, it lowered it causing me to be cramped within minutes. To make it work with riding position I have to adjust it so it has less than 1" of sag. Its like a concrete slab.
Now, I know I need new springs for my weight. The front I suspect just a set of k-techs springs, what are the advantages of a piston kit?
As for the rear, its pretty obvious I need a new rear spring. but is the standard shock up to it. Right and before someone goes, "ha you think your good enough to beat stock shocks", im after advice if that shock is a piece of pish or does it just need a spring change and a refresh it is ten years old now.
can you also give me a rough price. im jobless at the moment and don't want to spend thousands but don't want a quick fix
I don't want to go mental im no where near racing standards but I want something I can use on the track. As I say, last year it was knee down mucking about stuff, but tip toeing around. I still am but I'm much quicker than I was before and its just unbearable. I watch other riders and try to follow. Yesterday at croft I take the same lines they seem smooth and relaxed, I go through it and im getting flung about, head bobbing, arse out the seat getting flung into the tank, flung forward under braking. I need to do something or ill just give up with track days.
I realise this is a bit specific for my bike, hence why I asked on 675.cc but it cant hurt asking here.
I am 11 st roughly give or take. At first the suspension wasn't bad when I was just playing at track days but the faster I get the harder I have to work, and I mean coming in exhausted, come the end of twenty minutes I feel like dying. I physically have to force the bar in to get it to turn. I mean all my weight. Before I was getting moderate to decent lean angles, knee down stuff. If im pushing up im practically falling off the bike sideways and it seems bolt up right. At croft yesterday, corners I got my knee down on a full road bike im no where near. I know the answer but ill ask, should it be this physical fighting with the bike? Should I feel like im in a wrestling match every corner. Its getting worse and worse the faster I get. I know im not quick but its just ridiculous now.
I loosened the rear shock off to have a decent amount of sag, but I couldn't ride in that position, it lowered it causing me to be cramped within minutes. To make it work with riding position I have to adjust it so it has less than 1" of sag. Its like a concrete slab.
Now, I know I need new springs for my weight. The front I suspect just a set of k-techs springs, what are the advantages of a piston kit?
As for the rear, its pretty obvious I need a new rear spring. but is the standard shock up to it. Right and before someone goes, "ha you think your good enough to beat stock shocks", im after advice if that shock is a piece of pish or does it just need a spring change and a refresh it is ten years old now.
can you also give me a rough price. im jobless at the moment and don't want to spend thousands but don't want a quick fix
I don't want to go mental im no where near racing standards but I want something I can use on the track. As I say, last year it was knee down mucking about stuff, but tip toeing around. I still am but I'm much quicker than I was before and its just unbearable. I watch other riders and try to follow. Yesterday at croft I take the same lines they seem smooth and relaxed, I go through it and im getting flung about, head bobbing, arse out the seat getting flung into the tank, flung forward under braking. I need to do something or ill just give up with track days.
I realise this is a bit specific for my bike, hence why I asked on 675.cc but it cant hurt asking here.
in all honesty could it be something in your head? i know you feel like your not getting on with it i just dont know if spending £££ your going to come away feeling any better about it. Theres nothing wrong with buying trick bits and even if it just gets your mind feeling better about it then its worth it but personally and being similar pace/group ive never felt like i really needed to change any suspension settings on any bike i ride and i probably have a worse effect on standard suspension being 15-16 stone.
t to turn.Tim85 said:
in all honesty could it be something in your head? i know you feel like your not getting on with it i just dont know if spending £££ your going to come away feeling any better about it. Theres nothing wrong with buying trick bits and even if it just gets your mind feeling better about it then its worth it but personally and being similar pace/group ive never felt like i really needed to change any suspension settings on any bike i ride and i probably have a worse effect on standard suspension being 15-16 stone.
its not in my head, its just not. I have less than a inch of play on the rear shock. I need new springs at the very least. Its not something that happens every once and a while, its all the time. Before I was getting my knee down more often than not at certain corners, now its nothing, no where close but faster pace. I just cant get any lean.bikes are setup for guys around your weight, not spot on but within a window. that shock has to be able to carry a pillion as well, its not within my range.
i suspect there's more to this than just springs and settings.
Post pictures of where you have the forks positioned.
if you feel cramped when the rear sag is correct then you need to look at the layout of the controls. setting the sag to 25mm because it is comfier is madness.
If you can, see if the rear spring has any markings or find out what the standard spring weight is in the front and rear
Post pictures of where you have the forks positioned.
if you feel cramped when the rear sag is correct then you need to look at the layout of the controls. setting the sag to 25mm because it is comfier is madness.
If you can, see if the rear spring has any markings or find out what the standard spring weight is in the front and rear
neelyp said:
When we tried to get more sag but the preload rings were right at the top of the thread so there was no more adjustment left.
Ok, well that's not good. A spring needs a degree of static preload so you shouldn't be winding it out so far. The normal is around 12mm The thing to do here is figure out he fitted spring weight. It's very possible that a previous owner fitted a very heavy spring to replace the standard item. At 11st, you're well within the standard spring range, you shouldn't be having any trouble.
Out of interest, with the spring completely unwound, what sag numbers were you getting?
moanthebairns said:
Its my legs that come up.
As i increase sag ride height drops
With my feet on the pegs I simply cannot move around the bike. It's not just a case of. Oh that's a bit more comfy it's the inability to ride it
Surely once you're on the bike with your feet up, the ride height doesn't affect your riding position, as changing the sag won't affect the relationship between rearsets, seat and clip ons?As i increase sag ride height drops
With my feet on the pegs I simply cannot move around the bike. It's not just a case of. Oh that's a bit more comfy it's the inability to ride it
bass gt3 said:
neelyp said:
When we tried to get more sag but the preload rings were right at the top of the thread so there was no more adjustment left.
Ok, well that's not good. A spring needs a degree of static preload so you shouldn't be winding it out so far. The normal is around 12mm The thing to do here is figure out he fitted spring weight. It's very possible that a previous owner fitted a very heavy spring to replace the standard item. At 11st, you're well within the standard spring range, you shouldn't be having any trouble.
Out of interest, with the spring completely unwound, what sag numbers were you getting?
This could be the case. The previous owner was a fair size man. I test rode one and it handled like a house fly turned in so quick and was great. Now it's unbearable on mines.
Could it be he had a stiff shock. That would explain a lot.
fergus said:
moanthebairns said:
Its my legs that come up.
As i increase sag ride height drops
With my feet on the pegs I simply cannot move around the bike. It's not just a case of. Oh that's a bit more comfy it's the inability to ride it
Surely once you're on the bike with your feet up, the ride height doesn't affect your riding position, as changing the sag won't affect the relationship between rearsets, seat and clip ons?As i increase sag ride height drops
With my feet on the pegs I simply cannot move around the bike. It's not just a case of. Oh that's a bit more comfy it's the inability to ride it
moanthebairns said:
Almost 30 mm
This could be the case. The previous owner was a fair size man. I test rode one and it handled like a house fly turned in so quick and was great. Now it's unbearable on mines.
Could it be he had a stiff shock. That would explain a lot.
If you weren't achieving the right sag with the spring collars wound right off something isn't right. This could be the case. The previous owner was a fair size man. I test rode one and it handled like a house fly turned in so quick and was great. Now it's unbearable on mines.
Could it be he had a stiff shock. That would explain a lot.
can you see any identification marks on the spring? ?
Hooli said:
fergus said:
moanthebairns said:
Its my legs that come up.
As i increase sag ride height drops
With my feet on the pegs I simply cannot move around the bike. It's not just a case of. Oh that's a bit more comfy it's the inability to ride it
Surely once you're on the bike with your feet up, the ride height doesn't affect your riding position, as changing the sag won't affect the relationship between rearsets, seat and clip ons?As i increase sag ride height drops
With my feet on the pegs I simply cannot move around the bike. It's not just a case of. Oh that's a bit more comfy it's the inability to ride it
moanthebairns said:
It does. We measured the peg height at the changes and there was a considerable difference. Let's remember I'm on the last threads of the shock as well and still not achieving the correct sag
The peg height from the floor might be altered but not in relation to any of the other bits, they're all bolted to the same frame...??ETA. Imagine riding a bike where relative position of bars, seat and pegs altered with suspension travel...now imagine it being an MX bike...not possible, surely!?
Edited by roboxm3 on Tuesday 21st April 15:22
roboxm3 said:
moanthebairns said:
It does. We measured the peg height at the changes and there was a considerable difference. Let's remember I'm on the last threads of the shock as well and still not achieving the correct sag
The peg height from the floor might be altered but not in relation to any of the other bits, they're all bolted to the same frame...??ETA. Imagine riding a bike where relative position of bars, seat and pegs altered with suspension travel...now imagine it being an MX bike...not possible, surely!?
Edited by roboxm3 on Tuesday 21st April 15:22
moanthebairns said:
It does. We measured the peg height at the changes and there was a considerable difference. Let's remember I'm on the last threads of the shock as well and still not achieving the correct sag
It doesn't Alex, all it will do is move your weight ever so slightly forward as you raise the rear ride height, the seat/bar/peg position is fixed, and will not change no matter how much sag you have or have not.Edit, you've got it
Edited by Jazoli on Tuesday 21st April 15:38
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