Suspension Adjustment

[travstoll]

Three Questions:

So...I bought my bike with 700 miles on it used from the same dealer where it was originally purchased. Somehow the original owner managed to misplace the factory tool kit. Is there another way to adjust the rear shock to be a little stiffer other than with that yamaha factory wrench in the tool kit I don't have?

The reason I need to adjust is because i removed my stock fender and installed a license plate bracket. The bottom of the plate is about 7 or so inches from the top of the rear tire, and somehow every once in a while the tire hits the plate and bends it a little. Currently the suspension is still set on 3 (factory setting on a scale from 1-7, 7 being hardest) With all my gear on, tankbag, backpack, and tailbag that adds an extra 185 give or take a few pounds. I weigh about 155. What setting would you recommend to make the suspension stiffer and stop the tire from hitting the plate?

and is this the tool I need???:

The tool below is a suzuki factory wrench from an sv650 that my friend has.

 

[99vengeur]

That tool looks like it should work. I weigh about the same as you and I have mine set at 5. This has stiffened up the rear a ton and helps with cornering as well. Takes the soft feel out of it and makes for a better ride.

 

[travstoll]

That tool looks like it should work. I weigh about the same as you and I have mine set at 5. This has stiffened up the rear a ton and helps with cornering as well. Takes the soft feel out of it and makes for a better ride.

are your forks still at stock settings?...what all adjustments can I make with the suspension besides the rear preload?

 

[99vengeur]

There's not really anything we can do to adjust the forks, except maybe moving them higher. That won't really adjust the load though, just the ride height. So, aside from the rear preload, the FZ6R lacks any other suspension adjusting abilities. I think that is one reason vitrox is modding his to have the R6 forks.

 

[travstoll]

There's not really anything we can do to adjust the forks, except maybe moving them higher. That won't really adjust the load though, just the ride height. So, aside from the rear preload, the FZ6R lacks any other suspension adjusting abilities. I think that is one reason vitrox is modding his to have the R6 forks.

wow....I bet yamaha changes that in a new version of the 6r. I can't believe there is no way to adjust.

 

[99vengeur]

wow....I bet yamaha changes that in a new version of the 6r. I can't believe there is no way to adjust.

Yeah, that would be nice. I guess they figure as an "entry-level" sport bike there really isn't a need for a fully adjustable suspension. :surrender:

 

[travstoll]

Yeah, that would be nice. I guess they figure as an "entry-level" sport bike there really isn't a need for a fully adjustable suspension. :surrender:

I'll show them....I will probably end up tearing my forks down and reinstalling some racetech springs and new oil...r6 forks seems like way to much work.

 

[joloy133]

I'll show them....I will probably end up tearing my forks down and reinstalling some racetech springs and new oil...r6 forks seems like way to much work.

I did the hyperpro kit for much cheaper with great results. Just for your info, kind of a current topic now on another thread.

 

[travstoll]

I did the hyperpro kit for much cheaper with great results. Just for your info, kind of a current topic now on another thread.

Right on...thank you. That looks like exactly what I need. You have done both. Should I do the rear too, or will the front suffice my needs?

 

[joloy133]

Right on...thank you. That looks like exactly what I need. You have done both. Should I do the rear too, or will the front suffice my needs?

With the stock rear I was rollin on 5/6 preload, (5 was perfect for everyday stuff, 6 when I was doing more aggressive stuff which was a little stiff for everyday). With the new rear I ride on 4 for everything and haven't felt the need to move it. They just match up really well this way, IMO. You probably would be fine with the stocker in back as the front springers were the weak spot, and that info came from Racetech directly when they got my size, wgt., etc. (Just did a 160 mi trip on freeway, bike felt great, even on some of the rough patches, avg 70-80 mph). The suspension mod is underrated, even here on our site. Hope you do it also so I can read your take on this subject.

 

[travstoll]

With the stock rear I was rollin on 5/6 preload, (5 was perfect for everyday stuff, 6 when I was doing more aggressive stuff which was a little stiff for everyday). With the new rear I ride on 4 for everything and haven't felt the need to move it. They just match up really well this way, IMO. You probably would be fine with the stocker in back as the front springers were the weak spot, and that info came from Racetech directly when they got my size, wgt., etc. (Just did a 160 mi trip on freeway, bike felt great, even on some of the rough patches, avg 70-80 mph). The suspension mod is underrated, even here on our site. Hope you do it also so I can read your take on this subject.

Well with those words of encouragement it just got bumped to #2 on my list (right after purchasing my Kriega Luggage) ....but it will be a few months before I get it done. I will do it when I replace my stock tires...probably towards the middle / later part of the season....sry for the wait, but it'll get done eventually.

 

[Roaddawg]

I was talking with a buddy of mine last week about suspension. He use to own a motorcycle shop and build custom race bikes. He said doing the Race Tech thing like Joloy did is the best way to go for this bike. He recommended, at the minimum, to replace the front shocks oil with a good quality oil. He said that alone should be a big improvement because the factory oil is crap. I have yet to look into doing this, but putting this near the top of my list. Anyone change out just the shock oil? Notice any difference?

 

[obie]

I am confused on the preload thing.... full gear I'm probably 200 lbs give or take. What exactly is changing to preload doing? Is it bad to leave it at factory settings? Also how do you actually change it?

 

[JonKerr]

By changing preload, you're essentially using a stiffer section of the spring. All springs are progressive, i.e. the further you compress them the harder it gets to compress. So by adding preload you're in effect using the portion of the spring that's harder to compress, essentially changing the spring rate. The problem with just doing spring rate and not dampening (the oil and pistons inside the shock) is you can get kind of a bouncy springy feeling. Dampening slows down, not only the compression of the shock, but the rebound. Many bikes have these two as separate adjustments. If you're too heavy for the stock spring in the stock location, there isn't enough spring rate there to hold the ride height of the bike up. This causes you to ride lower as the spring is compressing to the portion of the spring that will hold you up by moving the suspension. This lowers your ride height and make you ride at the top of the stroke which can cause it to bottom out. By adding preload, you're loading the spring to the rate you need to hold your weight up before the suspension moves at all.

If you're 200# with gear, you should be at 5 or 6 at minimum. I'm in the 230 range in gear and I ride at 6 and sometimes 7.

 

[obie]

By changing preload, you're essentially using a stiffer section of the spring. All springs are progressive, i.e. the further you compress them the harder it gets to compress. So by adding preload you're in effect using the portion of the spring that's harder to compress, essentially changing the spring rate. The problem with just doing spring rate and not dampening (the oil and pistons inside the shock) is you can get kind of a bouncy springy feeling. Dampening slows down, not only the compression of the shock, but the rebound. Many bikes have these two as separate adjustments. If you're too heavy for the stock spring in the stock location, there isn't enough spring rate there to hold the ride height of the bike up. This causes you to ride lower as the spring is compressing to the portion of the spring that will hold you up by moving the suspension. This lowers your ride height and make you ride at the top of the stroke which can cause it to bottom out. By adding preload, you're loading the spring to the rate you need to hold your weight up before the suspension moves at all.

If you're 200# with gear, you should be at 5 or 6 at minimum. I'm in the 230 range in gear and I ride at 6 and sometimes 7.

Great explanation.... I really don't feel like the bike bottoms out after about 1000 miles.. I might have to just change it to actually feel the difference.

 

[Grinch79]

I recently talked the girlfriend into taking her first ride with me and it was the first time I had company on my bike. We cruised around the neighborhood in the 25 MPH zones so there was nothing that could shock either of us too bad with it being the first.

Question is I'm about 225 lbs and I had been riding at a 6, I jumped it up to a 7 and when she jumped on it still sagged a bit. I tried after the fact at leaving it at a 7 with just me and I love the feel but is this too high of a setting for just one person or does it come down to feel and comfort?

If I plan to have her ride here and there on the weekend would it be wise to get a new rear shock set up or could I just change the oil weight in the shocks?

 

[JonKerr]

If 7 is comfortable for you alone, just leave it there. Just know that when you have a passenger, the bike is inherently not going to handle as well and since you don't have any further adjustment, it's going to feel pretty soft. I ride at 6 with just me and bump it up to 7 when my wife gets on. That way I can still feel like there's a little more preload on there than when I ride alone. But I can feel that the rear is more springy with her on it so I just take it easier, which you should be doing anyway, especially with an inexperienced passenger.

 

[JonKerr]

Great explanation.... I really don't feel like the bike bottoms out after about 1000 miles.. I might have to just change it to actually feel the difference.

It might not be bottoming out, but you don't want to be riding in that high section of the stroke just in case you hit something unexpected that will bottom you out. I have yet to feel the bike bottom out and I'm a heavy guy. But I don't like how high in the stroke, specifically in the front, my bike rides. That's why I'm seriously looking into the suspension spring and oil upgrades that are out there.

 

[vitrox]

check your sag on the bike, if its too high then the front springs are too soft. Simple way to find out if you need to change them out.

 

[Superfly]

Secrets To Suspension: Setting Sag - Sport Rider Magazine

Watch this video...the first 15mins or so will give you a good idea about our one and only adjustment which is rear preload. I'm not going to say that our rear spring is linear or progressive because I really dont know but I'd guess that for the most part you can think of our rear adjustment as ride-height only. ie change for the riders weight, two-up riding etc.

The manual states "soft" or "hard" settings for the rear spring but I think thats kind of misleading. The only way to make the spring harder or softer is to change it to a diff spring rate.

My personal guess would have to be that the engineers figured on a setting 3 would be for around the average rider (male probably) and be around 175lbs. 2 or 1 for under that and 4,5 for over that. 6 or 7 prob for two people ...175lbs and a 130 lbs passenger for example...

I've been at setting 2 for the last 5000km but now as the bike is broken in I might return to setting 3. I've been too lazy to measure. I'm 160 and another 10-15lbs maybe for gear on riding.