Katana shock handling problems

[Alphamazing]

I recently installed my Katana shock and am having issues with handling in corners. Whenever I go around a corner while hanging off the bike starts to wobble or "hinge", as I'm told is what it's called. It gets squirley underneath me and sort of does a back and forth (front to back) motion.

I realize this is a crappy description, but it's all I got at the moment.

I did this on the "stock" settings of #4 on the preload and 2 clicks of rebound damping. I figured that maybe the shock raised the tail end too much and it was causing it to be unstable, so I downed the preload to spot #2 to give me some more sag and more trail, hopefully giving me some more stability. Nope, same problem. I recently upped the rebound to click '3', but have yet to ride it due to my recent wheel swap (finished at 2am, slick tires still).

And yes scratch, I did read http://www.peterverdonedesigns.com/suspension.htm but there was nothing in there that I could find that explained what was going on or how to fix it.

Any tips? Is it just me? This never happened when I had the stock shock on, so if all else fails I'll pull the Kat shock and go back to stock.

[blue05twin]

Had the same problems with mine, but I probally weigh twice as much as you do    but I am looseing weight.   Anyway I set my preload to 3 and my rebound to 1 and it's alot better, I think I'm going to try setting my preload to 2 and see if it will go away.

[scratch]

Does it feel like the front tire and the rear tire trade slipping back and forth?  I get that too, on a fast sweeping onramp early in the morning when going to work when the tires are cold.  Doesn't happen when I'm in the hills though.

[Alphamazing]

Does it feel like the front tire and the rear tire trade slipping back and forth?  I get that too, on a fast sweeping onramp early in the morning when going to work when the tires are cold.  Doesn't happen when I'm in the hills though.

Sorta, but it's more just like the suspension is alternating between unloading and loading.

But never fear! Apparently clicking the rebound up a notch solved my problem. If it bothers me at the track I can always bump it up another click.

[hmmmnz]

hey alpha, i think i know what your on about,
try bumping up the preload quite a bit, although it will be a rough ride, its that sag that your talking about thats causing the hovercraft effect,
i had a similar effect with the sv shock when i was giving it to the bike in tight corners,
i have mine set at well over halfway now, but im probly 30 or 40 pounds heavier than you.

[Alphamazing]

hey alpha, i think i know what your on about,
try bumping up the preload quite a bit, although it will be a rough ride, its that sag that your talking about thats causing the hovercraft effect,
i had a similar effect with the sv shock when i was giving it to the bike in tight corners,
i have mine set at well over halfway now, but im probly 30 or 40 pounds heavier than you.

How would less sag cause more stability? Less sag would cause the bike's tail to sit higher, changing the rake/trail numbers to quicker steering. More sag (less preload) would cause an increase in trail, thus causing more stability.

It was a damping issue. Not enough rebound damping.

[werase643]

if you know it's not enough rebound.....then why don't you max the rebound and try it......

[Alphamazing]

if you know it's not enough rebound.....then why don't you max the rebound and try it......

I didn't know that's what it was, but rather assumed. I only figured it out by experimenting. I'm not going to max it because Iwant some range of adjustability here if I need some more. If it's already maxed - shock replacement time.

[deathlucky]

i think i know what you mean i had a stock rear shock set on 4 and i was taking a corner and i felt like the back wheel was jumping off the ground i found out that the damper in the shock was stuffed so it was just a spring maybe this has happen to you as well? i have a new shock and when i got it it felt abit stiff so i set it to 1.. now its also stuff and just a spring... im planing on putting a yzf r1 shock on

[pantablo]

remember, you should be upgrading the front first, not the rear shock first.

[rangerbrown]

he has

[pantablo]

just putting it out there....

[Egaeus]

While we're on the subject, I've noticed that the rebound on my kat shock will go around and around.  They just keep changing 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4.... right?  I'm not massively increasing or decreasing the rebound am I?

[Alphamazing]

While we're on the subject, I've noticed that the rebound on my kat shock will go around and around.  They just keep changing 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4.... right?  I'm not massively increasing or decreasing the rebound am I?

No. I think that it is a circular dial with holes in it, and it just spins around changing the damping rate according to how big the hole is. 1 has the largest hole, providing the least amount of damping (oil flows easier through it) and 4 has the smallet, provding a lot more damping (oil doesn't flow as easily through).

Again, just thought.

[Egaeus]

That's what I figured, but I did want to make sure.  I'd hate to screw it up before it gets put on the bike.