Adjusting spring preload (stock)

[DGDM]

question:  how do you tell where your stock shock is set?  I could see no numbers but there is a fair bit of grease in there.  Also which direction do you turn, and how much to stiffen? (actually I think I figured that out cause on sunday I used a piece of pipe and a hamer and cranked it over about a third of a turn and it definatley felt stiffer, I cranked the vented collar clockwise onto the shock so if it was a right handed thread it would tighten onto the spring)  SO my question then is how much of an adjustment can you give the shock.  My approximate one third turn would have resulted in how much of a numerical increase?
dave

[ScottWV]

It should sort of "click" into place on each of the 7 positions.

The numbers are there, try cleaning the grease off, it may be hiding them.  Those will tell you how stiff it is, 1 being the softest and 7 the hardest.

[Michael]

The shock has seven preload settings and as Scott said 1 is the softest.  Where it is at present will depend entirely on how much it has been fiddled with already.  It is almost impossible to stuff it up as it is just a matter of turning that collar you have already identified.  There are no other adjustments.  If you are fairly large (like more than 200lb) the spring will feel soft even from new, so if the bike is a bit older it may still be too soft even fully cranked up.  With the preload fully wound up you will notice the lack of decent damping as well.  You were right in assuming clockwise makes it stiffer and vice versa.  Don't use a hammer etc to adjust it.  If your tool kit doesn't have the special wrench, ask almost anyone on this board for their old one-  most of us have junked the stock shock for one with more adjustment.  I'd send you mine but unless you live in Australia the postage would be more than it was worth.  Good luck.  

[DGDM]

I used a piece of copper pipe and a 16 ounce hammer to make sure I didn't damage anything.  Thanks fo rthe info.  I am still wondering how much of a turn it takes to go up in a number on the preload.  Would turning one third to one half chagne a numnber.  My logic says not that since this is a threaded collar one complete revolution would only move it the distance of one thread which in terms of preload would be insignificant. Although having said htat I did notice a large difference on the bike after that little adustment.  and yes I am over  200 lbs so I needed more that the factory setting.
thanks, dave

[Gisser]

Your "logic" is pointing you in the right direction.  What's one revolution on the threaded collar amount to?  An eighth of an inch is not an insignificant change in ride height.  And that's what we're talking about here when adjusting spring preload:  Changing the ride height.  Jacking up the preload  doesn't actually "stiffen" the spring though it may shift a perceptible fraction of burden to the front forks like a teeter-totter.  The question you need to ask should be how much should the suspension sag (with rider on board) in respect to the fully extended shock (as when the bike is on the centerstand) for your type of riding.

[Michael]

I used a piece of copper pipe and a 16 ounce hammer to make sure I didn't damage anything.  Thanks fo rthe info.  I am still wondering how much of a turn it takes to go up in a number on the preload.  Would turning one third to one half chagne a numnber.  My logic says not that since this is a threaded collar one complete revolution would only move it the distance of one thread which in terms of preload would be insignificant. Although having said htat I did notice a large difference on the bike after that little adustment.  and yes I am over  200 lbs so I needed more that the factory setting.
thanks, dave

Nope, the collar on the stock shocker is not a threaded one.  There is a lug on the shock body (one on each side actually) that sits into a step on the collar.  The seven steps are all around one half of the collar (that is, there is an identical set of steps on each side of the collar that sit over the identical lugs on the sides of the shock body).  Turning the collar half a turn will take the preload from 1 to 7.  Getting the collar to rise over the lug from one notch to the next is why the thing is so hard to turn, even with the right tool.  If your shock has a threaded collar it is not stock.

[DGDM]

Nnowm that makes sense cause it was much stiffer with my slight turn and it didn't seem plausible that that would have occurred from turning a threaded adjuster, also the adjustment would be really hard and then move easy for a bit, then reach another catch.  So since I adjsuted past two cathces I have advanced 2 numbvers on the preload.  Now I am probably at six and riding nicely.  I willl have to get the grease off to verify but thanks for the explanation.
dave

[Michael]

...but thanks for the explanation.
dave

You're welcome.  And I'm about 240lb so I got too heavy for the stock thing very quickly.  It was on 4 when I got it new, turned it up to 7 within a couple of months, and replaced the shock with a Hagon  by about 10,000km.  The Hagon is very good BTW- much easier to adjust- it HAS  a threaded collar and on the top of the shock so much easier to get to.  Also has adjustable damping.  Worth considering, if the others on the board don't sell you on the merits of GSX-R or Katana shocks.

Interesting...

when I had my F4i I printed like 7 pages on the correct setup of the shocks (Pre-load etc etc) from the CBR website. This was valuable information as it had the correct settings tested by pro riders for weight ranges and riding styles - ie. they had done the hard work for you! Basically it said if you weigh 200lb and you dive hard into corners this will be the settings for you. They got you to test it by putting a plastic cable tie around the forks and record movement etc to make sure it was set up correctly.

Anyway - my point is, is there any literature on the correct set-up for certain weighted people, riding styles? Or is it trial and error in this regard? It will be hard for the first 1000km on my new GS500 to have it set-up correctly till I get the feel for the bike, be able to start pushing it a little etc!

I am about 80kg (Pounds?) - anyone want to suggest some settings I could try out?!

Thanks again guys!

[Black Snowman]

80 KGs is about 176 lbs (2.2 lbs per kilo). When I had the stock shock I liked it cranked all the way up to 7 but I weighed 101 kg at the time. I would guess if you were riding fairly hard you'd want it no lower than 5. More likely 6 or 7.

I upgraded to a better shock that was more adjustable but I've only played with the preload. I need to experiment with it some.

but I weighed 101 kg at the time...

Does this mean you weigh less or more now Black?  

Thanks for the info, I think I will try it out on 6... what does it come set at from the factory?!

Cheers

[Black Snowman]

Less actually. I'm down to a dainty 95 kilos now  :nana:

I have often thought about how when a new super sports bike is released they make a huge deal about how they have cut out 3 pounds of weight from the old model.

Who the hell cares!?  

If I ride that new bike down to Mcdonalds and eat a big meal there goes half of that weight right there!!

Not to mention the difference in weight of the riders that own the bikes...

I understand that if Rossi weighs 20lb more then the other MotoGP riders it would make a difference, but on the street?!  

[yamahonkawazuki]

 

[GeeP]

GAH!  Ollllld!   

Didn't know how to adjust your rear shock, so you had to look this up huh?