Talking about Suspension Adjustment: Your Takes?

[nikitaa]

I have a stock 2008 with suspension factory set (center position) - what type of effect does it have on your ride if you tighten it up, or if you loosen it?  How does it change the feel of your bike?

Does anyone know what the rider weight/recommended suspension setting is?

Thank you!

[bikejunkie223]

I just monkeyed with the rear shock on mine, and have settled on position 5 of 7 (1 firmer than the factory set 4) I tried 6 but it was a bit too firm for me and made the back feel a bit skittery in corners compared to 4. BTW I'm 180lbs. and never have a passenger.The real Buddha Loves You is that the tool is nearly impossible to use to adjust the shock preload- I had to use a prybar against the dogbone to move it. the supplied tool barely fits on the shock in some positions, and is rediculously hard to move if you can get it on at all..

that's my $0.02 anyway

[nikitaa]

Does anyone have any tips on making the adjust without resorting to a prybar?

[DoD#i]

I don't have the tool at all (none came with bike, will resort to making one one of these days). I vaguely think it might be one of those "clever tools to fit under the seat" where you need to combine two tools to make a longer handle?

There are threads here with tips and pictures. Search a bit.

[bigmak]

I was wondering about the suspension too. I'm a big guy, 5'10/260lbs and never riden a street bike before so not sure if I should adjust it or not...

[b_long_1]

I was wondering about the suspension too. I'm a big guy, 5'10/260lbs and never riden a street bike before so not sure if I should adjust it or not...

ride with it at the factory setting for a while. then move it up to 7. See if you can tell the difference.  I have a friend close to your size and it is perfect for him on his GS. I have mine set on 6 and I'm about 208.

[bigmak]

I've riden it at stock for about 1300 miles now so I'll adjust it this weekend and give it a try.

What does tightening or loosening the suspension do? What should I expect to feel?

[morale30]

I have the same question.  Can anyone explain the difference from softer or stiffer suspension?  With the softer suspension, does that mean that it'll feel like riding on air where you don't feel anything or is it where you'll hit a bump and your bike will gently bounce up and down (my dad's boulevard does this, it feels like i'm riding in a boat on the lake as the bike gently bounces up and down)?

I tried to adjust with the tool provided to test it out myself, but as mentioned above, it's practically impossible to get it in there and then still have enough space to turn it!

[bikejunkie223]

The higher the number setting, the firmer the back of the bike will be. The real problem comes in with the fact that the fork is pretty soft, and it feels pretty unbalanced (to me) The issue with the tool isn't leverage, it's getting it on the shock itself. there is marginally more room with it on the center stand, but it is still near impossible to do.

[nikitaa]

So what effect does that have on the ride?

[sledge]

So what effect does that have on the ride?

Errm, why dont you just try adjusting it yourself and find a setting that YOU like and are comfortable with???  ........ thats the whole point of adjustable suspension.

[badguy]

The only adjustment on the stock shock is preload...not spring rate.  Adjusting the preload only changes the ride height, not stiffness.  If you need a stiffer spring on the rear end, you need a different spring, not more preload.

You set your sag by adjusting the preload, trying to get the static ride height a little above the middle of the rear end travel...this way your suspension can deal with both bumps and holes.

[sector9]

word up badguy. I just messed with my rear shock for the first time last week and I found that it made a huge difference in the feeling. Buy a used tool kit off ebay (make sure it has the special wrench), try a different setting, go for a ride, change, repeat.

I found that I was able to turn it up from the right side of bike while on the center stand, and down from the left side. It was definitely a squeeze. Also, make sure the wrench is higher up in the notch so that you have a few mm's more travel before you hit the dogbone.

[ohgood]

I have the same question.  1) Can anyone explain the difference from softer or stiffer suspension?  With the softer suspension, does that mean that it'll feel like riding on air where you don't feel anything or is it where you'll hit a bump and your bike will gently bounce up and down (my dad's boulevard does this, it feels like i'm riding in a boat on the lake as the bike gently bounces up and down)?

I tried to adjust with the tool provided to test it out myself, but as mentioned above, 2) it's practically impossible to get it in there and then still have enough space to turn it!

1) Softer vs stiffer shouldn't be a preference so much as it is a safety concern. You want no 'bob' in your suspension, you also want very little sag and -never- any bounce.

The pre-load is for the rider's weight variations, or say if you carry a passenger. IIRC it's explained in the manual, but not sure.

(Your dad's boulevard should not bounce. This is bad. It should soak up the bump, but never, ever bounce. Bounce = bad)

2) from the LEFT side of the bike (left being the non-noisy grip side) slide the adjustment tool onto the adjuster ring, with the HOOK pointing to the FRONT of the bike. There is -just- enough room to get it on there, then PUSH TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE BIKE with the included cheater pole in your tool pack. You'll find it, it just does fit the adjustment tool, and gives you more leverage.

You should be able to move it ONE click before you run out of room for the adjustment tool. You can keep going all the way until it clicks LOUDLY from position 7 (firmest preload) down to position 1 (least preload).

I'm 215-225 depending on how many normal sized people I've eaten for breakfast, and like position #5 myself. When the wife rides with me (she's a not-so-pregnant-anymore milk cow now) and we go right up to position #7.


MOST IMPORTANTLY, check you tire pressure. There is no single more important thing other than being well rested, sane, or sober than tires being inflated properly !

[philward]

Adjusting the preload only changes the ride height, not stiffness. If you need a stiffer spring on the rear end, you need a different spring, not more preload.

You set your sag by adjusting the preload, trying to get the static ride height a little above the middle of the rear end travel...this way your suspension can deal with both bumps and holes.

Ummm, preload is about stiffness, and that extra stiffness will alter ride height.  The preload adjustment, as the name suggests, is a ring for compressing the spring before the rider's weight is applied which has the effect of the spring providing greater resistance to deflection (Hooke's Law and all that...).  Thus a higher preload is there to resist a greater rider weight, helping to avoid bottoming out - similarly for a lighter rider, less preload will help keep the static suspension in the 'middle' range by resisting less.

So yes, riders should be using preload to help tune in static sag, by stiffening or relaxing the rear end according to their weight.  Your statement about preload affecting ride-height and not stiffness is slightly misleading.  If that were true preload would only be there for tall riders and not for heavy riders, and riding pillion would not necessitate an alteration.

[nikitaa]

Is there a chart available anywhere that relates the preload to rider or combined rider/passenger weight?

[joshr08]

im a bike guy myself 275 mine was set at 4 when i got it and it was like i was floating on bad struts so i bumped up to the 7 and love it

[badguy]

Ummm, preload is about stiffness, and that extra stiffness will alter ride height.  The preload adjustment, as the name suggests, is a ring for compressing the spring before the rider's weight is applied which has the effect of the spring providing greater resistance to deflection (Hooke's Law and all that...).  Thus a higher preload is there to resist a greater rider weight, helping to avoid bottoming out - similarly for a lighter rider, less preload will help keep the static suspension in the 'middle' range by resisting less.

So yes, riders should be using preload to help tune in static sag, by stiffening or relaxing the rear end according to their weight.  Your statement about preload affecting ride-height and not stiffness is slightly misleading.  If that were true preload would only be there for tall riders and not for heavy riders, and riding pillion would not necessitate an alteration.

That's what I get for writing before thinking...thanks for the clarification.  However, it's still not the best way to tailor suspension to your weight, it's more of a bandaid; if you just add preload instead of going to a higher-rate spring, you're effectively trading suspension travel for stiffness, right?

[Gisser]

Adjusting the preload only changes the ride height, not stiffness. If you need a stiffer spring on the rear end, you need a different spring, not more preload.

You set your sag by adjusting the preload, trying to get the static ride height a little above the middle of the rear end travel...this way your suspension can deal with both bumps and holes.

Ummm, preload is about stiffness, and that extra stiffness will alter ride height.  The preload adjustment, as the name suggests, is a ring for compressing the spring before the rider's weight is applied which has the effect of the spring providing greater resistance to deflection (Hooke's Law and all that...).  Thus a higher preload is there to resist a greater rider weight, helping to avoid bottoming out - similarly for a lighter rider, less preload will help keep the static suspension in the 'middle' range by resisting less.

So yes, riders should be using preload to help tune in static sag, by stiffening or relaxing the rear end according to their weight.  Your statement about preload affecting ride-height and not stiffness is slightly misleading.  If that were true preload would only be there for tall riders and not for heavy riders, and riding pillion would not necessitate an alteration.

I don't think badguy's explanation was misleading.  Ride-height equates to suspension travel and a heavier rider sinks down into the suspension more than a lighter rider and so needs more ride-height to begin with.  Has nothing to do with tall riders--increasing ride-height does not give more legroom to the footpegs.  However, minimum preload can bring the ground closer to riders with short inseams.

That said, if just the shock preload is dialed to the highest setting then hitting your favorite bump in the road may indeed leave the rear feeling stiffer only because bumping up the rear preload shifts the weight distribution to the front leaving the spring reacting to less mass.  And there are some conditions, such as a series of bumps, in which excessive preload combined with inadequate rebound damping will have the suspension topped out (fully extended) and unloaded.  Now the suspension--usually the rear shock--will feel too stiff.  And that's why we leave adequate sag when we play around with the preload, though I'm not sure one can dial out too much sag on a GS500.