Does anyone know of a link on the web that explains a little bit about suspension.
I feel stupid saying it as most people seem to talk about rebound and preload like wheels and tyres but what do they actually mean and how is it best to adjust them??
On my old bandit I think it had only one adjustable "thing" on the rear shock (certainly only one I could find) I'm quite heavy and usually ride with a bit of weight in the top box so I tightened whatever it was up and it made a real difference but it was luck more than judgement.
I want to do something with my sprint but would rather have some idea what I'm doing before twisting this and that!?
By the way I'm 6'3'' and 16 stone - without all my gear and I ride with top box most of the time sometimes take a pillion but she's only 9 stone - is it fairly easy to keep changing settings or should I go for a compromise and choose a setting and stick with it?
Try here (yep, It's my own post but it's Sprint specific) and doesn't go into a lot of the detail that Chris' (brilliant) post does.
Also for some good undertanding go here and here for a start...
Go for it - suspension and tyres are the best way to make REAL improvements your bike..... unlike noisy pipes and bling which are sometimes a substitute for another problem that's best dealt with by Viagra .
Oops, here come the fun police...oliceman: oliceman: oliceman:
There is a company here in Brisbane Australia that did mine called RAD Shockie repairs.
They do nothing but specialise in motorcycle shocks and forks and have the gear to do the job of a rebuild on a supposed non re-buildable unit.
The Showa unit on your 1050 I think is pretty much identical o the 955 as are the front forks all made by Showa.
I do not think it was designed as a re-buildable unit but proper people with the right gear can do it..............just don't ask me how it's done!
Almost any suspension specialist worth his salt will rebuild your shock & re-valve / re-spring it to suit your weight / preferences. There's no rocket science in it, but there ARE specialist tools and know-how required.
Don't bother asking your dealer unless he's actually a suspension expert (IMO mine's a bonehead who I'd barely trust to work on my bicycle let alone the Sprint).
Find out who does all of the race bikes in your area and you're home & hosed.
BTW, the preload adjuster is actually a sealed hydraulic unit - you preload the spring with a collar that's displaced by oil that is in turn displaced by the adjuster screw. Apparently parts for those llittle beasties are available off the shelf - the Showa body is common to some Kawasakis as well from what I've been told.
Cheers guys,
A few peeps here in the UK use K-Tech + a racing pal uses an other (I'll find out soon).
I've rebuilt rear shocks & upgraded front suspension units on previous machines (in earlier days I worked on hydraulic systems), hence I'm happy to have a go, & still have the gear,
but just wondered if the shock adjuster will strip out without breaking.
Long term, (until the 1300-3 Sprint GT is out)
I'd prefer to have a decent suspension unit with remote pre-load, which is more rebuildable,
once my shock is sorted I plan to upgrade the front springs & oil.
I just bought a used '07 Sprint ST and badly needed to strengthen the rear rebound dampening (bouncy corning = bad) and could not for the life of me find the adjustment on the bike. Spent 10 minutes staring at the manual and cursing.
I had the same problem until I realized that the rear damping adjustment
was on the other side of the bike, contrary to what the instructions tell
you.... DOH
Tom
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