Idiots guide to setting my suspension

[davidkent]

Hi all.
Done a look around and can't find anything to suit me exactly...

I'm a bit of no n00b with all the bike stuff, but I'm looking to set my suspension up to settings better suited to myself..

I'm around 5'9 and very light at around 8 and a half stone, 55-60kg

Where's the best place to start with settings?

At the moment the preload on the forks looks to be set quite far up, ie there's a lot of the adjuster sticking out the top of the fork if that makes sense, perhaps the pic will help lol...

Thanks

[richfzs]

So you know nothing about bikes, you say? And yet you're going to do a better job than Mr Yamaha, at setting the suspension up?

Sure, Mr Yamaha is setting the bike up for Mr Joe Average, which none of us are - but they're going to do a better job than you are. Put it back to standard (look at the manual) and enjoy riding it. When you know lots more, then it might be time to make small adjustments...

[Punkstig]

You've not mentioned the rear shock adjustment- just pointing out that can be adjusted for pre load too!

[davidkent]

I haven't altered it, this is how I bought the bike. I don't even know what standard settings are.

Yeah I'm aware of the rear too mate, thanks - just don't know what settings I should go with or what has been changed.

It's an 11 and a half year old bike so I doubt it's still on standard settings or for that matter anything close to what it should be set up to for me personally..

Thanks

[Wookee]

Suspension setup is an individual thing and very easy to get wrong. I weigh nearly twice as much as you so I'm not certain anything I can offer you will be much good !


A couple of guys from work have gone up to a man in Norfolk who changed their fork springs, to something that suits, and oil then set up their settings after speaking to them about their riding style. He then sent them off round some good local roads and then spoke to them about the results and told them what to change and how if they want to change certain aspects if they went on track days or took pillions etc.


Both of them are experienced bikers and were very impressed with the results.


The cost for this was about £250 and I'll be going up there once I've sourced a new rear shock.

[JoeRock]

Are you wanting to adjust the standard suspension, as best as it can be (which to be honest, is prettty limited), or properly sort the bike out?


Standard suspension:


You'll want a mate to help with this, but for the front:
Put the bike on the centre stand, push back on the rear, and the front will come off the floor. Measure the distance between the fork seal and the bottom of the yoke.


Rear, bike on centre stand again, and measure from two fixed points at the rear of the bike (for example the corner of the grab handle and an edge of the swingarm adjuster, or similar).


Now, you need to get the bike on the floor as per normal, get leathered up, and sit on it in your normal riding position. Best is if you can sit on it completely normally and have a mate hold it up, but otherwise pop your foot on the floor and just try and balance the bike as centrally as possible, so your weight is on the bike instead of your foot.


Now, you want the front and rear suspension to be about 35mm lower when you sit on the bike, so adjust the preload until it sits at about that.


That is basically as much as you can do on the standard suspension!






On the other hand, if you want a proper handling bike, get a set of fork springs matched to your weight and matching oil, and buy a new shock (hagon, nitron, wp, maxton, ohlins, etc etc all make shocks for the fazer, in about that order of pricing too)

[davidkent]

Wow, joerock this seems exactly what I'm looking for.

Perhaps I'll try have a go at this on the weekend

Thanks

[dBfazer600]

The link is how to set your bike up.

http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=52

Daz

[Punkstig]

At 11 years old the suspension will be knackered to be fair!

[bootz76]

Mine has mismatched forks ie adjusted on one leg oe shock 15 years old however the old girl still handles as proven at the Tt over the mountain this year my advice!! Change the fork oil set front and rear sag as per previous advice then experiment with ONE end at a time and write down how it feels on that setting ie more front preload does it turn into a corner quicker?  Suspension is a black art but worth knowing. Its the best way to make a bike faster than tuning.

[bootz76]

Yes i must do mine but its proves how forgiving the fazer is,unlike my ex wife, fazer likes its arse thrashed,ex wifey......noooo 

[red98]

Lol.....iam going to start a  new thread.....why my fazer is better than my wife /girlfriend   

[unfazed]

Do what JoeRock says and you will not go to far wrong.

35mm sag with rider on board is about what would suit most people.

Go that route first and play around from there.

Very little else you can do with the standard suspension.

What mileage is on the bike as this more than age will determine the condition on the suspension.

[davidkent]

The link seems perhaps more complex than I need.

Think I'll go for joerocks solution and try that...

Bike has done 28k, not sure what if anything has been done suspension wise, Ie replacement etc

Cheers

[unfazed]

If it still has the original rear shock, the damping is well on the way out as 28000mile.

Change the fork oil as it may not have been changed, it takes 10w as standard. Standard is fine for most riders.

[JoeRock]

If it still has the original rear shock, the damping is well on the way out as 28000mile.

Change the fork oil as it may not have been changed, it takes 10w as standard. Standard is fine for most riders.

At a minimum I'd agree to change the fork oil mate, but to be honest I'd definitely do the fork springs as well for a matched set to your weight. The rear is more expensive but will definitely be worth it, after that kind of milage the shock will be well past its best, and they never were than fantastic to begin with really!