Rear shock

[RedBull]

Wow that thing
must be hell to
get around
corners !

Different strokes
for different folks
I guess . . .

#RearShock ~ #SuspensionSetUp ~ #TimeForDebating ~ #THEoRg *

Time for a little suspension debate! | General Bike Related Topics

Okay fellow "Throttle Twisters" spring has not arrived just yet in most of the country making this a good time to enjoy a friendly debate. The question is "Do I really need to upgrade my suspension" and how do I know if and when I need to upgrade? I think most everyone on this forum has ask...

www.hayabusa.org

 

[ZeePopo]

I just bought a 08 busa and I'm built like Danny Devito lol ..the guy i bought it from was taller and smaller ...so I lowered the bike to fit my height and ripped off my taillight..the bike is stretched and the rear wheel is sitting under the light ...can I tighten up the rear shock to the point where I don't get any bounce at all

View attachment 1606681

I think you have your terminology confused on how motorcycle suspension works. If you stiffen up the rear it will bounce more, not less. Check the side of the spring that's on it it now. It will have a number on it. That will tell you the weight it's rated for. New shock, spring and revalve are in the works by the look of it. Even if the bike was set up properly for the previous rider and there is more than a 20 pound difference in bodyweight between you two, you gonna need a new spring. Also if you still decide to stiffen the rear all the load will be transfered to the front overloading the front suspension. Check your sag numbers on the front with the current setup. You might have to redo springs front and rear. A zip tie tied to the front fork under the fork seal will tell ya how much of the suspension travel you using for your particular style of riding. If it's almost at the bottom of the fork at the end of your ride you need a new front suspension as well. Otherwise you are putting yourself in danger at high speeds during cornering and or braking.

 

[kml]

Changing preload has no effect upon spring stiffness . It only changes the ride height by changing where the shock rests in it's travel.

Cut and pasted from:

Teach Me Suspension (Part 3): Motorcycle Suspension Preload

Part 3 of our motorcycle suspension series takes a look at preload, what it does, and what happens to the bike when we make preload adjustments.

lifeatlean.com

The Springs Don’t Compress With Preload
Ok that’s not strictly true. An unladen, fully extended fork (or shock) spring WILL compress when preload is added.

However, under yours and the bike’s weight, when preload is added the spring in the forks and shock do not compress. The spring remains the same length, but the forks and shock themselves actually extend.

Sounds confusing I know, but let me explain.

Imagine someone holding onto the rear of your bike, letting it rest upright under its own weight.

At that point in time, the springs will be compressed by a given amount based on the rate of the spring and how heavy the bike is.

When you wind on preload, the adjuster starts to push down on the spring and it tries to compress it, but in doing so you are changing the amount of force that the spring pushes straight back up (remember our earlier examples).

That then means that the spring needs MORE weight to be applied to it in order to compress it, thereby cancelling out a portion of the bike’s weight that was originally causing it to compress.

The spring’s length under the bike’s load doesn’t change, but now the fork (or shock) has actually extended.

 

[ptolemyx]

I like a good extension but that looks so flimsy...