TORQUE SPECS!!!! A career spent working on German engines has proven to me that fastener torque and torque sequence are EXTREMELY important! The OE didn't pay some enginerd big bucks just to throw some random numbers in the book. 10:50 is a perfect example of why torque is important. Could've been over-torqued and with dissimilar metals the aluminum will deform and "bite" into the bolt. This is why if the head is looking like it'll round off before the bolt loosens up then a couple tappy taps on the head in line with the shank will help to release that "bite".
so my '05 R1 turns in way faster than i'm comfortable with, but once i'm at lean it feels sluggish to get to the absolute edge of the tire. now i did swap tires and got a higher tire in the rear(55 instead of the 50 that is factory size), that does increase the weight on the front i know that, however i cant increase the front height, forks are flush with the triple clamp up top. i assume my best option is to get a rear shock that has ride height adjustment and dial the rear ride height down a notch or 2. then again, i've only done 2 trackdays on this bike and it's so different from my previous trackbike, i'm still finding a good baseline setup for the suspension, setting sag to a certain book-number is too soft for my braking ability, i bottomed it on the first session. have a trackday planned next week, going to experiment a bit with compression and preload.
You can add preload and compression to raise the travel point in the forks up and correct geometry that way. Also you can be 2mm inside the upper triple clamp as a maximum number.
Hi Dave On triumphs the position of the forks is measured form the line of the crest/grove on the fork, below the top clamp and the bottom surface of the top triple clamp. ;-) Thanks for the video !
CBR954RR….loves to wheelie,crazy light front end,controlling low end torque.I read a recommendation to drop the forks about one inch.INSTANT corner stability along with heavier springs and thicker fork oil.
Check shock sag and see if the shock is too hard or too soft. That might explain the "why" of the wheelie. Once the shock is set correctly for preload, rebound and compression - see how the wheelie occurs and if there is a difference. Is it harder to get the wheel to ride? If so, the bulk of the issue was the shock setting. The additional contributor may be fork rebound being too fast.
An interesting video. It is always worthwhile checking and returning to factory settings first, I had a new Honda, one fork leg full of oil, none in the other; mistakes happen. Could you not raise the oil level and by reducing the air gap give a bigger distance to bottom out ?
No! The less oil in the forks the more you will bottom out, the more fluid in the forks the forks will not compress very well. Some racers will remove a bit of fluid level to gain a bit more suspension travel
@@alanbrown5593 Are your forks oem? If yes, then more likely they are not gas, and use fluid. You can easily remove the forks, open the top cap drain all the fluid, and pour in the exact amount of fluid that is called for in the spec for your bike. Compress it several times with the cap open and then close it and reinstall on the bike.
@@ibidu1 see the bit above the oil level, or the air gap, all bikes have them if they have telescopic forks ( no matter which way up they are) as you cannot compress a liquid, so they would be rigid. Assuming temperatures stay reasonably constant, if you half the air volume what happens to the air pressure inside the fork ?
@@ibidu1 I should have been clearer for you; when I said had I meant past tense. It was a 5☆ Honda dealer in Edinburgh (some can work out who they were) who misfilled my 1981 Honda CB750KZ. My point, poorly made, was just because something is new don't always expect perfection, mistakes happen.
Bloody hell Dave, I just bought a 2010 Speed Triple and I am vertically challenged. Only today I bought a lowering link that lowers the rear suspension 1.6” ... I will then need to lower the forks. I am starting to think I have made a mistake !!!
You did not. Take your time to lower the forks as you must with a 1.6" drop in the rear. As per video, it is a very simple process that you can do very slowly.
I have conventional forks with damper rods and no compression adjusters. My preload adjusters are backed out all the way. Fork caps are flush with a *FLAT* triple clamp. Using the zip tie method I'm using 2/3 travel. To get to the 3/4 point, can I soften the forks just a bit by removing a small portion of oil in each leg? If so, by how much increments would you recommend?
I also ride a street triple. So if i watched carefully, bottom out is 20mm from the bottom and the buffer should be at 40-45mm from the bottom? But for example, If take some preload out this might change the rider sag as well. What is leading? Greetings from the Netherlands. Love to watch your video’s.
I have a quick question on this. I have an S1000XR and I get a slight front end wobble at high speed cornering (90mph+ sweepers). Increasing the rear preload decreased this wobble so it makes me think it's a problem with the pitch of the bike. Usually increasing how much the forks stick out at the top make the bike more agile but less stable at speed due to reduced rake, but would it help with the wobble due to pitching the bike forward and putting more weight on the front? I don't really want to go higher on preload as the ride would be too harsh and other handling issues arise. The bike has electronic suspension and putting the damping into the sporty setting also helps a bit with the wobble but it's still present. The forks are currently level with the triple tree so there is no room to go down. Any help would be appreciated!
@@AntaresSQ01 I remember dave suggesting, depending on the amount of travel used : Take out preload so it'll stop the spring pinging back (if you're not using enough travel). Do you have a zip tie on the fork?
@@greyanaroth As far as I'm aware the preload on the front forks is not adjusted by D-ESA or very minimally, basically when adjusting the preload it raises or lowers the rear for the most part, you can pitch the whole bike forwards (increasing rear ride height/reducing rake and trail). It's weird but it helps, despite on paper making the trail/rake smaller it should make the bike more nervous. It's not a perfect system by any means but I'd rather have 90% correct suspension 90% of the time than 100% correct suspension 10% of the time. The only issue really is with the head wobble in high speed corners when on the gas. This can be vastly mitigated but in doing so I cause other issues/discomforts in the handling, so I'd like to root it out as a geometry change, and retain fine tuning control from that point onwards. Basically as Dave says, you don't want to be at the end of adjustability, first you wanna get the bike generally right, then fine tune with adjustments. Right now (and I am really exaggerating) the bike is not set up right for me, so no amount of adjustment will fix it completely. It may be something I have to compromise on, after all it's a Sport tourer not a Superbike, but I want some confirmation to my theories or guidance before I start messing with the geometry.
I've heard dave say, before, that he's NOT strong. What poppycock. The man played rugby, and is built like a tank. Just wanted to add, after seeing you do this on the r6 and noticing a difference between my 2 fork legs, I decided to attempt to correct that only on the outside leg. And it was frightening. It helped that there was a lot of preload to take out, which I did, which made the process a bit easier. Does that make sense? Or was it just placebo?
Is no one asking the question? How do I know if I'm a candidate for raising or lowering my forks? Is it all about the fork travel and limits? What if I should raise the front but the forks are already (at factory setting) level to my triple clamp?
Just want to confirm my understanding from the video - Raising dropping the folks doesn't change the height of the handlebar, right? In the video Dave is making the folks taller so the front suspension would sag less than before? And this would also increase the wheelbase as well as rake, trail right?
Thanks for your question and for watching!! If you raise or lower the front via fork position the bars will go the exact same amount up or down. Y you are 100% correct in regards to sag and wheelbase. Note that increasing the height increases rake also but to a small degree.
@@catalystreactionsbw Ohh so when folks are made taller and trail increases, handlebar height also increases? A general question - how does the rake/wheelbase reduce during front braking, say before a corner?
Hi! I have a yamaha xt 350 that I bought used (obviously ;) ). The old owner has moved it down but I am unsure if he was just short. I am a 190 lbs guy and only drive on asphalt. Should I move it back to default?
1. How planted do you want your feet to be? 2. How much can you lift up the seat to where your minimum foot contact with the ground is? 3. How much shock travel are you using? 4. Are the forks in the stock position? Those questions and answers will guide you on going back to the stock height.
@@catalystreactionsbw Considering your extensive knowledge and talents, I'm surprised you think that. The only way the left fork could have more compression or weight on it is if the two are uneven at the top or bottom. Tilting the bike to either side won't change the relationship of the forks to one another.
@@DonziGT230 I measured the left leg at 127mm and the right leg at 133mm while resting on the side stand. If I go strictly by the numbers knowing that my forks have no stiction, that is an indication of more load on the left leg. I also removed all the compression damping and added it back in and saw a 2mm change.
Im so use to high bikes like dirt bikes, thats my preference to dance with. If I lower either end on my street bike, I know Id scrape badly in the turns. My exhaust, frame, & gear box cover are all already road raked on both sides from scrunchy lumpy corners around town. 😁
I want to do this on my fjr1300. But I fear that the weight would bend the forks. I also don't know if it's doable with both forks connected to the wheel.
I own a 2022 RS660, I'm 5'9" and the bike is a bit tall! I purchased a 1" lowering disc from AF1 Racing! They told me to lower the front forks the same length! Is there going to be any problems with this set up? I am def no pro at geometry on bikes! Would much appreciate your opinion on this!
At this point, the 1" drop in the rear will require a 3/4 inch drop in the front to provide a reasonable start for geometry. Then assess fork and shock travel used. Note that lowering the bike also needs firmer suspension.
Hi Dave I am hoping you can help me out. I am a big guy at around 350lbs so basically my bandit 1200s k6 is basically 2 up permanently. How can I stiffen up my suspension front and rear to suit my needs? Please advise thanks.
Hi Daniel. Best option is 1.1 forks springs and 20w fork oil. For the rear shock you can contact Race Tech to see if they have a spring to replace the soft stock item. That being said, you might be better off with an aftermarket shock. www.customfighters.com/threads/bandit-1200-rear-shock-swap.62827/
I got 2023 BMW M1000R and it's notorious for front end being "wobbly" light. I has my suspension set up by the shop and also DDC as follows Front down 2 Rear down 2 and 10.I weight 217 pounds.When I told the tuner I that my front end feels light at higher speeds and acceleration , he then suggested to drop the triple tree down by 5mm from stock ( I did not write down what stock was).On the ride home I noticed the motorcycle not as as agile in the corners and ruining wide and I have to push on the handle bars more.Any suggestions? Should I simply go back to stock?
The "notorious" part is the oil in the rebound leg cannot control the rebound oscillation at 10 from new, so we have changed it to 7.5w oil and see much more stability on turn in and mid corner. I would put the geometry back to stock as the handling will be worse with that change.
@@catalystreactionsbw Ok. Thank you for the reply. Got it change for oil to 7.5w. It will add more stability in the corners. Will help with front end being “light” higher speeds and hard acceleration? Looks now it has BMW Type 2, and according to my search it’s 11.5 weight. Before bmw offered 7.5 and for some reason, they changed it few years back. So, when I will change raise triple tree back to stock. The handling will go back, to motorcycle being nimble in the corners again. But,Unfortunately manufacturers do not make dampers for my motorcycle. So, I have to work with stock damper made by Marzocchi. I have it set right now to max and one click back-perhaps ads another reason other than dropping the triple tree down Motorcycle started to feel less nimble ? I had damper set up like that before dropping triple and it was fine. Any suggestions on what to do on higher speeds above 110mph or hard acceleration, this is when the front wheel gets really light. (one of the reasons triple was drop down 5 mm). I understand it’s a naked bike seems to be an issue with all of them. Perhaps tire pressure? ( I am 217 pounds and have front 34 rear 36 psi), maybe body position in those situations? Thank you
@@furikfurik8023 Fresh oil makes a huge difference in handling/stability. You should pressure test 36/36, 38/38 and 40 front and 42 rear. Always find your own pressure.
@@catalystreactionsbw Motorcycle has only 600 miles so oil is fresh. In stock triple tree setting motorcycle handled excellent in the corners. I don’t need any better. lol. I am just looking to gain better stability at higher speeds and hard under hard acceleration.Hence, why I lowered the triple tree
Hi dave sir, I have a cbr650f 2017 model motorcycle, I changed the tires from the original factory output 180/55 to 190/60, now I want to adjust the folk, but I couldn't manage somehow, I want you to help me. I will make the payment online. I am waiting for your answer with respect
Remove the brakes front wheel, fender/mudguard. Loosen the steering stem nut and all triple clamp bolts, then remove the forks. Install one fork leg to the stock position, see if the other leg fits easily. If not, the triple clamps are slightly bent. Make sure everything is torqued to spec on rebuild to make sure the 650 is road safe.
Im an aggressive rider no chicken strips on the rear, I only weigh 125 will full gear! If i did this to my 07 600rr what would the consequences be? Will i benefit by raising the front forks (lower 1/2 inch)? Thanks in advance Dave!
Changing fork position is based on travel used. Have you marked fork bottom out on the right leg and put a cable tie on it for reference? Without that knowledge there's no plan for the "why" to do it.
@@catalystreactionsbw no sir i havent put the cable tie yet, i have looked at the forks and i can see the line and only travels mid of the forks. I thot i could try this to make my corners sharper haha
Hi Dave. I’m having second update as the first didn’t went well. I’m having KTech Razor R rear with 140N spring (i’m 122kg-270lbs) and front cartridge from KTech as well with 10N sprinng in it. Am i okay ? And what oil do you reckon ? It is Tracer 900 GT 2020. Do you reckon fork raise or lowering it ? Thank you !
@@catalystreactionsbw Dave it is used as a thank you app. You buy “coffee” to someone with that link. (in this case i want say thank you for your reply) so id like you to buy a coffee/beer but you on other side of the world so that is used for that. Similar to patreon but less % to be taken from your profit.
It can work that way but it is much easier to use the side stand to unweight the bike, or have a front stand that goes into the lower triple along with the rear stand, or a Bursig type stand
Changing preload is to get to 10-15mm of marked bottom out. Using compression to get 7-10mm helps with trail braking and together they effectively manage weight transfer for braking stability and turn in.
@@catalystreactionsbw oh dave, it's a 2001 R1 and I just thought it looked better lol. The bike handled fine before, I just wanted a slightly more aggressive stance and didn't think it would change anything else. I was accelerating on the freeway, actual speed probably 85mph, I ran over a patch of uneven concrete and it started. Extreme head shake for what seemed like 5+ seconds. I had no control, just let off the gas and luckily nothing was in the direction I was drifting. I actually contacted you through Facebook and you informed me that slamming the forks caused a "shopping cart wheel" effect. This was maybe 6 years ago but youll be happy to know I still own the bike and she's doing just fine.
Let off the gas? I keep thinking Keith Code; “when in doubt give it gas”. I had a bit of a nasty head shake as the weekend; I kept on the throttle. I was accelerating out of a corner, on the gas ... drifted a bit over the line (in the Highlands no traffic) and hit poor road surface and cat’s eyes 🙁. ... managed to keep on the gas! Big just powered through it. Hmmmm 🤔. It’s sort of a habit with me; hope I am doing the right thing 👍
@@chriscarbaugh3936 ya I think you did it right. That was my first big one. The bike will do little ones sometimes but there's not even time to react before they go away. This one was nearly lock to lock. In the moment I really just didn't know what to do. It was a pretty helpless feeling because I had zero steering control and I was just drifting into the median. I just remember thinking "well, here we go, we're gonna crash." And it finally just went away at maybe 40mph or so. Idk if hitting the gas would've worked but in the moment it seemed like the exact wrong thing to do.
Dave, so i watch lots of your videos, and what i understood so far - that factory version setups of all bikes is coffins???? i am surprised , no one ever sued any of manufacturers. and i never seen that any of them said - dont ride hour product before you take it to dave :) :) :) :)
Suspension is a highly personal thing, just like lever positions, mirror position etc. Factory bikes are set up one way. That set up fits a very very very tiny subset of people. Usually 75kg 180cm perfectly average proportioned males. If you match all that, most bikes will probably fit you perfectly, however even at that point the suspension is built to a budget on most bikes and they have to make compromises between track vs road, good roads vs bad roads, twisties vs highways. Whilst the suspension maybe perfectly set up for your weight to ride good highways, they may be entirely inadequate for bumpy twisties.
@@AntaresSQ01 no mate, still not agree with you - everything in the world(cars, pedal bikes, small air planes and etc. is build on average humans measurements. but any human can ride it without accident in any condition. and of-course, ergonomics and other little adjustments only would give more comfort and performance. but is no way, that if say you r 160 and 80kg you will get into accident (on any road and condition), just because you did not done all Dave's adjustments and ride stock bike!!! Tell that to any bike shop- see what they say - this would be against human rights to sell bikes if it was like that! who needs Dave's help- is track race drivers only, because it gives more performance where seconds matter. and just to add - so you say, i can not go to bumpy curvy roads on my stock bike??? no way i am going to change my shocks - than better to buy bike that has them already- i haven't been told in the shop not to go faster than 70km/h in not perfect road conditions when i bought it!!!
@@labasrytas2876 i never said youd get into an accident, its just a correct suspension is confidence inspiring, a bad one is not. Bikes are more sensitive to rider weight cos the rider makes up 1/4 to 1/3 of the vehicle's gross weight, f9r cars this is usually 1/15 or less so your weight barely makes difference. That's all. The best example i can thing of is the MT07, forks pogo for anyone over 80kg, don't for people under.
If you have an 800lb bike, the springs necessary just to carry the weight of the bike and have some sag will accommodate a much broader range of rider weights and still be in some acceptable range. Car example: If you throw 4 heavy set people in military Humvee, it's barely noticeable). If you take something lighter, the rider's weight starts to become a noticeable factor. Car example: throw 4 heavy set people in a civic and it goes from feeling light and stable to sloshy-body roll and the rear end resists coming around but when it does brake loose doesn't want to recover anymore. So let's look at a light bike and see why this just isn't possible to create a perfect in all situations: *Sprung for heavy rider:* If they spring it for a heavy 280lb rider, the spring is almost double what it needed for just the bike weight, has sag, damping etc. *Now a light 120lb rider hops on that bike. Because it was sprung for double the bike weight, almost if not all the sag disappears. The ride will be stiff and harsh. The rider will probably think that's because they don't have enough skill and that the suspension is meant to be pushed more, where it will feel better. And they are even partially right! But, because the person doesn't weight enough, the springs overcome the rebound damping, so bumps become quick jolts that bounce the bike just a bit. The lack of sag means the suspension can't react to drop the wheel for road imperfections, so that means either wheel loss of traction (just what you want in a corner, right?). *If the rider tries to take corners in a neutral very tame balance, the front end will skitter on bumps and want to wash out. *If they take corners with aggressive trail braking to keep the front end weighted, the overly stiff suspension will send rapid shocks of weight shift front to back and forth, giving rapid shocks of traction & loss of traction, while the rider is loading the front tire more. Does that sound beginner friendly? *Also, if the front wheel can't drop to accommodate road imperfections, how do most tank slappers initiate? Oh yeah, people coming down from a wheelie and the wheel being at a different angle that the travel of the bike... So you can see why manufacturers don't want to even approach those risks with a 10ft pole. So let's flip it, *Sprung for a light rider:* Light bike with a light rider, the rider is approx 1/3 of the bike weight, sag and dampening set, beautiful. Now throw a heavy rider on that, and the bike squats. *Everyone can instantly tell the bike is overloaded with the weight. The bike squishy both undersprung and underdamped, and divey. The rider will feel like it is hard on the bike and they naturally take it easier. *They don't feel confident braking hard because feeling like you are going over the bars is uncomfortable, non-confidence inspiring. (sadly, actually makes it harder for a new rider to learn) *Going too fast over hard bumps bottoms the suspension, and it bucks. You feel the shock through the seat, so you feel (and are) beating up the bike to push it on stuff like that. Again, this inspires to play it safe, take it easy. *the bike still soaks up light stuff, but when it bottoms, it is indeed dangerous -but, for most stuff it isn't dangerous if you are taking it easy *until you run into something unexpected, such as a pothole that either catches the front end when you panic brake or the back end bottoms and being underdamped tries to launch your lazy non-standing butt over the bars **overall, this is a much safer outcome than the severely over-sprung and overdamped bike, and when it fails, it can be blamed on the rider, because they should have been more tame, seen, and reacted to the more extreme pothole, bump, etc. (and indeed, more riding skill and more alertness would probably have passed unscathed, with a few muttered expletives at the inadequate suspension that did in fact try to kill you) *So what do manufacturers actually do?* They go mostly to the way-soft condition, but out of concern for too light riders, they compensate by weak damping. *It's the perfect one-size-fits-no-one solution.* Most people can hop on the bike without killing their selves, and it generally pushed riders to ride more safely. How did we get here? Why don't manufacturers included more travel, more compression and rebound settings range, and include spring options by default? It's our fault, the riders (well, not me, because I don't buy new, ha ha) People like to drool at the expensive/premium option, shun the low option and end up buying the middle option (it's why store-branded inferior options exist in grocery stores - they drive you to buy the middle option for just a little more money). Sure, some splurge or always buy the premium option, and some are cheap and always buy the lowest cost (however they factor that), but 80-90% of people buy the middle option. So take 50years of companies offering the premium package for $3000more and people cheaping out to the standard package and guess what? You get more of what you endorse. So they just stop putting the cost/time/effort/parts support into better suspension, because it doesn't help their sales or bottom line at all. *If their bike came standard with those options, you'd be comparing their competitors $8,000 bike to their $11,000 bike and despite the advantages, people would wish for but mostly buy the competitors "almost as good at a fraction of the cost" middle option. Am I going to change this long-standing trend? No, because I don't buy new. Imagining a conversation between me and the manufacturers: Me: "I'd like you to start adding___ and stop this____ and changing this____" Them: "Ok, how much are extra are you willing to pay beyond current price for those things?" Me: "erm, um,... well you see, that's the thing, isn't it..." So I'm not even really their customer other than as an influencer role and replacement parts.
For anyone questioning how a bike can generally be considered well behaved, and then suddenly try to kill you, here is the notorious wr250r underdamped shock trying to kill someone (and how he addressed it). The bike is commonly touted as having better than average suspension, and it does, until it gets pushed just a little beyond the normal tame, and then it suddenly goes from soaking it up to aggressively trying to kill you: th-cam.com/video/k8VomeL0FZo/w-d-xo.html go to 2min16sec in that video and enjoy
Vytass, ever heard if you have nothing to add that is constructive close your mouth. Or my favorite two eyes one mouth, use them proportionately. You get it Vytass
Looking forward to your SLO visit, Sir Dave!
TORQUE SPECS!!!! A career spent working on German engines has proven to me that fastener torque and torque sequence are EXTREMELY important! The OE didn't pay some enginerd big bucks just to throw some random numbers in the book. 10:50 is a perfect example of why torque is important. Could've been over-torqued and with dissimilar metals the aluminum will deform and "bite" into the bolt. This is why if the head is looking like it'll round off before the bolt loosens up then a couple tappy taps on the head in line with the shank will help to release that "bite".
Agreed regarding care and thoroughness with torque settings.
As a young man I once loosened all the nuts on the triple tree without a stand 😂😂😂
I bet that was a valuable lesson to never forget tho haha
so my '05 R1 turns in way faster than i'm comfortable with, but once i'm at lean it feels sluggish to get to the absolute edge of the tire. now i did swap tires and got a higher tire in the rear(55 instead of the 50 that is factory size), that does increase the weight on the front i know that, however i cant increase the front height, forks are flush with the triple clamp up top. i assume my best option is to get a rear shock that has ride height adjustment and dial the rear ride height down a notch or 2. then again, i've only done 2 trackdays on this bike and it's so different from my previous trackbike, i'm still finding a good baseline setup for the suspension, setting sag to a certain book-number is too soft for my braking ability, i bottomed it on the first session. have a trackday planned next week, going to experiment a bit with compression and preload.
You can add preload and compression to raise the travel point in the forks up and correct geometry that way. Also you can be 2mm inside the upper triple clamp as a maximum number.
@@catalystreactionsbw i will add that into my experimenting, thanks for the input.
Hi Dave
On triumphs the position of the forks is measured form the line of the crest/grove on the fork, below the top clamp and the bottom surface of the top triple clamp.
;-)
Thanks for the video !
CBR954RR….loves to wheelie,crazy light front end,controlling low end torque.I read a recommendation to drop the forks about one inch.INSTANT corner stability along with heavier springs and thicker fork oil.
Sorry EXTEND the forks UPWARDS one inch
Check shock sag and see if the shock is too hard or too soft. That might explain the "why" of the wheelie. Once the shock is set correctly for preload, rebound and compression - see how the wheelie occurs and if there is a difference. Is it harder to get the wheel to ride? If so, the bulk of the issue was the shock setting. The additional contributor may be fork rebound being too fast.
@@stanbarringtonan inch! Thats 25mm. You’re supposed to do geometry changes slowly and with testing 3mm at a time.
An interesting video.
It is always worthwhile checking and returning to factory settings first, I had a new Honda, one fork leg full of oil, none in the other; mistakes happen.
Could you not raise the oil level and by reducing the air gap give a bigger distance to bottom out ?
No! The less oil in the forks the more you will bottom out, the more fluid in the forks the forks will not compress very well. Some racers will remove a bit of fluid level to gain a bit more suspension travel
@@ibidu1 really, what happens when you compress a gas ?
@@alanbrown5593 Are your forks oem? If yes, then more likely they are not gas, and use fluid. You can easily remove the forks, open the top cap drain all the fluid, and pour in the exact amount of fluid that is called for in the spec for your bike. Compress it several times with the cap open and then close it and reinstall on the bike.
@@ibidu1 see the bit above the oil level, or the air gap, all bikes have them if they have telescopic forks ( no matter which way up they are) as you cannot compress a liquid, so they would be rigid.
Assuming temperatures stay reasonably constant, if you half the air volume what happens to the air pressure inside the fork ?
@@ibidu1 I should have been clearer for you; when I said had I meant past tense. It was a 5☆ Honda dealer in Edinburgh (some can work out who they were) who misfilled my 1981 Honda CB750KZ.
My point, poorly made, was just because something is new don't always expect perfection, mistakes happen.
Bloody hell Dave, I just bought a 2010 Speed Triple and I am vertically challenged. Only today I bought a lowering link that lowers the rear suspension 1.6” ... I will then need to lower the forks. I am starting to think I have made a mistake !!!
You did not. Take your time to lower the forks as you must with a 1.6" drop in the rear. As per video, it is a very simple process that you can do very slowly.
I have conventional forks with damper rods and no compression adjusters. My preload adjusters are backed out all the way. Fork caps are flush with a *FLAT* triple clamp. Using the zip tie method I'm using 2/3 travel. To get to the 3/4 point, can I soften the forks just a bit by removing a small portion of oil in each leg? If so, by how much increments would you recommend?
10cc, 10ml. You can also change oil viscosity.
I also ride a street triple. So if i watched carefully, bottom out is 20mm from the bottom and the buffer should be at 40-45mm from the bottom? But for example, If take some preload out this might change the rider sag as well. What is leading? Greetings from the Netherlands. Love to watch your video’s.
Do you offer course on suspension setup
I am in the process of creating just that: davemosstuning.com/courses/. From August onward, more will be added.
I have a quick question on this. I have an S1000XR and I get a slight front end wobble at high speed cornering (90mph+ sweepers). Increasing the rear preload decreased this wobble so it makes me think it's a problem with the pitch of the bike. Usually increasing how much the forks stick out at the top make the bike more agile but less stable at speed due to reduced rake, but would it help with the wobble due to pitching the bike forward and putting more weight on the front? I don't really want to go higher on preload as the ride would be too harsh and other handling issues arise. The bike has electronic suspension and putting the damping into the sporty setting also helps a bit with the wobble but it's still present. The forks are currently level with the triple tree so there is no room to go down. Any help would be appreciated!
I might be wrong here but that sounds like a rebound issue tbh.
@@greyanaroth Maybe, but as I said no way to fix it directly due to electronic suspension
@@AntaresSQ01 I remember dave suggesting, depending on the amount of travel used :
Take out preload so it'll stop the spring pinging back (if you're not using enough travel). Do you have a zip tie on the fork?
@@greyanaroth As far as I'm aware the preload on the front forks is not adjusted by D-ESA or very minimally, basically when adjusting the preload it raises or lowers the rear for the most part, you can pitch the whole bike forwards (increasing rear ride height/reducing rake and trail). It's weird but it helps, despite on paper making the trail/rake smaller it should make the bike more nervous. It's not a perfect system by any means but I'd rather have 90% correct suspension 90% of the time than 100% correct suspension 10% of the time. The only issue really is with the head wobble in high speed corners when on the gas. This can be vastly mitigated but in doing so I cause other issues/discomforts in the handling, so I'd like to root it out as a geometry change, and retain fine tuning control from that point onwards. Basically as Dave says, you don't want to be at the end of adjustability, first you wanna get the bike generally right, then fine tune with adjustments. Right now (and I am really exaggerating) the bike is not set up right for me, so no amount of adjustment will fix it completely. It may be something I have to compromise on, after all it's a Sport tourer not a Superbike, but I want some confirmation to my theories or guidance before I start messing with the geometry.
@@AntaresSQ01 perhaps do a remote tuning with dave? He usually has insight you and I may not have evun begun thinking about
I've heard dave say, before, that he's NOT strong. What poppycock. The man played rugby, and is built like a tank.
Just wanted to add, after seeing you do this on the r6 and noticing a difference between my 2 fork legs, I decided to attempt to correct that only on the outside leg. And it was frightening. It helped that there was a lot of preload to take out, which I did, which made the process a bit easier. Does that make sense? Or was it just placebo?
You are correct - zero preload makes in far easier.
Dunno how many seen of this, it's always too complicated to tune my suspension correctly. For street!
That's why I offer video1-1 Remote tuning so you get it set correctly in 30 minutes.
But what’s the Purpose of lowering your forks From Stock Height, I would Guess quicker turn in? What’s the downside? Riding Postion or what?
1. Make the chassis neutral or flat. 2. Make turn in slightly quicker and go in 2mm increments. 3. Down side might be turn in too quick.
There's something missing after the second ride clip......
The adjusted fork didnt seem much different when done, compared to the other side
Is no one asking the question? How do I know if I'm a candidate for raising or lowering my forks? Is it all about the fork travel and limits? What if I should raise the front but the forks are already (at factory setting) level to my triple clamp?
Have you signed up for access to his videos on his website? I just watched the whole video and there is a lot more explanation. Hope that helps.
Just want to confirm my understanding from the video - Raising dropping the folks doesn't change the height of the handlebar, right?
In the video Dave is making the folks taller so the front suspension would sag less than before? And this would also increase the wheelbase as well as rake, trail right?
Thanks for your question and for watching!! If you raise or lower the front via fork position the bars will go the exact same amount up or down. Y you are 100% correct in regards to sag and wheelbase. Note that increasing the height increases rake also but to a small degree.
@@catalystreactionsbw Ohh so when folks are made taller and trail increases, handlebar height also increases?
A general question - how does the rake/wheelbase reduce during front braking, say before a corner?
@sanketjain9320 if the fork travels less, there is more rake and trail.
Hi! I have a yamaha xt 350 that I bought used (obviously ;) ). The old owner has moved it down but I am unsure if he was just short. I am a 190 lbs guy and only drive on asphalt. Should I move it back to default?
1. How planted do you want your feet to be? 2. How much can you lift up the seat to where your minimum foot contact with the ground is? 3. How much shock travel are you using? 4. Are the forks in the stock position? Those questions and answers will guide you on going back to the stock height.
Since the forks are tied together top and bottom, how could the left side have more pressure on it just because the bike's on the kickstand?
Weight distribution.The right leg is fully extended, the left is not.
@@catalystreactionsbw Considering your extensive knowledge and talents, I'm surprised you think that. The only way the left fork could have more compression or weight on it is if the two are uneven at the top or bottom. Tilting the bike to either side won't change the relationship of the forks to one another.
@@DonziGT230 I measured the left leg at 127mm and the right leg at 133mm while resting on the side stand. If I go strictly by the numbers knowing that my forks have no stiction, that is an indication of more load on the left leg. I also removed all the compression damping and added it back in and saw a 2mm change.
Im so use to high bikes like dirt bikes, thats my preference to dance with.
If I lower either end on my street bike, I know Id scrape badly in the turns.
My exhaust, frame, & gear box cover are all already road raked on both sides from scrunchy lumpy corners around town.
😁
I want to do this on my fjr1300. But I fear that the weight would bend the forks. I also don't know if it's doable with both forks connected to the wheel.
Perhaps this video will help you udnerstand the task better and then you can decide if you choose to do it. th-cam.com/video/5o6V8ST72i0/w-d-xo.html
I own a 2022 RS660, I'm 5'9" and the bike is a bit tall! I purchased a 1" lowering disc from AF1 Racing! They told me to lower the front forks the same length! Is there going to be any problems with this set up? I am def no pro at geometry on bikes! Would much appreciate your opinion on this!
At this point, the 1" drop in the rear will require a 3/4 inch drop in the front to provide a reasonable start for geometry. Then assess fork and shock travel used. Note that lowering the bike also needs firmer suspension.
Hi Dave I am hoping you can help me out. I am a big guy at around 350lbs so basically my bandit 1200s k6 is basically 2 up permanently. How can I stiffen up my suspension front and rear to suit my needs? Please advise thanks.
Hi Daniel. Best option is 1.1 forks springs and 20w fork oil. For the rear shock you can contact Race Tech to see if they have a spring to replace the soft stock item. That being said, you might be better off with an aftermarket shock. www.customfighters.com/threads/bandit-1200-rear-shock-swap.62827/
I got 2023 BMW M1000R and it's notorious for front end being "wobbly" light. I has my suspension set up by the shop and also DDC as follows Front down 2 Rear down 2 and 10.I weight 217 pounds.When I told the tuner I that my front end feels light at higher speeds and acceleration , he then suggested to drop the triple tree down by 5mm from stock ( I did not write down what stock was).On the ride home I noticed the motorcycle not as as agile in the corners and ruining wide and I have to push on the handle bars more.Any suggestions? Should I simply go back to stock?
The "notorious" part is the oil in the rebound leg cannot control the rebound oscillation at 10 from new, so we have changed it to 7.5w oil and see much more stability on turn in and mid corner. I would put the geometry back to stock as the handling will be worse with that change.
@@catalystreactionsbw
Ok. Thank you for the reply. Got it change for oil to 7.5w. It will add more stability in the corners. Will help with front end being “light” higher speeds and hard acceleration?
Looks now it has BMW Type 2, and according to my search it’s 11.5 weight. Before bmw offered 7.5 and for some reason, they changed it few years back.
So, when I will change raise triple tree back to stock. The handling will go back, to motorcycle being nimble in the corners again. But,Unfortunately manufacturers do not make dampers for my motorcycle. So, I have to work with stock damper made by Marzocchi.
I have it set right now to max and one click back-perhaps ads another reason other than dropping the triple tree down Motorcycle started to feel less nimble ? I had damper set up like that before dropping triple and it was fine.
Any suggestions on what to do on higher speeds above 110mph or hard acceleration, this is when the front wheel gets really light. (one of the reasons triple was drop down 5 mm).
I understand it’s a naked bike seems to be an issue with all of them.
Perhaps tire pressure? ( I am 217 pounds and have front 34 rear 36 psi), maybe body position in those situations?
Thank you
@@furikfurik8023 Fresh oil makes a huge difference in handling/stability. You should pressure test 36/36, 38/38 and 40 front and 42 rear. Always find your own pressure.
@@catalystreactionsbw
Motorcycle has only 600 miles so oil is fresh. In stock triple tree setting motorcycle handled excellent in the corners. I don’t need any better. lol. I am just looking to gain better stability at higher speeds and hard under hard acceleration.Hence, why I lowered the triple tree
Hi dave sir, I have a cbr650f 2017 model motorcycle, I changed the tires from the original factory output 180/55 to 190/60, now I want to adjust the folk, but I couldn't manage somehow, I want you to help me. I will make the payment online. I am waiting for your answer with respect
Please email me directly to dave@davemosstuning.com so I can help you today.
@@catalystreactionsbw sir dave I wrote to you thank you
Hey I have 07 ninja 650r . With my wheel straight my handle bars are turned to the right a little how do I fix this ..
Remove the brakes front wheel, fender/mudguard. Loosen the steering stem nut and all triple clamp bolts, then remove the forks. Install one fork leg to the stock position, see if the other leg fits easily. If not, the triple clamps are slightly bent. Make sure everything is torqued to spec on rebuild to make sure the 650 is road safe.
Great vid!
9:26... you're not measuring to the flat spot... so it's slightly off?
What's the stock height for an 2005 zx10r ?
Im an aggressive rider no chicken strips on the rear, I only weigh 125 will full gear! If i did this to my 07 600rr what would the consequences be? Will i benefit by raising the front forks (lower 1/2 inch)? Thanks in advance Dave!
Changing fork position is based on travel used. Have you marked fork bottom out on the right leg and put a cable tie on it for reference? Without that knowledge there's no plan for the "why" to do it.
@@catalystreactionsbw no sir i havent put the cable tie yet, i have looked at the forks and i can see the line and only travels mid of the forks. I thot i could try this to make my corners sharper haha
@@geocalamansi8356 Try taking out all preload counter clockwise, count the total number of compression clicks as a range and set at 50%
Personal opinion on the stock suspension on 2018-present honda cbr300r/cb300f?
Change the fork oil to heavier viscosity and have fun.
Hi Dave. I’m having second update as the first didn’t went well. I’m having KTech Razor R rear with 140N spring (i’m 122kg-270lbs) and front cartridge from KTech as well with 10N sprinng in it. Am i okay ? And what oil do you reckon ? It is Tracer 900 GT 2020. Do you reckon fork raise or lowering it ? Thank you !
Sounds good to me. Leave the forks in the stock position. Fork oil would be 15w with stock valving.
@@catalystreactionsbw Thanks mate ! Do you have Buy me a coffee app ?
@@intravelt5684 Never heard of it Martin.
@@catalystreactionsbw Dave it is used as a thank you app. You buy “coffee” to someone with that link. (in this case i want say thank you for your reply) so id like you to buy a coffee/beer but you on other side of the world so that is used for that. Similar to patreon but less % to be taken from your profit.
Does this work when using rearstand lift? Thanks
It can work that way but it is much easier to use the side stand to unweight the bike, or have a front stand that goes into the lower triple along with the rear stand, or a Bursig type stand
Ask Hyacinth after Richard (RIP) set the table!
Richard doesn't know
Dave, How worth it is it to change preload to help or hinder turn in rate knowing it will change sag settings. Thanks
Changing preload is to get to 10-15mm of marked bottom out. Using compression to get 7-10mm helps with trail braking and together they effectively manage weight transfer for braking stability and turn in.
I lowered my front end about 1.5cm once and immediately got a tank slapper from hell. I put my forks back and will never mess with that again!
Reason for the change? Acceleration or deceleration? Speed when the slapper happened? Your answers could help many riders not have your experience.
@@catalystreactionsbw oh dave, it's a 2001 R1 and I just thought it looked better lol. The bike handled fine before, I just wanted a slightly more aggressive stance and didn't think it would change anything else. I was accelerating on the freeway, actual speed probably 85mph, I ran over a patch of uneven concrete and it started. Extreme head shake for what seemed like 5+ seconds. I had no control, just let off the gas and luckily nothing was in the direction I was drifting. I actually contacted you through Facebook and you informed me that slamming the forks caused a "shopping cart wheel" effect. This was maybe 6 years ago but youll be happy to know I still own the bike and she's doing just fine.
Let off the gas? I keep thinking Keith Code; “when in doubt give it gas”. I had a bit of a nasty head shake as the weekend; I kept on the throttle. I was accelerating out of a corner, on the gas ... drifted a bit over the line (in the Highlands no traffic) and hit poor road surface and cat’s eyes 🙁. ... managed to keep on the gas! Big just powered through it. Hmmmm 🤔.
It’s sort of a habit with me; hope I am doing the right thing 👍
@@chriscarbaugh3936 ya I think you did it right. That was my first big one. The bike will do little ones sometimes but there's not even time to react before they go away. This one was nearly lock to lock. In the moment I really just didn't know what to do. It was a pretty helpless feeling because I had zero steering control and I was just drifting into the median. I just remember thinking "well, here we go, we're gonna crash." And it finally just went away at maybe 40mph or so. Idk if hitting the gas would've worked but in the moment it seemed like the exact wrong thing to do.
you make this look so easy. I had mines lowered at 1.7in and tried to make them 1 inch flat....... I ended up with 1.85in T_T. zx10r
It is a process and repetition since 1995 makes this an exercise i can do carefully yet quickly.
Dave, so i watch lots of your videos, and what i understood so far - that factory version setups of all bikes is coffins???? i am surprised , no one ever sued any of manufacturers. and i never seen that any of them said - dont ride hour product before you take it to dave :) :) :) :)
Suspension is a highly personal thing, just like lever positions, mirror position etc. Factory bikes are set up one way. That set up fits a very very very tiny subset of people. Usually 75kg 180cm perfectly average proportioned males. If you match all that, most bikes will probably fit you perfectly, however even at that point the suspension is built to a budget on most bikes and they have to make compromises between track vs road, good roads vs bad roads, twisties vs highways. Whilst the suspension maybe perfectly set up for your weight to ride good highways, they may be entirely inadequate for bumpy twisties.
@@AntaresSQ01 no mate, still not agree with you - everything in the world(cars, pedal bikes, small air planes and etc. is build on average humans measurements. but any human can ride it without accident in any condition. and of-course, ergonomics and other little adjustments only would give more comfort and performance. but is no way, that if say you r 160 and 80kg you will get into accident (on any road and condition), just because you did not done all Dave's adjustments and ride stock bike!!! Tell that to any bike shop- see what they say - this would be against human rights to sell bikes if it was like that! who needs Dave's help- is track race drivers only, because it gives more performance where seconds matter.
and just to add - so you say, i can not go to bumpy curvy roads on my stock bike??? no way i am going to change my shocks - than better to buy bike that has them already- i haven't been told in the shop not to go faster than 70km/h in not perfect road conditions when i bought it!!!
@@labasrytas2876 i never said youd get into an accident, its just a correct suspension is confidence inspiring, a bad one is not. Bikes are more sensitive to rider weight cos the rider makes up 1/4 to 1/3 of the vehicle's gross weight, f9r cars this is usually 1/15 or less so your weight barely makes difference. That's all. The best example i can thing of is the MT07, forks pogo for anyone over 80kg, don't for people under.
If you have an 800lb bike, the springs necessary just to carry the weight of the bike and have some sag will accommodate a much broader range of rider weights and still be in some acceptable range.
Car example: If you throw 4 heavy set people in military Humvee, it's barely noticeable).
If you take something lighter, the rider's weight starts to become a noticeable factor.
Car example: throw 4 heavy set people in a civic and it goes from feeling light and stable to sloshy-body roll and the rear end resists coming around but when it does brake loose doesn't want to recover anymore.
So let's look at a light bike and see why this just isn't possible to create a perfect in all situations:
*Sprung for heavy rider:*
If they spring it for a heavy 280lb rider, the spring is almost double what it needed for just the bike weight, has sag, damping etc.
*Now a light 120lb rider hops on that bike. Because it was sprung for double the bike weight, almost if not all the sag disappears. The ride will be stiff and harsh. The rider will probably think that's because they don't have enough skill and that the suspension is meant to be pushed more, where it will feel better. And they are even partially right! But, because the person doesn't weight enough, the springs overcome the rebound damping, so bumps become quick jolts that bounce the bike just a bit. The lack of sag means the suspension can't react to drop the wheel for road imperfections, so that means either wheel loss of traction (just what you want in a corner, right?).
*If the rider tries to take corners in a neutral very tame balance, the front end will skitter on bumps and want to wash out.
*If they take corners with aggressive trail braking to keep the front end weighted, the overly stiff suspension will send rapid shocks of weight shift front to back and forth, giving rapid shocks of traction & loss of traction, while the rider is loading the front tire more. Does that sound beginner friendly?
*Also, if the front wheel can't drop to accommodate road imperfections, how do most tank slappers initiate? Oh yeah, people coming down from a wheelie and the wheel being at a different angle that the travel of the bike...
So you can see why manufacturers don't want to even approach those risks with a 10ft pole.
So let's flip it,
*Sprung for a light rider:*
Light bike with a light rider, the rider is approx 1/3 of the bike weight, sag and dampening set, beautiful.
Now throw a heavy rider on that, and the bike squats.
*Everyone can instantly tell the bike is overloaded with the weight. The bike squishy both undersprung and underdamped, and divey. The rider will feel like it is hard on the bike and they naturally take it easier.
*They don't feel confident braking hard because feeling like you are going over the bars is uncomfortable, non-confidence inspiring. (sadly, actually makes it harder for a new rider to learn)
*Going too fast over hard bumps bottoms the suspension, and it bucks. You feel the shock through the seat, so you feel (and are) beating up the bike to push it on stuff like that. Again, this inspires to play it safe, take it easy.
*the bike still soaks up light stuff, but when it bottoms, it is indeed dangerous -but, for most stuff it isn't dangerous if you are taking it easy
*until you run into something unexpected, such as a pothole that either catches the front end when you panic brake or the back end bottoms and being underdamped tries to launch your lazy non-standing butt over the bars
**overall, this is a much safer outcome than the severely over-sprung and overdamped bike, and when it fails, it can be blamed on the rider, because they should have been more tame, seen, and reacted to the more extreme pothole, bump, etc. (and indeed, more riding skill and more alertness would probably have passed unscathed, with a few muttered expletives at the inadequate suspension that did in fact try to kill you)
*So what do manufacturers actually do?*
They go mostly to the way-soft condition, but out of concern for too light riders, they compensate by weak damping. *It's the perfect one-size-fits-no-one solution.*
Most people can hop on the bike without killing their selves, and it generally pushed riders to ride more safely.
How did we get here? Why don't manufacturers included more travel, more compression and rebound settings range, and include spring options by default?
It's our fault, the riders (well, not me, because I don't buy new, ha ha)
People like to drool at the expensive/premium option, shun the low option and end up buying the middle option
(it's why store-branded inferior options exist in grocery stores - they drive you to buy the middle option for just a little more money). Sure, some splurge or always buy the premium option, and some are cheap and always buy the lowest cost (however they factor that), but 80-90% of people buy the middle option.
So take 50years of companies offering the premium package for $3000more and people cheaping out to the standard package and guess what? You get more of what you endorse. So they just stop putting the cost/time/effort/parts support into better suspension, because it doesn't help their sales or bottom line at all.
*If their bike came standard with those options, you'd be comparing their competitors $8,000 bike to their $11,000 bike and despite the advantages, people would wish for but mostly buy the competitors "almost as good at a fraction of the cost" middle option.
Am I going to change this long-standing trend? No, because I don't buy new.
Imagining a conversation between me and the manufacturers:
Me: "I'd like you to start adding___ and stop this____ and changing this____"
Them: "Ok, how much are extra are you willing to pay beyond current price for those things?"
Me: "erm, um,... well you see, that's the thing, isn't it..."
So I'm not even really their customer other than as an influencer role and replacement parts.
For anyone questioning how a bike can generally be considered well behaved, and then suddenly try to kill you, here is the notorious wr250r underdamped shock trying to kill someone (and how he addressed it).
The bike is commonly touted as having better than average suspension, and it does, until it gets pushed just a little beyond the normal tame, and then it suddenly goes from soaking it up to aggressively trying to kill you:
th-cam.com/video/k8VomeL0FZo/w-d-xo.html
go to 2min16sec in that video and enjoy
Vytass, ever heard if you have nothing to add that is constructive close your mouth. Or my favorite two eyes one mouth, use them proportionately. You get it Vytass
I was not on the "Survivor" show. Wrong person Vytass
Why put half a video on ?
th-cam.com/video/5o6V8ST72i0/w-d-xo.html
Nom Nom Nom
Can we get rid of that "Here's a preview" voice? It's weird
Yea just give is the video. Just setup ad revenue
It’s a fork, not forks!
Plurality is a thing apparently when talking bout two in general terms. One - sure, a fork is a fork.
Next you will state that its Pant not Pants , right ?
Pffft Sematics