

Unlike racers, who run expensive components set-up specifically for their own weight and riding styles, manufacturers have to equip their bikes with cost effective suspension to accommodate riders of varying weight, sizes and riding styles. Stock motorcycle suspension is by its very nature a compromise. If your bike has too little preload it will use the majority if not all of its travel and potentially bottom out when going over a bump. If you want to increase preload so the spring has less travel and to make the bike feel stiffer, turn the adjuster ring clockwise. To adjust the preload on your bike’s rear shock, you will need a C-spanner to loosen the top locking ring and spin it up the shock to gain access to the adjuster ring. Similar to the effects of adjusting front fork preload, rear shock preload makes the rear of the bike feel softer or harder. Too much damping will create a harsh ride, while too little will cause the rear to bounce around and feel too soft. Again, when making changes to the rear shock compression, be sure to only do half a turn or a click at a time. On the rear shock, the compression damping adjuster is usually located at the top.

Only make changes a few millimetres at a time and check for any rubbing issues. The more fork leg showing above the yoke, the lower the ride height. If you want your bike to turn better, one of the things you can do is alter the front ride height by sliding the forks through the top yoke to make the bike lower. If the adjuster is fully in, the forks will be harder to compress and will deliver a stiffer ride. You can alter the compression damping using the adjuster, which usually found at the bottom of the fork leg. How quickly the forks compress is managed by compression damping. When you modify fork preload, the spring inside the fork is compressed by the adjuster which provides a different range of usable spring travel. But in reality, you’re not actually making the fork spring stiffer or softer. If your bike doesn’t make a clicking sound, do half-a-turn at a time.įork preload makes the bike feel softer or harder at the front. As you alter the rebound, some adjusters will click as they turn to help you manage the amount you are adjusting. When rebound is set correctly, the bike will settle quickly after going over a bump and it won’t continue to bounce. The further the adjuster is in, the slower the forks will rebound back. Rebound damping in the forks controls the rate at which they return to their natural position.
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When attempting to adjust your suspension, make sure that you refer to your bike’s manual for specific details of each adjuster’s location, and any changes you make should be noted and referenced against the standard suspension settings so you can revert back to them. This is an inconvenience in a straight line, but dangerous when cornering.
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Having your suspension set up correctly can transform your ride and help you to get more out of your machine, by helping it to handle better and achieving more feel, inspiring greater confidence when riding.įor example, if you regularly ride a bike with a pillion and full paniers, having suspension that’s set too soft could cause the bike to use a lot of travel making the bike bounce around due to additional weight over the rear.

The front forks and rear shock are some of the most important components on your motorcycle. However, it’s worth understanding how and why you want to make adjustments. The good news is that most modern bikes have adjustable suspension, you don’t need specialist tools to do it, and it’s quicker and easier than you may have originally thought.
