Setting up suspension

[Feasty]

How many of you have fiddled with your rear suspensions after picking up a bike, does it make any difference?

On my SLR I'm getting rather fed up of bouncing all over the seat going over bumps and wondered if adjusting the suspension might improve this - if so, which way would I do it?


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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[Rowey]

You'd need to adjust the preload. Could be the previous owner has set it up for themselves. On my bike it uses a c-spanner, this twists a collar that effectively shortens or lengthens the spring. Making the suspension stiffer or softer. If I'm going high speed or have my girlfriend on the back, I shorten the spring a notch or two respectively.

If it is really bad, for example, It continually bounces after a bump, and has little to no dampening. It could mean your rear suspension needs a recharge/overhaul.
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ZX6R C6F.
Never argue with an idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.

[Feasty]

So if you shorten it a notch or 2 that makes the spring tighter therefore going over a bump would make you bounce higher, am I right!?

Or maybe it's the other way around, a longer spring would make the bike bounce more? I'm confused now...

It doesn't continually bounce after the inital bump so I think the dampening is working fine.
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[Rowey]

Shortening the spring will make it stiffer. So hitting a bump will compress the suspension less. Which is a good idea if you're going high speeds on motorways for instance. Only down side is, it may jar your spine a bit more because the suspension travels less and has less time to dampen the bump. It's generally about comfort. Just tweak it until you like the feel, both over bumps and cornering. This is what I did.
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ZX6R C6F.
Never argue with an idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Changing the pre-load doesn't make the suspension harder or softer. It simply changes the force required to make it start working. If it's set high then it requires more force to make the suspension start to move than if pre-load is set very low.

The only way you can truely make the suspension harder over it's whole travel is by fitting a different spring. I think...
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[G]

[lllN30lll]

All written out here.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=150250&highlight=suspension+explained

Should help you.
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Turbo R1
CRF450R

[MarJay]