Rear wheel preload / damping

[stevelup]

Hi

I've had my bike since August last year - it's a BMW F800R. It's my first bike, and (looking for something wooden to touch) I haven't had any incidents yet!

I've only done about 1000 miles though - I'm a bit pathetic and don't really go out if it's wet, and wet is something there's been an abundance of recently...

Anyway, the weather seems to be improving, and something has been niggling me. Should I do anything with the pre-load and damping?

The manual is super vague on this... When I first got it, I followed the instructions on setting it up for an 85kg rider with full fuel, then backed off a couple of clicks as I weigh 75kg. This seemed extremely unscientific to me...

So - to cut the waffle...

1) Is this something I need to be concerned about
2) If so, what's the right way to adjust the two settings? What should I be looking for / feeling?

Cheers!

[wristjob]

unless you are a massive tub of lard or a man made of sticks the factory settings will be fine (for now).
do some miles! 1000 is nothing.
as you get used to it you might find it soggy on bumps or too bouncy and then you might need to play a bit.
for now just ride it.

[qarka]

Delboy recommends setting your suspension right in the middle of its range for the best compromise.
Personally I reckon unless you're a trackday hero you wont notice any adjustments until you really fuck it up. But then I leave mine alone, and just try and dodge the potholes.
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[stevelup]

Thanks both - both settings are pretty much in the middle now, so I'll just leave it alone.

The manual has a big exclamation mark on the page and uses phrases like 'it is essential to set...' and then proceeds to give no useful information on how to actually set it. It describes the mechanics of setting it but not why.

I've just finished watching the Delboy video - thanks for that.

[fozzym]

If you look online all the suspension guys (pros) will tell you that you should have your suspension set up for you as an individual. Which is the correct advice and something you can do yourself.

Contrary to belief bikes are not set up to suit a range of riders as that is not possible, they are set up to suit the average rider (about 10stone in Japan) and what the particular manufacturer thinks is a good set up hence some bikes come rock hard and some more plush.

It's not hard to set your bike up yourself, you and a mate can do it in 45mins easily. Use a step by step guide found on youtube. Once you've done it and understand what does what then you can make a change to see if it improves what you want. Just make a note of your setting before making a change so it is easy to change back.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[ficedula]

[stevelup]

Sure, I fully get that. I was pointing out that they stated it was essential, then gave jack all information about how to set it!

[ficedula]

Ah, fair enough - that's particularly annoying then

Unless the implication is that "this is important therefore take it to ZE DEALER".
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Bike history: YBR125 -> XJ600

[biggeeman]

[evoboy]

Dave Moss is the man when it comes to setting up suspension.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikjw4IheeF4
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Suzuki GT250 x7------- Fazer 600------CB250RS------Aprilia Rally 70----- Bandit 600

APT Motorcycles

[Matt B]

If you want to start setting it up the most important, and probably easiest thing to start with is the rear preload.

Read this: https://www.gostar-racing.com/club/motorcycle_suspension_set-up.htm

Then get your rear preload set so that you have 30-40mm of rider sag.

I don't think your bike had adjustable front suspension does it?
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[stevelup]

You are correct, there is no adjustment on the front.

The instructions on the link you provided look excellent - I'll have a bash at that this weekend.

Thanks again!

[MarJay]

As usual in a suspension setup thread, there is some good advice here and some nonsense.

The suspension on a motorcycle must be set up in the following way:

1.) Correct Static (or rider) sag

2.) Rebound damping

3.) Compression damping

The static sag generally needs to be set so that when the rider is sitting on the bike fully kitted the top third of the suspension travel is used up. There are rules of thumb to help set the static sag, or you can set rider sag with the aid of a few mates.

Rebound damping can be set roughly by pushing down on the bike and then standing up quickly so there is no load on the bike. The bike should follow you at a similar pace, not really faster or slower than you can move.

Compression damping is then generally adjusted by riding the bike and making compromises between ride quality and cornering. It is possible to make a bike ride nicely but it feel wallowy in corners. It's also possible to make a bike feel tight in corners but kick you out of the seat over bumps. A compromise between the two is what you want. I do have a document that explains this in more detail somewhere, and I thought it was stored as an attachment on the forum but it appears to have been lost. I'll try to dig it out when I'm back at my home PC (Stupid logmein is no longer free ).

Oh yeah, and I almost forgot. It's no good doing ANY Of this until you have a decent set of tyres with correct manufacturer recommended pressures and good quality bearings, decent fork oil, an unshagged rear shock and smooth linkages. If the bike is not in tip top condition when you start setting it up, it's never going to be right.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[fozzym]