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Velox
23rd April 2006, 17:49
Just wanting a bit of advice on setting up my suspension cause I've procrastinated long enough.

No idea what I'm doing really but I know there's 3 bits that you adjust for diff things. Jim2 explained it in a thread a while back so I can prob just follow that. But the prob is what actual settings I should use.

Any ideas on what the set-up should be on a cbr600rr with a 58ish kg rider? I could try diff settings and see what feels best but to be completely honest I don't think I'd notice it enough to be able to tell. I'm used to riding my lil 250 with crap suspension and stuffed tyres so I've never noticed the subtleties of an actually half decent set-up.

So any ideas (from people who know what they're talking about) about how many more clicks the front should have than the rear and how soft/hard the susp should be for my weight and that sort of thing?

Thanks..:2thumbsup

James Deuce
23rd April 2006, 17:53
I've got the Masterbike settings for your bike from 2004. When I get home I'll send them to you.

Setting up your suspension should be about setting it for what suits you and your riding style, and you should change and test one thing at a time so you can measure the difference, preferably through a section of road you know well. Make sure you get a little notebook, write down the baseline settings, and then notate any changes you make and the effect they have.

The Masterbike settings will suit your riding.

Do you know what the factory defaults are? Is it set at defaults right now?

Velox
23rd April 2006, 18:09
I've got the Masterbike settings for your bike from 2004. When I get home I'll send them to you.

Setting up your suspension should be about setting it for what suits you and your riding style, and you should change and test one thing at a time so you can measure the difference, preferably through a section of road you know well. Make sure you get a little notebook, write down the baseline settings, and then notate any changes you make and the effect they have.

The Masterbike settings will suit your riding.

Do you know what the factory defaults are? Is it set at defaults right now?
Thanks Jim! No it's not on factory settings at the mo.

But the whole prob is that I don't think I'd really notice what the best set-up is even on a bit of road that I know. I don't even notice when the tires are down a few psi usually. So it would be cool to know a suggested set-up, cause it would def be best to have it set up right even if I don't consciously notice it.

James Deuce
23rd April 2006, 18:12
I just PM'ed you some settings. I can't remem,ber what year your CBR is, but you should get some idea from the PM


You'll notice a difference, I promise.

FROSTY
23rd April 2006, 18:14
Velox--Shaun will be at TD3 --Im sure he'll be happy to help ya do a setup.
If it were me Id wind everything back as soft as it goes then wind it up from there.

Velox
23rd April 2006, 18:15
Thanks fellas - Jim that looks real good. It's 03 btw.

That's good to know Frosty - is Shaun someone on this site?

cowpoos
23rd April 2006, 20:23
Thanks fellas - Jim that looks real good. It's 03 btw.

That's good to know Frosty - is Shaun someone on this site?
shaun harris doll....and yer he's on KB

Tell ya what...next time your over here....I'll get my tape measure out and tape measure,spanners and shit and set ya sag up for ya [spring preload...front and rear]...and try find you a reasonable base line...

Deano
23rd April 2006, 20:31
Tell ya what...next time your over here....I'll get my tape measure out and tape measure,spanners and shit and set ya sag up for ya [spring preload...front and rear]...and try find you a reasonable base line...

Ummmm, yeah real suave Poos.

Keep trying bro. :laugh:

cowpoos
23rd April 2006, 20:48
Ummmm, yeah real suave Poos.

Keep trying bro. :laugh:
suave???? WTF.....is that some kinda tongan fruit?

Deano
23rd April 2006, 21:52
suave???? WTF.....is that some kinda tongan fruit?

Like this ?

Turn you on ?:oi-grr:

cowpoos
23rd April 2006, 21:59
Like this ?

Turn you on ?:oi-grr:
those melons look a bit suspect

Mental Trousers
23rd April 2006, 22:56
Get the suspension sag set correctly and the other settings vaguely right and also read this - suspension tuning symptoms/causes (http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0006_susp_trouble/). Go for a ride and take note of what is happening, have a look at that and see which matches the bikes behaviour then adjust to eliminate the problem (1 click then try it out). Make sure you record your settings before starting.

Velox
24th April 2006, 00:48
Simmer down boys.


CP - don't worry mate, it's a new type of Just Juice.
That'd be real good though. You mean 'base-line' for the preload or is that some other type of setting? Btw, I've got the spanner for the rear shock in the bike's tool kit.


MT - thanks for the link. But a lot of it sounds so similar (ie. - bike feels crap in corners) that I still wouldn't know what exactly needs adjusting. I'll look at it a bit more though and try and work it out. I'll prob be able to tell what's going on better once I'm totally used to the bike and am pushing it a bit more.



Oooh - once I get this and the tyres sorted it'll prob feel real diff (found a huge patch of white canvas coming through my front tyre today....don't tell Sugilite or crazylittleshit). Yay!!!

cowpoos
24th April 2006, 10:13
Btw, I've got the spanner for the rear shock in the bike's tool kit.


brillent....I hate using the big flat head screw driver and the hammer...lol

F5 Dave
24th April 2006, 17:39
Thing about magazine test setups is they are generally done at the track by overweight journalists & none of them are going to be anywhere near your weight unless you are reading some Italian jockey magazine.

So I’d definitely try less preload & damping than they suggested.

First things first, if things feel a bit crap the most obvious start is the tyres, esp the rear if it is squared or mismatched to the front or under pressure. My YZF felt like a barge with the worn tyres on it, new bike with new tyres.

Next is steering head bearings must be smooth (jack up front or get someone to hold on the stand without tipping it over on the floor & check the steering). Also possible the shock needs a re-oil if a bit old.

Find a nice bit of challenging road, say a section of Makara hill.

Ride up it. Adjust the compression to nill & try it again (in is hard, out anticlockwise is soft). The bike will feel unsettled so dial some back in to about where you were. Then adjust the rebound to nil & the bike will get bouncy/wallowy. Nether will be right, but it gives you an idea of what too little feels like in extreme.

If there is too much it will feel like it packs down and/or patters/skips, like it isn’t working. Due to you’re light weight I’d start soft & keep dialing more in until it feels settled without getting too Skippy the Bush Kangaroo on the bumpy bits.

James Deuce
24th April 2006, 18:47
I used the Japanese setup with a 60kg rider.

wendigo
24th April 2006, 19:05
Second everything F5 Dave says & add my 2c, which is change the front fork oil asap (unless its already been done). I find that the fork oil is pretty much stuffed after a few thousand k (I try and change mine every 10,000 or so) and there is a really noticable difference between old and new oil, even in that short distance. Hence trying to get a good front end set up on rooted oil is a bit of a wasted effort.

SixPackBack
24th April 2006, 19:09
http://www.sportrider.com/tech/suspension/

This is a good site.

F5 Dave
26th April 2006, 09:53
Yeah good point, changing fork oil is one of the first things I do with a new (in my case always 2nd hand) bike & typically I find the oil is well munted & likely never changed before. The sludge that builds up is astonishing.
The more modern the forks, the more important as any valving will be quickly blocked or jammed.

One part I didn’t elaborate on is; when I said too little compression will make the bike feel ‘unsettled’ -by that I mean when flicking from left to right. Too much is a bad thing though. Just enough to give you a stable platform to work with.

emaN
26th April 2006, 11:16
PB set up (with Kar Lee as a rider, who don't look too porky, not that i habitually check out other men...)

ROAD SETTINGS
Rear
Preload - position 4
Rebound - 1 1/4 turns out from fully in
Compression - 5 clicks out from fully in

Front
Preload - 2 lines showing
Rebound - 2 turns out from fully in
Compression - 1 1/2 turns out from fully in

Tyres - front 34psi, rear 39psi

TRACK SETTINGS
Same as above, but tyres at - front 31psi, rear 30psi

Hope it helps!

Jase W
26th April 2006, 13:28
Im in the same boat as you Velox, I need to play with the settings but have little idea what im doing. Prolly the first thing you need is new tyres though hehe...

Velox
26th April 2006, 22:24
Thanks heaps fellas!!! I'll make sure I get it sorted before Taupo.

Liftback - "new" tyres tomorrow - yay! Had to - there was too much white showing through.

Jase W
26th April 2006, 23:40
I was told today that I needed a new tyre about a month ago, but theres plenty of tread on the sides! ill just have to corner more than riding straight, oh man...

Stevo
27th April 2006, 00:24
36psi in the front tyre
42psi in the rear
And std settings are the ideal place to start.
Typically Honda's sportbike settings are for a 70kg rider so you may want it a little softer but very little.

Sparky Bills
27th April 2006, 08:53
Bring it to me, and your friendly Motomart parts man will show you a few things:blip:
Then once you get to the track day, you will have a little idea of what you would need to do.

Velox
27th April 2006, 23:46
Bring it to me, and your friendly Motomart parts man will show you a few things:blip:
Then once you get to the track day, you will have a little idea of what you would need to do.
Sounds good - one Sat morn maybe.:first: Does the friendly Motomart parts man also have some Pirelli Sport Demons in stock at the mo? I should get the Jade re-shod within the next month (when I've got $). Poor lil bub.

sugilite
28th April 2006, 00:23
36psi in the front tyre
42psi in the rear

Don't plan on a smooth compliant ride with lots of grip if you use those tyre pressures :doobey:

Jase W
28th April 2006, 00:44
theyll be good for making the tyres last for ages... thats about it.

Velox
28th April 2006, 18:44
Don't plan on a smooth compliant ride with lots of grip if you use those tyre pressures :doobey:
Hmmm yeah. I use 30/32.

T.W.R
29th April 2006, 00:08
this might be worth a read :yes:

Brian d marge
29th April 2006, 13:50
this might be worth a read :yes:

thank TWR Yup as he says read this ..( its a bit hard some writers make a simple subject hard to understand , The last page with the photos hould have been put first !!)

Anyway ,,almost all of the suspension questions that have popped up here are answered by Get the correct spring rate ,,,THEN adjust the preloads to move the centre of gravity of you and the bike , to increase/decrease the loading on the front rear tyre ( I didnt mention comp/rebound , as this really only changes a handfull of percent either side of the base damping set up - ie the shim stack - )

There is a method of calculating the spring rate which isnt that difficult needs two people , a box , some sticky backed plastic and a toilet roll

..no wait thats tracy Island

but you get the wieght distrubution then with a bit of simple trig , and a few beers ,,bingo you can go to national springs and order a new set for a hundred or so !!!

Stephen

TwoSeven
29th April 2006, 18:09
I'm surprised, hardly anyone as yet asked what the actual problem is that requires a 'better' setup to be applied to it. :)

James Deuce
29th April 2006, 18:43
That might be because some of us have discussed the issue in person.

cowpoos
29th April 2006, 20:17
That might be because some of us have discussed the issue in person.

ditto.............

Fatjim
29th April 2006, 21:37
27, the problem is she keeps getting her arse kicked by 2fiddy's on the trtnr ride.

Oh, that was me. :angry:

Velox
30th April 2006, 17:47
I'm surprised, hardly anyone as yet asked what the actual problem is that requires a 'better' setup to be applied to it. :)
Yeah what the other fellas said.
Basically - been used to a pretty rough lil 250, gone onto a totally diff sports bike and so don't know what the susp should feel like or where I should start.


Btw - the 'new' tyres are making a helluva difference in handling!

Jase W
30th April 2006, 19:42
I had one of the ex race racetecs down at motorad put on the back - bike feels much better.

Must be like a different bike after the 'slicks' eh Velox?

Velox
30th April 2006, 23:08
I had one of the ex race racetecs down at motorad put on the back - bike feels much better.

Must be like a different bike after the 'slicks' eh Velox?
Yeah, I've got the same ones. Feels so much more stable cornering now and the whole are-they-going-to-give-way-and-kill-me element is way lower. I like.

Brian d marge
30th April 2006, 23:38
Yeah what the other fellas said.
Basically - been used to a pretty rough lil 250, gone onto a totally diff sports bike and so don't know what the susp should feel like or where I should start.


Btw - the 'new' tyres are making a helluva difference in handling!

Well no one has discussed it wit me in person !!!! and I think 27 is on the money there

Lets take ondas for example, i dont know any model Bross?? front suspension . a tube with some holes in it ....
NSR 250 SP ..A SMALLER tube with more holes in it

So at the end of the day ( as 27 is saying ) the bike has beeen designed to operate in a certain peramiter ..If you want to push that boundry , then do so ...it will cost you a bit !!
OR ..I could tell you to tweak the giggly pin abit ..that will make you feel good for a while ...but wont solvr the problem !!]

Stephen

Just ask ... but you need to know WHAT you want to fix ....
BTW read TWR post then think a bit ....