VFR800 front shock settings?

[Paul_C]

Evening,

Attached is a photo of where my front shock adjustments are at. Now being a biking newbie I have no real idea of what these are supposed to set to (well, I think I do, but I don't want to f*ck around with them).

The lines in red represent the centre setting of the shocks (running 6 - 12 o'clock) and the lines in black indicate where the forks are currently adjusted to. As you can see, the two settings are different, with the one on the right being set to slightly softer than the one on the left. This is how I've received the bike back from it's last service.

According to the owners manual the default setting is straight up and down and logic suggests that different settings for either side isn't a good idea? I weigh about 80kg (including gear), can someone suggest some settings for me, or at least a strategy for finding the 'right' settings for everyday around town (Auckland) and day touring (Upper North Island) use?

[vifferman]

That's the preload setting, and it should be set the same on both sides, and to give you 40mm of sag. To check this, you need to measure the difference between the position of the forks with the bike sitting on its wheels, and the same with you sitting on it in your gear. You can do this using a marker pen or zip tie: put a line or zip tie on a fork tube at the top of the lower slider wit yoy sitting on it (you'll need an assistant for this). Then hop off, and measure the distance from the line or zip tie to the top of the fork slider. If it's less than 40mm, wind the preload adjusters out (anticlockwise). If it's more, wind them in (clockwise).

If there's a chance that the adjusters are all cocked up, wind them right out, counting the turns, and then wind them both back in the same number of turns. It's not going to hurt anything if they're a fraction of a turn out with respect to one another, but it's not ideal.

[Paul_C]

Excellent. Will get onto that ASAP.

Where did the 40mm measurement come from BTW?

[Paul_C]

Have now adjusted. Seems to turn in a little quicker, much happier although my original settings weren't really that far off anyway. Have only tootled around the suburbs though, will need to get out on the open road to really see. At least I'm happier now with adjusting the settings myself.

[Robert Taylor]

Correcting Vifferman rider sag is the difference between the bike fully extended ( wheel in air ) and you sitting on it in normal riding position, feet on pegs. The fully extended reading is what all subsequent measurements are referenced from.
Static sag is bike sitting on a level surface under its own weight only, rider sag is as mentioned.
You would expect to have a static sag figure of 25mm if you ride aggressively and around 30mm if you ride more sedately. Sitting on the bike adds 10-15mm on top of that number.
Its a very poular misconception that external adjusters are a magic cure all and nothing can be further from the truth. They do not change the fundamental internal character of the suspension. Point of fact the VFR800 has progressively wound fork springs, that is simply a low budget way of trying to afford decent pitch control as its expensive to do it with more hydraulic sophistication. As you get more and more used to the bike youll come to the conclusion that the first part of stroke is very sloppy, especially under brakes. And yet, when you ride over sharp bumps it transmits the jolt right through to your arms. Thats simply because the standard compression pistons are choking off in flow rate and cannot pass any more oil.
The solution is to fit big port pistons that will flow the required amount of oil so that the suspension actually moves over nasty bumps and doesnt overstress the tyre and your arms. And ally that to linear wind springs in a rate appropraite to your body mass.
VFR800s dont have an exclusive on this problem, our roads are so bumpy compared to first world economies that we become attentive to such issues / shortcomings with standard suspension.
We have upgraded many VFR800 forks over the years and are in fact doing a set this week.

[pritch]

We have upgraded many VFR800 forks over the years and are in fact doing a set this week.

Did mine, and it made a worthwhile difference too. Recommended.

[vifferman]

Correcting Vifferman rider sag is the difference between the bike fully extended ( wheel in air ) and you sitting on it in normal riding position, feet on pegs.

My bad. I'll consider myself properly (professionally) corrected.
I'm sure I measured my sag correctly, because I looked up the method for doing it; just "misremembered" what I did.

Its a very poular misconception that external adjusters are a magic cure all and nothing can be further from the truth.

I never really bothered adjusting mine until I changed the springs. I fiddled with the settings on the Showa rear shock, but they too made little difference to a very 'budget' shock absorber.

Point of fact the VFR800 has progressively wound fork springs, that is simply a low budget way of trying to afford decent pitch control as its expensive to do it with more hydraulic sophistication. As you get more and more used to the bike youll come to the conclusion that the first part of stroke is very sloppy, especially under brakes. And yet, when you ride over sharp bumps it transmits the jolt right through to your arms. Thats simply because the standard compression pistons are choking off in flow rate and cannot pass any more oil.
The solution is to fit big port pistons that will flow the required amount of oil so that the suspension actually moves over nasty bumps and doesnt overstress the tyre and your arms. And ally that to linear wind springs in a rate appropraite to your body mass.

The uprated springs I fitted made a big difference to the handling and ride, but exacerbated the crap damping, especially with my cheap temporary 'fix' of heavier fork oil, which while it made them less bouncy, highlighted the nasty compression damping.

We have upgraded many VFR800 forks over the years and are in fact doing a set this week.

Ooh! Ooh!! Pick me!
I'm really looking forward to getting them back.
I neglected to ask you exactly what it is you're doing to them - just assumed I didn't really need to know, just trust that they'll be 'more betterer'. Now I'm kinda curious....

[Robert Taylor]

My bad. I'll consider myself properly (professionally) corrected.
I'm sure I measured my sag correctly, because I looked up the method for doing it; just "misremembered" what I did.

I never really bothered adjusting mine until I changed the springs. I fiddled with the settings on the Showa rear shock, but they too made little difference to a very 'budget' shock absorber.

The uprated springs I fitted made a big difference to the handling and ride, but exacerbated the crap damping, especially with my cheap temporary 'fix' of heavier fork oil, which while it made them less bouncy, highlighted the nasty compression damping.

Ooh! Ooh!! Pick me!
I'm really looking forward to getting them back.
I neglected to ask you exactly what it is you're doing to them - just assumed I didn't really need to know, just trust that they'll be 'more betterer'. Now I'm kinda curious....

No worries Vifferman! That is a common mistake and easy to do, you are in a very long queue of people that have done that.
We are fitting big port pistons, revalving the rebound pistons and paying lots of attention to any misalignment that creates friction.
Im sure readers of this forum will be interested in your findings!

[MotoKuzzi]

Correcting Vifferman rider sag is the difference between the bike fully extended ( wheel in air ) and you sitting on it in normal riding position, feet on pegs. The fully extended reading is what all subsequent measurements are referenced from.
Static sag is bike sitting on a level surface under its own weight only, rider sag is as mentioned.
You would expect to have a static sag figure of 25mm if you ride aggressively and around 30mm if you ride more sedately. Sitting on the bike adds 10-15mm on top of that number.
Its a very poular misconception that external adjusters are a magic cure all and nothing can be further from the truth. They do not change the fundamental internal character of the suspension. Point of fact the VFR800 has progressively wound fork springs, that is simply a low budget way of trying to afford decent pitch control as its expensive to do it with more hydraulic sophistication. As you get more and more used to the bike youll come to the conclusion that the first part of stroke is very sloppy, especially under brakes. And yet, when you ride over sharp bumps it transmits the jolt right through to your arms. Thats simply because the standard compression pistons are choking off in flow rate and cannot pass any more oil.
The solution is to fit big port pistons that will flow the required amount of oil so that the suspension actually moves over nasty bumps and doesnt overstress the tyre and your arms. And ally that to linear wind springs in a rate appropraite to your body mass.
VFR800s dont have an exclusive on this problem, our roads are so bumpy compared to first world economies that we become attentive to such issues / shortcomings with standard suspension.
We have upgraded many VFR800 forks over the years and are in fact doing a set this week.

Does the 25-30mm static sag apply to front and rear springs? Or does the Rider sag =25-30% of available travel rule, apply across both.

[vifferman]

Does the 25-30mm static sag apply to front and rear springs? Or does the Rider sag =25-30% of available travel rule, apply across both.

Here's the first article that turned up when I typed in suspension sag.
There are many others.

[Robert Taylor]

does the 25-30mm static sag apply to front and rear springs? Or does the rider sag =25-30% of available travel rule, apply across both.

no, send me your regular e-mail address and i will forward you a manual

[MotoKuzzi]

Here's the first article that turned up when I typed in suspension sag.
There are many others.

Thanks interesting reading.