Taming the R6

[325rocket]

Also, with the R6 (I'm assuing yours is a 2006 bike like you avatar - and mine)

his is an 09.
is there a suspension specialist in wellington?

[325rocket]

I have had a few minor ones on the R6, trick is not to tence up when it happens..

Have had it under heavy throttle over bumps and neally one on Sunday when I lost the front on a tar strip on the crap road to Piha

this was at a fair bit of pace and was bad enough to create a decent amount of smoke off the tyre.
i would have crapped myself!

[Leyton]

this was at a fair bit of pace and was bad enough to create a decent amount of smoke off the tyre.
i would have crapped myself!

Oh Yuck! I take it you had seen it...

Ick!, I had a lock to lock on my old bike over a bump, just out of the blue!. I find with the R6 the trick is to ride it aggressively to maintain the best control as scary as that sounds :/.

Hey! Let me know how your R6 setup goes Maki . We might be able to help eachother on the path to taming our R6's hehe

[325rocket]

Oh Yuck! I take it you had seen it...

no i was in front (as a honda always is ) but heard about it from the guys following.

[Leyton]

no i was in front (as a honda always is ) but heard about it from the guys following.

Well the 600RR is a better road bike

[nsrpaul]

Well the 600RR is a better road bike

pah!! I tour on my r6 and its wicked, much better`than the nsr i used to use for long trips

[Maki]

As the piece you quoted says, move the fork legs up in the triple clamps - so less is showing above the clamps. Not too difficult, do one fork at a time and there is three clamping bolts and the 'bars to undo to do it. If your not comfortable doing it best to get someone mech. minded to help, but does not need full removal or welding/modification to just change front ride height.


Jay

Full marks, thanks.

I will have fun sorting this out for myself.

[Maki]

When I got my static sags set I was complaining to the guy about the harsh ride from the rear shock and bitching about getting punted around over every bump. He checked the sag and wanted to increase the preload... we had a "spirited" discussion over how the fuck increasing the preload was going to make for a more supple ride and in the end I decided to leave and have a think about it.

After a couple of days cogitation I went back wound the preload up and because I was now riding further up the shocks stroke the ride was more supple... suspension is weird ass shit.

Increasing the preload increases the ride height. It does not stiffen the spring. The only way to stiffen the spring is to replace it with a stiffer one...

[Maki]

Adjusting the preload is exactly that, it only changes how much of the springs load is pre-used up. It will change how high/low the bike sits relative to the travel of the shock but nothing else. If you haven't done your static sag, then you've jumped way ahead and are setting off in the wrong direction.

Start with the basics man. Hit up Robert Taylor and ask him to send you a copy of his suspension setup guide. Read it, and use it to help set your bike up properly.

If you set the basic sag first, you make the whole exercise pointless if you then adjust the geometry by adjusting the front and rear preload. The only way to set sag is to set the preload and if you then change the preload to alter the geometry you may as well not have bothered.

This is the reason I said that setting sag was not relevant in this case.

[Maki]

Oh, Here I was thinking my bike might have a height adjustment but you were just setting the preload.

The preload is about your weight, not ride height. Bad things happen when you confuse the two hehe

Changing the preload changes the height. Just set the preload to the minimum, bounce the bike up and down a bit so it does not stick because of stiction and measure the height. Then crank the preload to the max, bounce the bike and measure. Ride height has changed.

[Leyton]

Changing the preload changes the height. Just set the preload to the minimum, bounce the bike up and down a bit so it does not stick because of stiction and measure the height. Then crank the preload to the max, bounce the bike and measure. Ride height has changed.

Then why do they bother with ride height adjusters on some bikes ?

[Maki]

Yes - Staic sags are crucial in making suspension work right. Best to set them then work with mechanical ride height adjustments (as above). Just wait until Robert Taylor see's this thread!

Jay

I guess I am taking a short cut to all this. If I am not happy after I test my setup I might consider going the extra mile and mechanically change the ride height. Cheers.

[Maki]

Then why do they bother with ride height adjusters on some bikes ?

Dunno. Mine doesn't have one. There is a way to change the height like a wise man mentioned by moving the fork legs in the triple clamp.

[Leyton]

Dunno. Mine doesn't have one. There is a way to change the height like a wise man mentioned by moving the fork legs in the triple clamp.

When I got my R6 I backed off my preload a bit because I am a feather. By backing off the preload, the resault was it did "sag" the bike a fraction, but the spring is not "loaded" as much. End resualt is it takes the power out of the spring so the R6 does not throw me off! hehe

You can lower your tripple clamps on the forks a bit, it will change your rake unless you can compensate with the rear but you are starting to move the bike outside of it's design parameters.. but I would be interested to know the results on that trial hehe

[Gremlin]

Not too difficult, do one fork at a time and there is three clamping bolts and the 'bars to undo to do it. If your not comfortable doing it best to get someone mech. minded to help, but does not need full removal or welding/modification to just change front ride height.

Lies... its hard work when you have no idea what you're doing... ask aff-man http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=26464

I would suggest getting someone who knows about suspension to assist you, as its reasonably complicated (and very important)