SV 650 rear suspension - Preload, or just ride height adjustment?

**Pwalo** · 11th August 2008, 08:44

I'm a bit confused. I've been playing around with the preload on my K6, and reckon that all it does is slightly alter the ride height of the bike. It almost seems as if the spring on the unit is too hard, if that makes sense.

I've still got the standard rear shock, and don't really have a problem with it as far as riding in the street goes. Damping seems to be ok. It recovers from bumps pretty well, and doesn't bounce around (well sometimes corrugations can upset things), but it doesn't feel compliant. That's the only way I can describe it.

Obviously a lot of guys change their suspension set ups for racing, but I'm not really concerned about that. I'm just looking for a more compliant ride. What sort of set ups are road riders on SVs running?

**Crasherfromwayback** · 11th August 2008, 08:56

Originally Posted by Pwalo

I'm a bit confused. I've been playing around with the preload on my K6, and reckon that all it does is slightly alter the ride height of the bike. It almost seems as if the spring on the unit is too hard, if that makes sense.

I've still got the standard rear shock, and don't really have a problem with it as far as riding in the street goes. Damping seems to be ok. It recovers from bumps pretty well, and doesn't bounce around (well sometimes corrugations can upset things), but it doesn't feel compliant. That's the only way I can describe it.

Obviously a lot of guys change their suspension set ups for racing, but I'm not really concerned about that. I'm just looking for a more compliant ride. What sort of set ups are road riders on SVs running?

Adjusting the spring preload will change the ride height. But remember that spring preload only affects the 1st third of the suspension travel. So if it's too firm or too soft...only a different spring will change that.

**Fatjim** · 11th August 2008, 09:10

Yep, preload is ride height adjustment. Can make small changes to spring action due to non linear suspension, if anything, it would make the travel softer I would think at the top. Non of this makes sense to me, just something I was dreaming about the other night, So I might be talking BS, but then this is KB, AND the internet, so you get what you pay for.

**Robert Taylor** · 11th August 2008, 09:38

Originally Posted by Pwalo

I'm a bit confused. I've been playing around with the preload on my K6, and reckon that all it does is slightly alter the ride height of the bike. It almost seems as if the spring on the unit is too hard, if that makes sense.

I've still got the standard rear shock, and don't really have a problem with it as far as riding in the street goes. Damping seems to be ok. It recovers from bumps pretty well, and doesn't bounce around (well sometimes corrugations can upset things), but it doesn't feel compliant. That's the only way I can describe it.

Obviously a lot of guys change their suspension set ups for racing, but I'm not really concerned about that. I'm just looking for a more compliant ride. What sort of set ups are road riders on SVs running?

Preload will as the first replies stated also alter ride height. The harsh ride you feel is reaching the limitations of the internal hydraulics in that shock, as it is very much built to a price and the internals are all crammed into a short monotube design.
We have as it happens an immaculate second hand Ohlins shock in stock for your SV650. Contrary to popular misconception these are built primarily for compliant road use ( we respec them for racing ) as the SV650 was never intended to race on the track. This shock will very much transform the rear end of that bike and will be a much much better bang for buck solution than the very limited things you can do with that stock shock. PM me for pricing if you are interested. Every second hand shock we sell gets fully serviced, set up and sprung for the individual customer and application.