Love my new (99) storm, but finding the suspension a bit off!
A nice rider from the mcn site gave me pb settings namely
Front; 4th ring showing, 1\4 turn off max
Rear; position 2, 1\4 turn off max
I still find it a bit jumpy, especially if I have ANY weight on the bars.
Anyone recommend any settings (on stock shocks) they find good?
I'm about 11 stone if that helps.
Also, southern stormers? I see a few based near London, keep posting any meets down this way!
tips for suspension?
This is the best suspension tuning guide that I have found on the web: http://www.sportrider.com/tech/suspension/ But the bottom line is that if you want a really good suspension then the only choice is to scrap the stock setup and upgrade with something aftermarket. The general consensus is that the VTR front is way too soft for any serious sportbike riding. I plan to upgrade my VTR front within the next couple weeks.
So, read the guide in the link. Its long but very informative. From my own diagnosis - and not being totally certain what you mean by jumpy (we Yanks talk funny, afterall) it sounds as though you have insufficent trail caused by excessive front bias, insufficient preload, worn out or too thin fork oil, or excessive rear ride height. Read the suspension guide, sort it out, and then tell me if I was right.
Oh, and something I've been really curious about how many pounds in a stone?
So, read the guide in the link. Its long but very informative. From my own diagnosis - and not being totally certain what you mean by jumpy (we Yanks talk funny, afterall) it sounds as though you have insufficent trail caused by excessive front bias, insufficient preload, worn out or too thin fork oil, or excessive rear ride height. Read the suspension guide, sort it out, and then tell me if I was right.
Oh, and something I've been really curious about how many pounds in a stone?
There is no replacement for displacement.
Hey Grinner,
Since EGG hasn't responded to your question yet I thought that I would. Fork height can be adjusted by loosening the bolts on the triple clamps where the forks pass through. Once they are loosened, move the forks up or down in small (1/8") increments with test rides between adjustments.
But before you do this you will need some means of supporting the bike off of the front wheel. A steering head stand such as the "new front" by Pit Bull is ideal, although in a pinch you could simply have a friend or two help you lift the front and support the bike with blocks under the crankcase. But if you choose this course then be careful and don't blame me if your bike falls over. Get a stand to do it right. They are handy any time you are working on your front.
So, what do you mean by "jumpy". Do you, perhaps, mean that the front end is very sensitive to even the slightest steering input? And does it perhaps tend to sometimes wiggle the bars back and forth? If so, I suggest that before you adjust you fork height it would be informative to reduce your rear preload. Turn the preload adjuster on the shock (I think it is counterclockwise) so as to make the spring longer. This will in effect make the rear lower. Take it for a test ride and see if the problem is improved. If it is then we can address the remaining setup issues already knowing what the initial problem really was.
The reason I prefer to make adjustments at the rear first? Because even though fork height adjustments only take about 10-15 minutes, adjusting the shock only takes 10-15 SECONDS! And although the rear ride height adjustment might not be the final answer it is still an invaluable diagnostic tool.
Good luck!
Since EGG hasn't responded to your question yet I thought that I would. Fork height can be adjusted by loosening the bolts on the triple clamps where the forks pass through. Once they are loosened, move the forks up or down in small (1/8") increments with test rides between adjustments.
But before you do this you will need some means of supporting the bike off of the front wheel. A steering head stand such as the "new front" by Pit Bull is ideal, although in a pinch you could simply have a friend or two help you lift the front and support the bike with blocks under the crankcase. But if you choose this course then be careful and don't blame me if your bike falls over. Get a stand to do it right. They are handy any time you are working on your front.
So, what do you mean by "jumpy". Do you, perhaps, mean that the front end is very sensitive to even the slightest steering input? And does it perhaps tend to sometimes wiggle the bars back and forth? If so, I suggest that before you adjust you fork height it would be informative to reduce your rear preload. Turn the preload adjuster on the shock (I think it is counterclockwise) so as to make the spring longer. This will in effect make the rear lower. Take it for a test ride and see if the problem is improved. If it is then we can address the remaining setup issues already knowing what the initial problem really was.
The reason I prefer to make adjustments at the rear first? Because even though fork height adjustments only take about 10-15 minutes, adjusting the shock only takes 10-15 SECONDS! And although the rear ride height adjustment might not be the final answer it is still an invaluable diagnostic tool.
Good luck!
There is no replacement for displacement.
Blackhawk;
When I say jumpy, I meant it doesn't seem to absorb the road well.
However, I tried the settings from the site you suggested and what a difference! just been out for a long ride and it feels so different.
It's lost the twitchyness and feels much more 'solid' in corners.
In fact, the new settings on the rear ie preload decrease, immediate effect.
I'm going to keep them as is for the time, to get to know how it feels under different conditions etc.
I may play around with the front a little more, but a bit at a time!
Will keep posting any improvements, thanks for the advice, and I'm wondering, what difference would adjusting the fork height make anyway?
When I say jumpy, I meant it doesn't seem to absorb the road well.
However, I tried the settings from the site you suggested and what a difference! just been out for a long ride and it feels so different.
It's lost the twitchyness and feels much more 'solid' in corners.
In fact, the new settings on the rear ie preload decrease, immediate effect.
I'm going to keep them as is for the time, to get to know how it feels under different conditions etc.
I may play around with the front a little more, but a bit at a time!
Will keep posting any improvements, thanks for the advice, and I'm wondering, what difference would adjusting the fork height make anyway?
Typically, for a given rear height, you fork height influences your "flickability" - the ease, or lack thereof, with which you can throw the bike into a turn. You might also refer to this as the steering responsiveness. By lowering the forks you make the fork angle (rake) steeper which consequently reduces the trail (how far the point where the tire touches the road "trails" the point where a straight line drawn through your forks would intersect the road) and makes the bike easier to turn.
The drawback is that the steering is less stable and on hard acceleration when the front gets light it may have a tendency for the bars to wiggle back and forth (a "tank slapper"). Proper steering geometry - steering setup - is a compromise between steering stability and steering responsiveness.
Also, given your weight, I would bet that the recommended settings from Sportrider are a bit stiff. As you get to know the suspesion better you might ease them off gradually. This confirms your description of jumpy as a ride that was fairly stiff and otherwise harsh.
Now that you have made an improvement (and if you are like me you now feel a hell of a lot better about your bike and things in general) I suggest you start from the beginning before messing with the forks. Follow the instructions in the VTR manual and on Sportrider and set your sag properly. After that, test ride and evaluate what you think about the setup. Then it will be time to play with the forks, if you feel the need.
The drawback is that the steering is less stable and on hard acceleration when the front gets light it may have a tendency for the bars to wiggle back and forth (a "tank slapper"). Proper steering geometry - steering setup - is a compromise between steering stability and steering responsiveness.
Also, given your weight, I would bet that the recommended settings from Sportrider are a bit stiff. As you get to know the suspesion better you might ease them off gradually. This confirms your description of jumpy as a ride that was fairly stiff and otherwise harsh.
Now that you have made an improvement (and if you are like me you now feel a hell of a lot better about your bike and things in general) I suggest you start from the beginning before messing with the forks. Follow the instructions in the VTR manual and on Sportrider and set your sag properly. After that, test ride and evaluate what you think about the setup. Then it will be time to play with the forks, if you feel the need.
There is no replacement for displacement.
Not sure what you mean by a different profile. The rake is determined by the angle of the steering head which is, of course, welded into the frame. Seems to me that changing that independent of a bias change (ride height front to rear) would be pretty major surgery. Personally, I would probably get a different bike instead of trying that. Then again, if you check the specs for lots of different sportbikes (except Buells) you will probably find that most of them have about the same nominal rake. I guess its just what works.
As for different components, they would help the functioning of the suspension but the basic geometry - rake and trail - is a function of setup rather than parts.
But hey! I'm jealous! You have made significant improvement in your suspension with a few adjustments. I'm looking at spending around $600 to fix the problems I am having! And that's just the front! A top of the line rear upgrade will go about another $800! And don't even get me started about my plans for 12 more horsepower.
Motorcycle - a fast moving, high performance hole into which you pour money.
As for different components, they would help the functioning of the suspension but the basic geometry - rake and trail - is a function of setup rather than parts.
But hey! I'm jealous! You have made significant improvement in your suspension with a few adjustments. I'm looking at spending around $600 to fix the problems I am having! And that's just the front! A top of the line rear upgrade will go about another $800! And don't even get me started about my plans for 12 more horsepower.
Motorcycle - a fast moving, high performance hole into which you pour money.
There is no replacement for displacement.
Ginner,grinner wrote:Blackhawk;
Thanks for that, i'll give those settings a go and let you know how it goes.
Incidently, there are 14 pounds to the stone.
Egg;
How do you drop the yokes down? this is my first adjustable bike so i'm a bit new to all the settings. Any advice much appreciated!
All you do is loosen the 4 yoke bolts and 2 handlebar bolts and slide the yoke down the fork legs. Be carefull the yokes can move very quickly. It's best doing this with a mate. Once you have lowered the yokes retighten the 6 bolts. Warning these bolts are weak do not over tighten. They will snap in the yokes. If you can get to SE London i will be more than willing to
Better to burn out than just fade away!