elevensies
Registered user
oblertone,
manual
i doubt he will, too easy that is.
manual
i doubt he will, too easy that is.
tdn
Guest
its a totally different front to what your used to, yes thats how they are
did you not read up or look at what you bought
no it was an impuse buy,
but i have to say ive done a few miles now and im well impressed, 
i am a mere 16 stone, 
is there any base setting for the front telelever system, ie how may knotches on the bottom turn ring etc, thanks in advance Paul
tdn
Guest
guys i found this... does it seem about on par?
Suspension
The stock R11GS suspension has the following adjustments:
* Front: preload
* Rear: preload and rebound damping
* (There is no adjustment for compression damping although it is affected by rebound damping).
Set the preload first then the rebound damping.
Preload
is the static tension in the spring. It affects suspension travel, seat height and speed of steering but not 'hardness' or 'softness' of the ride (unless you hit the top or bottom stop).
The following ASCII art represents your spring when it:
1. is uncompressed (e.g. on center stand with wheel off the ground)
2. has low preload
3. has high preload
- ---------------------- - ------------------ -
| | |
| | |
| Uncompressed | LOW | HIGH
| spring | preload - preload
| length |
| -
-
Adjustment
Front: Adjust collar on bottom of shock using hook wrench and extension from the toolkit.
There are 5 notches.
Highest notch is LOW;
Lowest notch is HIGH.
Standard setting: second highest notch
Suspension travel: 190mm (BMW claim)
Ideal preload: 1:3 i.e. 63mm of 190mm travel
Rear: Set with large black knob by exhaust marked HIGH, STD, LOW.
HIGHer is clockwise;
LOWer is counterclockwise
Standard setting: as marked STD
Suspension travel: 200mm (BMW claim)
Ideal preload: 1:3 i.e. 67mm of 200mm travel
Set-up:
1. Sit on the bike wearing all your riding gear e.g. jacket, helmet etc
2. Adjust preload front and back so about a third of your suspension travel is used up.
(Helps if you've got someone to measure or else use a plastic tie on the suspension to see how much the shock compresses).
Adjust preload front and rear for:
* increased loads eg touring/pillion go HIGHer
* bumpy roads and off-road go HIGHer
* smooth roads go LOWer.
Turn the adjuster:
HIGHer to:
* increase suspension travel
* raise seat height
* speed up steering.
LOWer to:
* decrease suspension travel
* lower seat height
* slow down steering.
Fault finding:
1. Suspension tops out, bike steers too quickly ("tucks") - preload too LOW so go HIGHer
2. Not enough ground clearance, suspension bottoms out, bike turns too slowly - preload too HIGH so go LOWer
Rear rebound damping
resists spring extending. When the spring is compressed it goes to a minimum length then springs back (i.e. rebounds). Rebound damping stops your *wheel* from bouncing, not you. Affects traction and how the ride feels i.e. "hardness" or "softness".
Rebound damping is connected to compression damping and vice versa. This makes finding the correct settings difficult. If you make rebound damping HARDer, the ride becomes harder but also if you hit a big bump, you are less likely to bottom out (than if you had SOFTer setting) i.e. same effect as if you had increased compression damping.
Adjustment
The rear rebound damping adjuster is that little black screw on the exhaust side at the bottom of the shock. Adjust using the screwdriver and extension from the toolkit.
* Clockwise is HARDer
* Counterclockwise is SOFTer
Only the last few turns towards HARD seem to have any effect.
Standard setting: turn clockwise to fully HARD then undo HALF a turn
Set up:
1. Ensure tire pressure and tread depth are correct and preload is set.
2. Carefully work out original setting and write it down (for reference and so you can change it back if all else fails).
3. Find a bumpy road, the bumpier and the larger the range of bumps ie small to large, the better. (Riding fast around a bumpy corner is best.) A roadside observer can help as well.
Now ride up and down your bumpy road. Start with one extreme setting (say HARD) then the other (SOFT) so you feel the sort of effect rebound damping has.
Feel what the back end is doing - you want firm traction not skidding.
4. Depending on the feel you got, estimate what initial setting to try (eg half way between the two extremes or more HARD than SOFT).
Try many settings (quarter turn) then write them down with their results.
The ideal setting keeps the back wheel most consistently in contact with the road. (It is NOT the smoothest ride, that's underdamped).
Note
BMW shocks go off very quickly - they heat up then stop working until they cool down again. This means, they are different at the start of your bumpy ride to (say) 15 minutes into it. Give them time to cool otherwise you are wasting your time.
Adjust rebound damping for:
* increased loads eg touring/pillion go HARDer
* bumpy roads and off-road go HARDer
* smooth roads go SOFTer
To check settings for luggage/pillion, load up and try your bumpy road again.
Fault finding:
1. Tire won't stay in contact with ground on series of bumps - too HARD so go SOFTer
2. Bike pogoes (bounces up and down excessively) - too SOFT so go HARDer or one or both shock absorbers are worn
Simple shock absorber test
To check the rear shock absorber:
* Start with a visual check - if there is any leaking fluid replace immediately. If not, wipe clean.
* Put the bike on its center stand.
* Sit on the rear seat.
* Put both feet down on the ground and stand as high as you can.
* QUICKLY drop all your weight down onto the rear seat.
* Just as the suspension compresses most, QUICKLY stand up.
(I.e. push the bike down and let the suspension push it back up).
* Watch how the seat moves.
A good shock absorber pushes it back where it was and stops.
A worn shock absorber behaves differently e.g. moves up and down several times.
Try it a couple of times to get the idea.
Apart from the visual check, testing the front shock absorber is not so easy as it is more difficult to compress. However, if the handling deteriorates, the tires and rear shock are ok then suspect the front shock and seek expert help.
Suspension
The stock R11GS suspension has the following adjustments:
* Front: preload
* Rear: preload and rebound damping
* (There is no adjustment for compression damping although it is affected by rebound damping).
Set the preload first then the rebound damping.
Preload
is the static tension in the spring. It affects suspension travel, seat height and speed of steering but not 'hardness' or 'softness' of the ride (unless you hit the top or bottom stop).
The following ASCII art represents your spring when it:
1. is uncompressed (e.g. on center stand with wheel off the ground)
2. has low preload
3. has high preload
- ---------------------- - ------------------ -
| | |
| | |
| Uncompressed | LOW | HIGH
| spring | preload - preload
| length |
| -
-
Adjustment
Front: Adjust collar on bottom of shock using hook wrench and extension from the toolkit.
There are 5 notches.
Highest notch is LOW;
Lowest notch is HIGH.
Standard setting: second highest notch
Suspension travel: 190mm (BMW claim)
Ideal preload: 1:3 i.e. 63mm of 190mm travel
Rear: Set with large black knob by exhaust marked HIGH, STD, LOW.
HIGHer is clockwise;
LOWer is counterclockwise
Standard setting: as marked STD
Suspension travel: 200mm (BMW claim)
Ideal preload: 1:3 i.e. 67mm of 200mm travel
Set-up:
1. Sit on the bike wearing all your riding gear e.g. jacket, helmet etc
2. Adjust preload front and back so about a third of your suspension travel is used up.
(Helps if you've got someone to measure or else use a plastic tie on the suspension to see how much the shock compresses).
Adjust preload front and rear for:
* increased loads eg touring/pillion go HIGHer
* bumpy roads and off-road go HIGHer
* smooth roads go LOWer.
Turn the adjuster:
HIGHer to:
* increase suspension travel
* raise seat height
* speed up steering.
LOWer to:
* decrease suspension travel
* lower seat height
* slow down steering.
Fault finding:
1. Suspension tops out, bike steers too quickly ("tucks") - preload too LOW so go HIGHer
2. Not enough ground clearance, suspension bottoms out, bike turns too slowly - preload too HIGH so go LOWer
Rear rebound damping
resists spring extending. When the spring is compressed it goes to a minimum length then springs back (i.e. rebounds). Rebound damping stops your *wheel* from bouncing, not you. Affects traction and how the ride feels i.e. "hardness" or "softness".
Rebound damping is connected to compression damping and vice versa. This makes finding the correct settings difficult. If you make rebound damping HARDer, the ride becomes harder but also if you hit a big bump, you are less likely to bottom out (than if you had SOFTer setting) i.e. same effect as if you had increased compression damping.
Adjustment
The rear rebound damping adjuster is that little black screw on the exhaust side at the bottom of the shock. Adjust using the screwdriver and extension from the toolkit.
* Clockwise is HARDer
* Counterclockwise is SOFTer
Only the last few turns towards HARD seem to have any effect.
Standard setting: turn clockwise to fully HARD then undo HALF a turn
Set up:
1. Ensure tire pressure and tread depth are correct and preload is set.
2. Carefully work out original setting and write it down (for reference and so you can change it back if all else fails).
3. Find a bumpy road, the bumpier and the larger the range of bumps ie small to large, the better. (Riding fast around a bumpy corner is best.) A roadside observer can help as well.
Now ride up and down your bumpy road. Start with one extreme setting (say HARD) then the other (SOFT) so you feel the sort of effect rebound damping has.
Feel what the back end is doing - you want firm traction not skidding.
4. Depending on the feel you got, estimate what initial setting to try (eg half way between the two extremes or more HARD than SOFT).
Try many settings (quarter turn) then write them down with their results.
The ideal setting keeps the back wheel most consistently in contact with the road. (It is NOT the smoothest ride, that's underdamped).
Note
BMW shocks go off very quickly - they heat up then stop working until they cool down again. This means, they are different at the start of your bumpy ride to (say) 15 minutes into it. Give them time to cool otherwise you are wasting your time.
Adjust rebound damping for:
* increased loads eg touring/pillion go HARDer
* bumpy roads and off-road go HARDer
* smooth roads go SOFTer
To check settings for luggage/pillion, load up and try your bumpy road again.
Fault finding:
1. Tire won't stay in contact with ground on series of bumps - too HARD so go SOFTer
2. Bike pogoes (bounces up and down excessively) - too SOFT so go HARDer or one or both shock absorbers are worn
Simple shock absorber test
To check the rear shock absorber:
* Start with a visual check - if there is any leaking fluid replace immediately. If not, wipe clean.
* Put the bike on its center stand.
* Sit on the rear seat.
* Put both feet down on the ground and stand as high as you can.
* QUICKLY drop all your weight down onto the rear seat.
* Just as the suspension compresses most, QUICKLY stand up.
(I.e. push the bike down and let the suspension push it back up).
* Watch how the seat moves.
A good shock absorber pushes it back where it was and stops.
A worn shock absorber behaves differently e.g. moves up and down several times.
Try it a couple of times to get the idea.
Apart from the visual check, testing the front shock absorber is not so easy as it is more difficult to compress. However, if the handling deteriorates, the tires and rear shock are ok then suspect the front shock and seek expert help.
Dear tdn ...
... it'd take me longer to read your last post, than i've spent 'setting up' my suspension
I work on the basis that I weigh about 2/3rds of the recommended load carrying capacity of my bike; therefore I put all the suspension settings on 2/3rds and ride the thing. You're a bit lighter than me, so back everything off to zero (count the clicks) then wind it up to half and see what it feels like, if it's too soft add a bit more, but do it gradually.
Eventually you'll forget all about the settings and just find yourself riding around as happy as a pig-in-shit
These bikes are not finely tuned race-reps with cutting edge performance and critical parameters, they are agricultural in nature but surprisingly competent
Hope this helps ...
... it'd take me longer to read your last post, than i've spent 'setting up' my suspension
I work on the basis that I weigh about 2/3rds of the recommended load carrying capacity of my bike; therefore I put all the suspension settings on 2/3rds and ride the thing. You're a bit lighter than me, so back everything off to zero (count the clicks) then wind it up to half and see what it feels like, if it's too soft add a bit more, but do it gradually.
Eventually you'll forget all about the settings and just find yourself riding around as happy as a pig-in-shit
These bikes are not finely tuned race-reps with cutting edge performance and critical parameters, they are agricultural in nature but surprisingly competent
Hope this helps ...
tdn
Guest
Thanks ill give it a try
xdayzgrr
Registered user
buy it mate!!
peejay
Registered user
+1... it'd take me longer to read your last post, than i've spent 'setting up' my suspension
I work on the basis that I weigh about 2/3rds of the recommended load carrying capacity of my bike; therefore I put all the suspension settings on 2/3rds and ride the thing. You're a bit lighter than me, so back everything off to zero (count the clicks) then wind it up to half and see what it feels like, if it's too soft add a bit more, but do it gradually.
Eventually you'll forget all about the settings and just find yourself riding around as happy as a pig-in-shit
These bikes are not finely tuned race-reps with cutting edge performance and critical parameters, they are agricultural in nature but surprisingly competent
Hope this helps ...
What oblertone says is spot on, what others have said is spot on. i.e. ride it, love it,
Gs's aint rice burnin race replicas but when you are used to it it'll out corner and handle better than most of the rossi wannabies IMHO
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