riding on road two up

[jp-speed-triple]

Any suggestions for suspension (spring and damper) settings two up on road?

Bike sat on Bridgestone BT's not knobblies

06 1200 GS. rider Fat Bastard size, pillion is 60KG.

owners manual is about as much use as a choco' rear spring.

Not carrying luggage, so a day out this weekend.

cheers.

JP

 

[Dave Cr]

Wind rear suspension dial up to max., increase tyre pressures by a minimum of 6psi and away you go. It gives this advice on pages 51 and 166 in the user manual. Don't forget to readjust when you lose your pillion ( hopefully at the end of the ride - not during it.)

 

[Stevie73]

Trade your bike in for an 08 GSA and press ESA button

 

[Palerider]

Trade your bike in for an 08 GSA and press ESA button

LOL!!


+1!!

 

[AdamA]

Trade your bike in for an 08 GSA and press ESA button

And keep your BMW recovery card handy for when it fails.

 

[wilbjr21]

And keep your BMW recovery card handy for when it fails.

But why ?............. even if it did (no-one seems to have had a problem yet) it would just stay where it was.

 

[JohnnyOldBoy]

Leave it alone

For a 60kg pillion I wouldn't bother changing suspension. Pump the tyres up another 8psi and you will be fine.

 

[AdamA]

But why ?............. even if it did (no-one seems to have had a problem yet) it would just stay where it was.

They don't?
Could have sworn there was reports of failed ESA shocks and a replacement part already.
I could be imagining things.

But yes, if the ESA mechanism fails it would just stay where it is.
If that (no adjustment) isn't an issue , why the need for an on the fly adjustment in the first place?

I only need two settings for my 2008 GSA. One for solo, one for solo with a tour load. On the ESA bike I test rode before buying my non ESA I couldn't get settings suitable for both those occasions anyhow.

ESA would be pointless, heavier (albeit only marginally) and one more thing to go wrong. I really can't see the need. It's not like the standard shocks have lots of adjustment you can go wrong with.
I can understand some people on here might find turning an adjuster beyond them tho.

Each to their own, but it's an expense and pointless gadget I can do without.

 

[jp-speed-triple]

Wind rear suspension dial up to max., increase tyre pressures by a minimum of 6psi and away you go. It gives this advice on pages 51 and 166 in the user manual. Don't forget to readjust when you lose your pillion ( hopefully at the end of the ride - not during it.)

So no damper adjustment? just wind up the pre load to MAX? Hmm. I think i'll have to agree to differ...unless the damper adjustment really is a pointless, as it is on some other bikes.

Anyone?

 

[Dave Cr]

If you 'agree to differ' and already know about the damper adjustment screw, jp, why bother to ask for advice in the first place?

 

[lloyd]

Dave


I think JP is asking for settings, not "is there a damper adjustment ?"

 

[Funners]

on std shocks..max pre-load and 1/4 turn back from max damping....
unless your shock is knacked then max everything and it'll still pogo about like a pizzed Gazelle !

or...if you have aftermaket shocks then increase pre-load and up damping by two clicks....

 

[andy1]

Any suggestions for suspension (spring and damper) settings two up on road?

Bike sat on Bridgestone BT's not knobblies

06 1200 GS. rider Fat Bastard size, pillion is 60KG.

owners manual is about as much use as a choco' rear spring.

Not carrying luggage, so a day out this weekend.

cheers.

JP

I also carry a pillion around the same weight and all is needed is 5 turns on the pre load from standard setting.
I have also increased compression by half of one full turn (my weight 93 kg)
No need to alter front end
hope this has helped
Andy

 

[Brian ROSEN]

"....Don't forget to readjust when you lose your pillion ( hopefully at the end of the ride - not during it.)....just to re-start an argument, I would suggest that you fit a top box and you will not lose your pillion - but she will be so quiet and comfortable you may forget she is there though. (IF she can see the speedo tell her it is kilometres per hour or knots or something.)

 

[RickG]

Rather than use someone elses pre-set number of clicks and turns to set up the suspension (as pillions can come in all sizes, and luggage from toothbrush to kitchen sink -and the shock gets old) It's really easy to adjust it to suit the wieght you are actually carrying. If you aren't a fat b***d and solo then having the preload somewhere in the middle is a good start. If your pillion is a bit lardy and you are carrying the kitchen sink then the pre-load does need to be wound up near full. I personally don't think that most of us notice all the subtle stages in between soft, medium and full preload, but no doubt the riding gods out there will disagree, even if just out of principle. Then just feel what the bike is like when it hits a 'long' bump (not one that sends a sharp thud through the bike) it should bounce just once and no more. If it does bounce (wallow) you need to increase the damping a bit. A useful approach is to back off all the adjustment and then wind things on until you actualy feel the differences and understand what's going on. Once you've got the hang of knowing what differences are possible, you can adjust things to suit the road, load and your own riding style.

 

[jp-speed-triple]

Sorry 'Dave CR', didn't mean to piss you off. But winding a pre load up with no additional damping would under control the spring..IF as I said, these adjustments actually do anything.

I had not fiddled with the GS, whereas I assumed that people on here would have probably found something that worked and got a feel for how much effect a turn here or there actually made.
Especially given the HUGE number of 'clicks' on the Pre load for such a limited range of adjustment on the damping. Damping would need to be degree perfect on the adjuster if they were truely balanced.

I was sceptical about how much adjustment there actually was. However, truth is it DOES matter on this set up.

Quite a nice surprise actually. Been on bikes with far more claims being made about the suspension, to find that the damping was a waste of time.

I was looking for some feedback from those that had done this before to save me spending all day mesing about to find what I wanted.

Turns out that:

with me (100KG) and Iz (60KG) with no luggage.

Fairly quick pace from Carnforth Kirkby Lonsdale, Gisburn, Blackburn, Barrowford and back to Carnforth. (for those that don't know the area, a pretty mixed bag of fast and twisty roads) No police out either..

Pre load up 12 clicks from stock and 1 turn back from full damping (1/2 a turn up from Stock) seems to keep the whole thing under control quite nicely on a variety of fast and slow bumps. Front end was planted....really impressed with the front.

Rear tyre 43psi. front tyre stock.

If anyones bothered.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Adjustments

".....I personally don't think that most of us notice all the subtle stages in between soft, medium and full preload, ..." I agree - I have never bothered. Otherwise every time my wife decided to come or not, or iof I was collecting 10 litres of wine etc. I would be fiddling around. When I chnanged my GS for a new one the salesman asked me if I wanted ESA (is it?) - I said no, I had used my GS for long journeys, short journeys, autoroute, town, rough country lanes etc.etc. After some initial fiddling around -when I noticed little difference, I left it in the middle position for four years. Of course I am not doing track days, nor off road trips.

 

[Funners]

".....I personally don't think that most of us notice all the subtle stages in between soft, medium and full preload, ..." I agree - .........

Really ?? I'll be honest and say that whilst I don't alter it for every situation....I do wind the pre-load up from solo to where I have worked out I need it for two up and luggage...
it makes a HUGE difference to the way the bike rides, if I don't bother not only am I blinding every oncoming driver the bike itself handles like a fully laden barge...
the whole idea of pre-load is to compensate for extra loads on the bike....seems foolish (to me) not to bother expecially as it's so easy to do....

 

[jp-speed-triple]

I'm with Funners on this one. makes a huge difference on machines that actually have real adjustment.

Some you can only 'twiddle' a bit and makes begger all difference as their simply isn't the range in the valving.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

OK I climb down.

Yes, certainly if I had a GSA with a full tank and a pillion rider equipped for long distance + baggage (alloy boxes) all full etc;etc; I would make some adjustment. However we (fortunately) do not have to go on long journeys to find sunshine, wonderful roads and peaceful traffic conditions; that is why we live here - so i am not being realistic.