Suspension Bedding in or failure???

[Bazza]

Hi all
My GS is 12 months old now. 8000miles. Had quite a few problems with it early on but the last 600 have been smart
BUT the last couple of hundred miles , the suspension has changed????? Normally travelling over country roads etc, the bumps are nicely dialed out . but now it seems a lot harder, not rattly but more a dampened 'thud' which goes right up my back and arms
Ive checked ajustments on the preload etc but they are the same as always... the bog standard 'med' settings.
I am wondering if this is just a case of the suspension 'bedding in' or is it something else........


Cheers all.....
Happy new year to you all by the way.

 

[looney]

You may want to check what they call 'dynamic sag' first: with the bike on the centre stand, measure the distance between the rear wheel axle (housing) and a point on the frame approximately vertical above the rear wheel axle. Write down that number.
Now take the bike down and sit on it with all your riding gear. Measure again the distance between the very same points on the axle housing and frame. Write down that number, too.
The difference of the two numbers should be somewhere between 60 - 80 mm. If the difference is larger increase rear preload accordingly if possible.

If the difference is about correct, check rebound damping (the screw on the bottom part of the rear shock, on the left side of the bike. This is trial-and-error. Turn the screw fully clockwise, then back 2 full turns. Test ride, turn screw clockwise in increments of maximum 1/8 turn (!) until your ride goes from spongy to right to stiff, then go back in steps of 1/8 turn until right again.

If all this does not help then you probably need a new shock.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bazza]

Cheers for that....... very well explained.

 

[Paul Mac]

You may want to check what they call 'dynamic sag' first: with the bike on the centre stand, measure the distance between the rear wheel axle (housing) and a point on the frame approximately vertical above the rear wheel axle. Write down that number.
Now take the bike down and sit on it with all your riding gear. Measure again the distance between the very same points on the axle housing and frame. Write down that number, too.
The difference of the two numbers should be somewhere between 60 - 80 mm. If the difference is larger increase rear preload accordingly if possible.

If the difference is about correct, check rebound damping (the screw on the bottom part of the rear shock, on the left side of the bike. This is trial-and-error. Turn the screw fully clockwise, then back 2 full turns. Test ride, turn screw clockwise in increments of maximum 1/8 turn (!) until your ride goes from spongy to right to stiff, then go back in steps of 1/8 turn until right again.

If all this does not help then you probably need a new shock.

Hope this helps.

Great Post - thanks!!