Did you get the front & rear done Ian?
Tell us all about it
Right, sorry for the delay but its been a busy summer.
Yes a had the whole lot reworked by Bas. He is a friendly and welcoming guy and it's well worth the visit.
Ok, so my bike although modified at both ends just didn't handle right and after seeing a thread about the possability that a preload adjuster could be retro fitted to my hyperpro i was motivated to make the arrangements for the visit.
I had a hyperpro rear shock that i got from a fellow tosser but dare I say in some ways it was worse than the air shock, at least the original could be pumped up to acomodate luggage. It turns out the seals had started to leak so this didn't help things also setting up preload, rebound fast & slow compression was beyond me!
After the rebound had failed in the original front forks I had sourced some Marzocchi shivers from a gas gas 450 and apart from a service and swapping the axle clamps they where stuck on the bike. Turns out they had more travel than the originals which actually wasn't helpful.
Basically the bike sagged at the rear lifted on the front and weaved under hard acceleration and at arround 65mph, oh and was worse with luggage. That said it was still a fun bike to use but I knew it could be better!
So off I went to Holland on the overnight ferry. I arrived at hyperpro 1 hour after disembarking and discussed the problems and the type of riding I planned to do with Bas.
Bas was convicted I didn't need the full or extra heigh and setting it up a bit lower would make it more manageable. Tbh he's correct the ground clearance on the Xch is beyond what is needed by most of us. Bas felt the weave (at speed) may remain as it could be due to aero dynamics. Interestingly the bike didn't weave at equivalent speeds when off road. Apparently this is because the suspension is being worked as apossed to being static.
What Bas did...............
Starting with the front;
New 'slippy' seals, apparently allowing the shock to move smoother. The travel was shortened and progressive springs fitted. Rejeted and a sutable oil used and finally rebound and compresion was set up to suit.
And the rear;
Seals replaced and unit regased, spring replaced (to suit my new ride height and weight) and preload ajuster fitted and finetuned to suit me.
The out come.............
I spent a few weeks trail riding in Spain fully loaded and absolutely loved having the preload adjuster!
Overall the results have been fantastic It felt firmer but once I had become customised to this it became apparent that the bike turns in and manages braking better. The front no longer lifts when pulling away and over all its road manner is much improved. The only negative is the bike still weaves at higher speeds. I did gain me a extra 10-15 mph cruising speed and think I am just going to except the weave and ride accordingly. Maybe a steering damper would make a difference?
I have used the bike off road on a good variety of surfaces and this is where the improvements really became apparent especially when crossing uneven rocks and when the shocks are being worked hard.
I cant recomend Bas highly enough and when you think the return ferry only cost £140 i know any future suspension fettling will be done by him!
Ian
