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Should I adjust preload for passenger and luggage?


MikeBike

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MikeBike

There is nothing in the manual about adjusting preload for a heavier load. I know it's ideal to get the loaded bike in the same attitude as rider only, but is it worth it for a weekend of riding?

I tried to get a C spanner from a Triumph/Ducati dealers as I was passing but no joy.

Do those on here who take pillion and luggage bother? Is it noticeable to a mere mortal? Is it unwise not to?

I've ridden lots with a lightish pillion only but this weekend travelling with luggage and pillion that is probably about 100Kg combined.

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jeremyr62

It depends. I found that winding the preload on quickly reduced static sag to zero so I never bothered and just changed the rear shock. If only for a short period of time I really wouldn't worry unless you ride like Marc all the time. If you notice it bottoming out then, yeah you need to raise the ride height a bit by adding preload.

Edited by jeremyr62
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Where are you heading to- if coming  Sussex  direction  pop into my wshop  and we can tweak it 

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Graham NZ

Altering rear preload depends on how easy it is to do.  If it's using a c-spanner and getting skinned knuckles I wouldn't bother unless it was to be permanent.  On the later NCs it may be easier but on older ones like mine it'd be a PITA.

 

When getting a Nitron rear unit for mine I opted to get a remote impact damping controller but not a preload one because I never carry a pillion.  It came with a nifty peg tool for the preload collar but I've not needed to use it so far.  That may change when I get the unit back with a softer spring. 

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MikeBike
2 hours ago, trisaki said:

Where are you heading to- if coming  Sussex  direction  pop into my wshop  and we can tweak it 

Many thanks, but I'm heading up North, potential new localised covid restrictions on Friday banning socialising with anyone not from own household permitting.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Johnnie Mototrans

I fitted a replacement second hand shock recently.

As much of my riding is two up I turned the spring adjustment up to the max before installing.

This has turned out to be a big improvement and feels just about spot on.

I am around 90kg and my better half is about three quarters of that.

Allowing for our riding gear and a frunk full of shopping probably takes us close to the max suggested payload.

I know I could have applied a bit more science by measuring sag but the poor access for adjustment did not encourage further experimentation.

The old shock was in very poor condition so did not provide much of a starting point but as both had the spring set around the mid point I just cranked it up and hoped for the best.

Hope this helps.

 

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Grumpy old man

I'm around 90kg in my y fronts + riding gear = 100ish kg and I ride a lot loaded with camping gear it does pogo a little if you hit bumpy corners at speed but otherwise I haven't really had any problems.  If I ever need to take the shock off I'll wind the pre-load up a bit might even try next time I change the tyre. 

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jeremyr62

If you are talking the OE shock, on my S you only have to wind the preload up to about 50% and you will have no static sag. I am told this is a no no but can't say I noticed any really adverse effects when riding with it like that.

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MikeBike
3 hours ago, jeremyr62 said:

If you are talking the OE shock, on my S you only have to wind the preload up to about 50% and you will have no static sag. I am told this is a no no but can't say I noticed any really adverse effects when riding with it like that.

Sorry if I'm being dim, but 50% of what? halfway up the thread from standard?

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Grumpy old man
3 minutes ago, MikeBike said:

Sorry if I'm being dim, but 50% of what? halfway up the thread from standard?

That's what I was thinking.  The pre-load  seems to half way down the threaded part from standard so I'm guessing Jeremy means 50% of what is left so that would be 75% of the total threaded area?🤔

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Johnnie Mototrans

Both my shocks were set about half way up the available thread.

This suggests that this is the standard factory setting.

The newer standard shock is now wound up to the maximum available compressing the spring as far as it will go.

Interestingly I did feel I was back on tip toes despite the lowering kit fitted so I might well have eliminated what sag there was.

Otherwise it is a huge improvement two up and I did a 200 mile solo doddle around Fife and Dundee without feeling it was harsh or oversprung.

 

 

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jeremyr62
29 minutes ago, Grumpy old man said:

That's what I was thinking.  The pre-load  seems to half way down the threaded part from standard so I'm guessing Jeremy means 50% of what is left so that would be 75% of the total threaded area?🤔

Roughly :).

I did actually mean about 50% of the total but I will check this.

 

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Grumpy old man
2 minutes ago, jeremyr62 said:

Roughly :).

I did actually mean about 50% of the total but I will check this.

 

Mine is the X so that might make a difference. 

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jeremyr62

I sent this to Dave Moss a while ago. I was asking him if static sag was so important why do the bike manufactures give us shocks that allow for so little increase in ride height (preload) before the static sag disappears completely.

 

If I set my bike up for the rear rider sag (40mm) to about a third of the total suspension travel (120mm) by winding on the preload I have no static sag at all, if I measure it the way you do in your YouTube videos (compress rear, allow to rebound and then see if the bike lifts). When I got the bike I felt there was too much sag at the back (rider sag was about 60mm) so I put in four full turns to compress the spring and add preload.  I confess this did make the ride feel better (just in my head maybe) but I now have no static sag.

Edited by jeremyr62
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Johnnie Mototrans

I have done a crazy thing and looked back at the original question which was.

Is it worth the hassle of adjusting the rear suspension for one weekend of travelling with an extra load.

Emphatically no. It is not.

So can you ramp the suspension up or down depending on what's on board. No.

Indeed I think we have all agreed that it is close to impossible to adjust the pre load in place.

I only managed it with the shock out the bike, in the vice and a choice of three C spanners.

My 1975 500 Four has twice the number of shocks with five preload settings

Ajustment can be actually be done in moments by hand up to setting no 3 with a tool only required for the last two settings.

Progress?

 

 

 

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jeremyr62

I just don't think the bike manufacturers expect the average punter to do anything at all with suspension. I will confess to falling into the category myself for many years. I owned sports bikes with fully adjustable forks and shocks and never touched them. However those bikes were brilliant in the corners so I don't think I  was missing too much. The NC on the other hand I have felt needed a bit of input. The only way I could adjust the preload on the NC OE shock was batter the castellated rings around with a drift. The Tuono V4 shock I have in now is a bit easier to move, but not much.

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Personally I believe Honda did not expect this bike to be carrying a pillion and luggage on long trips. As such the pillion seat is only a token as indeed it is also on their Fireblade. If they had intended two up with luggage then they would have fitted an adjustable shock and a proper pillion seat. 

 

In answer to the OP's question I would suggest that You definitely do need to ramp up the spring preload for a pillion and luggage. For example on my former Triumph Explorer the instruction in the handbook for pillion carriage was that the spring preload be ramped up to maximum. Would You get away with not doing so ? Probably, but the handling of the bike will not be ideal.  

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steelhorseuk
On ‎16‎/‎09‎/‎2020 at 19:22, trisaki said:

Where are you heading to- if coming  Sussex  direction  pop into my wshop  and we can tweak it 

 

Where in Sussex are you Mark ? I would like to get down to you in the new year most likely now and get my mono-shock upgraded .

Are you up for that ?

 

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Rocker66
27 minutes ago, Steel Horse UK said:

 

Where in Sussex are you Mark ? I would like to get down to you in the new year most likely now and get my mono-shock upgraded .

Are you up for that ?

 

Let us know if you do come down as it would be really good to meet up,again.

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steelhorseuk
6 minutes ago, Rocker66 said:

Let us know if you do come down as it would be really good to meet up,again.

 

Absolutely buddy. I would not dream of going to Sussex without letting you know I am coming your way.

Destination: 1066 café … :ahappy: Must be my round for the coffee?

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trisaki
7 hours ago, Steel Horse UK said:

 

Where in Sussex are you Mark ? I would like to get down to you in the new year most likely now and get my mono-shock upgraded .

Are you up for that ?

 

Bn180as  near Arundel  - playing with suspension on an nc no problem  - what year is yours 

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steelhorseuk
On ‎05‎/‎10‎/‎2020 at 18:28, trisaki said:

Bn180as  near Arundel  - playing with suspension on an nc no problem  - what year is yours 

Hi Mark

 

NC700SA 2012 model (It was one of the first in the country)

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trisaki

Have you got a centre stand  as it makes things a little  easier - just say when 

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Mark8arker

Never had problem adjusting the rear OEM shock. Thought it was standard procedure when carrying passenger or more weight on the rear? 

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jeremyr62
9 hours ago, Mark8arker said:

Never had problem adjusting the rear OEM shock. Thought it was standard procedure when carrying passenger or more weight on the rear? 

 

Give us a clue, how do you do it and what tool do you use? Show us a picture of the spanner if you can.

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