Where to you suggest setting the rear adjustable shock setting when 120 lbs load?
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Where to you suggest setting the rear adjustable shock setting when 120 lbs load?
Most people are setting the shock just a few clicks up from zero (with each click being a 1/2 turn). I'm a big guy and usually have things in the bags as well - I have mine set at 10 clicks, which is very firm.
A " load " of 120...WOW thats a lot.... I weigh 225 with no load and have mine set at full soft...
This rear shock pre-load adjuster bothers me. WHY ? Because it is NOT the correct one for this bike. Period.
After having tried several different settings, from half-way...to one quarter way...to one ten way...I just coleted my ride down to Redding, Cal to have my seat done, and the entire ride I had it set at 2 clicks...one full turn...out from the lowest setting. It was even a little bit firm there. I will adjust it today down to only 1 click...a half turn out from the lowest setting possible.
So, you tell me...if a shock pre-load adjuster has a total travel of 19 full turns, or 38 clicks, and we are using it at 1 click, or maybe 2 clicks...and those that have tried it at 6 clicks or up to 15 clicks have all found it to be toooooooooo firm, then in reality we are only able to use the lowest 10 % of the adjustibility of this pre-load adjuster.
That means, the remaining 90 % of the pre-load adjuster is of no use to us. To me, that indicates that they have used the WRONG pre-load adjuster on this bike. We should be able to use up to 50 % of more of the pre-load adjusters range...not the lowest 10%.
Just curious .....
If you were to remove a small amount of fluid from the system, would that help ?????
Thanks for all the info. And Steve0080, I should not have referred to a passenger as a load, I suppose. Not dead weight, but weight nonetheless.
Miles - I agree a little firm, but it is soooo much better than the jalopy feeling of the Ultra I traded in. I know what this bike is going to do in a turn. Something I could not say about the Ultra.
I dunno, Miles - perhaps 38 clicks would be appropriate if we wanted to pretend we were riding a Hayabusa! :D
I take seriously someone who has ridden as many miles as you have, so forgive me for my title question. I'm trying to figure how much the adjuster affects two up at, say, 400 pounds. You figure it's the range you mentioned no matter what weight is on the bike?Quote:
Originally Posted by Miles
This is the second time I have had to type this all out, because we still have problems with our web-server. Urrrrgggg !Quote:
Originally Posted by pittprof
So, here goes again.
Your question is a good and valid one. Given a total load of 400 lbs, for rider/passenger/and all storage bins filled, I would say that you would need to adjuster the rear shock pre-load adjuster uop to maybe 25 % of what the full adjustment range is. That means that the upper 75 % of the adjusers' range is not being used at all. I think we can all agree that a load of 400 lbs is substantial, but the bike will handle it. The bike will feel it, but it will handle it. Knowing that the current pre-load adjuster only needs the lowest 25% of the entire range...that indicates this is the wrong adjuster on this bike.
Thanks, Miles.
Finally took the wife on our first ride this morning. I clicked up the suspension 3 full turns. What a remarkable bike. Riding two up on this is still so incredible. It was easy for her to tell how well this bike handles over the Ultra. She still isn't used to being out there, without all the extra support the back seat on the Ultra provides, but I can tell she enjoyed it.
By the way, how in the hell are you supposed to take the right cover off to get full access to the rear shock adjuster. I only removed it enough to slide my hand in to make a few turns. I felt as if I was going to permanently rip this cover off. Any advice?
Open the saddle bag......
Tried open and closed. I'll try again.
I have been running the preload all the way down to the first click (softest setting). Still very stiff for my weight at 155lbs, that is not including helmet, jacket, boots, gloves, etc. My wife went out with me for the first time on Saturady together we are in the 300 to 325lbs range. I first set the preload at 16 clicks from full soft but thought it was a little to light so we stopped and I went up to 20 clicks (4 more clicks) on preload and that seemed to be pretty good. Yes I would agree the shock spring is to stiff.
So from what I've read here- clockwise all the way in is full soft?
The way the manual explains is counterclockwise all the way out is full soft.
Frontier, the manual is right...only in this one case :icon_wink:
Turn the adjuster knob all the way counter-clockwise to go to the lowest setting...full soft setting.
Most of us have been finding that only 1 or 2 full turns out from the lowest setting is where we have ours adjusted.
Considering that the adjuster will turn a full 19 turns clockwise...to the full FIRM setting, that shows that we are using about 5% of the adjustment range for our riding.
Thanks Miles!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miles
Miles,
Low is firm and high is soft. The high and low are referring to dampening rate, not the firmness. If you have a high dampening rate, then the ride is softer because the dampening rate is faster. Which means the wheel is able to move with less restriction. Low is firm because it is slowing down the dampening. Read in owners manual. Bumpy road = hi and smooth road = low.
Think about it like this. If the piston inside the shock can move faster, this translates to a smoother ride because it is absorbing the bumps. If the piston is not allowed to move freely , then this translates to a firm ride. Dampening rate is sometimes also spoken in terms of frequency. How that piston moves at speed is like a frequency. Well truth be told it is a spring frequency and dampening is just controlling spring frequency (rate).
Hope this helps.
Thanks
Brian
Brian hit the nail on the head with that info.I go 350lbs so I am what you would call two up all by my lonesome.I have adjusted the preload knob from a 1/4 to full and have settled on arond 3/4 of the way full up.The lower I would set it the harder the ride and I did feel a difference in all the settings with my size.At 3/4 I feel firm on the road and it gives well on the bumps.This bike handles awsome for it's mass and I am getting more comfortable and confident with every ride.
Just for clarity! If I turn the control knob full counter-clockwise the firmer/harder the ride! As I turn the knob clockwise the softer the ride becomes!Quote:
Originally Posted by edgeman55
I currently have the knob four clicks clockwise from the factory setting of 0. The ride is very firm:shock:
I'm confused by the info in the owners manual:icon_redface:
Turn the knowb until you see 4 lines showing...that would be on the soft side....the more lines showing the more firm...
Okay, Brian, I see your point, I was calling it backwards from what it should be called. Yes, you are right that the highest setting, all the way counter-clockwise, is the softest setting, because...as you stated...we are getting the most dampening at the highest rate, and....the opposite end of the adjustment is the lowest dampening rate, which is the firmest...all the way clockwise. I believe that we all knew what was being said, it came down to a matter of semantics. But I do agree with what you said.
Here is my point...there is a problem with this adjuster. Period. No if's ands, or buts about it.
The majority of us are finding that we are only using the (highest) 5 to maybe 10 % of the adjustment range. There are a very few people that have found they can use much more of the adjustment range...and I would love to know the last 4 digits of their VIN's. I think that possibly Honda reealized they made a mistake somewhere along the production line, and they corrected this error, and finally sent out units with a pre-load adjuster that was corrct for this bike.
I find it very highly improbable that this is the correct pre-load adjuster, when my own bike is set at the maximum dampening rate...all the way counter-clockwise, and that anything more than 1 full rotation of the adjuster...2 clicks...is too firm for me, meaning the dampening rate is not enough, and the bike is WAY to harsh to ride. Okay, a very few people have found they can adjust theirs to the mid range or more on their adjusters, but when 93.14159% of us are using the highest settings...the 5 % to maybe 10% of the adjusters range...and that is it...then there is a problem.
Never thought about until you put it down, but your right. If we are only using the lower 10% the rest is wasted. It would have made more sense to install something that the base setting is in the middle or a little less.
Is this the same preloaded that is on a full wing with the added weight?
Any aftermarket items that could change this?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miles
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark Knight
I cannot say with certainty that this is or is not the same, but the adjustment manner is completely different. On a GL-1800 Wing, you have two adjustment buttons, for a setting # 1, and a setting # 2. When you choose to adjust either of these setting, for example, setting # 1...you push that button for a moment, then push the up or down buttons to electrically adjust the rear shock pre-load. The range on that is 0 to 30. On all 3 of my previous full sized Wings, I always used a setting of 13 for a solo rider...setting # 1...and a setting of 22 for a heavier load...setting # 2.
And that is my point. On a full sized Wing, with a range of 0 to 30...I would use a setting of 13 as a solo rider, wanting to ride a sport mode bike.
On this F6B, with a range of 0 to 38 clicks...or 0 to 19 full turns of ther manual adjuster...I am set at 0...zero. I am set at the softest possible setting that can be made, and anything firmer is too firm for me. And...I ride the bike like it is a CBR600RR.
Whether Honda is using the same adjuster or not...and if they are...does it make a difference that the F6B uses a manual adjuster, whereas the full sized wing uses an electric adjuster...I do not know.
What I do know, is that there is a problem with these adjusters.