Suspension adjustment

[Jkwan0902]

Alright guys, I need some help setting up my suspension. I have no suspension specialists near me to go to, so u guys here are my only hope at this point. I'm 5'10" at 170lbs I also have the front and rear tires set at 38 PSI. I occasionally have a pillion on as well. What's your guys thoughts?

[Thunderdawg]

Have you already consulted The Google and YouTube with no success?

[Jkwan0902]

Have you already consulted The Google and YouTube with no success?

Specifically for our bike? Didn't yield any results.

[Champ87]

Are you looking for basics like sag setting or recommendations on spring rates and damping?

[Jkwan0902]

Are you looking for basics like sag setting or recommendations on spring rates and damping?

Hey Champ, all of the above. I'll be taking a longer ride back home to new york to visit some family so thats going to be long distance and city. When I get back home it'll be more rural roads and smooth highways.

[Champ87]

First thing is to set sag to suit your weight. This article from Race Tech explains how. In simple terms you're looking to adjust ride height so that 2/3 of suspension travel is available to deal with bumps and the other 1/3 to stop it topping out over humps. You'll read plenty of stuff about messing with it for better turn in or stability but if the bike doesn't ride properly all that become nonsense.

The H2 SX service manual gives suspension travel as 120 mm (4.72 in.) front and 139 mm (5.47 in.) rear so go with sag of 1/3 those numbers rather than the general figures given in the article.

Springs control how much the suspension moves - damping controls how fast it moves. If you find the suspension is regularly bottoming or topping out (or both!) when you have sag set correctly then chances are you need a spring with a different rate. You can sometimes disguise the problem with damping but that won't fix it.

[Champ87]

As I said damping is there to control how quickly the suspension compresses or bounces back. Getting the correct settings can be a challenge because it's sometimes difficult to feel exactly what it's doing. There are several ballpark methods you can use to get started:

• Use the settings in the Owners Manual

• Set everything in the middle of adjustment range

• Use a recommendation from a magazine or another rider

You'd be surprised how often a manufacturers recommended settings actually work for regular street riding. They do spend millions designing, developing and testing - including hundreds of hours track and road time using experienced test riders. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get some kickback on that statement but I really don't care.

[Jkwan0902]

First thing is to set sag to suit your weight. This article from Race Tech explains how. In simple terms you're looking to adjust ride height so that 2/3 of suspension travel is available to deal with bumps and the other 1/3 to stop it topping out over humps. You'll read plenty of stuff about messing with it for better turn in or stability but if the bike doesn't ride properly all that become nonsense.

The H2 SX gives suspension travel as 120 mm (4.72 in.) front and 139 mm (5.47 in.) rear so go with sag of 1/3 those numbers rather than the general figures given in the article.

Springs control how much the suspension moves - damping controls how fast it moves. If you find the suspension is regularly bottoming or topping out (or both!) when you have sag set correctly then chances are you need a spring with a different rate. You can sometimes disguise the problem with damping but that won't fix it.

Thank u so much Champ! I'll have to play with it a little bit when I get home from work. The info is as always much appreciated!

[byebyebeemer]

I've read a few responses to this question. I have a suspension tuner within 50 miles of home but I had never used one until yesterday. My previous bike a K1200gt had no adjustment up front and only preload for pillion / bags at the rear. I had assumed that the Kawasaki factory engineers knew how to set the machine up for an "average" rider. A description I more or less fit. I however took a buddy's advice and visited the shop (Washington Cycle Works) in NJ. What I was expecting and what I got were 2 very different things. What I was expecting was, "yes this machine is nearly new at 2200 miles and it needs almost nothing" And by the way it's a really cool bike ! From the pro's what I got was,
First, the factory settings had NOTHING to do with me or some average Joe. Second, with my weight (210lbs 95kg) the preload on the rear could just barely be brought into spec. This does NOT include the panniers or god forbid a pillion. To accomodate either of those you WILL need a new rear spring. Mine is being spec'ed and ordered to be installed asap. Third, inside of 1 hour my bike was transformed into a curve eating monster, tailored to only me. It tips in much more easily an holds fast to its line. The rear now rebounds quickly and calmly. I gained an appreciation for the suspension tuners craft by watching Dave Moss Videos on youtube. I gained more respect by watching these pros work for me. If there is a tuner within 500 miles of you it is worth the time, the effort, and expense to make the trip. Let the experts do the work. They'll tell you how to adjust from there.

[57x]

You may want to check if you have enough spring after all. My suspension guy made a calculation error on rear sag for my bike. He said I needed more spring also. Our swingarm has a lot more travel than a normal sport bike. The ZX10R has 4.5" travel and the H2 SX has 5.5". With the understanding of the additional travel my bike had 1mm too little sag. Too much of a spring by a fraction so I left it. My rebound and compression were way off, mostly compression. A few tries and he got it perfect.