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Bibio · 06-05-18, 02:19 PM

preload is not to set the rider sag. its to set the bike (static) sag.

once you set the static sag you then CHECK the rider sag measurements.
once you have the measurements you can determine if the bike needs new springs.

if you cant change the springs then set the bike static sag and leave it there, do not adjust for rider sag. only time you would adjust rider sag is when you rarely carry a pillion but you must set it back after carrying a pillion.

when you set the bike static sag and change it to match rider sag you also change the static sag so you no longer have the correct static sag.

the spring (unless its completely wrong) has nothing to do with comfort its the actual dampening system inside the suspension that is responsible.

dampening controls the rate at which the spring is allowed to move in an up/down motion. if the dampening is wrong then you will either get too much movement of the spring or too little. but the tricky part is that the spring has to match the dampening and visa versa. this is why you cant just stick another shock from another bike onto your sv as the shock is set up for that donor bike. now having said that it can work as long as the linkage and weight of the donor bike matches the sv and the rider.

step up an aftermarket shock such as nitron. these are built for the rider weight and the style of riding the rider does. the valving shims inside the shock are setup for the purpose and spring weight. this is why when ordering a shock you must tell them what type of riding you do. the worst thing you can do is put a shock that is setup for racing/track use on a bike that is used for the road as its too "stiff" a setup.

i could go on and on about this subject but the upshot is that with the OP being 10st then all he needs to do is set the static sag for road use and leave it there.

one last thing which a lot of people dont like to hear is that you must service suspension and its not as long an interval as you might expect. suspension oil gets a hammering and to keep your suspension in top condition it need a service just like the rest of the bike. at most i would say every 5th engine oil change you should be looking at servicing the suspension and brakes.

06-05-18, 02:19 PM	#6
Bibio Member Mega Poster Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: here as devil's advocate Posts: 11,540	Re: Rear preload for a lighter rider? preload is not to set the rider sag. its to set the bike (static) sag. once you set the static sag you then CHECK the rider sag measurements. once you have the measurements you can determine if the bike needs new springs. if you cant change the springs then set the bike static sag and leave it there, do not adjust for rider sag. only time you would adjust rider sag is when you rarely carry a pillion but you must set it back after carrying a pillion. when you set the bike static sag and change it to match rider sag you also change the static sag so you no longer have the correct static sag. the spring (unless its completely wrong) has nothing to do with comfort its the actual dampening system inside the suspension that is responsible. dampening controls the rate at which the spring is allowed to move in an up/down motion. if the dampening is wrong then you will either get too much movement of the spring or too little. but the tricky part is that the spring has to match the dampening and visa versa. this is why you cant just stick another shock from another bike onto your sv as the shock is set up for that donor bike. now having said that it can work as long as the linkage and weight of the donor bike matches the sv and the rider. step up an aftermarket shock such as nitron. these are built for the rider weight and the style of riding the rider does. the valving shims inside the shock are setup for the purpose and spring weight. this is why when ordering a shock you must tell them what type of riding you do. the worst thing you can do is put a shock that is setup for racing/track use on a bike that is used for the road as its too "stiff" a setup. i could go on and on about this subject but the upshot is that with the OP being 10st then all he needs to do is set the static sag for road use and leave it there. one last thing which a lot of people dont like to hear is that you must service suspension and its not as long an interval as you might expect. suspension oil gets a hammering and to keep your suspension in top condition it need a service just like the rest of the bike. at most i would say every 5th engine oil change you should be looking at servicing the suspension and brakes.