OK, Front Suspension adjustment/ advice

Little tip. Wrap a couple of zip ties around your fork legs, slide them down to the bottom and go out for a ride. Try not to use the front brake, especially aggresively and see how much travel your forks are using. Might give you a guide.

Originally Posted by petevtwin650

Wrap a couple of zip ties around your fork legs, slide them down to the bottom and go out for a ride.

Ackshurly, you only need one zip tie (unless your forks are compressing unevenly ). It shows on mine that even though larger bumps make it feel like I'm hitting a brick wall, the suspension isn't bottoming. That's with 15W oil and a 15 stone rider. I'm seriously considering trying emulators to make the ride more pliant.

Hmm, lots of food for thought. The thing that confuses me is that up in the Gwaun valley yesterday some of the roads are so tight that I was literally coasting at 20mph, along a bumpy road. It was really uncomfortable. I will try the zip tie when the rain stops, then play with the pre-load. Thanks again

[Taipan]

Originally Posted by ccurts

How would you both rate the improvement for the emulators (Luckypants) and the progressive springs (Taipan)?

Haven't fitted them yet! I've fitted progressive springs to othe rbikes i've had though with good results. I think the Hyperpro progressive springs will give me wider range of suspension better suited to road riding. If I was a track day fiend I'd have gone straight rate and emulators. At least that's my take on it.

Originally Posted by chazzyb

Ackshurly, you only need one zip tie (unless your forks are compressing unevenly ).

Hmmmm, bit worrying..............maybe I'm a bit anal and need to have the two zip ties.

Better watch that.

Originally Posted by petevtwin650

Little tip. Wrap a couple of zip ties around your fork legs, slide them down to the bottom and go out for a ride. Try not to use the front brake, especially aggresively and see how much travel your forks are using. Might give you a guide.

I'd say you should definately use the front brake, and hard at that. After all, what point is a nice ride over bumps if it'll spit you off the moment you apply the brake, cos you ran out of travel?

[jambo]

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

I'd say you should definately use the front brake, and hard at that. After all, what point is a nice ride over bumps if it'll spit you off the moment you apply the brake, cos you ran out of travel?

Because whatever setting I have the front preload at it will use all the travel when the bike's stood on it's nose. What you want is a good setting for most conditions, and preload should be right when not using full brakes.

Edit: I know what you're saying and the bonus of adjustable suspension is it gives you greater range of control, but if the bike's preload is set about right and bottoming out as soon as you touch the brakes it may be that the spring rate's too low.

[Luckypants]

Braking should NOT use all available travel (unless doing a stoppy I guess). You still need some left to deal with bumps while braking. I tought this was the whole point of getting the spring rate matched to your weight and setting preload to give correct amount of sag? i.e. enough spare travel to cope with the loads thrown at it.

See, it's interesting, cos I've got the emulators, 20 wt oil and 90 springs and using the brakes uses all my travel, about 120mm, but without using the brakes the travel is around 70mm. Still trying to get mine to handle as well as my previous one did with only hyperpros and oil,

Originally Posted by jambo

Because whatever setting I have the front preload at it will use all the travel when the bike's stood on it's nose. What you want is a good setting for most conditions, and preload should be right when not using full brakes.

Edit: I know what you're saying and the bonus of adjustable suspension is it gives you greater range of control, but if the bike's preload is set about right and bottoming out as soon as you touch the brakes it may be that the spring rate's too low.

If you're riding around with a zip tie to find out if you've got the preload set right...