Clonk!

My new SV K5 has a habbit of going clonk when I go over minor bump, its the front suspension I think but Im not sure if its bottoming out or something else so should I take it back to my dealer and get it sorted under warranty? Is there a known problem with SVs on this?

Originally Posted by Ward8124

My new SV K5 has a habbit of going clonk when I go over minor bump, its the front suspension I think but Im not sure if its bottoming out or something else so should I take it back to my dealer and get it sorted under warranty? Is there a known problem with SVs on this?

They all do that sir

This is exactly what my SVSK3 does whenever I go over a bump. This
matter has been discussed on many occasions and, as far as I
recall, clonking was deemed to be normal. Don't remember the
explanation for the clonking, though.

So its not a preload problem then? If you say its normal it will make sleep a little better but metal banging on metal doesnt sound very good to me......design flaw maybe?

Originally Posted by Ward8124

So its not a preload problem then? If you say its normal it will make sleep a little better but metal banging on metal doesnt sound very good to me......design flaw maybe?

as mentioned above. i've yet to hear of an SV that doesnt do it.

sleep easy young sir

Its because the front end set up (standard) is ideal for someone weighing about 7½ stone, any heavier & it 'clonks'...

Better rated springs & oil are the key

Originally Posted by Cloggsy

Its because the front end set up (standard) is ideal for someone weighing about 7½ stone, any heavier & it 'clonks'...

Better rated springs & oil are the key

Ahh ok so im like almost double the ideal weight then! Springs it is! Now which ones!?

They do still clonk for us little light people as well

Its' probably caused by the front suspension topping out. This is the opposite of bottoming out. When the wheel suddenly drops away (into a hole in the road surface), the sliders (bottom alloy bits) drop all the way down the stanchions (shiny steel top bits) and the suspension reaches maximum extension for a fraction of a second. The clunk is caused by the metal to metal contact of the travel limiters (they stop the sliders from falling off the end when you raise the bike off the ground without supporting the front wheel). I don't hear the clunk when I hit an 'up' bump, like when the road has been re-surfaced, and there's a ramp. I only hear it when the wheel drops over a 'down' bump (say a hole). It's easy to think it's caused by the 'up' bump on the other side of the hole, beacuse it happens a fraction of a second later. Topping out is no problem, but can be remedied sometimes with slower rebound damping. The SV doesn't have adjustable rebound damping on the front, so you could try heavier oil, but remember, slower damping can overwhelm standard springs, so you may need to fit some with a higher spring rate, otherwise you may experience 'packing', when going over a series of bumps, specially under braking. The weak spring can't overcome the damping force in time for the next bump, and so the suspension packs down lower and lower. Enough bumps close together and it could bottom out, leaving you momentarily without suspension: not good. Cold weather will also slow the damping down, as it increases the viscosity of the oil in the shock.
Jon.

Originally Posted by Ward8124

Ahh ok so im like almost double the ideal weight then! Springs it is! Now which ones!?

PM Elmerfud, he's the suspension guru of the Pennine Massive, he'll advise you