There
are three things you can adjust on the GSXR750 rear shock:
The
Spring Preload
This
is the ring on top of the shock, that the spring sits on:
Each
turn pushes the spring down, compressing the spring tighter.
When setting up suspension the preload adjusts how much the
bike sags down when it has a rider on it. This goes for front
or rear suspension. When you put spacers in the forks (one
of the mods mentioned on GStwin.com) you add more preload
so the fork sags less and it firms them up also. The same
goes for the rear. More preload makes the rear sag less and
makes it more firm. I would set up how it`s on the picture,
maybe a little bit more (so the ring must be set more down).
Go for a ride a see how that feels. If you think it`s too
soft or will carry a passenger you can turn it down, so the
spring gets more preload, to firm it up more.
The
Compression Damping
This
is a screw on the reservoir at the end of the hose:
When
you turn this screw clockwise (in) it makes the shock stiffer
when it hits bumps. Counterclockwise (out) will make the shock
softer when it hits bumps. When you hit a bump the suspension
compresses. Oil is forced through a stack of shims. These
shims flex, allowing the oil to pass through. When you adjust
for more (+) damping it tightens the shim stack making it
harder for the oil to pass. Less (-) adjustment loosens the
shims and softens the shock. Too much compression damping
will make it feel like your hitting sharp bumps and make the
ride harsh. Not enough will make the shock feel mushy. On
the street softer is preferable.
Turn
the screw out to full soft first, then try adjusting it in
some time later and experiment a little.
The
Rebound Damping
This
is the screw, or in my case a button, located on the bottom
of the shock:
After
you hit a bump and the suspension is compressed, it will rebound
(spring back). If there is no damping force to slow this movement
down, it will act like a pogo stick and bounce up uncontrollably.
This will cause you to be bounced off the seat and can also
take weight off the wheels causing them to slide if it happens
in a corner. That`s an extreme example. The other extreme
is too much rebound damping. When the suspension is compressed,
too much rebound damping doesn`t allow the suspension to return
to its full length before you hit the next bump. If you hit
several bumps in a row, the suspension gets shorter each bump
until it can bottom out. This is called "packing".
Even if the other settings are full soft you need some rebound
damping.
When
you turn the rebound screw (or button) you should feel some
clicks. There is a spring loaded ball that clicks when it
hits the notches on the screw (or button). Turn it all the
way in until it stops, or until it is on the "1".
Don`t force it too hard! Then turn it out, counting the clicks
until it stops. Turn it back in about 4-5 clicks and see how
that feels. In case you have a button, set it on "2"
and see how that feels when you ride. If it`s too springy,
try a few more clicks, or set it on "3". It helps
to make notes of the settings and experiment. If the changes
don`t feel right, you can go back to your notes and reset
them. Racers do this all the time for different tracks and
conditions. On the street there are too many different conditions
to ever get it perfect. If you ride a particular road allot
you can adjust things to work better for that road just like
on a racetrack. But then it may be way off for another stretch
of road. So you need to find a setting that works decent all
around.
Bob
Broussard: "Keep it fairly soft for the street. It`s
better than getting beat up by track suspension settings".
I
hope this is everything you need to know about installing
the GSXR750 shock on your GS and set it up without problems.
I would like to thank Bob Broussard for his e-mails to me,
explaining how it all works. Thanks!
Do
you have any questions, or is there something wrong with the
explanation?
Please
let me know.
GOOD
LUCK!
