Top 5 misconceptions about suspension settings…
Nov 5th, 2009 by Leo
Gratuitous race video footage…
Since we’re on the topic (the last few posts)…here are the Top 5 misconceptions people have (and the “experts” inadvertently perpetuate) about suspension settings:
Misconception #5 – Once you set up your suspension you’ll never touch it again.
Sure you can ride safely with a wide variety of suspension settings dialed-in…BUT once you start twiddling with the suspension, you’ll actually WANT to dial it in for different riding conditions, different tracks, etc… You might want softer settings for leisurely local rides, but stiffen it up for a weekend ride upstate. Most people won’t have-to adjust the preload for riding with a passenger, but you’ll find that once you know how easy it is, you’ll WANT to for a longer two-up ride.
Misconception #4 – There’s a magic setting that’s PERFECT for you and your bike.
Some people share suspension settings on message boards…but it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Suspensions differ slightly from one bike to another, depending on mileage and temperature. Not only that, your riding style and feel and ability differs, along with your tires and road conditions… So that there is no magic suspension that’s perfect. This is why in professional racing, the best riders in the world with the best most accurate suspension components tune their suspensions for every race at every track…even if they’ve been there before a dozen times. They don’t just go by what they did the last time they were there because things change…
Misconception #3 – If you dial in the wrong suspension setting, you’ll wind up crashing in a heaping fireball!
Chances are you’ve already ridden bikes that were set up totally wrong for you. And if you’ve never adjusted your suspension, chances are what you’re riding now is set up totally wrong for you – and yet you were able to compensate by riding in a way that suits your bike. If you were to totally mess up your suspension settings, you’d still be able to ride it. But if you improve on your suspension settings from how it is now, even the tiniest bit – you’ll be able to ride better, get better handling, with more comfort and ease.
Misconception #2 Proper suspension set up requires years of study and experience.
Your ability to tune your suspension and your riding ability go together. As you’re better able to tell what your bike is doing beneath you, and ride in such a way that you’re optimizing your bike’s ability – you will be better and better equipped to make adjustments that enable the bike to handle better. So “yes” being GREAT at suspension adjustment will take years, because being a good rider takes some years… But overall, riding a bike is much more complicated and technical than tuning its suspension… Which is why Valentino Rossi makes more than the technicians who adjust his suspension.
Misconception #1 The factory settings are probably just fine for me.
Motorcycles with adjustable suspensions often come from the factory with seemingly random suspension settings. Often times the settings front and back are completely mismatched. But as we’ve been saying, as riders we manage to compensate for the adjustment settings by riding differently. Most of the differences we mistakenly attribute to the bike, but the reality is that suspension settings make a big difference in how a bike feels and handles.
Bonus misconception…
One more… Some people make it sound like you NEED to swap suspension components and make pricey upgrades in order to REALLY get a good setup. Now sometimes something like replacing a rear spring can really improve your ride… However, making any adjustments to suit your weight and riding style can improve a bike’s handling without any additional cost. If you like the way bike rides already, you don’t need to swap out your factory springs – while it can improve your setup further, adjusting your suspension doesn’t mean you have-to spend more money on it unless you want to… The same goes for top shelf suspension components…chances are you don’t actually NEED all that to have a good ride on your way to work – or to the countryside for the weekend.
Bottom line, there are bikes that don’t have adjustable suspensions at all – most scooters and entry level bikes like the Ninja 250… So if your bike does have adjustable shocks – make the most of it! You’ll be amazed at what your bike can do.
