Suspension woes

Black Knight · Post by **Black Knight** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:04 pm

My BCR had crap handling.

CRAP

Prob something to do with the previous owner having everything turned to maximum!

Took it to Gaz Evans at http://www.reactivesuspension.com/aboutUs.html he set it up correctly and now it feels like an Excocet bloody missile, FANTASTIC!

Best money i've spent bar none. Suspenders, well worth thinking about!

horse27 · Post by **horse27** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:23 pm

Hi BK ... any chance of sharing the settings if you know what they are?

Your weight (if not too personal) and riding style would help too

Ta, Lee.

stoney · Post by **stoney** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:04 pm

Hi BK

What did he charge for the service. I think I will go over and see him too!

Andy

winger · Post by **winger** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:25 pm

Please just STOP will ya cuz if there;s one thing on this board that'll make me throw a strop is the 'I've found someone to set my bike up brigade' learn!!!! ask questions it ain't rocket science.

If you've got a stock BM suspension then there's nothing to set!!! preload on the spring and a combined rebound/compression juster,e'r there isn't anything else,if it's an Ohlin then it's perm anyone from 3!!!,preload,compression, and rebound,i'll ignore the ride height ajuster cuz thats got sweet FA to do with handling.

The most important piece of kit of all??? a pen and paper,write the settings down,go and ride the bike,make an ajustment,just one,can't tell the difference??? make a bigger one till you do,got lost with settings??? go back to were you started.

horse27 · Post by **horse27** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:29 pm

ooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhh!

ever tried decaf?

boxerpan · Post by **boxerpan** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:32 pm

winger wrote:Please just STOP will ya cuz if there;s one thing on this board that'll make me throw a strop is the 'I've found someone to set my bike up brigade' learn!!!! ask questions it ain't rocket science.

Pipe down at the back there....folks have got to make a crusta anyway they can

Gromit · Post by **Gromit** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:42 pm

winger wrote:Please just STOP will ya cuz if there;s one thing on this board that'll make me throw a strop it's....

Only one thing??

You must be making cutbacks Chris.

Have to admit though, taking a bike to get the OEM springs set is a wee bit overkill IMO. Rear Preload approx 15 clicks out, damping screw thingy half turn out. Front one? F*cked if I know what it does, couldn't tell a blind bit of difference between max & min.

Ah well...one pays one's money, one makes one's choice.

Black Knight · Post by **Black Knight** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 5:31 am

I did consider doing it myslf but I don't have an owners manual as yet so don't even know what the standard settings are.

I looked up how to do it but as far as I could work out its not possible to set it on your own as you need to measure sag whilst loaded/unloaded etc.

Thirdly, its my first beemer so wasn't sure if it was wrong in the first place, being a new type of suspension I didn't know what I was looking for.

Anyway. the guy is only based a few miles from me. He's worked for loctite Yamaha, Cresent Suzuki etc so knows what he's doing. £35 well spent imo.

Had intended to start another thead re settings - watch this space.

r550s · Post by **r550s** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 7:30 am

35 quid for a great-handling bike is good value if you haven't yet learned to set your own suspension. I agree that the stock shockers (esp the front) have a limited range of adjustment - in the real world this equates to twiddling away and wondering if anything's happening - is it working? / am I missing something? etc etc.

(There's a theory that manufacutrers are deliberately conservative with adjustment ranges - so's you can't twiddle yourself into ther scenery)

Then you go and put some ohlins on it, and, for the first time, all of that theory stuff you've read about suspension, appears in 3d - you can feel what the different types of damping do, and you can feel the quicker steering when you raise the rear etc. This is becasue it's got a decent range of adjustment - anything between pleasure steamer and skateboard.

Winger was spot on about PENCIL & PAPER. Re-ride the same route, get a mate to help you with the static sag - jack it up by 10mm (at the spindle) - wow. And do the world a favour - punch the next person who says that they've 'stiffened up the rear'...with the ride height adjuster! aaaaargh.

bigblackfalco · Post by **bigblackfalco** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 8:17 am

winger wrote:i'll ignore the ride height ajuster cuz thats got sweet FA to do with handling.

Can't believe you just said that!!!?? You don't really mean that do you?
Bailey.

winger · Post by **winger** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:35 am

I most certainley do,thats steering it ain't handleing and thats the classic mistake people make,and thats how they loose their way.

Two totally separate things,9 times out of ten people do e'm the wrong way,assuming they ever take the time to work it out!!!

bigblackfalco · Post by **bigblackfalco** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:50 am

winger wrote:I most certainley do,thats steering it ain't handleing and thats the classic mistake people make,and thats how they loose their way.

Two totally separate things,9 times out of ten people do e'm the wrong way,assuming they ever take the time to work it out!!!

Yeah but the steering affects the handling just like the suspension does. I think you mean that ride height doesn't affect the suspension i.e the way the bike behaves regarding road surface??

winger · Post by **winger** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 2:06 pm

Within reason you get a bog stock S is to handel something like with some thought and a little effort,it'll still steer like a barn door!!!!