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Thread: Suspension fine tunning guide

  1. #11
    This was a big help thanks

  2. #12
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    Wow great post.One question? Does cold weather affect these settings?

  3. #13
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    I got a 97 s3t where can I find base settings for my bike. I need a good starting point. Plus I am probably the fattest bueller you have ever seen. 6'4" 285 lbs.

  4. #14
    thanks this helped me out alot

  5. #15
    Senior Member ich's Avatar
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    There are also two articles, covering the setup of suspension (Nov./Dec. 2006) and sag (Summer 2008), in the Fuell magazin, still available at the Buell website. Both are worth a read.

  6. #16
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    Dredging up this post to ask a potentially stupid question;
    I understand the fine tuning and will be doing that soon.....what I would like to know is there a basic setting for riding two-up? I will have at least one seat decoration on the bike this weekend, the decoration I have in mind is roughly 5' 10" and around 165 (works out) combined with my 5' 11" 190....... Not planning on any aggresive riding but hate the way the bike has handled the two times she has ridden with me.....hell we bottomed out once. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

  7. #17
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    I'd use the 240-GVWR Weight Settings as per the manual. Write down what you have now to reference later.


  8. #18
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    Thanks Steven

  9. #19
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    Here's a simple approach for the suspension-n00bs to start with. I am myself a n00b and this worked for me.

    1. Check the tire pressure. Set it where you like but make sure you know where it's at. You can feel the difference of a few pounds of air.

    2. Write down where the suspension is at now, before you make any changes. It gives you a reference point that you can return to in case you mess it up. Make sure you write it down because you won't be able to remember it later.

    3. Set up your suspension per the stock settings. If you like how it feels, you're done.

    FYI, the stock settings are really good. Don't go too far away from them. I made hundreds of little changes to all of the settings, and I always ended up very close to the stock settings. Let the suspension warm up before you make changes. A cold suspension is rougher.

    To me the stock settings were too bumpy and too flickable. This is what I did to change it.

    For a smoother ride.
    Once you have the preload set, you don't have to change it. Same goes with the compression damping - you won't need to change it at first. Focus on changing the rebound damping to smooth out the ride. Decrease the rebound damping by turning it out counter-clockwise about 1/8 turn. A little goes a long way. Start with the front only. See if it feels better. It probably will. Then go another 1/8 turn out. It might feel better or worse. Then for the heck of it, go another 1/8 turn out. It will probably start to get bumpy again. When it starts to get bumpy again you've gone too far. When it gets close to the best setting, you'll be surprised how small of an adjustment you'll be able to feel. Do the same for the rear shock to dial it in for how you like it. At first, just focus on one thing - the rebound damping.

    For a more stable ride.
    What I did was to raise up the front by increasing the preload on the front forks an extra 3 turns clockwise. It's not an optimum solution but it does help. The best way to improve stability is to install a steering stabilizer. It's not just for head-shakes and tank-slappers. It helps to smooth-out the steering input at any speed. This made the most difference. I can probably get the preload back to where it should be but I haven't done that yet because I like the way it rides now.

    This will get you started without getting you too frustrated. The next thing I'm going to try is heavier oil and progressive springs. I expect that will make it even better.

  10. #20
    On the rear shock, where is pre load position 4? Is it 4 from the top or bottom?



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