Suspension [since no-one is saying much]

Wot's everyone got their suspension set on?

I had it with the standard settings for quite some time, and i think the ride like that is as hard as i don't know what - loose teeth after a couple of hours. I have reset it to the second softest on the front and back, and increased the damping by about 3/4 of a turn and i have to say the ride is so much better. I no longer feel as though all the bumps have 90 degree angles and wads better all round. i think there is a tendency to set the suspension way too hard for the road - i think hard is ok for the track but realistically you don't want your eyeballs shaken out of their sockets - the relentless pounding has gone

Hello PM
Did you change the suspension with the standard tool kit c-spanner ?
was it difficult ?

yes you use the standard "C" spnner
Take off the LH pillion peg and bracket (2 bolts at frame, tightened to 23 or 25Nm) to get more room
It requires a bit of effort to get it moving or you can use a longer bar than the one supplied in the tool kit to make it heaps easier.
Me being a lazy so and so uses a 3 foot bar

Oh

and after some piss farting around I have now got my suspension set to
rear = 3 and + 1/4 damping (may go down to 2 yet)
front = all the way soft

dhula wrote:yes you use the standard "C" spnner
Take off the LH pillion peg and bracket (2 bolts at frame, tightened to 23 or 25Nm) to get more room
It requires a bit of effort to get it moving or you can use a longer bar than the one supplied in the tool kit to make it heaps easier.
Me being a lazy so and so uses a 3 foot bar

Had to do the same...But i used a large screwdriver in the end of the extension bar

I put my rear on 4.....may be to hard when its just me (85kg's)--What do you lot think???
But seems pretty good when i'm two-up.

i guess it depends on how you like your suspension to feel and what your riding style is. i gave the sag thing away to find a better, softer ride by piss farting around. i can say that for spirited it's a bit better to have pre-load tighter, but for me the looser the pre-load, the nicer the ride when taking it easy.


For a comparo, I weigh in at 107 kg and 12-15 kgs heavier when dressed to ride

I have the rear preload set to 7 with standard damping and the front I've left as standard. I weigh 110kg and regularly carry a 50kg pillion (youngest son). I set it there about 5 years ago when the eldest was pillioning, and never bothered set it back.

I actually like it on the firm side, I've found the it doesn't 'wallow' anywhere near as much on sprited rides.

I have gone +1 clicker on the rear and thats the only change made. I got the guys to do it as part of the pre delivery after discussions with them. Happy with the results.

Hi,

Also weigh about 85kgs, the front forks are on the fourth line turned out ('08 model) and i have pulled the forks through the triple set by 7mm. Sound funny but tried both 5mm and 10mm and there was a difference to turn in.

Rear is on 4.

Have found a company over in the U.K called Hyperpro that manufacture progressive springs for the Bandit (not sure for all models though)

Have yet to look at costs for mailing to Oz, just checked the u.k, price,but happy with the review in BIKE magizine (FEB 2010 issue)

They make both fork and rear springs.

Im booking myself in at Terry Hay's shock treatment.
Potato Masher and myself went for a theory lesson with another group there a few weeks back. Very interesting. So im going to go and get him to sort my bike out, and see if he reccomends after market stuff.

i sent them an email about getting cartridge emulators put in and they didnt reply - not sure if they dont like bandits or dont check their website emails

i have found that the second softest on the back is good and about middle on the front - i had a pillion on the back for quite some time the other day and jacked the rear up to 6 - went quite well

The Bandit has a 20mm cartridge fork...AFAIK cartridge emulators are used with damper rod forks.

Overall, I believe rear unit is good for about 25000 kms after which the damping deteriorates. But this is only what I have 'learned' from postings at the US sites. I can't say because mine was replaced at about 5000kms. My own experience with the forks are that the standard springs are too soft and Suzuki compensates for this by having too much compression damping. You can improve the fork action by going to 5wt oil but the real fix is to re-spring (1.0 Kg/mm will suit average weight riders) but you must rework the valving, both compression and rebound to match. I also found that a good fork brace will really help a lot.

Seems the B1250 is a big girl on long and spindly legs.

Funny thing is, with the rework, she rides better AND handles better.

Cheers Peter

Hi,

Have been onto the Hyperpro site, to find that their aussie dealers are YSS Austalia Racing Suspension.

There is a front-rear Hyperpro spring-kit for just over $400.00. Asked about the 5000klm rear shock situation mentioned above and was told that YSS already have a replacement shock for the Bandit.

Unfortunately the reply was brief, with no part number so will check out their "replacement shock" and appropriate price.

Asked about steering dampners as well as they have many, no specific kit as such yet, would therefore have to work out which is best suited.

This is an old topic so no-one may pick it up again - but I have an observation re. the back susupension on the Bandit 1250. Mine has been very harsh - 'jolty' on the uneven roads around South Australia's McLaren Vale area, so I had a think. Surely the problem is not so much the spring - which I understand is simply to hold the bike level when you sit on it - but rather the damper being too harsh under compression. I left my spring alone (position 4 I believe) and softened off the damper 1/2 turn. On my ride last Sunday [See "Worst Ride In Australia" in the Photos and Videos section] I definitely felt the sharp edge was off the bumps. In fact I assumed that the road was smoother than further south, but my friend on his FZ6 commented on how 'rough' the roads we had ridden were. There were a few corners where I would describe the Bandit's handling as "verging on wallowy", but then I haven't tackled so many corners in one run before, so who knows if the old setting would have felt different through those particular corners? Perhaps the back wheel would have skipped around with harsher damping. Anyway I throw this in for you to devour. I'm sure someone more knowledgable will clarify the physics for me and point out why I have done the opposite of what I should have done!
For reference I must be about 110 kgs in my riding gear - OK probably closer to 115!
Smooth riding to you all
P.S. I also have softened my front fork all the way - and that seems better also, even with a pillion.

1952 wrote:
P.S. I also have softened my front fork all the way - and that seems better also, even with a pillion.

I cant think of why you'd want the front softer Most Bandit riders want it firmer and go to a lot of trouble doing so but if it works for you. Have a look at some of my video's (link in sig) and see how much the front and rear suspension work. In one vid the front bottoms out crossing some culverts. When new I played around with the rear settings and guess what? I finished up pretty much back at the stock settings. But thats because of the roads where I ride. If I was commuting on smooth blacktop every day I could go firmer but riding here is a compromise and middle of the road settings seem to work.

I weight 90kg and fully geared 100kg I have the front dialed down to 2 and the rear 5 for daily commuting, my only problem is the rebound damping I can't seem to get that right - actually can someone tell me which way to turn the screw for more damping (less pogo effect) is it to the left or right ??

Pretty sure its clockwise (right) to increase damping, but its printed next to the adjuster screw if you get down and eyeball it,

Cheers Peter

Yeah clockwise to slow the rebound down and anti clockwise to increase it. If the rear ends feels jolty or bouncy u need to slow the rebound down.

2Wheelsagain - yes I was very surprised that softening the front end was the way to go - I may tighten it one step to test again whether it is as smooth - but I have to say that I have had no lack of confidence in the front end.

Re: Adjusting the stiffness of the back end I will quote from page 2-23 of the GSF1250A/SA manual:

The rebound damping force can be adjusted by turning the adjuster [located at the bottom of the rear suspension]
To adjust the rebound damping force, set the damping to the standard setting first and then adjust the adjuster to the desired position.

To set the rebound damping force adjuster to the standard position, turn the adjuster clockwise until it stops and then turn it counterclockwise 1-1/4 turns until the two punch marks align. If the two punch marks do not align by turning out 1-1/4 turns, turn in or out the adjuster until two punch marks align.
Turn the adjuster clockwise from the standard position to stiffen the damping force. Turn the adjuster counter-clockwise to soften the damping force.

The damping force shoud be adjusted gradually, 1/8 turn at a time, to fine tune the susupension.

I am still convinced that jolty and bouncy are two different and opposite responses - the first because of too much damping on compression and the later on inadequate damping as compression is removed. The spring is just fitted to hold the bike roughly in the middle of the shock absorber's stroke when no dynamic forces are being applied - so that the wheel can move up or down depending on whether it hits a bump or a rut. The strength of the spring mostly just determines how much static weight the bike can carry without sagging - although an overly strong spring would not allow the shock absorber to move as it needs to, to deal with road irregularities, and would lead to the back wheel bouncing off the pavement as the tyre alone acted as a spring. In the olden days of rigid frames the tyres were the only suspension.
The damper setting affects the speed of the stroke of the shock-absorber piston inside the shock absorber.

It's nice to ride roads that make these thoughts go through my head, and have me thinking about how to fine tune the suspension.

To all of the Canberrans, I was having front end problems (as we all have)with my 08 1250 so I contacted Laurie at Suspension Smith in Fyshwick and asked him what to do with my Bandit,He had a look at my front tyre wear and gave me quote to fix my problems which I thought was reasonable,now the bike handles great and gives me a lot of feel in the front and the tyre wear is as it should be,

+1, Yes Laurie is a good man, he has helped me with my Fireblade and the B1250,

Matchyman wrote:To all of the Canberrans, I was having front end problems (as we all have)with my 08 1250 so I contacted Laurie at Suspension Smith in Fyshwick and asked him what to do with my Bandit,He had a look at my front tyre wear and gave me quote to fix my problems which I thought was reasonable,now the bike handles great and gives me a lot of feel in the front and the tyre wear is as it should be,

So what magic did this magician weave?

2 wheels again,
I don't really know what magic he performed,Stiffer springs and different valves I think, but whatever it was it certainly works, as I wrote the Bike now has a lot of feel and now feels planted in the front end. He did tell me that the Bandit is way to soft in the front and when pushed hard it bottoms out the front suspension and relies on the tyre to much.

Hi Matchman, if you dont mind me asking, what was the cost of the operation?

$400

Probably some of the best money you'll spend on the bandit IMO