pre-set suspension??

Just wondering what everyone else has there front and rear pre-sets at?

It will be all differant due to our differant expanding guts .Standard person size ,as bike comes seems o.k ?

Fat bastard here. Front standard rear + 1

I think I understand about the rear shock, just using the suzuki supplied spanner and winding it up or down to adjust the suspension, but how do I adjust the front? It looks like a screw in the middle and a lock nut.
It's a 2002 1200.

The large screw is for adjusting the preload of the fork springs

The large nut is the device for removing the tops from the forks to change oil /seals etc when forks are removed from the bike

your rear shock should also have on the base of the unit a damping adjuster with preset type positions activated by a plastic ring with numbers on it
The stock position for my K5 model is

Rear damping
#2 facing the rear of the shock
Rear preload
notch #4

Front preload stock is 3 rings showing on the adjuster

http://ezinearticles.com/?Motorcycle-Suspension---Basic-Set-Up&id=728745

Havent touched mine since it left the shop 2yrs ago. Seems fine to me

great on decent roads. way to springy on country roads.
eased rear off 1 notch, possibly will reduce rebound 1 notch too.
Fronts I will also ease off.

fatty here too but perhaps it is just new bike or they put 15wt oil in them tha forks (doubt it but it feels like it)

may end up putting the race tech gold emulators in the front of this bike too. they were definitely awesome on my sv.

I have left mine stock and it is ok. 85kgs here plus gear.

At the track I fitted 35mm jack up links and screwed the preload from three rings to two. It transformed the bike on the track, but on the road it was so stiff and horrible I went back to stock.

Very shortly I'm booking the front in for the racetech kit to be fitted. I'm hoping for something a bit better out of the front, the rear feels fine to me. I'll replace it when it lets go with an Ohlins or Wilbers unit if money is no object.

on my sv, the suspension was soft and no amount of tweaking would work.
either too stiff of too spongey.
I had a mate do the race tech springs plus gold emulators and the results were awesome.
while they did not feel like gas shocks, they were firm and connected without being stiff.

stock on the bandit (and being brand new and winter), they feel more wooden on a bump and then
like superballs instead of springs.

If I cant tweak them down a bit, I will try the guy at slacks creek suspension and see if he can help.
(then it's on to pipes and power).

Sorrry mr glenby, I too are like graeme, mine is untouched since I picked it up, however I note there are a couple on here that have invested in their f/suspnsn with very good results... im happy to live with and adjust riding style for the average susp tho! (Gee the pr3s r bloody good...)

Ok, I have no idea how to adjust my suspension, but I would like to adjust rebound, if I can.

The roads here are very rough, and feels like the bike is rattling me every time I hit a repair patch or pot hole. It is causing me to grip the handles too much and affects my steering. So any advice on suspension? Could be the front end for all I know. (i don't know if it may have been adjusted before I bought it) and can anyone walk me through how it is done.

Ie, do I need to remove rear wheel or any covers....

Front standard, rear +7 (max). Not ideal one up, but I regularly carry a pillion and can't be stuffed adjusting it all the time.

gringo wrote:Ok, I have no idea how to adjust my suspension, but I would like to adjust rebound, if I can.

The roads here are very rough, and feels like the bike is rattling me every time I hit a repair patch or pot hole. It is causing me to grip the handles too much and affects my steering. So any advice on suspension? Could be the front end for all I know. (i don't know if it may have been adjusted before I bought it) and can anyone walk me through how it is done.

Ie, do I need to remove rear wheel or any covers....

No need to remove anything / have a read of mtbeerwah's post above to set sag , but here is the factory settings & how to change it
This is another good site
http://www.gostar-racing.com/information/motorcycle_suspension_set-up.htm

Front on line 3 preload (standard).
Rear pos 6 preload and rebound damping 1 turn out from closed (1 and 1/4 turn out is standard).
My weight is 75kg without gear.

Bike sent in for 1000k service + braided lines + suspension while they were at it.

Hel braided lines - not much difference than stock lines in winter. I expect they will be better when it warms up.
(my last lot of braided lines were industrial quality - no give in them at all).

Suspension changes
Front softened - can now see about 3.5 lines (eased by half a line).
Rear eased off 1 from stock + rebound softened a little (not sure as shop did it).
Results - bike is definitely more connected to the road and less bouncy.
much better touring, I havent tried it in twisties yet so no feedback to give on it.

What weight is the stock fork oil? it feels like 15wt. I may try lighter later to see if front is more responsive. Springs seem to hold bike well, so this may be something to do after a bit more riding.

got sick of looking at stock can as well. ordered an akropovic carbon can .
According to doco, it has same noise specs as stock, weights nothing and looks a lot nicer.
When it shows up I will pass on info.