Re: [ST] Rear Suspension settings

[Blake Sobiloff <sobiloff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Robert Wilson wrote:


> My rear suspension has suddenly started to "bottom out" when going over
> bumps. I don't know if this can be remedied by standard adjustments or the
> whole unit needs replacing. I've done about 11,000 miles.

Sudden changes to your bike's handling could be indicative of a 
mechanical failure. This is assuming, of course, that you didn't 
suddenly gain a bunch of weight, or decide to carry your personal 
bowling ball collection with you when you ride. You may wish to have 
your dealer examine the rear shock to ensure that it's functioning 
correctly.

> What I found were terms like "Rebound Damping Adjustment" and "Spring
> Pre-load Adjustment". Unfortunately the handbook does not deign to explain
> what these terms actually mean. Which adjustment do I make and do I increase
> it or decrease it to fix the "bottoming out" problem?

Increasing the amount of spring pre-load will help prevent the rear end 
from bottoming out. The instructions in the owners guide are pretty good 
about telling you how to actually make the adjustment. However, it can 
be a bit confusing, as 0 turns of pre-load is actually the most pre-load 
you can set, a/k/a the stiffest rear setting possible. Increasing the 
number of turns reduces the amount of pre-load and softens the rear end. 
Note that you'll also hear/feel the adjuster screw click every half turn.

As discussed (some would say ad naseum :-) on a thread I started a while 
ago, it seems like the rear suspension should sag (compress) about 30% 
of it's total travel when you sit on it. For the ST, which has 120 mm of 
rear suspension travel, you probably want to have the suspension 
compress about 36 mm when you sit on it. Of course, this is just a 
starting point; you may wish for something more or less stiff according 
to your personal preference. (Thanks to all, especially Darren and Erik, 
for helping me figure this stuff out.)

- -- 
Blake "Dawgbert" Sobiloff <sobiloff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Burlingame, CA, USA


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