I am sure some members have had their suspension professionally set up to suit. Could I get an idea of whether it was a worthy investment? I am speaking for road use only (often as an aged weekend larikan) so the bike does get a taste of hard use. I feel my set up is hard, although I am ill-equipped to really know good suspension from average, having been off bikes for some time. If possible, a recommendation for a West Midlands tech would be appreciated. Could be money well spent.
Thanks, DF. At the moment, for my Blade I am really thinking just setting the standard system correctly. From there, I could venture further, but I think realistically for the road, a 2 Grand Ohlins would be overkill. So I'm talking preload and sag and stuff. Sure, I can set it from the manual, but I wonder if the proper set-up accounting for rider's weight etc would be beneficial? Otherwise, I would just adjust and check, adjust and check my standard set-up.
I got Griff over at Aprilia Performance to set-up my Mille. I think he'd spit at me if I went in on the Blade. I'm going to give these guys a try in the summer when I've got a few more miles on the clock. http://www.roadandraceperformance.co.uk A decent suspension setup can make a world of difference.
Suspension is the first place you should look to improve on any bike to be honest. Even just getting it set for your weight and riding style makes a massive difference. I’ve been down most routes, from simple refresh and springs, to re-valving and springs, to full ohlins suspension on my bikes. (Did all of the above on my Blade). My opinion is that on every step of improvement there was a big jump in performance with the bike. I’m not talking about seconds a lap here, as mine was a road bike, but in the way I was able to control the bike and gain confidence as the bike was doing exactly as I expected and more. Riding on a magic carpet ride that just grips and cushions every bump with ease without sacrificing control is what it is all about. £2k on suspension? Seriously I’d rather spend that, than on an exhaust, powercommander and set of fancy foot pegs, and gain far more enjoyment out riding the bike knowing I was in full control.
Although not the midlands Mct in Suffolk are well worth the journey. I came out of there feeling I was on someone else’s bike, best money I’ve spent
I took mine to a local TT racer. Set up suspension and adjusted all levers etc, something id not really considered but what a difference the little changes make. Suspension wise its night and day, i was suprised how much better it felt considering the changes made werent drastic. Best £50 ive spent on it.
Thanks guys. I'd seen RRP in MCN and previously checked its website. Seems to be the best-credentials around my area. (Whilst I enjoy riding, Suffolk is a bit of a stretch) I'll give RRP a call tomorrow and make appointment for later in the week - after consulting the weather forecast! Will post results later. (BTW, my £2k Ohlins reference was merely figurative; I couldn't justify that for road use only.)
check these guys out, loads cheaper than UK http://www.shop.kyleusa.com/Ohlins-Motorcycle-Suspension_c2.htm
In all fairness once you have got your head around what part of your suspension does what and how it's controlled you could always have a try yourself. Just make sure you write stuff down so you alaways have a base reference point. Setting your sags up for your weight will massively improve handling right off the bat.... the rest is personal preference. Just remember once you have your sags set-up just make small adjustments to damping and rebound so you get the feeeling your looking for.
Thanks Tezza, but I'm merely seeking a 'ride in, ride out' suspension set-up service. I don't think I'm capable of noticing the difference between an Ohlins and a spring off a friggin' Pogo Stick!
You would be surprised what you notice, to go fast on a bike you need to be comfortable and relaxed, good suspenders will make you faster, or safer at the same speed.
Have a search I found my settings on here. Someone had had his done and checked what they set them to I just copied his settings onto my bike. How heavy are you? I'm 16st give or take a few pounds and my settings are in screen shot. I adjusted the rebound on the rear slightly harder after a few miles just as I prefer it slightly firmer
Thanks Gav, I'm 16.3, but on may way down to Pedrosa status. I'll do some checking though, because I think there were some suspension differences between the 2011 and the 12 -13 models. Cheers!
Worth a look and have a tinker yourself before paying someone to do it for you. Think your right 11-12 was when they changed to the bpf forks so my settings would be useless
