Suspension ...views?

[motorcycleboy]

The only issue I have with the suspension is when exiting a corner, if I hit the gas a bit too happily the rear end does a little dance, the bike kind if wallows around for a while until it settles, usually it feels like the rear is slipping a bit at that time too. Not exactly confidence inspiring.

Hi Relz, when i had the same "dance" as you describe from rear wheel, i realize that happends for 2 reasons.
Thw first is that we have to obbey at "the twist of wrist" rules, which suggests to open the throtle progressivelly from the start of the turn and after the apex to give a minimal turn on the handlebar to the inside side, so the bike become stand-up and then open full throtle.
The second is that we allways have to put our body at the inside of the bike all the time... at the end of the straight line, before we press the brakes, on braking time, when we lean the bike and start openning the throtle and at the end of the turn when we have to fully open the throtle.
That have told me at California Superbike Schoool and at Supermoto Sliding School where i've had driving lessons on 2003 and 2005 and i found that "work" at every day commuting.

 

[RipGroove]

im riding mine supermoto style, and having great fun, its like riding a bloody bucking horse, wheelies nice, bars are flapping like mad, loving it.
advice is have a fiddle and just ride the bloody thing as it is a budget allrounder and not a gp bike.

That still doesn't mean thats how I was riding mine when it bottomed out?

 

[RipGroove]

Hi Relz, when i had the same "dance" as you describe from rear wheel, i realize that happends for 2 reasons.
Thw first is that we have to obbey at "the twist of wrist" rules, which suggests to open the throtle progressivelly from the start of the turn and after the apex to give a minimal turn on the handlebar to the inside side, so the bike become stand-up and then open full throtle.
The second is that we allways have to put our body at the inside of the bike all the time... at the end of the straight line, before we press the brakes, on braking time, when we lean the bike and start openning the throtle and at the end of the turn when we have to fully open the throtle.
That have told me at California Superbike Schoool and at Supermoto Sliding School where i've had driving lessons on 2003 and 2005 and i found that "work" at every day commuting.

Keith code ftw [emoji2]

 

[Pool Boy]

Surely if you increase the rebound damping without the ability to increase the compression damping, when you travel across a rough surface the suspension gets progressivly more compressed because it can't recover quickly enough, so it will inevitably bottom out eventually ?

Or am I missing something ?

I've always compared the need to upgrade suspension(*) to the golfers who continually buy more and more expensive clubs in the hope that it will improve their game.
I'm not convinced that unless your name's Rossi you'll get any benefit from it.
Of course - A) some of you may be called Rossi
B) to many, a bike is a toy - so play with it to your heart's content as long as you enjoy whatever you do on it, that's all that matters

(*) Assuming it's not actually faulty / worn out of course

 

[My Toy]

Surely if you increase the rebound damping without the ability to increase the compression damping, when you travel across a rough surface the suspension gets progressivly more compressed because it can't recover quickly enough, so it will inevitably bottom out

I don't think there is enough compression damping to achieve that on this bike, not on my bike anyway. I've tried every combination of preload and rebound and can't get the bike to behave anything like my 9 year old , 33,000 mile VFR. I know they are completely different bikes but what I mean is, well, my particular MT has crap suspension.


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[RipGroove]

Surely if you increase the rebound damping without the ability to increase the compression damping, when you travel across a rough surface the suspension gets progressivly more compressed because it can't recover quickly enough, so it will inevitably bottom out eventually ?

Or am I missing something ?

I've always compared the need to upgrade suspension(*) to the golfers who continually buy more and more expensive clubs in the hope that it will improve their game.
I'm not convinced that unless your name's Rossi you'll get any benefit from it.
Of course - A) some of you may be called Rossi
B) to many, a bike is a toy - so play with it to your heart's content as long as you enjoy whatever you do on it, that's all that matters

(*) Assuming it's not actually faulty / worn out of course

I'd hazard a guess that the screw on the shock actually adjusts both together.

 

[stevecbr]

I find it quite good, and like not having to much adjustment.
Its been fine 2 up, has never bottomed out (preload on 5 of 7), and I have no problem keeping up with a mate on a new R1 on long ride outs. Following him closely, a big bump mid corner unsettles his bike as much as my MT.
For whats basically a budget naked bike, I'm surprised it handles as well as it does to keep up with super sport bikes.
Obviously if I will willing to either get it set up by a specialist or buy decent aftermarket suspension it would be even better.
I have never got off my MT after a ride and thought it handled dangerously (unlike my 2002 R1, which felt like it was trying to kill me sometimes!)

 

[relz]

Hi Relz, when i had the same "dance" as you describe from rear wheel, i realize that happends for 2 reasons.
Thw first is that we have to obbey at "the twist of wrist" rules, which suggests to open the throtle progressivelly from the start of the turn and after the apex to give a minimal turn on the handlebar to the inside side, so the bike become stand-up and then open full throtle.
The second is that we allways have to put our body at the inside of the bike all the time... at the end of the straight line, before we press the brakes, on braking time, when we lean the bike and start openning the throtle and at the end of the turn when we have to fully open the throtle.
That have told me at California Superbike Schoool and at Supermoto Sliding School where i've had driving lessons on 2003 and 2005 and i found that "work" at every day commuting.

I try to obey the same rules whenever I can.
Sometimes the (now only slightly due to G2) snatchy throttle, keeps me off the gas for a bit too long. I'm still trying to ease on the gas really gentle at the beginning, that sometimes it comes on later than I plan, too deep into the corner, rather than right at the entrance.

I guess another differentiating factor could simply be the quality of the roads here and there. I imagine that all the roads in the UK and europe are race-track quality , while the best roads here are pretty bumpy, even the best toll-road highways here have dips and bumps every now and then. There's hardly any corner on my ride between work and home, where either the asphalt is really slippery, or it's angled the wrong direction or there are cracks/holes in the road, or it's bumpy mid-turn (usually it's more than one of those options).

Maybe that's why I'm more sensitive to the suspension...
(or maybe I'm just a crappy driver as you suggested )

 

[motorcycleboy]

I try to obey the same rules whenever I can.
Sometimes the (now only slightly due to G2) snatchy throttle, keeps me off the gas for a bit too long. I'm still trying to ease on the gas really gentle at the beginning, that sometimes it comes on later than I plan, too deep into the corner, rather than right at the entrance.

Try to keep rpm between 4 - 7k to avoid instant acceleration, don't point how deep, saw at the exit and the bike will follow your mind.. (my nose bleading cause i dive too deep to find octopus 2,5 hours ago....)

I guess another differentiating factor could simply be the quality of the roads here and there. I imagine that all the roads in the UK and europe are race-track quality , while the best roads here are pretty bumpy, even the best toll-road highways here have dips and bumps every now and then. There's hardly any corner on my ride between work and home, where either the asphalt is really slippery, or it's angled the wrong direction or there are cracks/holes in the road, or it's bumpy mid-turn (usually it's more than one of those options).

Hope to come here one day to see yourself the quality.. for that reason i have all the preload of my front fork all out (5 lines sawn) cause i need "enduro" travels. I'm 70kg, static sag is about 4cm, but the comp. rebound is full at H. The 137mm travel working everywere..
At the rear i keep the 42 psi in D214.... all the crown working.

Maybe that's why I'm more sensitive to the suspension...
(or maybe I'm just a crappy driver as you suggested )

You are better driver or rider than me....?

 

[PaulG]

I'd hazard a guess that the screw on the shock actually adjusts both together.

no ,rebound only.
only the more sophisticated,single adjustment dampers such as Nitron or Ohlins do both.

 

[RipGroove]

no ,rebound only.
only the more sophisticated,single adjustment dampers such as Nitron or Ohlins do both.

So there's no damping adjustment at all on the rear?

 

[Triple Trouble]

So there's no damping adjustment at all on the rear?

R u talking about the stock MT suspension?

 

[My Toy]

So there's no damping adjustment at all on the rear?

Yeah, there's damping adjustment, just no damping lol


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[RipGroove]

R u talking about the stock MT suspension?

Yeah the screw on the stock rear shock.

 

[Triple Trouble]

Yeah the screw on the stock rear shock.

The damping screw is "shocking"! Lol

 

[PaulG]

So there's no damping adjustment at all on the rear?

On the stock damper,rebound only(FA at that),no compression.

 

[RipGroove]

On the stock damper,rebound only,no compression.

I would have thought it would have been the other way around.

 

[PaulG]

No,usually if there is only one adjustment,it will be rebound as that is most effective in altering handling.Also,usually, if the adjuster is on the shaft end of the damper,it will be rebound.If it is on the body or remote reservoir it will be compression.
The only bike that I have seen that had compression and no rebound was a Suzuki Freewind.

 

[Spot]

I think the suspension is adequate..... Not great, but not as bad as some people have made out.
Saying that, when funds allow I will be upgrading (most probably Nitron).

 

[PaulG]

I think the suspension is adequate..... Not great, but not as bad as some people have made out.
Saying that, when funds allow I will be upgrading (most probably Nitron).

The Nitron is a good unit.They used feedback from me and the NZ agent to fine tune their settings for the MT09.I believe my MT was the second one they did.