leave to, if you like it that way. You riding to Bedford? What you need is standards and do it there between sessions. Get missus or someone to bring the kit along in a car
So its full soft and static is 35? You need to have a second fair of hands or use headstock stand and get rider sag number too
sag with me is 35mm at full adjustment on the forks. But I can't take a measurement after bouncing down and pulling up and letting to settle on me own.
CR it's important to remember that what you're actually doing by twiddling those preload adjusters is altering the geometry and balance of the bike, increasing front sag lowers the front ride height and puts more of the bike's weight onto the front tyre, and vice-versa. Same with the rear shock but in reverse obviously. Your forks will be fine in the range 25mm-40mm but that 15mm range will have a big effect on handling, as has been said earlier - the only way you'll know what you like is by trying and comparing different set ups. Regards whether the springs are correct for you can't really be answered yet until you have an idea of what attitude you want the bike to sit at as the springs you have are close enough as you can set 35mm of sag within the adjustment range. Having said that you may well end up with springs that are one grade softer. You could use the springs you've got and spend some time finding out which ride heights suit your riding and/or 'feel more right' for you, and don't worry too much about the actual numbers as long as they are in range. If you arrive at an attitude/geometry that suits then you're good to go. Do not keep altering the damping controls as they have nothing to do with the sag settings. Sag settings control geometry and damping settings control the fork/shock. At this stage only start messing with damping if the bike is springing up too quickly or staying down when it should be rising (rebound) or is compressing too slowly/quickly (compression). Buy yourself a ride height tool from MVS Performance or wherever, get a long steel rule and a short steel rule, a long steel tape measure, maybe a Motion Pro or RaceTec(?) ride height tool, a notebook and be empirical about it. It's the only way you will learn what you are doing and what effect any future changes are likely to have. You can alter the geometry further by adjusting the rear ride height rod and/or pushing the forks up/down through the yokes. If you're serious about it then put fresh fork oil in and get the rear shock serviced, these are 10-15 years old components now and almost no one bothers to get shocks rebuilt and not many bother changing fork oil, so start with 'fresh' components and you'll be giving yourself a chance. Whilst your at it pull out the rear ride-height adjuster and measure the eye-to-eye length and whilst you're in there measure the amount of preload on the spring. It's also worth mentioning that you need to start measuring the circumference of your tyres, you've recently changed tyres and, unless they're the same make and type they won't be the same size and the rear could be as much as 15mm taller/shorter than your previous tyre - thus affecting geometry and handling significantly without you touching any adjusters. If you're going to get anywhere with it you need to take a technical approach to it, asking others what their settings are, or what some internet site says is right, is about as useful to you for this purpose as knowing what the author's favourite colour is; It is pretty much unheard of for two riders on the same bikes, in the same team, with all the same equipment to have identical settings and, more often than not, one rider will find the other's settings almost unusable. It really is a personal preference thing and much of it depends on your riding style, which will evolve along with your bike's set up.
@Air Duck makes sense. That's why I spent the time yesterday moving the forks through the yokes to 4 rings as I think this is generally accepted as being better. I figured this would make the front lower and therefore I could run less sag so that's now 31mm as my base setting, so I've got adjustments both ways from there. Good point about only adjusting sag now and leaving the comp/rebound for a bit.
Only use bike for touring really and a lot of that is 2up with luggage and I'm 15st, so I set preload and damping to factory settings with 4 rings and 285mm at rear. I spoke to the suspension guy at Sstone last week who said that would probably be about right for 2up as 999 is over damped as standard.
Obviously I couldn't leave it alone and had to fiddle Rear sag was 45mm. I've had people comment before it's low at the back, makes sense now. So set it to 30mm (hopefully my 1 man system worked ok ). This obviously tipped some weight forward so my front sag is now the recommended 35mm and I have it wound in 1 1/2 rings from max so that gives me some room to play. All good. Next ride will be weird, i can just tell by sitting on her my wrists will not be thanking me.......
You need to learn to put the weight through your legs and into your feet and not sit on the seat as if you're having tea and your nan's house. The seat is not for sitting on, it's for supporting your outside thigh only. Unless you're at a red traffic light. You gotta get ninja bruddah, think of yourself of as a racing jockey on stirrups when you get on the bike and not some fat old twat on a Goldwing. Get ninja.
So, rode hour to Bedford and 1 gentle session so far. Positive: bike handlt great. No longer needing loads of counter steering mid corner to keep her turning. Negative: lost 3 fillings on way here...
Forgot I had this, bought a few years ago when I put usd forks on my 907 and changed the offset/trail etc. Bit late now but if theres any sections you want a pic of pm me, although the books only about a tenner+pp.
