Suspension Settings
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Here is a link you might find interesting: http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_susp_settings/#kawasaki
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Don't bother copying that, the editors at SR weigh like 150lbs. DO read their entire suspension section and tweak yours with your newly acquired knowledge. Honestly I doubt the stock stuff will work brilliantly for a 220 pounder no matter what you do. But set your sag, play with the damping, see what happens. If you're riding on the street you might end up satisfied.
You really need to have someone set your suspension for YOU. All bikes are different. If you can't find someone to do it then you should go to a dealership or shop that has a race team and is experienced with this and have them set it up for you. Going off someone elses settings is too inaccurate.
nig said:
+1 - start with everything in the middle (after setting sag) and go from there.
http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0006_susp/
As was stated earlier, it is best to do this on the track.
Thank you all for your advice......the more I read the more I lean towards changing the suspension keep in mind I am not a pro at any means but I want the ability to adjust the suspension as I advance on it ....This is something I will want to do myself althou I will pick as many brains as I can....and at my size from what I can tell I would have a wider range of adjustment by shelfing the stock components.
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For sag measurement? I've done it with one friend, though it helps if one of you is relatively strong (enough to lift one end of the bike). Only one end of the bike has to be lifted at a time for the full travel measurements, and the rider doesn't have to be sitting on it at that point. For the rider sag measurements two friends is ideal, one to hold the bike upright while you sit on it and another to measure, but you can get creative about holding the bike up. You can lean it mostly upright against a wall, I used a long ratcheting tie down at two points on the frame and wrapped around a post to hold the bike up, while my g/f measured.
Play with the stock stuff for a while, see if you like it. If you see something lacking, then upgrade.
Play with the stock stuff for a while, see if you like it. If you see something lacking, then upgrade.
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so how easy is it to change suspension settings? I don't have to do it on my bike but i've been interested in the 10r because all the magazines say its such a great bike; all it needs is a steering damper and new suspension settings. I dont know much about it at all; how big of a deal is it?
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Up to you. Some people take their bike to a "professional" for an oil change, others rebuild the bottom end in their back yard with a Clymer manual. Suspension is just another skill to learn. Will you get it set up as well as a true suspension tuner? Maybe, but not likely. Will you get it set up as well as the average service tech at the dealership? Most probably.
What you should have heard was that nearly all bikes need suspension adjustments from the factory. This is not specific to the 10R but a general statement for all bikes - set the sag then tweak the suspension to suit your riding style. Sag needs 2-3 people to do, but the rest can be done by the rider providing he/she knows what's what. The tweaking part should be done on the track.poulsen said:
Many shops set the suspension to the middle of the adjustment range when they uncrate the bikes, but I always check. My 10R came set in the middle from my dealer and it wasn't bad. I then set it to the Sport Rider suggested settings which were a little better, but made it hard to turn at high speed (anything over 120). So I backed off the preload in front and problem solved.
Having just installed my Penske, I will now have to do it all over again but hey - I like playing with my suspension!
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