FJR handling / suspension settings

Folks-

I've had my FJR for about 3 months. I'm still trying different suspension settings. I have changed the stock settings to:

Topic 14779

FRONT

* Preload, Line-2

* Rebound, 6 clicks out.

* Compression, 8 clicks out.

REAR

* Preload - Hard

* Rebound - 6 clicks out.

The bike feels better. My only issue, if you will, I'd like to have the bike cut into a turn easier. What I mean is that initiating a turn requires 'pushing' the grip on the side of the bike for the direction you will be turning, but once leaned over, you need to maintain constant pressure on the bar to keep the bike from standing back up and to allow finishing the turn. On my 02 VFR, it was, obviously, more "flickable", but once leaned over the handling was neutral in that it did not require any bar force to continue the turn. I'd like to get the FJR this way as well if possible.

TIA

Scott

Big, heavy and long bike. Pushing and maintaining a push is status quo. You didn't mention which tires or pressure you're running, BTW.

Try going a couple clicks more firm on the rear rebound damping and see what that does. I just had the suspension adjusted on my R1 at a track day. As the guru was helping me fine tune the adjustments, the last thing he asked me to check was how the bike exited a certain corner. If it wanted to run wide, he would adjust it. Sure enough, that's what it did. I brought it back in, he made a minor adjustment and I went back out. Bingo! It was neutral exiting the corner and I was able to keep on the racing line.

If I remember correctly, he cranked up the preload a minor bit. Since you already have it set to the hard position, you're out of luck there. But I think a firmer rebound damping on the rear will help the bike track better on the straights as well as be more neutral in the turns. That was my experience when I made that change on the FJR.

You don't say what your weight is; that will affect how much difference each click of adjustment will make.

'twowheelnut': Big, heavy and long bike. .... You didn't mention which tires ... you're running

Click to expand...

So...:

Don't add anything (accessories, etc.) to make it any bigger.

Don't add anything to make it any heavier -- in fact, try to lighten-it some (alu parts, carbon-fiber parts, etc.).

Make it shorter (relatively) with shorter rear suspension links -- which raises the back of the bike, steepens the rear swinging arm angle (overall shorter length, admittedly quite small), and steepens the steering angle. Raising the fork tubes in their triple clamps (some) will tend to help, too.

Tire selection can make a difference.

Or...., consider trading for a nice Gen I (the handler) -- should be able to get a good deal? :huh:

I'm 185 lbs.

Tires are stock (I think they are Bridgestones).

Tire pressure is what is recommended on bike (I think 36 front and 42 rear).

On the VFR, I did crank up the rear pre-load and this made the bike really nice in a corner and neutral once leaned over. But, yes on the FJR seting the lever at FIRM - that's all you get. Hmmmm, ok, I'll try more clicks on the rear damping.

Thanks

Scott

zenwhipper said:

I'm 185 lbs.Tires are stock (I think they are Bridgestones).

Tire pressure is what is recommended on bike (I think 36 front and 42 rear).

On the VFR, I did crank up the rear pre-load and this made the bike really nice in a corner and neutral once leaned over. But, yes on the FJR seting the lever at FIRM - that's all you get. Hmmmm, ok, I'll try more clicks on the rear damping.

Thanks

Scott

Click to expand...

I'm 160 and have the pre-load set to soft, just as a point of reference. Let us know what more experimentation brings.

Stock tires are the '020's IIRC. If they are anything like the 021's, you should see a major improvement with a tire swap, but I've not ridden the '020's, so...

Also, try bumping the front to 40 and the rear to 42.

Mine is......

FRONT

Spring Preload, Line 1

Rebound, 8 clicks out.

Compression, 6 clicks out.

REAR

Preload - Soft

Rebound - 6 clicks out.

But the biggest improvement is to get rid of the BT020's and try Michelin PR2's, they really do turn and track well.

Try 40lb front and 42lb rear.

As we all ride differently suspension settings will mainly be trial and error.

Change one thing at a time, if you change too much you won't know which setting you tried made it better or worse.

twowheelnut said:

Stock tires are the '020's IIRC. If they are anything like the 021's, you should see a major improvement with a tire swap, but I've not ridden the '020's, so...
Also, try bumping the front to 40 and the rear to 42.

Click to expand...

Ahhhh...Yep!

Try this instead:

Good suggestions above.

Different tires, CHECK!

More tire pressure, check.

Tighter rear rebound, check.

Here's my additions...

Reduce the front preload. Make at least two lines visible.

Reduce the rear preload to SOFT (assuming you are solo, no bags).

Sounds to me like your overall cornering height is too high and unbalanced. The rear needs to come way down and stay there longer (rear preload, rear rebound), and the front may also be a bit too high, but less than the rear (front preload).

There is a "sweet spot" in suspension travel where your body mass settles into a "center" position and the bike does what I call the "Yamaha rail" through the corners. Too high and the bike hunts. Too low and the bike mushes. Just right and nothing rails a corner like a Yami.

I can't add much that Jeff and everyone else hasn't covered, but 1 thing that really helped turn in on my bike was the addition of a superbrace.

It made the bike way more sensative to countersteering, which thus required less throwing my body to get that puppy to lean.

I also added stiffer front springs, but I don't really feel like that changed turn in, just how it held a line.

One other option, and I don't know if this is can be done on an FJR, is to raise the rear with adjustable dogbones, or to add a shim to the rear shock. I'm not sure, maybe someone else knows if either of those can be done.

FJRMGM said:

But the biggest improvement is to get rid of the BT020's and try Avon Storms, they really do turn and track well.

Click to expand...

I have to agree, out of all the tires I've had on the FJR, the Avons had the quickest turn in.

I still like stradas the best though, but that is for another thread.