Dive on braking...?

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Bagger

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I notice when I down shift, decelerate or brake the front end of the FJR dives like crazy. Lots of weight transfer forward. :unsure:

When I got the bike last weekend, I was too busy learning to ride it and trying to get used to the bike.... but, now.... I notice this dive is pretty excessive. I don't care for it.

Has anyone found this also? If so, did you fix it or did the dealer have to use some special tool deal?

Appreciate it, folks.

BAGGER

 
You do know the suspension is adjustable, right??

I don't know what year you have, so I'll be general with comments.

Crank up the spring preload. Crank up the fork compression. Ride and keep tweaking. The manual has locations of each adjustment. Keep playing with them.

I swapped in Ohlins straight rate springs on my 03 (as well as WIlburs shock) and couldn't be happier.

If you are heavy, say over 200lbs or if you ride it harder than the average touring rider would, it's likely a spring swap is in order IF you cannot dial out the dive with adjustments.

Dunno if there are 06 springs available yet. Highly doubt it. Wilburs and Ohlins makes fork springs for 03-05's.

Do a search on "dive" and read up...

 
Bagger,

You'll have to provide more information if you want a reasonable answer.

Is it a new bike or a used bike? What model year is it? What kind of bike are you used to? Are you a heavy weight &/or ride two up?

Assuming(!) it's a used bike there are many potential service items, at the least.

If it's a new bike, it may just need adjustments to suit your needs.

After all fork oil & adjustments are made & no repairs are needed, you may find you would benefit from replacing the springs with firmer springs more suited to your weight & riding style. The fork oil can be changed to a lighter or heavier viscosity & all of the adjustments reset to suit. Use the search feature to find all of the past threads. Also go to FJR1300.info & FJRtech.com for a bunch of information.

By the way the question is phrased, I suspect it may be best if you take it to the dealer & let them look at it.

dobias <_<

 
I cam4e from a Concours with Progressive front springs and before that I had a cruiser.

First, the FJR has brakes that are a vast improvement over my last bikes and because I am primarily front brake user, considering the weight of this bike and the ease of brake squeeze:speed reduction, there is a lot of weight transfer.

I am currently at 250# and most of us er, uhm, heavyweight riders have found is that, as mentioned above, we have to add at least 1 line of preload to the front. IIRC, my forks are currently: Preload, 2nd line (factory= 3rd line from the top). +2 clicks of compression, +2 clicks of rebound (both after finding "neutral/center").

Read the owners manual for information on how to adjust the settings. Mine gives me a lot more feedback than the "touring mode" it came with. It's all part of the fun.

 
I'm sorry for my lack of information. I have a 2006 FJR.

I briefly looked at manual, but was not sure what the deal is. There are black adjustable, clicking deals atop the forks as well as a nut that seems to adjust something as well below the black thumb screws with a tube with several scored lines.

I'll read the manual, but didn't think it provided much help. Like when I changed the position of the bars. Manual wanted me to take it to the dealer..... who still does not have a service manual. I figured it out myself.

Thanx, guys.

BAGGER

 
Huh? My LBS equipped Hondas had very little dive on normal breaking... Interesting, I wonder the exact difference between the two systems...

Concur with the others, though, set up your suspension properly for you and you should be good to go.

 
GunMD....

WOW...!!! I just read your link to "Everything you wanted to know...", yada, yada. I gotta tell ya, it was everything I wanted to know and more! It's waaaaaaaaaay over my head, m'friend. Hell, I even graduated from a couple o'colleges and this stuff was like reading pharmacology after a few beers. :bigeyes:

I guess I'll have to fiddle with the nutz and the black finger clicky thingies and see if I can determine which is compression and which is damping.... or whatever.

I gotta admit that the link was really thorough. I just wish I could understand it and apply it. B)

BAGGER

 
There are black adjustable, clicking deals atop the forks as well as a nut that seems to adjust something as well below the black thumb screws with a tube with several scored lines.
I'm SURE the owners manual will tell you what those adjustable black clicking thingies do..... LOL.

AFTER reading the manual so that you know where the adjustments are for compression damping, rebound damping and front fork spring preload go to the bike and check and see where the settings are. Turn the compression damping and rebound damping screws in all the way counting the clicks to see where they were. Count the clicks out to reset them and leave the compression damping more than it was. They may not even be set at all.

Adjust the spring preload by turning the preload adjuster to get the sag right when you sit on the bike.

Beyond that, you can start increasing the fork oil level in the fork tubes to increase the progression from the decreased air space to help with braking dive.

Then there are numerous spring choices to increase spring rate if needed.

 
I just changed the fork oil for the 1st time on my 05. I thought I would measure the level before I dumped the old stuff. It was interesting to find that the oil level was low, straight from the factory.

 
Are you one of those people who throw away the the tech info sheets when you buy something new ?

Have you ever wonder why companies include them in the packaging with the parts?

My guess is to make sure you have a reference as to how it works and have all the tech info you will need for service and installation'

And most of all have a happy customer

Hope you bought the service manual that the shops buys for repairing. It will do you justice when needed for working on it.

 
I'm SURE the owners manual will tell you what those adjustable black clicking thingies do..... LOL.
jestal..... yeah, man. You have the skinny on this deal. Read the manual. I'll do that. Altho, I have browsed that smallish booklet to some degree once I figured out how to open the custom sangwich bag it arrived in. Where'd Yamaha find these?

But, I'll try what you said. I still find it all mysterious compared with my Harley's o'years past, my Valk, VTX and WING (which don't dive at all). None of these had any 'adjustments' and seem to ride, corner, brake, yada, yada, quite well indeed.

I'll re-read the Nippon produced Yankee manual, jetal..... Thanx. :dribble:

I'm just joshin' ya, bro. :p

BAGGER
 
I've never seen an 06, but I suspect this will help as it's probably very similar (even though the forks appear to be different)

The BOTTOM adjuster (flathead screw on a bung) is the compression. Clockwise is stiffer. Counterclockis softer. Count where both are as mentioned and turn them clockwise 2 more positions than stock.

The TOP black adjuster that you can turn with your hands in the rebound. Again, clockwise is stiffer (slower), counnter clock is softer (faster). Take a reading where they are and go 3 clicks stiffer.

Checking where these all are and readjusting should take you no more than 10 mins.

On earlier models, the circular pedestal that the rebound adjust is located turns to adjust the PRELOAD. A 17mm open end wrench is needed. You'll see lines milled into the cylinder. That's how you measure and what we're talking about when we say 2 lines showing. Change it show that line 2 is just barely showing.

Write down the before and after settings, too! This way if you screw it up you can go back to stock and do-over.

With these new base settings, ride it around get a feel for what it's doing, tweak from there. Find that balance between manageable brake dive and harshness on rough roads/RR tracks.

Also remember if you stiffen the spring preload, the rebound will feel softer. So you may have to go stiffer on the rebound if you adjust the preload stiffer. Adjust the preload in 45 degree turns of the adjuster at a time as it's tough to judge both are even otherwise, especially when you are past the line (you'll see what I mean).

Re-read that article and try to understand why you would adjust what setting. It will go a LONG way towards enlightenment!

 
BTW, I can almost GUARANTEE that you'll want stiffer springs within 6 or 8K miles since you're 250lbs. THat is if you ride hard at at. Stock stuff fatigues easily and isn't the best quality. Nothing the aftermarket can't solve, but I wouldn't buy them until you KNOW they will fit the 06's.

 
I've never understood why dealers wouldn't at least set sag (spring preload) during a delivery. If you have a couple folks, it's really fast.

Anyone experience this from a dealer?

 
Another suspension tutorial. It's branded for Ohlins but the settings (sag, etc.) are appropriate for all types. Look for static and dynamic sag adjustments and what rebound and compression damping do and how they "should" act. Then get the owners manual out for details on HOW to adjust the Feejers settings.

https://www.bikes-n-spikes.org/misc/shocks.pdf

I still find it all mysterious compared with my Harley's o'years past, my Valk, VTX and WING (which don't dive at all). None of these had any 'adjustments' and seem to ride, corner, brake, yada, yada, quite well indeed.
knowing many riders of each of those bikes listed (and coming to the FJR from 10 years on 3 different wings), i can pretty much tell you why those bikes don't offer the suspension setting options that performance bikes do. there are far too many that don't have a grasp on what is possible with current moto technologies and would not attempt to learn new things dealing with setting up a suspension properly. also, compared to said performance bikes, no they do not "corner well indeed". as for the wing, they "ride well indeed" is appropriate when you add their standard qualifying statement: "for a bike of its weight". ;)

BOTTOM LINE: Dig in and learn something new. In exchange you'll be amazed at what your new bike can do.

 
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OK... nuther dumb question...

does the service manual contain the same info that's in the owner's manual (which I dont' have)

My bike is set way too hard, it literally bounced like a basketball going down the gravel driveway. I think it's set up for 2-up...

I can only get my toes on the ground...I found the lowering links url...

Does Progressive make springs ..preferably shorter...for the FJR?

05 and I'm under ( just a bit, but under :) ) 175 lbs...

Thanks

Mary

 
click here

that is an online copy of the owner's manual.

NO _ it is not the same as a service or shop manual. Service manual goes into much more detail on torque values and how to fix stuff. not sure what this manual will have on setting shocks up.

Not so much your weight on the foot on the ground as inseam. Check to see if your bike is on the "soft" setting.

Frankly, high or low seat position didn't do much different for me on seat to ground height as much as it did for seat to foot peg geometry.

On my old bike - it was MUCH easier to get your feet on the ground from the high position. Something about the low position making you spread your legs more, I guess.

 
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