Took a dive...into the suspension settings

[RzrBak]

Suspension settings baffled and boggled my mind every time I started to read threads on the topic. Responses made things "not so much clearer" so I've stayed away from the whole thing. The past couple of weeks I've delved into a major maintenance project. I bought the bike a little over a year ago and outside of oil and final drive maintenance (I'm ashamed to say) I haven't done much else. The bike had 10,083 miles on it and the odo now shows a tick under 30k...so into the abyss I went.

I flushed clutch, brakes, cooling system, changed tires, spark plugs and front brake pads (also cleaned/greased caliper pins, clips and pistons). What a difference the ride was afterwards! So, with that under my belt, I thought I would once again tackle the suspension issue. I knew there was way too much information on the topic in the forum so I decided to stay with the thread that HaulinAshe posted back in '06 (had it bookmarked).

My rider weight, typical payload and riding style was almost identical the HaulinAshe so when I went to adjusting, I was surprised to find that the front was still at factory settings. After making the adjustments to the front, I moved to the back and again found that rebound was set at stock. I've changed the preload lever before but never stayed with the "hard" setting as I just didn't like it. Now with the rebound changed...big difference and me likey.

I commute 150 miles RT and I'm tellin' ya, these changes (for my bike) made a huge difference.

I'd say to any new FJR owner, if you aren't going to throw money at changing the suspension components, don't have a "go-to" guy and you just don't like the way the bike rides do as HaulinAshe suggests, "Check your suspension settings". If they are at stock, make adjustments (use his settings as a starting point). You'll be glad you did!

 

[TomInPA]

Those settings were a great help when I got started. I think someone was trying to apply them to a Gen 3 bike, and I don't think it would work quite the same there. Wait until you get an aftermarket shock on that bike. What a world of difference! Better turn-in, faster response and no more peg dragging in turns.

For more garage excitement, do the pivot point lubes on the shifter, rear brake pedal and clutch lever. I think you'll notice the difference.

 

[RzrBak]

Those settings were a great help when I got started. I think someone was trying to apply them to a Gen 3 bike, and I don't think it would work quite the same there. Wait until you get an aftermarket shock on that bike. What a world of difference! Better turn-in, faster response and no more peg dragging in turns.
For more garage excitement, do the pivot point lubes on the shifter, rear brake pedal and clutch lever. I think you'll notice the difference.

Yeah, I didn't think to clarify this starting point related to Gen 1 until afterwards...oops!

Oh, well.

I've already serviced the shifter, brake pedal and clutch lever and am planning on doing the swing arm, drive shaft and u-joint at the end of the week. While all that is out, I need to see to the rear shock too. I'm getting a little bit of "creaking" when I sit on the bike but not all the time. Seems to happen more on warm/hot days after making the 75 mile journey home. I recently read a post of someone having similar issues and the consensus was the pivot points. I would like a lot more adjustability in the rear suspension but can afford the swap right now.

 

[Fred W]

I made a post a while back (and captured the content for posterity) on this very topic, adjusting the stock suspension, that may help clarify some of the black magic and voodoo. Maybe it will be of use to you?

Adjusting the Stock FJR1300 Suspension

 

[DeSudet]

I think I was one of the ones who got the settings on the other forum and they didn't specify 3rd gen. I've since lightened the front preload and am happily running 2 clicks harder than stock all around. The guide Fred posted looks to be a great one for at least the overall goals, regardless of even bike if you ignore the specifics of where the adjusters are. Definitely something I'll be keeping handy

 

[RzrBak]

I made a post a while back (and captured the content for posterity) on this very topic, adjusting the stock suspension, that may help clarify some of the black magic and voodoo. Maybe it will be of use to you?

Adjusting the Stock FJR1300 Suspension

Yep, I remember reading this information (and I had it bookmarked) and revisited it. I'm probably going to have to play with the front settings a bit more after the ride home yesterday. I prefer to test the settings when placed in the actual ride scenario that comprises 90% of my riding time and not just run down the road a bit and go back to tweak. DC/Northern VA roads suck! They resemble the aftermath of an earthquake so it's going to be difficult to dial it in.

I DO like the change in the rear already and probably won't make any further adjustment there...unless, the additional adjustment I make to the front changes that feeling. So far, the front adjustments have tamed the "floating" I was getting. By this I mean it felt like the front end was "wandering" around at 75-80 mph. There was probably not enough down force to keep this from happening. The air turbulence from all the traffic/18 wheelers was mostly the cause...I think. But now, I'm still feeling like the front is little "jittery" on the up and down travel of the forks...not sure if that's the word I'm looking for to describe it. Would that be more rebound or dampening that is needed or a combination of both? I don't profess to be an engineer so I'm searching here!

 

[Fred W]

No need to "go back" to make adjustments. Just tuck a screwdriver in your pocket or tank bag for the compression damping on the forks, and you can just pull over to the side of the road and adjust as you ride your preferred "test route". The rebound adjusters for the fork and shock are knurled knobs, so no tools required.

Not sure what you mean by "jittery". Maybe you could give a better description of exactly what you are sensing and exactly when?

 

[Bill Lumberg]

I got mine somewhere middle of the road, much better than upon delivery. Still not perfect. Replacing the tires made a huge difference.

 

[RzrBak]

As Bill mentioned, I just replaced the tires (the front twice). After replacing, the first front tire was balanced 3 different times (twice by one shop). I was having a shimmy issue from 45-50 mph even after the balance. The shop manager said the balance was dead on and that it most likely was a tire issue. I got the second front tire via warranty no issues since. The previous tires were Michelin Road Pilot 2 but I went with Continental Conti-Motion Sport Touring.

The only way I can describe "jittery" is as a very quick, but small up and down sensation. Here is a quick vid to try to show what I feel (hopefully I linked it properly). https://vid100.photobucket.com/albums/m39/Dmorgan0402/20150519_093822_zpselpvtcrg.mp4

This sensation isn't constant, happens on straight stretches and not speed related. In other words can be felt at 50 mph on main roads or 75 mph on interstate but it is always the same. The road surface is smooth (relatively speaking) asphalt not concrete. Not sure what other information I can provide to better "show" what I feel.

 

[RossKean]

I assume you had the "jittery" feeling before the tire change? If not, it could be a tire that is out of round. (It might still balance OK) If it was a tire issue, I would expect it to be more speed related - in frequency, if not amplitude.

The Contimotion is definitely a budget tire with a less impressive lifetime than the top-end Michelin or Bridgestone sport touring tires. I had good performance and handling with one I ran last year but others have had issues with head-shake. Problems with the Michelin PR2's are not common but every brand has a bad one occasionally. ( had worse issues with a Pirelli Angel GT.)

 

[Fred W]

So your "jittery" sounds like it could be one of a couple of things. Runout or misbalance of the front tire / wheel will cause that jittery effect in spades.

Radial run-out can be caused by the wheel itself or by the tire or by the way the tire is mounted on the wheel. Easy enough to eyeball it, just put the bike up on the center stand and a jack under the header pipes (with a board to protect the pipes) to get the wheel in the air, then spin the wheel by hand and hold / position something along the circumference of the tire, watching to see if it gets closer or further from the surface as the wheel rotates,

Misbalance, well, you probably already know about that. If you have a friend nearby with a static balancer you can check on your tire mounter's accuracy pretty easily.

While the dampers in the fork can minimize oscillations that crop up like that to a limited extent, that is definitely not what they are meant for normally. You really want to find the source of the oscillatory input / vibration rather than try to band-aid the oscillation with damping.

 

[RzrBak]

I knew the Contimotion was a lower end tire when I purchased them but I didn't have the extra cash to pony up for Road Pilot 3s at the time. The need to replace ASAP was there because the previous rear had a plug in it I was told I was "living on borrowed time" if I continued to ride on it - this from a buddy who had ridden for years.

The vibration has been there since day 1 (with the Michelins on it). I wasn't versed well enough on handling to think anything was out of the ordinary and hoped the issue would go away with the tire change. It did, but it was because I was encountering the bad tire issue which masked the vibration. With the front replaced and balanced properly, the slight vibration issue was there again. After making the suspension adjustments (above), the vibration wasn't as bad or as often and consequently I thought additional minor adjustments would do the trick.

I will try the radial run-out procedure and see what that reveals.

 

[Fred W]

The most likely scenario, as far fetched as it may seem, is that this is yet another tire issue.

I hope that is all you find as that is relatively easily and cheaply fixed.

It is also one great reason to learn to mount and balance your own tires at home. That way you know it was done right.

 

[ApexGT]

GP Susp. settings worked great 4 me