Gary856
Are we having fun yet?
I’m trying to think thru the suspension set up for my 950SM (7.9” front travel, 8.2” rear) and I’m getting a little confused by the “purpose and goal” of longer-travel suspension for street use, and how to best set it up.
In concept, when suspension travel is increased from 4” to 8” for a street bike, does one:
1. Keep the spring rate and shock damping the same – this way the 8” travel bike can ride as crisp as a 4” travel bike “normally”, and the longer travel suspension only gets activated on bigger hits. Or,
2. Soften spring rate and shock damping – this way the 8” travel bike dives/rises/wallows a little more but it's more active to deal with rough roads and more comfortable.
Right now the fork pre-load is backed out all the way (CCW), but there’s very little sag, and the zip-tie shows I’m only using ~ 5.25” of fork travel, less than my 690SM and Multistrada 1200, but is that necessarily bad? Not sure how much travel is ideal for the street before it crosses over from firm but harsh to too soft and wobbly? The spring rate feels ok. The ride feels firm, crisp and handles well, but the front tire seems to push a little more than it should at higher lean angles.
Let’s say I want to get front sag from ½” to 2”, how do I know if I should change a) spring rate, b) spring length, or c) spacer length?
Another thing that’s interesting – I’ve always read/heard that straight rate springs are preferred, but now I’m reading (on a Racetech page) that it’s only because straight rates are easier to set up, and that progressive springs aren’t necessarily bad - they just need more careful setup to match rider weight. It almost feels like progressive springs would work better for a long-travel suspension street bike.
In concept, when suspension travel is increased from 4” to 8” for a street bike, does one:
1. Keep the spring rate and shock damping the same – this way the 8” travel bike can ride as crisp as a 4” travel bike “normally”, and the longer travel suspension only gets activated on bigger hits. Or,
2. Soften spring rate and shock damping – this way the 8” travel bike dives/rises/wallows a little more but it's more active to deal with rough roads and more comfortable.
Right now the fork pre-load is backed out all the way (CCW), but there’s very little sag, and the zip-tie shows I’m only using ~ 5.25” of fork travel, less than my 690SM and Multistrada 1200, but is that necessarily bad? Not sure how much travel is ideal for the street before it crosses over from firm but harsh to too soft and wobbly? The spring rate feels ok. The ride feels firm, crisp and handles well, but the front tire seems to push a little more than it should at higher lean angles.
Let’s say I want to get front sag from ½” to 2”, how do I know if I should change a) spring rate, b) spring length, or c) spacer length?
Another thing that’s interesting – I’ve always read/heard that straight rate springs are preferred, but now I’m reading (on a Racetech page) that it’s only because straight rates are easier to set up, and that progressive springs aren’t necessarily bad - they just need more careful setup to match rider weight. It almost feels like progressive springs would work better for a long-travel suspension street bike.