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C14 Suspension Setup

jeffrymcgee

jeffrymcgee

Training Wheels
Happy Winter everyone,

Since the bike is in the garage, I'm trying to find a project to work on and thought about suspension setup. Does anyone have a good how-to or a link to a good-how on how to set up a suspension for a C14? As always, your help is appreciated.

See ya on the road,

Jeffry
 
OK.  Got a memory like a steel seive and I'm going by it.  If I remember correctly, the DVD Twist of the Wrist II has an excellent step by step.  http://www.twistofthewristdvd.com/home.asp  Good luck. :)
 
Maybe this will help:

http://www.sportrider.com/suspension_settings/suspension_setup/146_0402_suspension_setup_guide/index.html
 
http://sportbikewrench.com/howtovideos.aspx

A couple of great, easy to follow videos, including one on suspension.
 
Suspension is tough. Rebound and damping can mess you up big time. The c- 14 has dam good suspension. Adjust the pre load first. Then play with the rebound.
 
Ever since I had the 1st FJR ... then the ST1300 ... the ZX14 Ninja ... and now the C14  ............... All with adjustable suspensions, I am totally confused. 

Read the manuals, read the threads, played with the damping and such.  Could not find a good spot for me.  I went back to stock and, well, what do I know ... seems to be OK.  I only ride 7/10ths anyway.

I find it all quite confusing.
 
Much as I hate to say it, compression and rebound adjustments on street bikes are about worthless since 99.9% of non-racers won't be able to tell the subtle differences a few clicks will make in handling/suspension feel anyway.  That said, just set your sag correctly via the preload and leave it at that.

If you're one of those who just can't leave well enough alone and want the suspension setup specifically for you and your type of riding it's going to cost some money.  First get the forks/shock revalved and possibly resprung for your weight/riding style, then spend countless hours at track days trying a multitude of combinations of settings (compression, rebound, tire pressure).  Of course, in the process you'll figure out you're just spinning your wheels anyway because even if you do find that perfect setting it will only be perfect for that day and those conditions on that particular surface.
 
I have to respectfully disagree with this statement.

When I first got my C14, one of the reasons I bought it was because everyone talked about how good the suspension was.  All my other bikes for the past 20 years have been Rice and Pasta Rockets and I raced for about 5 years.  The first time I semi pushed the COnnie, she was all over the place.  I had a moment of doubt about my decision.

After getting preload right, and fiddling with rebound, and all is well.  She is a big girl, so no repli-racer handling, but I am confident throwing her around, and using all of the tires.  On this bike, for me, rebound dampening was very important.  Bike was pogoing before I made the changes.  Now, she is stable and reacts equally front and back, which is the most critical factor in handling.

YMMV
 
millsan1 said:
I have to respectfully disagree with this statement.

When I first got my C14, one of the reasons I bought it was because everyone talked about how good the suspension was.  All my other bikes for the past 20 years have been Rice and Pasta Rockets and I raced for about 5 years.  The first time I semi pushed the COnnie, she was all over the place.  I had a moment of doubt about my decision.

After getting preload right, and fiddling with rebound, and all is well.  She is a big girl, so no repli-racer handling, but I am confident throwing her around, and using all of the tires.  On this bike, for me, rebound dampening was very important.  Bike was pogoing before I made the changes.  Now, she is stable and reacts equally front and back, which is the most critical factor in handling.

YMMV
Click to expand...

Re-Read the first line of what I said.  99.9% of non-racers

Those who have raced are usually much more sensitive to suspension settings because they learned to be on the track and as such know how a properly setup suspension should feel when pushed hard.  Most of your average everyday street riders have never ridden a properly setup bike, much less have a good understanding what compression and rebound dampening adjusters do and how adjusting them in either direction will affect the handling of the bike. 



 
I have to agree with MilSan...

Yes, i raced Novice for a year a decade ago, but also have been doing trackdays for over 12 years now, and i have some clue as to what the adjustments are suppose to do and change on how a bike feels and handles.  When i got my 09 Connie it was from a guy who was much larger than i am, and thus the bike was set up much stiffer than i would like.  also, the rebound front-to-back didnt return the bike at the same rate, thus the bike handled poorly when getting on the throttle to finish a corner.  a few twists and turns, some bouncing on it, and a weeks worth of trial and error, and now the bike feels much better, smoother over bumps, and turns the way i like it. 

I would say, educate yourself on what each adjustment does, play with the screws, and see if you can affect a change that makes the bike more settled for your style of riding.  But to keep from getting too confused, set your static sag (1-2 inches), make the bike comfortable for you, and leave it at that.
 
There is a helpful chart specifically for the C-14 on the first post of this thread (you need to sign on to see it) http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=2027.0
I did set the sag etc. but found it was still too loose. Also had too much rebound dampening, typical. :-[
Now have the rear at 15 clicks in, pre-load and 1 and 1/4 turns out rebound. Solo, non-loaded down about 175 lbs. with gear. 20 was a bit harsh for general street riding and 15 still handled well when pushed. Will try 20 clicks in loaded. Now to set the front up...and mount some PR-3's >:D
 
I would suggest starting with the stock settings in the owners manual and then making small changes, one at a time, from there. There are all kinds of equations and measurements you can do for getting the sag right, but in the end, it all really comes down to how you like it to feel.

You might try riding for a short while with each adjustment at the opposite ends of it adjustment range so you get a better feel for how each adjustment affects the ride. Then put them back to stock settings and go from there.
 
Another thing I should mention. Speed greatly affects suspension settings. Often, what feels real good at higher speeds, will feel very stiff and harsh at lower speeds around town - and what feels nice at lower speeds will feel vague and loose at high speeds. So you may need to take your overall riding style into account and try to find a setting that fits the way you ride most of the time. You'll likely not be able to find a setting that feels perfect at both high and low speeds, so you may have to compromise some. When you make a change to a setting, try it at a variety of speeds and road conditions to see how you like it. Personally, I try to find a setting that feels good in the 75-80mph range, since that is speed I ride at most of the time. But it can make it feel a bit harsh around town, I just learn to live with it.
 
I remember reading the 10 and 11 forks had 25cc's more oil in them than the 08=09.  I added 15cc's of Enzo 01 to my 08 and it feels better. Call it slightly firmer, less dive under braking, and no reduction in small bump compliance.  I did not go with the full 25cc's as its easy to add fork oil to these, but removing oil is a pita.
 
What is the total range of clicks on the 2010 C14 shock preload supposed to be?  Mine has about 4K miles and I want to experiment a bit, so I'm looking at the various starting points out there, some call for up to 28 clicks, but my shock seems to only have a range of 14.  That is going from all the way out to where the knob stops, to all the way in to where I can't turn it any more with two hands.  I know it gets stiffer as you turn it in for more preload, but I don't want to damage it against the seat.  But my 14 sure does not match the 20s and 28s I've read about!  Is there any way to lubricate the mechanism?  I'll try a short ride to see if that loosens it up at all, but I would think I should be able to adjust it through the whole range with the bike on the centerstand.
Thanks!
 
UPDATE - After I let it sit for 15 minutes, went back and got it in to 20 clicks with 2 hands (and now sore fingers!)  so it will go farther, just seems way stiffer than it should be...  Still interested if they is a way to lube the mechanism a bit, but looks like it is part of the sealed shock unit.
 
Tim Anderson said:
UPDATE - After I let it sit for 15 minutes, went back and got it in to 20 clicks with 2 hands (and now sore fingers!)  so it will go farther, just seems way stiffer than it should be...  Still interested if they is a way to lube the mechanism a bit, but looks like it is part of the sealed shock unit.
Click to expand...

Put the bike on the centerstand to remove the weight off the rear shock, and see if that helps.
 
I had an issue where mine got VERY stiff, then finally locked completely up about 15 clicks in. I couldn't turn it either direction at all (even with channel locks,  :-X. Took it to the Kawi shop and they "laid hands" on it. Now it turns very easily. They wouldn't say what they did to it.
 
Fred, yes, the bike was on the centerstand the whole time.  Probably wouldn't turn at all with the weight on it.

Wally, thanks - I may stop by the shop and see what they suggest.  Unfortunately, most of them are lawnmower mechanics these days...
 
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