Suspension Q. | GTAMotorcycle.com

Suspension Q.

J

jc100

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When people say "it's like night and day" when they swap out OEM suspension components for more trick gear do they really mean it usually or is it that they spent so much that they feel it must perform better?

My present to myself of front and rear suspension swap outs for new Elka and Racetech components had to be put on hold when my pooch blew out his ACL. Now I'm looking at used stuff and wondering if the bang for the buck is worth it. My stock Triumph Tiger 1050 shock comes from the factory ideally set up for a bulimic Ethiopian dwarf, which I am not, and there's some wallow and uncertainty from it when cornering under load (panniers on). It's not too bad if I take the panniers off but still there somewhat.

for those of you with similar situations that did a swap out of components, did you think the investment was worth it?

for the record , what I'm looking at is a used Penske triple clicker rear shock (8987) and trying to get it for around $500
 
My first thought is why is the used Penske available, might be an excellent reason, might be because it wasn't really better. Is there any "fix" for the factory shock? adjustment or valves or fluid change? Have you talked to whom ever may be your dealer if your not alone in this? Anything on the adventure bike forums.
I know thats a lot of questions, I just feel bad seeing people throw a lot of cash at a project and not get an ultimate result. Suspension stuff in particular is really pricey to play test tank with.

And good on you OP for getting your pooch fixed up. Hope he's good as new.
 
crankcall said:
My first thought is why is the used Penske available, might be an excellent reason, might be because it wasn't really better.
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Most parts I see put up for sale are when the seller parts out their mods to sell the bike. At some point I wanted a Tiger 1050 (still do, actually), the Penske is a common and well liked upgrade from what I read.
 
regder said:
Most parts I see put up for sale are when the seller parts out their mods to sell the bike. At some point I wanted a Tiger 1050 (still do, actually), the Penske is a common and well liked upgrade from what I read.
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This is the reason why the Penske is up for sale yes. The stock Showa shock is adjustable to a degree but it's not really rebuildable and isn't the easiest to adjust on the fly. I'm on the Tiger and ADV forums and I've checked through and there's a few swap outs mentioned with the Penske being one of the best. What I really want to know though is if the change is just a small increment or something pretty eye opening? I'm at a point where I can interpret more feedback from my bike and understand that the current suspension is near the limit of its capabilities (uneven pavement in corners isn't pleasant). I'm hoping new components will give me a "ride on rails" type experience. As I take my Tiger off road a bit more now I have a few different riding scenarios hence wanting more adjustability.

I'm just seeking feedback to see if this should be a priority for my winter working on the bike since funds are limited?

PS Pooch is just fine. He was walking/hopping from day one of the surgery but we had to keep him calm and restrained while his bones and hardware got settled in. I've taken him to physio a few times and he's walking normally on an underwater treadmill and pretty much normally on land ten weeks later now.
 
You are asking for a value judgement which will by its very nature be different from person to person. And good advice for one person can be bad advice to another.

IMO, if you say the suspension is for a lightweight person, a spring upgrade would work well and get you to where you want to be without breaking the bank. Yes the Penske is better (if sprung correctly), but the incremental difference is endlessly debatable and very dependent on rider ability (which most people aren't super advanced on, e.g. do you race, track, ride like the wind) and it also costs more (big deal for some people, not for others).

People can choose either option and be correct and happy with their decision.

FWIW, oem shocks including your showa are serviceable and rebuildable by many shops.
 
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kwtoxman said:
You are asking for a value judgement which will by its very nature be different from person to person. And good advice for one person can be bad advice to another.

IMO, if you say the suspension is for a lightweight person, a spring upgrade would work well and get you to where you want to be without breaking the bank. Yes the Penske is better (if sprung correctly), but the incremental difference is endlessly debatable and very dependent on rider ability (which most people aren't super advanced on, e.g. do you race, track, ride like the wind) and it also costs more (big deal for some people, not for others).

People can choose either option and be correct and happy with their decision.

FWIW, oem shocks including your showa are serviceable and rebuildable by many shops.
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Fair point. Everyone's experience may be different. For what it's worth I'm no slowpoke, like my corners, don't track, mix of on road long distance and some offroad but nothing too gnarly.

I'd like a bit of ride height adjustability and an easier preload adjustment which the current shock doesn't have among other things. Hence looking at a better shock. I also read that if I need to, I can change the spring on the Penske easily while it's still on the bike without a spring compressor.
 
Just getting the stuff may not make you happy until you get it all setup correctly for you and a good suspension tuner can do that. Just getting the correct springs front and back and getting correct sag set will make a huge difference. Maybe consider that first. Guys like John Sharrard at Accellerated Technologies can do wonders for probably less than $600

http://www.acceltechracing.com/
 
taximan62 said:
Just getting the stuff may not make you happy until you get it all setup correctly for you and a good suspension tuner can do that. Just getting the correct springs front and back and getting correct sag set will make a huge difference. Maybe consider that first. Guys like John Sharrard at Accellerated Technologies can do wonders for probably less than $600

http://www.acceltechracing.com/
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Depends how mechanically inclined you are .... To get proper springs and setup a correct sag, it's not that difficult, that an expert like John would be needed.
 
Where suspension adjustment gets tricky is when the shock has to be re-valved internally by making changes to the shim stack.

I'm at that point with my roadrace bike. Shock keeps bottoming in the carousel at Grand Bend and chewing up the rear tire and I've already stepped up spring rate twice.
 
"In a small clinical trial of obese adults researchers found that those assigned to follow a low carb diet lost more weight over a year than those who followed a low fat plan" Paul Thede, RaceTech
 
LOL was wondering about repercussions.........
 
I cant be of any help with sport bikes but I went with the Worksperformance.com fully adjustable, dual rate springs for my roadking. They custom make each shock for you depending on your weight, riding style, and travel wanted. They are not cheap. I paid about $1000. but are worth every dollar to me. The bike tracks like its on rails now. No more loose feeling carving into the turns that are not "smooth". Its like riding on a cloud. 100% better then the stock shocks. Works makes shocks for atv, sport bikes, snowmobiles, dirt bikes etc. They are also re-buildable and come with a 30 day performance guarantee. If they can make my heavy ride handle like its on rails I would love to try them out on something a little more sporty and more nimble.
 
Brian P said:
Where suspension adjustment gets tricky is when the shock has to be re-valved internally by making changes to the shim stack.

I'm at that point with my roadrace bike. Shock keeps bottoming in the carousel at Grand Bend and chewing up the rear tire and I've already stepped up spring rate twice.
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Racers bottoming with a knee on the deck don't count .... btw you can have some of the suspension travel I don't use on my bike, whole 50% of it ... LOL
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