Bikes with good suspension - I've never tried one:( | GTAMotorcycle.com

Bikes with good suspension - I've never tried one:(

shanekingsley

shanekingsley

Curry - so nice it burns you twice
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The best suspension I think I have ever tried is the budget stuff on my current 2011 Vstrom. It currently has about 110k on it, so I'm not going to upgrade it now, although I think there are progressive springs in the front and stock rear shock.

What does it feel like to ride a nice bike?
 
Depends all on setup. You could have great components that work like crap. Keep the fluids changed and have it sprung for your weight is the basics to really take any advantage of the stock stuff.

Riding on the road I think it depends more on the bike and its geometry/seating position/frame design more so than having top shelf suspension if you're looking for comfort.
 
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I've ridden some 3 way factory adjustable stuff that was really good for certain applications. Not as fancy as the new electronically adjustable suspensions like what you find on the R1M, but it got the job done really well when dialed in right.

I couldn't afford dropping $5K on Ohlins front shocks, so I changed the springs and oil on my RC51, and that made a night and day difference. But in comparison to a modern day supersport that doesn't nearly have to work as hard because everything else around the bike is lighter and more advanced, my 15 year old RC is a pig. Would I ever get rid of it? Likely not. I'll ride that thing till its dead cuz it's got so much character.

As mentioned, setup your preload for your weight. That's number one. And then fiddle around compression and rebound till you find a happy spot for your riding style. No 2 riders have the exact same setup. Find one that you like. But you gotta experiment.
 
I switched from a GSXR750 to a Tuono. I am not a technician of any variety so I cannot give you the reason why, but I did notice a considerable change in how the bike felt going through a bumpy surface. Some road surfaces in the GTA are just horrible, and I've been through it on my old bike plenty of times, expecting a jarring experience, it just never happens on my new bike. Its a bit shocking. lol

I've never had any "premium" suspension before. Not sure if the ones I have now are premium either.. feels nicer though..
 
To the original post, I think cartridge emulators are a simple and worth while mod to regular damper rod forks. Not a gimmick. Not suggesting you do it at this stage of course.
 
inreb said:
To the original post, I think cartridge emulators are a simple and worth while mod to regular damper rod forks. Not a gimmick. Not suggesting you do it at this stage of course.
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+1 on emulators.

Sent from my Le Pan TC802A using Tapatalk
 
Assume that the bike is great for ergonomics and that other design characteristics are present which make the bike comfortable for the rider. Also assuming that the suspension is properly set up for the rider...

What I am asking, or don't really understand because I have never tried a bike better than my own, is how does the bike feel when riding? Does it eat up bumps on the road like they are nothing? I know on my bike I feel those bumps and it seems like my bike gets upset more than other better or newer bikes I am riding with.

I had a klr650 with spoked rims and that would eat up the frost heaves and potholes like nothing. Is it anything like that?

It would be nice to be able to go around a corner smooth and in control and not feel like the bike is sending all the bumps up the forks and rear to the rider, or cause me to change my line because of the road surface. Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy with my bike but also wonder - does better suspension eat that stuff up and transfer it up to the rider or upset the bike?
 
Look at a MX bike over ripply or stutter surface maintain level while the front and back wheels go nuts. That technology is available on good Adv bikes and SS.
 
Properly set-up suspension is key and that includes having the right springs. Saying it felt better switching from a low spec bike to a high spec bike means nothing unless both were set-up right (and fresh).
I understand your question because years ago I wondered the same. Big dollar suspension isn't going to turn a well set-up bike into a magic carpet ride. On the street many wouldn't be able to say which is which on a blind test. For some it will be both noticeable and well worth it.
One thing to watch for is service intervals.
 
shanekingsley said:
It would be nice to be able to go around a corner smooth and in control and not feel like the bike is sending all the bumps up the forks and rear to the rider, or cause me to change my line because of the road surface. Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy with my bike but also wonder - does better suspension eat that stuff up and transfer it up to the rider or upset the bike?
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I am FAR from a suspension enthusiast, much less an expert, but upgrading the stock suspension with aftermarket stuff is always worth it. The bumps/dips are always there but it's more like the bike is calmly pointing out the problems instead of screaming them at you. There are limits, of course, as the GTA is always experimenting with creating the worst road surfaces possible. Still, my 650 Burg is dramatically less punishing than stock and that's with a measly 4" of travel. Proper sag really ties all your efforts together, so don't ignore that.
 
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The bike I currently have is the only one I've ever had with premium suspension and it's a bit of a revelation. Everything is electronically adjustable on the fly. Comfort mode gives me a nice plush ride, street is a little firmer but still soaks up bumps well. Sport is firmest. Off-road gives me maximum travel. I think the biggest difference that I noticed was in off-road mode where it just made things easier. Electrically operated preload is also nice and has small unexpected advantages like adjusting the lean angle while on the side stand for various terrain when parking. My last bike I swapped out the stock shock for a more adjustable Penske and trying to get that dialled in manually was a bit of a pain. The computers on my current bike monitor things and adjust them as necessary.

Downside is that if anything goes wrong I'll need a NASA programmer to sort it out.
 
The valving also plays a key role in how the bike will soak up bumps. If I were to use my fancy race suspension on the road it would probably knock my teeth out. Yes I still feel bumps when racing but if you make it feel like a marshmallow you'll have serious handling issues. It could be made to work on the street but most SS bikes
off the showroom floor are valved to work at a fairly decent pace on a race track, not soak up miles of city streets in Canada.

The big advantage to better components is how adjustable they are. Preload high/low speed compression and rebound is the cats ***. When you upgrade to real components the adjustment becomes very linear meaning that 2 clicks is 2 clicks in 90% of the range. With oem 2 clicks depending on where you are in the range may or may not have any effect or will be different when you're higher/lower in the range.
 
I put aftermarket shock on my FJR1300, noticed a big difference, but late last year I started watching dave moss videos on setup and now have learned it doesn't have to be harsh to be able to corner..I wish I had aftermarket years ago on the R1 as it makes riding easier. To put in perspective some roads I would play on at certain speed became boring after the upgrades. As we know most stock stuff is do for a rebuild before 40,000K Some bikes have better stock then others. I am having mine serviced and perhaps valved at "AT" this fall.
 
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I'm no suspension tech but no one suspension works in all conditions.
I think a properly set up Wee is a good compromise for comfort in the bumps and enough control in the twists ( front brace is critical as is front spring ...have RaceTech in mine ).

I do think the coming trend is electronic control which will give you some control ....stiffen it up for hard twists....marshmellow for the slab etc. James Bay road is interesting as it really needs control for the sweeps at speed but soft for the frost heaves.

A Vstrom with gear on is pretty mellow as long as the nose dive is controlled.

The top end bikes here may have the features you are looking at....try and get a demo ride.

http://dirtbikemagazine.com/industry-news/2016-adventure-bike-buyers-guide

The Aprilla ADD is interesting..

Aprilia also is proud of ADD, a semi-active suspension system that automatically alters itself based on road surface and riding style. The Caponord dates back about three years, but was substantially updated in 2015.
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the Wee tho is a bargoon.
 
If your bike was new and had 5,000 km and you then replaced your stock components with your weight specific Race Tech front springs, heavier fork oil and a new RT rear shock you probably still notice a significant improvement in suspension performance over generic OEM. At 110,000 km your stock rear shock is totally worn out and its dampening is probably completely gone. RT front springs are about $150 and you can order a RT rear spring and have your shock rebuilt locally for $500 total. So, for about $750 all in your VStrom will ride better than new. You will find that your bike will track very predictably in corners and be much better at handling rough roads.
 
My last bike and current bike have both had ESA Electronic suspension adjustment). With the first GSA I bought it came with the bike, at the time I probably would have just skipped had it not been a used bike. I had never adjusted my suspension in the past on any bike and never really had an issue. Once I got used to using it it makes a huge different. Adjust on the fly for a softer feel, or stiffen it right up. I can even adjust for the type of riding I am doing, so on a trip with a fully loaded bike there are presets for that and it does make a big difference. It became a must have feature for the new GSA I bought last year and it got even better.
 
My last bike was a Bandit 1250 with stock suspension. It had conventional forks and very little ability to be adjusted besides preload. I always felt like the suspension on that bike was it's weak point and found that it wallowed and moved around which wasn't reall confidence inspiring. When I moved from that bike to my current bike with electronic Ohlins suspension it was like night and day. I set it up the best I could and it worked well soaking up bumps without fuss and feel precise and firm. Then I took it to John Sherrard at Accelerated Technologies and had it sprung for my weight and revalved which made it that much better again. If your going to spend the bucks on good hardware make sure you get it set up properly. If your not going to spend on the hardware make sure it's set up properly as well, it makes a huge difference.
 
even the stock setup can be better if there is any adjustments available, the manufacturer has to decide on a target customer. 6ft tall and 190lbs isnt perfect for my wife or me. And you dont even need (they are way better though) a suspension guru, most dealerships have a smart guy that understands sag and can help out.
My current regular ride Triumph had an Ohlin fork set installed and a progressive Ohlin rear, set for approx 230lbs, me at 190 and 40lbs of gear and it stopped the fork dive issues and washout feeling in the rear in fast corners when loaded.
My last Duc products all came with suspension that was much beyond my requirements but looked very shiney.

@shane, I find the stock Vstrom setup (have a 650 here) sort of wishy washy at speed, but its also a price point bike. I just ride the secondary roads I like and slow down a bit and its just fine. I wont spend any money on it.

Stuff does get tired, springs loose rebound just from sitting and oil gets less effective, a little maintenence goes a long way.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I figure if I have this bike for another few years, I'll get the front and rear rebuilt/serviced if necessary. That list of current adv bikes has me thinking about how nice it will feel when I get my next ride. Even the newer 650vstroms are improved over my 2011.
 
shanekingsley said:
Thanks for all the replies. I figure if I have this bike for another few years, I'll get the front and rear rebuilt/serviced if necessary. That list of current adv bikes has me thinking about how nice it will feel when I get my next ride. Even the newer 650vstroms are improved over my 2011.
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Dunno about your forks buy you might be able to get HD emulators way cheaper. For example I know for the F2 forks there are HD emulators that are compatible.
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