2014 A Handling/Suspension Problem

[Bill Lumberg]

I know just enough about suspension adjustment to know I dont know much. When i am going through a healthy turn at speed, my bike "wags", or shimmies like a fish through water. Tires and pressures are good. Feels like the front end is soft or just never settling down. I'm not looking for perfection, but I would appreciate any advice regarding what to adjust to reduce this. It's manageable, but i feel like in the wrong situation it could cost me a lot.

 

[idfc]

It'll help if you say how much you weight and what your current settings are.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

225. Rear on soft. Front whatever was set at the factory. No gear.

 

[Auron]

At 235 it will never feel right without a stiffer rear spring. A rebuild with the proper rate will only be about $250-$300. Or splurge for an aftermarket and be as happy as you can be.

 

[MCRIDER007]

At 235 it will never feel right without a stiffer rear spring. A rebuild with the proper rate will only be about $250-$300. Or splurge for an aftermarket and be as happy as you can be.

Or he could switch to the "Hard" position on the shock, take advantage of the GEN3 shock's 970 lb spring, and see if that cures the problem.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

So the model in general can't handle adults or two-up riding without rebuilds or aftermarket shocks..... Pardon my skepticism.

 

[AlleyCat]

Don't be afraid to tweak your suspension settings. I played around with mine until the bike felt so much better. It is a trial and error thing. First off, play with one setting at a time to feel how your changes are affecting the bike. At 200 lbs, I had the following settings for my 2009 FJR : rear lever (solo riding) on soft, 4 clicks out (rebound damping dial turned to hardest setting then backed off by 4 clicks). My front forks were setup as follows : preload (3 lines showing), rebound damping (little black nob on top of fork) 6 clicks out (hardest setting, then back out 6 clicks), compression damping (big flat screwdriver) 6 clicks out.

Here is a link to one of the best suspension information sites I have found : https://aprilia.rsvmille.home.comcast.net/~aprilia.rsvmille/bikes/suspension_guide.htm

The part on setting sag works well with a 2nd person present. Once you have sag set, you can focus on the rest of the settings.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Thanks Alley. Will try it out. Manual indicates the switch from soft to hard inthe rear requires more weight than I and gear approach. Tried it though. Still pogoing I front in the curve. Adjustment up front is in order.

 

[Ignacio]

So the model in general can't handle adults or two-up riding without rebuilds or aftermarket shocks..... Pardon my skepticism.

Up until 2013 that was totally true. As MCRIDER007 pointed out...the stock spring is a 970 which is a big departure from past FJRs. Two-up with beefy adults totally did require aftermarket work.

But, try what he suggest. It doesn't cost a dime.

You also don't say what specific tire pressure you're running....so how do you know for sure they're "good"?

 

[MCRIDER007]

Thanks Alley. Will try it out. Manual indicates the switch from soft to hard inthe rear requires more weight than I and gear approach. Tried it though. Still pogoing I front in the curve. Adjustment up front is in order.

"Pogoing" is quite different than a "wag" or "shimmey" you described in your first post. A spring pogo is usually caused by not enough rebound damping, turn the rebound adjuster at the top of the right fork clockwise to increase rebound damping.

 

[Queensland Ken]

Wallowing through corners is not enough rear shock dampening.

Dial in the adjuster under the shock.

There are lots of suspension set up sites.

 

[AlleyCat]

One way to see if you need more rebound damping is to hold the front brake and compress the shocks and release the bike to see how much it bounces back (without you interfering on the handlebars during the bounce back). The bike should bounce back and settle down without bouncing around another time. If it does, you need to dial in more rebound damping. If the rebound damping is dialed in too aggressively, you will pack in your suspension on successive bumps.

Trial and error (can't repeat that enough)..... you will spend some time fiddling with settings. Take notes of how many clicks, how the bike feels. Mine felt like it wanted to fall into turns and on hard successive bumps during a lean it felt like a wallowing motion. I kept playing with my settings and then, WOW, the bike was like a different machine. So, don't be afraid to play with the settings. It will pay off in the long run and you will feel more confident in tinkering the minor mechanical stuff.

 

[AlleyCat]

Some good general info.... Dave Moss (he knows his stuff) Setting sag :

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Thanks all. The trick is interpreting the behavior, as many commonly used terms are rather subjective. Replies here have me on the right path.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Well, from the dealer, I determined that 20/21 psi wasn't working for me. Then I ran 40/40. Then I tried spec pressures from Yamaha. Except for the 20/21, the only difference between 40/40 and spec pressures was that 40 up front made for wicked bar buzz at highway speed. Good point.

So the model in general can't handle adults or two-up riding without rebuilds or aftermarket shocks..... Pardon my skepticism.

Up until 2013 that was totally true. As MCRIDER007 pointed out...the stock spring is a 970 which is a big departure from past FJRs. Two-up with beefy adults totally did require aftermarket work.

But, try what he suggest. It doesn't cost a dime.

You also don't say what specific tire pressure you're running....so how do you know for sure they're "good"?

 

[AlleyCat]

39 front and 42 rear is the way to go. At least that works for me.

 

[bergmen]

When I picked up my 2014A last November I asked the dealer what the initial suspension settings were. He didn't know. When I got home I set everything to the minimum settings as indicated in the manual (pages 4-38 to 4-40). During my tests I found the handling much as you describe in the OP.

After riding a bit to become familiar with the bike (first time FJR owner) I set the suspension to the "Standard" settings front and rear (spring preload, compression and rebound damping in front, damping in rear). This made a world of difference and it handles like it is on rails (no load, light load, touring load, all speeds and road surfaces). I weigh about 230 in full gear, ride solo 95% of the time. Michelin PR4 tires, 40F, 42R. I have not changed the rear preload force, it is on soft.

Dan

 

[Fred W]

Try this:

Adjusting the Stock FJR1300 Suspension

 

[Bill Lumberg]

You guys are the best. Pinged everything to minimums and dialed to center all around. Took the wife for a ride. Much improvement. Will still have to try it out solo tomorrow.