Do not re-spring the OEM Shock

[Fitty]

Many thanks! That is a big help.

 

[carlson_mn]

The fact that you're 280lbs I think that will help quite a bit with the rebound dampening right there. I've known someone to do a new spring on a Gen1 shock and he was happy with it at about 215lbs.

While it may not be a 'Penske' or whatnot I think you WOULD benefit from a stronger spring on the rear of your bike at your body weight, even with the stock dampening in place. I'd turn the stock dampening up to 4 if you haven't already to keep it under as much control as you can either way.

 

[pista]

I went ahead and ordered Traxxion's Omni kit for the forks.

The fact that you're 280lbs I think that will help quite a bit with the rebound dampening right there. I've known someone to do a new spring on a Gen1 shock and he was happy with it at about 215lbs.
While it may not be a 'Penske' or whatnot I think you WOULD benefit from a stronger spring on the rear of your bike at your body weight, even with the stock dampening in place. I'd turn the stock dampening up to 4 if you haven't already to keep it under as much control as you can either way.

May end up going this route in the end.

 

[Fred W]

The fact that you're 280lbs I think that will help quite a bit with the rebound dampening right there. I've known someone to do a new spring on a Gen1 shock and he was happy with it at about 215lbs.

Not sure how that line of reasoning works out. Rebound damping in any suspension is intended to control the rate of the suspension springs' extension after having been compressed and then unweighted, like what happens when you go over a hump in the road. It is the damping controlling just the spring.

True, more weight (heavier bike, passenger, luggage, whatever) optimally requires a stiffer spring, but a stiffer spring will have more rebound energy to be controlled when the bike is unweighted, requiring increased amount of rebound damping.

edit - Forgot to mention that a stiffer spring will (perhaps counter-intuitively) generally require less compression damping, since any road irregularities will have to overcome a stiffer spring already to deflect the wheel. Think of it this way: The spring holds the bike and rider up. The damping just controls how fast the wheel is allowed to move under the already suspended bike.

The problem on the stock shock with just dialing up the rebound damping to accommodate the stiffer spring is that you will also be increasing the compression damping (only one adjuster affects both) and the shock would then become too stiff on impact. Being too stiff is every bit as bad as being too soft, IMO.

If you really don't care about optimal suspension performance, then it's really no big deal for a 280lb guy to ride on the stock shock. My wife and I together add up to >330 lbs (she brings the average down a lot) before adding luggage, and we rode on that stock shock for about 40k miles before I found a good deal on a used Penske. No, it wasn't optimal, but it wasn't horrible either. Just put the lever on stiff, adjust the one damping knob best you can, and ride.

OTOH, I would say the stock forks can benefit greatly from stiffer springs as you can adjust the compression and rebound independently up there.

YMMV

 

[carlson_mn]

Fred,

The OEM rear shock is listed as only being adjustable for rebound dampening. Turning the knob up should not adjust compression dampening.

Pista - for those who do not 'track' a bike, simply swapping in reasonably stiffer springs has pleased many people.

 

[Fred W]

Fred,
The OEM rear shock is listed as only being adjustable for rebound dampening. Turning the knob up should not adjust compression dampening.

It's listed that way, but it actually affects both.

 

[Fitty]

Well I ordered the 2014 shock yesterday. Guess we'll see. Thanks for the tip.

 

[flagstaff]

Fred,
The OEM rear shock is listed as only being adjustable for rebound dampening. Turning the knob up should not adjust compression dampening.

It's listed that way, but it actually affects both.

How so Fred? Where did you find that information?

 

[Fred W]

Ummm... I didn't exactly find it. More like I experienced it. You crank up the adjuster it doesn't just feel like it affects only rebound.

That is also the standard configuration on most shock when there is a single adjustment that it varies both compression and rebound. I would be really surprised if it didn't. I know they call it a rebound adjuster, but I think that is because of its location more than its overall function.

Hey... I could be wrong. It has happened before. Just ask my wife.