It's NOT preload!

Fred W · Feb 2, 2016

Really? Why not? Oh wait, I think I see why...

The first 100 lbs of bike weight don't cause the forks to move, the next 200 lbs. make it compress 2 inches. The spring though is still compressed 3 inches and it still takes 100 lbs of force to compress the next inch.

It was a reading comprehension issue on my part. They changed from going in 100 lb increments to adding 200 lbs all at once. I read that they added 100 to reach 200 lbs total. Doh! Nevermind.. It all makes sense now.

But that thing I mentioned on RaceTech's site still doesn't make any sense.

BobCo · Feb 2, 2016

In many cases we recommend replacing the stock "long, soft, top-out springs" with our Reactive Spring Series. They are not as stiff as the old days but are not nearly as soft or as long as the new-fangled ones. Testing has shown the proper top-out spring can drastically affect traction particularly when leaned over in the turns.

There's only a couple of ways that the top out spring could affect cornering that I can see. One, on entry to or trail braking into a curve - too long of a top out spring would reduce the the compression stroke of the fork. The other, exiting a curve - too stiff or too short of a spring could cause a harsh top out on unweighting under acceleration. Reference - Dave Moss' discussion of top out springs on Ustream.

Fred W · Feb 2, 2016

Yeah, it is hard for me to believe that we are going to un-weight the suspension and extend the forks enough to contact the top out springs in the middle of a corner on a street bike. This just doesn't make any sense. For one thing the centrifugal force tends to weight the suspension more than normal gravity. You would have to hit a big freaking whoop in mid corner to do that, and then you'd have a lot bigger issues than hitting the top out spring! On a dirt bike, sure... but on a street bike?

Uncle Hud · Feb 2, 2016

Redfish Hunter posted: <snip, snip, snip> And Hud? I never seem to have to worry about adjusting suspension for a "babe on the back seat". What am I doing wrong here?

How should I know? I've been single for almost 10 years and wonder if that will ever change.

I assumed that the ES setting with two helmets was for when I am riding with a spare helmet. Of course, I see other guys with babes on the back, so I imagine their ES dashboard has some curvy figure where mine shows the second helmet.

And my on-topic contribution is this: the manual calls it preload (initial compression) and damping (rebound rate), so that's what I'm calling them, too.

ionbeam · Feb 3, 2016

Uncle Hud said:
...And my on-topic contribution is this: the manual calls it preload (initial compression) and damping (rebound rate), so that's what I'm calling them, too.

Would this be the same manual that says:

Shift down points:5th to 4th 16 mi/h

4th to 3rd 16 mi/h

3rd to 2nd 16 mi/h

2nd to 1st 16 mi/h

Not that an OEM manual would be wrong...

But, it the OEM manual does call the front suspension adjustment PRELOAD. I would be predisposed to believe that it is in fact a preload adjustment by the simple declaration from a source which has an intense involvement with the product.