Suspension! 2 years later. How is the 8 rebound, 8 compression and 2 lines showing working out for you?

[Wannabe_4x4]

Been 2 years now since you (Haulin Ashe) posted the 2007 suspension settings for the forks...

2 lines showing

8 clicks rebound

8 clicks compression

To everyone who has been using those settings...

How are your tires wearing? Even and good, or are you getting "hills and valleys" or sharp 45 degree angles on the back of the sipes?

Any chance you can take photos of your front tire so i can see what they're wearing like... top view, angled view, side view, diagonal view?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[FJR-RemingtonRider]

Tire wear would depend on rider, roads and tire itself (all this known already). However on my 04', I had immediate good results with the settings, yet tweaked to my size. On my 08', just doesn't wanna dial in the same. Could be Pirelli tire, but the stability isn't what the 04' was. Just had the forks done at dealer. Yet still it's not dialed in. Guess I have to put on the new set of tires to be sure. My thought was perhaps the weight differences between the two models makes a difference, and the length does too. The rear on 10 and set to firm is good though.

 

[1300AE]

*First of all, don't shoot me yet*

Regardless of how stupid I'm going to sound :dribble: . Here it goes.

How do you set up the suspension?

2 lines showing

8 clicks rebound

8 clicks compression

I look at my user manual and I don't understand the 2 lines showing, 8 clicks rebound and 8 clicks compression. How do you set this stuff up? Do you turn the fork nobs all the way to the right or left? and start counting how many clicks after that? Please explain.

Sorry in advance for my stupidity.

 

[fjrrider]

*First of all, don't shoot me yet*

Regardless of how stupid I'm going to sound :dribble: . Here it goes.

How do you set up the suspension?

2 lines showing

8 clicks rebound

8 clicks compression

I look at my user manual and I don't understand the 2 lines showing, 8 clicks rebound and 8 clicks compression. How do you set this stuff up? Do you turn the fork nobs all the way to the right or left? and start counting how many clicks after that? Please explain.

Sorry in advance for my stupidity.

oh boy....do your search and see what all information is on this board. I think you really need to talk face to face with someone who knows a bit about suspension and can show you all this on your bike.

As for me running your suspension by someone else's standard would be lazyness on my part.

 

[jmdaniel]

Been 2 years now since you (Haulin Ashe) posted the 2007 suspension settings for the forks...

2 lines showing

8 clicks rebound

8 clicks compression

To everyone who has been using those settings...

How are your tires wearing? Even and good, or are you getting "hills and valleys" or sharp 45 degree angles on the back of the sipes?

Any chance you can take photos of your front tire so i can see what they're wearing like... top view, angled view, side view, diagonal view?

Thanks in advance!!

Actually, I think Jeff's were 3-8-8, although riders heavier than he is, (I haven't seen 185 since high school...), went 2-8-8.

I set mine at 2-8-8 a couple of weeks ago, before leaving on a 11 day, 11 state, 5258 mile trip. Rode some great roads in NM, CO, UT, ID, MT, and SD, and some not so great roads, (from a wear standpoint on the sides of the tires), in TX, AZ, NE, WY. I am running PR2s, at 40/42, F/R. My front tire started showed crazy wear on the sides about 1/2 way through the trip, (I noticed it in Moab). Attached are a few pics showing the wear:

From straight above:

From straight on, looking back:

From about 45 degrees around from the front:

As you may be able to see, the sides are scrubbed off pretty good, but there is no what I would call cupping, ie the creation of raised edges, which you could feel by rubbing your hand back over the tire. And there really was no noticeable difference in the ride; when the stock front skin developed its cupping, I had immediate and noticeable wobble.

I don't know whether to pin the tire wear on the riding I experienced, the multi-compound tire, the suspension settings, a little of all three, none of all three, etc... I do know that I will be putting new tires on this year, and I'm going to consider all alternatives.

PS, the back tire is fine, in terms of even wear.

 

[1300AE]

*First of all, don't shoot me yet*

Regardless of how stupid I'm going to sound :dribble: . Here it goes.

How do you set up the suspension?

2 lines showing

8 clicks rebound

8 clicks compression

I look at my user manual and I don't understand the 2 lines showing, 8 clicks rebound and 8 clicks compression. How do you set this stuff up? Do you turn the fork nobs all the way to the right or left? and start counting how many clicks after that? Please explain.

Sorry in advance for my stupidity.

oh boy....do your search and see what all information is on this board. I think you really need to talk face to face with someone who knows a bit about suspension and can show you all this on your bike.

As for me running your suspension by someone else's standard would be lazyness on my part.

Thanks. I've been reading a whole bunch about it. I know how to search. Master phroenips is going to teach me everything personally. I think my eyes are getting better. Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur. Don't underestimate the Force.

 

[MGB]

Tire pressure is the most likely culprit - I've experienced this intermittently when I don't stay on top of tire pressure or inadvertently run too high pressure in the front.

 

[HaulinAshe]

Been 2 years now since you (Haulin Ashe) posted the 2007 suspension settings for the forks...

2 lines showing

8 clicks rebound

8 clicks compression

To everyone who has been using those settings...

How are your tires wearing? Even and good, or are you getting "hills and valleys" or sharp 45 degree angles on the back of the sipes?

Any chance you can take photos of your front tire so i can see what they're wearing like... top view, angled view, side view, diagonal view?

Thanks in advance!!

At this time, I only know of three(3) front tires that wear consistently on the FJR; Pirelli Angel, Michelin Pilot Road-2, and Metzler Roadtec-Z8. Every other front tire I've run exhibits some type of unusual/uneven/excessive wear. That's NOT to say I've run them all.

My settings were intended to be a better starting point than those in the Yamaha Owner's manual. I still stand by them in that respect.

I have not seen 185 lbs. in a couple years. I had to give up racing motocross and quickly got fat. Now I hover around 197. When racing I never allowed myself to exceed 185, mostly because it was way too much trouble and expense to re-spring suspension on my race bike. Laziness rules when you get older.

I'll add a couple notes that I consider "truths" that I've learned in the past couple years.

1. Both front compression and rebound tend to get very squirrelly and behave poorly below 6-clicks. That makes sense when you consider the clickers are 8-clicks per revolution. So below 6-clicks, the orifice/needle opening is extremely tight and mechanical slop/movement can have a huge effect on fluid flow through such a tiny opening.

2. Yamaha, IMO, has a good design to the suspension valving. What the FJR lacks most is a selection of appropriate springs (both front and rear), and better control over production tolerances in the front. I've frequently seen variations in front valving that represent as much as a 4-click variation in behavior between two forks.

 

[Don G]

Been 2 years now since you (Haulin Ashe) posted the 2007 suspension settings for the forks...

2 lines showing

8 clicks rebound

8 clicks compression

To everyone who has been using those settings...

How are your tires wearing? Even and good, or are you getting "hills and valleys" or sharp 45 degree angles on the back of the sipes?

Any chance you can take photos of your front tire so i can see what they're wearing like... top view, angled view, side view, diagonal view?

Thanks in advance!!

At this time, I only know of three(3) front tires that wear consistently on the FJR; Pirelli Angel, Michelin Pilot Road-2, and Metzler Roadtec-Z8. Every other front tire I've run exhibits some type of unusual/uneven/excessive wear. That's NOT to say I've run them all.

My settings were intended to be a better starting point than those in the Yamaha Owner's manual. I still stand by them in that respect.

I have not seen 185 lbs. in a couple years. I had to give up racing motocross and quickly got fat. Now I hover around 197. When racing I never allowed myself to exceed 185, mostly because it was way too much trouble and expense to re-spring suspension on my race bike. Laziness rules when you get older.

I'll add a couple notes that I consider "truths" that I've learned in the past couple years.

1. Both front compression and rebound tend to get very squirrelly and behave poorly below 6-clicks. That makes sense when you consider the clickers are 8-clicks per revolution. So below 6-clicks, the orifice/needle opening is extremely tight and mechanical slop/movement can have a huge effect on fluid flow through such a tiny opening.

2. Yamaha, IMO, has a good design to the suspension valving. What the FJR lacks most is a selection of appropriate springs (both front and rear), and better control over production tolerances in the front. I've frequently seen variations in front valving that represent as much as a 4-click variation in behavior between two forks.

I'd like to add Metzler Z6 Roadtec to the "even wearing" list. (230 lb rider, bags w/tools, stiff settings with spring spacer on front, Wilbers rear.)

 

[MartinH]

I set my bike to the 8, 8, 8, 2 this weekend. I have a question on the rear. I think I read that when you are looking at it it's like looking at a right hand thread.

I'm making the leap that that is looking down at it. So if I'm on the ground looking up it would be a typical left all the way to 0 then adjust to 8 clicks. Correct?

 

[HaulinAshe]

I set my bike to the 8, 8, 8, 2 this weekend. I have a question on the rear. I think I read that when you are looking at it it's like looking at a right hand thread.

I'm making the leap that that is looking down at it. So if I'm on the ground looking up it would be a typical left all the way to 0 then adjust to 8 clicks. Correct?

Nope, just the opposite. Looking UP from the bottom/underneath, it's a right-hand/clockwise turn to zero, then counter-clockwise clicks to eight(8).

 

[MartinH]

I set my bike to the 8, 8, 8, 2 this weekend. I have a question on the rear. I think I read that when you are looking at it it's like looking at a right hand thread.

I'm making the leap that that is looking down at it. So if I'm on the ground looking up it would be a typical left all the way to 0 then adjust to 8 clicks. Correct?

Nope, just the opposite. Looking UP from the bottom/underneath, it's a right-hand/clockwise turn to zero, then counter-clockwise clicks to eight(8).

Thanks, I think I dialed it backwards then. Funny thing is that will have me close to the factory setting of 12 then. I'll recheck all of them tonight. I think I've got the front correct. The ride was much softer today and I can feel the suspension work instead of jumping the front end around.

Thanks again.