Member Contributer Rice Posted May 19, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted May 19, 2013 I want to share my recent experience with suspension setup. Just like most of us, I'm sure, I've been trying to pin down the sweet spot of suspension setting, that would allow me to be comfortable on the highway/commuting and while playing in the twisties. To this end, I have upgraded the front with stiffer springs and Ohlins valves and installed a Fox shock, freshly rebuilt by Jamie Dougherty. Seb has set the sag for me and the bike felt much better than stock. I was pretty happy with it for a while, but I always felt that there was room for improvement. Just how much room I had no idea until yesterday, when I visited Washington Cycle Works in North Jersey. A bunch of great guys who have tons of experience and do not hesitate to share it. Major props to that place! They have made some tweaks, explained what they were doing and why and then sent me for a ride on one of the twisty local roads. All I can say is WOW! The bike has been transformed. I am in love and can't wait to ride it again. The front is now working together with the rear, the bike holds the line in the corner like it's on rails and transitions have become effortless in comparison to what it used to be before. So, here's the lesson I've learned: If you want your suspension to work correctly and do not want to spend a fortune, use Internet advise on finding the right upgrades front and rear and then take it to the pro so he can set it up for you the right way. No amount of internet advise will help set things up right and even if you manage to do it, you have no idea how much better it can potentially be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 Congrats on the transformation! It's like riding a different bike, isn't it? Glad you got it dialed in properly. I wouldn't say my VFR is exactly dialed in for me, as I still weigh too much, but I had Jamie rebuild a rear shock for me a few years ago, including swapping out the stock spring for a heavier one, plus a friend helped me swap out the stock fork springs for a heavier set of RaceTechs. The suspension, while still not perfect, is much improved - especially for sportriding. It's given me a lot more confidence in the twisties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rice Posted May 19, 2013 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 19, 2013 Hey Tim! Sounds like you're in the same boat I was in until now. I am not one to spend money on the bike unless absolutely necessary. In fact, this is the first thing I've splurged on in a couple of years :). Did I mention that it only cost $65? About the price of an oil change. I was thinking whether to go there or not and whether it would be a waste of time, coz after all, the bike was OK. Well, was I wrong. Best 65 clams I ever spent on the bike. By far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 So what did they change? When we left off, you were going to fiddle with the dials and make notes to fine tune what we worked on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rice Posted May 20, 2013 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 20, 2013 I have fiddled with the fine tune that we have set up but I, being me, didn't take notes and of course managed to fiddle our original setup, which was quite good, into something that .... Well, to make the long story short, I screwed it all up and didn't have the heart to tell you. In all faireness, I left your shop with the same feeling of vastly improved ride as I did theirs. I did have a few years to make my own "tweaks" since then and I guess that left some room for improvement :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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