2017 R Hard Suspension

Have you tried adjusting the compression damping setting to a lower setting ? thats your best bet for a free solution. Failing that its a softer spring / rebuild.

 

There are loads of you tube vids out there on how to set sag and rebound, compression.
With a helping hand from someone to hold the bike steady its only an hours work.
Experiment with your stock suspension before spending anything!!

 

My 2016 R felt just the same as you describe when I bought it in October. I simply dialled every suspension setting down to the lowest and have now ridden it some 3000 miles in relative comfort. Sure, I still notice the worst of what our crappy roads throw at me, but it’s not the painful experience it initially was. I love riding the bike now. For information, I weigh a beefy 11 and half stone! I’m sure it could be improved on if I took it to a suspension specialist, but I’m happy with it now.

 

Sorry, but that is not a good idea. If your rear suspension is too stiff, most of the time it’s the spring, so preload has to be softened up by unscrewing the collars on top of the spring. That’s assuming the spring is not to stiff for your weight. The front works on the same premise. Backing off all the compression and rebound will make the bike unstable. It’s not difficult to learn how to adjust your suspension, if not take it to a specialist.

 

SteveRS, thank you for the very gentle put down of my ‘hit and miss’ approach to making my bike rideable. I fully appreciate that it is not a professional approach but it has worked for me. As for the stability of the bike, in almost 3000 miles these past four months, it has been totally planted on every type of road. From tight, twisting country back roads to fast, sweeping A roads it has been impeccable and never given me a ‘moment’. I may well take it to my local suspension expert at some time in the future but it is not the pressing need it was when I first got the bike.

 

You can't "soften" the spring by adjusting preload. It's the same stiffness regardless, changing preload just changes ride height for a given load.

 

So just loosen off the compression damping and try it.

 

I’m sorry you felt it was a put down, as it was not meant to be. I responded out of concern actually. A bike with compression and rebound backed all the way off could be potentially dangerous with spirited riding. For example; with no rebound damping your suspension will be like a pogo stick, as there is no hydraulic damping to slow it down from springing back up to quickly after a quick compression. And without some compression damping there is nothing, besides the spring, assisting the suspension from over compressing. If your springs front and back are too stiff then you wouldn’t need assistance from compression, but you would most definitely require rebound to control the problem, which should be resolved with lighter springs in that case. If your just putting around then it’s most likely not endangering your life, but your suspension is not something to take lightly. This forum is a great resource where we can share our experience and knowledge with each other, and that was my only intention in response to your reply. Cheers.

 

No offence taken whatsoever, SteveRS. It’s a place for learning and advice. Far from putting around, I noticed the other day that one of my new foot pegs is a little bit ground down....eeek!. Spirited riding is the norm with the bike behaving itself all the time. I guess I’m not carrying enough weight to put the suspension under any kind of pressure.

 

By backing off the spring preload it will provide more sag to the bike with the rider on it. This is achieved by softening the spring preload. If the spring didn’t soften when the preload was backed off, then the ride height, or sag, would not change. But I drop agree with you as far as the spring stiffness though the entire stroke. Preload only affects the

That’s good! for me I’ve had to keep adding rebound, more to the front actually. As the oil breaks down from new I’ve noticed the front suspension rebounding quicker than the rear making things a little unsettled when giving her the beans through corners. Gotta love these premium suspensions .

 

I had to take mine for a revalve as even with the adjusters backed off it was too stiff. The suspension guy said that Triumph road testing is usually done in Southern Spain with smooth roads and warm weather. The state of our roads and cooler weather (thicker oil) meant I was being kicked out the seat and bumped off line on every ride. I don’t know why Triumph have requested the suspension settings to be so stiff from Ohlins. I’ve had Ducati’s and Aprilia’s which were set up firm but compliant.

The revalve cost about £300 from https://www.reactivesuspension.com/.

 

The Ohlins on the R are too hard for road use full stop take her to a suspension specialist

 

I agree - it changes the neutral position.

I don't know what that's supposed to mean but it's rubbish. Moving the preload collar simply moves the spring without changing it's length; the shock then extends or contracts slightly so the overall length changes as does the static sag.

 

I can recommend MCT down in Suffolk, did front and rear on my Kwak. Set up for fast road and track.
Firm, with great feel.

 

I’m not sure I understand what you mean. When you add preload it tightens the spring by compressing it and making it shorter. When you shorten the spring it stiffens it. But if the spring is far to light for your weight, adding preload to stiffen it won’t work because preload can only do so much. at this point it’s time for a heavier or stiffer spring. And vice versa if it’s too stiff for the rider. I agree that preload should only be used to adjust sag. It has no other purpose.

 

That is not how it works.
If you imagine you are sat on top of a spring and it compresses by 10mm.
If you lift the bottom of the spring by 10mm then your (ride) height increases by 10mm but the spring is still compressed by 10mm because of Hooks Law.
I know it seems different because when you are adjsuting the preload the spring is compressing more BUT when the bike is upright, you load the spring with your weight and the bikes weight and it compresses the spring by Xmm / Kg nothing to do with the preload, which just adjusts the height.
Back to the OP if he backs of his compression dampling he will get an idea of the effect. The if its too bouncy he will need to re-adjust. If its too hard - get the spring sorted.

 

Yes, it's a pretty common misconception that because preload moves the rear up and down it somehow alters the spring when all you are doing is moving the static point of the damper i.e. the position of the damper rod on it's stroke. You can only compress the spring more/less if the two ends are fixed distance in relation to each other, and they're not, they move under whatever load is on them. Preload doesn't load the spring any more or less, it's a misnomer.

 

That’s very interesting and does make sense. but if it’s too bouncy that would have a lot to do with rebound damping, as it’s springing up uncontrolled. The spring essentially supports the weight of bike and rider. The hydraulics control the movement of the suspension.