929 Shock Fitted Up

finally got my over-worn stock shock swapped out for the 929 unit (115k kms on the original... it was gone 20k kms ago, had the preload all the way up to stop it bottoming out).

anyway. new shock feels much better... but i can't sort out how to adjust the preload on it. would like to start off a couple points higher. won't really be able to get a feel for the new shock until i get the new pilot road 2 rear scrubbed in and ready to rock.

[image: View Post]superchode, on Jun 25 2009, 10:29 AM, said:

finally got my over-worn stock shock swapped out for the 929 unit (115k kms on the original... it was gone 20k kms ago, had the preload all the way up to stop it bottoming out).

anyway. new shock feels much better... but i can't sort out how to adjust the preload on it. would like to start off a couple points higher. won't really be able to get a feel for the new shock until i get the new pilot road 2 rear scrubbed in and ready to rock.

This is no perfect answer here.. but ill tell you what my ohlins guy here on isle of man did for me last week after i fitted my 929 shock and needed a similar adjustment as my shock was backed right off all round.. soft as you like...

So, and this is a little physical but with practice is simple really...

Starting with things backed off all round,
He up righted my vfr standing at the rear, side stand up. So yes, dont drop bike be confident in what your doing here, bike is quite stable really.. get an assistant to help steady things on the front if you so wish.
He then lifted bike upto see or feel the maximum travel of the swingarm, with no or next to no weight acting on shock.. There you have your unsprung starting point.

Next let bike down so the weight of bike rests on the shock... Watching the amount of travel between the two...

You are trying to get approx 10cm travel between the two.....

Its a basic and crude way of checking out your sag, but its quick and works well with practice compared to no measurement at all..
You can always get tape measures out and hang bike and drop it with all manner of cranes and lifts, but all this can be done quite crudley like this for a good baseline start....

If you have more than 10 cm travel then wind up your shock.. If stiff and no travel then back it off a little....

Depending on your weight you will add a few more turns if your heavy, compared to if you are light.

Then you will want to play with your damping....
Again upright bike.. then push down on your now newly adjusted spring and watch how the return action on the shock is.. you are after a nice gentle return action. Too slow a return and you will be to hard, too soft and spring will return too fast, as if there is nothing acting on the spring at all... I go for a happy medium...... Practice is what is wanted here untill you get what you want...

This is just a starting point really and not exact science.. but its how the pro's do it when in a rush...

I have mine- not too hard all round as i ride fast on roads and not a track. Well the TT course is a track, but still a road 95% of the year round! I find some suspension travel is always better than very little or none.

Job done, now im going through my diablo corsa 3 rear rubbers at an alarming rate.. but i am up against the latest 600 and 1000's machinery and im always on the pace here.. Not bad for an old banger vfr that cost me �450, compared to �5-10,000 for my competition..
vfr no bad at all !!
Good luck and have a go! :wheel:

wow. good info, and i'll probably use that method to get myself in the right ballpark... but my problem, at the time being, is that i haven't been able to physically adjust the pre-load, as of yet.

on the VFR's shock, i just threw the tool around the top of the shock, and twisted in the direction i wanted to go to up the preload. tried that on the 929 shock and it wouldn't budge. i just wanted to make sure that the basic method was the same (and that i wasn't doing something stupid) before i really start pulling on the wrench.

[image: View Post]superchode, on Jun 25 2009, 07:33 AM, said:

wow. good info, and i'll probably use that method to get myself in the right ballpark... but my problem, at the time being, is that i haven't been able to physically adjust the pre-load, as of yet.

on the VFR's shock, i just threw the tool around the top of the shock, and twisted in the direction i wanted to go to up the preload. tried that on the 929 shock and it wouldn't budge. i just wanted to make sure that the basic method was the same (and that i wasn't doing something stupid) before i really start pulling on the wrench.

BTW, he means 10 mm not cm! 10 cm is almost 4". :huh: 10mm is just less than 1/2" and is the desired Free/Static Sag numbers. :cool:

[image: View Post]B4D80Y, on Jun 25 2009, 06:11 AM, said:

Next let bike down so the weight of bike rests on the shock... Watching the amount of travel between the two...

You are trying to get approx 10cm travel between the two.....

So as not to mislead anyone, you meant to say 10 mm not 10 cm here! :cool: 10 cm is the bikes full travel amount, not free sag. :blush:

I looked up a pic of the shock, it has the same type of adjustment as the stock shock. I would say that all you're fighting, is a much stronger spring, just put a extention on your spanner....... "Warning" Use the right size spanner(which I'd hope came with the new one)....... Monk

Oopsy, yes looks like 10mm not 10 cm.. lmao.. but the method altho crude, works all the same.... :cool:
Mind you, have just blown a fork seal..... must have been abusing the improoved handeling... new improvments always show up the weakest part(never use patten forkseals) :blush:

[image: View Post]superchode, on 25 June 2009 - 05:29 AM, said:

finally got my over-worn stock shock swapped out for the 929 unit (115k kms on the original... it was gone 20k kms ago, had the preload all the way up to stop it bottoming out).

anyway. new shock feels much better... but i can't sort out how to adjust the preload on it. would like to start off a couple points higher. won't really be able to get a feel for the new shock until i get the new pilot road 2 rear scrubbed in and ready to rock.


Makes it a whole lot easier if you have it on the center stand :fing02:

Spanner wrench info here...

http://www.vfrdiscus...__1#entry660592

Zach571