| Author | Message | ||
     Sugarmcguinnmsncom |
Hey all, I didn't want to "high-jack" the other thread, so I thought I'd start this one... When I first got my Uly, I came to the BadWeb asking about excessive neck-dive and the feeling of pointing "down-hill" on the Uly. I got some good advice, though none that really quelled the issues.... recently, Kennywiz, in the thread 08 XB12X suspension settings, was asking about suspension settings and got this response : "You can bottom out preload on front or rear, won't hurt anything. Fork springs may wear out faster, as they're under more pressure all the time, but it's fine. Two up setting is full stop on the rear preload, and I end up bottoming out front preload on most bikes trying to tune out brake dive. " and "Try the two up settings, that's where I ended up with my XT. I'm at full on the rear and a half turn out on the front. I do ride two up a lot, but one up it keeps things nice and tight. I bottomed the fronts and it made the bike too tall in front, a bit more twitchey and wheelie prone- with the half turn out and compression maxed, and rear rebound maxed, that's about as good as I could do to kill the dive, which on the XT isn't as bad anyway. I just like it sporty. " THIS WAS NOT THE ENTIRE REPLY. I would like to point to these specific comments... 1. You can bottom out preload on front or rear, won't hurt anything. 2. I bottomed the fronts and it made the bike too tall in front, a bit more twitchey and wheelie prone- with the half turn out and compression maxed, and rear rebound maxed, that's about as good as I could do to kill the dive, which on the XT isn't as bad anyway. I just like it sporty. My question to the BadWeb (hopefully not sparking any wars) is: 1. Is this true? Will bottoming out the front pre-load (or close to it) not hurt anything? I went out to the garage, and just for kicks, wanted to see how many turns it took for the pre-load nut to come to full-stop. It was 14 full turns... (for may weight, it states 3 turns) 2. If this is "OK" would this truly cure my "neck-dive" issues and the feeling of "pointing down-hill?" I should close with: I'm not a crazy rider, and seek more comfort than performance... Thought? (Message edited by sugarmcguinn@msn.com on June 25, 2014) | ||
| Ratbuell |
If you LIGHTLY bottom the adjuster, you won't hurt anything. It's an adjustment - they wouldn't build it into the part/assembly if it hurt stuff. If you FORCE it, you'll dent/damage either the needle or the seat in the adjuster assembly. Rule of thumb - if it's an adjustment...try it. You can always put it back. And...factory/manual settings are simply a starting point. Everyone is different. Every bike is different. Every preference is different. | ||
| Sugarmcguinnmsncom |
Hey Ratbuell, Your opinion is always appreciated! I think I may have been more so implying that, the "factory adjustment" goes no further that 4 turns. 10 MORE turns seems pretty extreme, comparatively speaking.... My meaning being... Do I try this at risk to life and limb ?!?!? (Message edited by sugarmcguinn@msn.com on June 25, 2014) | ||
| Ratbuell |
If you're worried about that...go 6 turns. Then 8. Then 9. Work up to it. Don't go balls-out; feel your way through. The factory charts are based on measurements and specifications, not preference. Remember - Buell built *motorcycles*, not forks and shocks. Those were built by Showa, and were most likely used on more than just a Buell Ulysses. Therefore...they needed to be able to "fit" more than just a Uly. The adjustment may have been needed for another make/model. Will it break the fork/shock? Nope. Might it cause less-than-desirable handling in your Uly? Possibly. So, go one turn at a time. Ride a road you know. See how it reacts. Go another turn. Better? Go another turn, and re-ride. Worse? Go back half a turn, and re-ride. Repeat until you find your magic setting. Then...WRITE IT IN YOUR MANUAL for future reference.  And make sure you are adjusting the CORRECT setting for the symptom you are trying to address. Uly front forks? Have three - compression, rebound, and spring preload. Make sure you read and understand what each adjustment actually addresses before you go turning screws and reading preload lines. In my days selling Buells, the most common "problem" I encountered was owners not knowing what the hell they were actually changing when they turned "that screw". | ||
| Sugarmcguinnmsncom |
THAT! Is a good answer. Thanks Ratbuell! | ||
| Tootal |
There are folks on here that tell you that adding more oil will firm up the forks better than pre load and I agree with that if that's what you want. If you want a "race" suspension then you can set it up like that. I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. I live in the state of Illinois where we have 11 curves in 318 miles! The back roads are farm roads and they are bumpy. I changed my fork oil to Amsoil 5wt. (fork oil weights are only good for each manufacturer. they are not comparable across different brands.) At this point I was able to actually feel a difference in my settings. Now I can eat up a choppy road and the bike floats right across them. Now if I hit a twisty bit I can make a couple of adjustments and tighten things up to make it reasonable in the curves. It can also be set up like a dirt bike which is nice when I hit the Jeep trails in Colorado! So it's all in what you want out of it, there is not a perfect setting, as in tires, it's always a compromise. | ||
| Uly_man |
100% | ||
| Mark_weiss |
Since the Ulysses has over six inches of front fork travel you can expect that front compression under braking will be about 50% greater than you'd find with a sport bike that has four and a half inches of fork travel. Adding pre-load will lessen dive, but it will do so by reducing the fork's ability to be compressed by moderate loads and bumps. Pre load does not change the spring rate, only the amount of force that it is required to get the fork to begin moving. Fork dive is somewhat adjustable by changing the fork's oil level. The air space above the oil makes for a highly progressive 'spring' and changing the air volume is one way to tune fork action. Try adding 20cc of oil at a time and then test for the desired action. It is a time consuming process that can be highly effective. Also, make sure that you are not contributing to excessive dive yourself. Are you braced against the frame and staying in place on the seat? Or, sliding forward, weighting the handlebars, and adding even more weight to the front? | ||
| Buewulf |
I completely agree about adding fork oil, particularly if you are maxing out your preload, though I think stiffer springs are a worthy investment if you are over the 200 lb. mark. You'll feel the effects of a thinner or thicker oil with your compression and rebound action. If you can't get the proper action with the adjusters, then that is probably a good choice. Instead of going for a full out change, buy a little of the heaviest fork oil you can get and use that to beginning raising your fork oil level. You'll notice a difference even with those small added amounts. |
