200 - 250 lb riders, what do you have your suspension set at?

[martin_nj]

I've always taken my bikes to the local race shop to have the suspension adjusted for my weight and riding style, but with this bike I want to take a more hands on approach.


So those of you weighing in teh 200-250 range, what are you suspension knobs set to?

 

[TenereStreets]

I saw suggested settings on a motorcycle-usa.com article and the author's weight is 180. Maybe it's helpful.
Here's the link: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/897/18241/Motorcycle-Article/2014-Yamaha-Super-Tenere-ES-First-Ride.aspx

 

[Mtbjay]

It's a personal thing, and I am sure some heavy-weights will chime in soon (I'm only 180#). There are some good vid links here (and on YouTube) to guide you in setting sag, but setting the rebound/compression damping settings is more of a feel/art IMHO.

I don't know what weight the spec engineers had in mind when they chose the spring weights for the shocks… but I suppose they're just robust enough for two-up riding with some gear - on asphalt only. Factor in rough off-pavment riding and it would be very easy to bottom-out, I think, given how soft & comfy the suspension is.

Have you read the manual? I just tweaked my set-up after rediscovering the guidelines there, and the bike handles much better now. Granted, you'd have to adjust for your weight, but I found it a good starting point. If you don't have a manual, you can view it on-line from Yamaha's website.

I have found you have to fiddle a bit to find out what you like/don't like before settling on a particular setting. Write down where each setting currently is before making any adjustments, then document as you fine-tune the feel to your liking. Change only one thing at a time, document/evaluate, then change another if you like. This way you can go back to where you were if you want.

Keep in mind, significant changes in ambient temp -as well as riding surfaces- may necessitate a little tweak in the damping settings to maintain the same feel/response. Keeping your tires tracking the surface irregularities is Job #1 of the suspension, your comfort comes secondary to that IMHO.

 

[tubebender]

Mtbjay's reply above is pretty much what I would say, and I'd like to re-enforce one of his points.

You need to be able to measure and set the sag.

This is the main staring point for everthing that follows. It really makes a differnce in how the bike turns into , tracks, and exits a corner.

 

[Koinz]

Fiddling is right....and is a personal thing. I have the Stoltec suspension with a 180 spring in the rear. I needed a little more sag to get a more comfortable ride. I little more rebound because it bounced back up to quick. Felt like is was wallowing a little. Compression seemed ok.
On the front, I reduced the preload, but gave it more compression dampening with an appropriate amount of rebound.

This gave me an nice feel in the twisties, but also a comfortable ride on the flats.
I'm about 235, so I'm in the middle of your range.

I just started playing with it because its hard to adjust things in the cold weather. The oil in the forks and shock will thicken and give you a harsh ride.
It's amazing what a nicely setup suspension does for a ride. Huge grins. ;D

 

[Mtbjay]

Besides getting the SAG right (or close) with spring pre-load (so you're riding in the best part of the shock travel), I think the next most important thing is understand what compression and rebound damping do. Then, make your fine tune tweaks to the damping settings. An increase in pre-load usually necessitates an increase in damping, BTW.

It's OK to want to tweak a bit more after you've settled on a setting too. Temperature extremes, loading, and road conditions are all factors in getting it dialed. The more you fiddle, the more you'll learn. All you need is a small flat-head screw driver and a 12mm open end(?) and you can fiddle, mid-ride.

I learn by doing, and most people do also.


Good luck!

 

[cosmic]

I just tightened the preload front/rear for my 240lbs and installed a pair of dog bones, to gain some ground clearance. Nothing else. I rather work on my riding skills than fiddle with the adjusters. I guess I'm more of "ride more, care less" kind of guy.

©

 

[Doug44]

I can tell you for sure on pavement if you want to go fast in the twist ies you gotta get the rear end up. I run mine higher than most I think all the time. I was having problems in SE MO in the twisty roads. After raising the rear I was 15-20 mph faster in the same curves after doing this. Also on the front forks I run 0 damping IMO the forks are harsh or hard enough without jacking this setting up. I run the other adjustments on the front about middle of the settings range or pretty much the way the bike came out of the crate. .

 

[Big Blu]

I weigh in at about 215 in full ATGATT and started at the setting posted below as per another inmate here. Give these settings a try then, ride, fiddle, make note, and repeat until you feel it 's optimized for you.
Front:
...Preload, 1 line from maximum
...Compression, 6 clicks from maximum
...Rebound, 6 clicks from maximum
Rear:
...Preload, Maximum
...Rebound, 6 clicks from maximum

Paul