A Question for the Heavyweights.

[Banana Pancake]

Hi all,

Long time lurker and finally getting to the point of taking the plunge on an S10.

My question is in regards to suspension. I'm just over 300lbs geared up and am wondering if the ES electronic suspension is up to the challenge or if I'm ultimately better off going for the standard model and bolting on an Ohlins/Penske etc.

The bike would have all three boxes and an occasional passenger.

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I had trouble finding a solid answer with the search feature.

 

[CDMartin884]

I would say the later. I am 300 with gear, and that is how I went. Works great, very tuned.


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[Berg_Donk]

You'd need to upgrade the ES springs, so Plan B makes more sense to me.

 

[Firefight911]

ES is not an option. It is under sprung and the damping will not be able to compensate for the spring change.

Go with the conventional and spring (pun intended) for an Ohlins or equivalent rear and have the front end redone. Several options to choose from for shops. I have a relationship with Super Plush Suspension in San Francisco. James Siddall and I developed a complete package with Ohlins rear and reworked front. There are other excellent sources here.

Bottom line, your suspension will never be up to par unless it is reworked, front and rear, to match your needs/use. And this is not a unique issue to the Super Tenere. It applies to all motorcycles, irrespective of brand or use. You fall outside the targeted suspension of OEM.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bigbore4]

I am 300 plus geared up. Been riding for a long time. I rebuilt the suspension on my Feejr a couple years back and holy wah what a difference. First time I ever had a bike set up for my weight and it is sweet.

The Super Tenere has been tolerable cranked all the way up solo rider, but that is on the project list for this winter. I had the OEM shock rebuilt for the Feejr, I may pop for a good on on the Tenere. But it is time to sweeten the pot, the think is a farkle whore anyway, may as well do the suspension

 

[escapefjrtist]

Like BB4 and others, both my FJR and Tenere have custom suspension under them. I was a doubter for many years, but after sampling the kool-aid, I'm a believer in aftermarket suspenders...

A properly set-up bike is [will] be a pleasure to ride!

--G

 

[EricV]

I'm also 300+ fully geared up. The stock, non-ES, shock will tolerate a heavier spring, and that's what I did on my '12, but it's not ideal. That said, I put 50k on it and then swapped to a shock given to me by another list member that upgraded to a Penski. The second shock only had ~5k on it, but with the same heavier spring, only felt slightly crisper than the 50k shock did. I now have 30k on that shock, plus it's original miles and it's fine.

I also had custom suspension, tuned for me and set up correctly on my previous bike, (FJR), and that is a wonderful thing. I simply could not afford to spend the cash to upgrade the S10, so made do with the heavier spring and some adjustment of the forks. If you have the $2k to spend, upgrade the non-ES suspension and you will enjoy better, smoother and more compliant riding. Roads that always felt rough with the stock set up will feel much smoother and bumps will be less harsh.

All this said, I have a friend that is 300+ w/o gear that rides a new ES FJR and swears it's far better than anything he's every ridden before, including his custom suspension older FJRs. The ES still allows him to tweak for his weight and works very well for him. He rides a lot, as many or more miles than I do, and has had lots of bikes, nearly all with custom suspension, so he was surprised to find that the ES would work so well for him. Naturally he does not use the solo rider setting for his weight, but did find settings that worked well for him solo and fully loaded.

I would suggest you try and test ride an ES and play with the suspension settings, before you decided which way to go, but in the end, the custom stuff will always give you a wider range and allow tuning to your exact needs. If you're a set it and forget it guy, the ES may be simpler. If you have a good suspension shop close by, that may sway your decision too. Good luck and enjoy the process.

 

[Banana Pancake]

Awesome!

Thanks for all the info gents.

I was thinking custom was probably the way to go.

Part 2 of the question would be if anyone knows of a good suspension shop within reasonable distance of Toronto, Canada.

This is my first foray into the custom damper world.

 

[Toxic Mark]

ES is not an option. It is under sprung and the damping will not be able to compensate for the spring change.

Go with the conventional and spring (pun intended) for an Ohlins or equivalent rear and have the front end redone. Several options to choose from for shops. I have a relationship with Super Plush Suspension in San Francisco. James Siddall and I developed a complete package with Ohlins rear and reworked front. There are other excellent sources here.

Bottom line, your suspension will never be up to par unless it is reworked, front and rear, to match your needs/use. And this is not a unique issue to the Super Tenere. It applies to all motorcycles, irrespective of brand or use. You fall outside the targeted suspension of OEM.

Hope this helps.

I've been meaning to thank you for your work on the suspension. I went with Superplush and the bike is fantastic. I hit a section of washboard and it was crazy to see the bike go over it but not feel it. I opted with a Penske rear, but still great improvement. So, thanks for that.

 

[mcrider007]

All this said, I have a friend that is 300+ w/o gear that rides a new ES FJR and swears it's far better than anything he's every ridden before, including his custom suspension older FJRs.

I would suggest you try and test ride an EZ and play with the suspension settings, before you decided which way to go, but in the end, the custom stuff will always give you a wider range and allow tuning to your exact needs. If you're a set it and forget it guy, the ES may be simpler. If you have a good suspension shop close by, that may sway your decision too. Good luck and enjoy the process.

I know who you are referring to and his comments are shared by quite a few happy FJR ES owners but they all seem to be overlooking the considerable improvements provided by the inverted forks (the first FJR to have inverted forks) and giving all the credit for the improved ride and handling to the ES suspension. I think the ES suspension is very good, not great, but not as good as fully adjustable aftermarket suspension that was build for the rider's weight and riding style.

 

[Ramseybella]

300 + I admit!!
I did a little quick tweaking as suggested on my Tenere I agree the springs are made for teenagers amped up on Monster Energy drinks it still works darn good for a stock rig.
Much better than any other bike I have owned and I am talking another 75lbs of load when camping and traveling.

 

[bmac]

Hi all,
My question is in regards to suspension. I'm just over 300lbs geared up and am wondering if the ES electronic suspension is up to the challenge or if I'm ultimately better off going for the standard model and bolting on an Ohlins/Penske etc.

The bike would have all three boxes and an occasional passenger.

It is interested to read the responses so far and it was unanimous up until now. How many of the responses came from someone that owns an ES? I suspect the answer is none.

The discussion should have really started with what do you intend to do with the bike? Are you a casual rider looking to pile up some miles? Are you planning on a lot of off road riding? Do you plan on dangling it at full tilt with a passenger and gear? What is your intended use of the bike?

Can the ES handle a 300 pound load? Absolutely!. Is it the ideal set up for knee dragging around every turn at race pace? Maybe not.

For reference, I am over 250 with gear.

I am interested in the right set up for each bike I own. If an after market upgrade is necessary I am willing to make it. I have three motorcycles. Two have upgraded suspension and one is stock. The Super Tenere ES is the one that is stock. The S10 has 7.5 inches of travel and I want to use it all. My three main priorities with the S10 are comfortable riding position , comfortable suspension, and good handling manners. The ES model has no trouble delivering this with not a single whimper. If I decide to take my wife for a ride a simple adjustment and a minute later we are ready to go. The stock suspension has all the adjustment I need and I am quite sure all the adjustment most folks will desire. You will not get an aftermarket suspension to have the broad range of capabilities that the ES system offers.

If am I going to dangle a bike around corners for an extended period I will take one of my other bikes but for 90% of the riding I do the S10ES works extremely well.


The best thing to do is get a test ride on one and see for yourself. I would be hesitant to put too much value in the opinions of folks that have not spent any serious time on one. It is a really good motorcycle as is.

 

[Maxified]

::008::
I'd like to hear a bit more from the heavier S10ES owners about their suspension evaluation.

 

[bmac]

I know who you are referring to and his comments are shared by quite a few happy FJR ES owners but they all seem to be overlooking the considerable improvements provided by the inverted forks (the first FJR to have inverted forks) and giving all the credit for the improved ride and handling to the ES suspension. I think the ES suspension is very good, not great, but not as good as fully adjustable aftermarket suspension that was build for the rider's weight and riding style.

There may be other improvements that contribute to the satisfaction of owners but the total end result is that the ES suspension meets their needs and does not need to be upgraded. This is true for riders of many different shapes and sizes.

You will likely find similar results when you poll Super Tenere ES owners.

If a rider wants to cruise in comfort on the freeway the ES has a setting to accommodate. If the rider suddenly finds a nice section of roads that begs to ridden a bit more aggressively the suspension can be quickly changed to the desired firmness. No aftermarket set up offers anywhere near that amount of flexibility.


It is tough for many folks to embrace change especially when it involves an advance in technology. Their past experience can be both a positive and a negative.

 

[Ramseybella]

How I broke my rear factor on adjusting my suspension..

http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=13041.0;topicseen