Electronic suspension

Dshane

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And ... never, never, but never ... adjust the preload mounted on the motorcycle, always do it with the motorcycle on the center stand
Just wondering a few things. Pre-load is the +1, +2 etc...?? and why is it bad to it on the bike? I'm slow when it comes to suspensions. Don't make fun of me. ;)
 

Jlq1969

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Just wondering a few things. Pre-load is the +1, +2 etc...?? and why is it bad to it on the bike? I'm slow when it comes to suspensions. Don't make fun of me. ;)
Preload is a helmet, two helmets or luggage. If you do it on the center stand, the "small" electric motor that screws or unscrews the upper base of the rear spring, he only has to make an effort to raise or lower the rear fork with the weight of it and that of the wheel. If you try to adjust the preload with the bike on the ground, that little motor will have to lift or lower supporting the weight of the rear of the bike. Even so, it will do it and complete the adjustment, but subjecting it to an effort that "perhaps it is not prepared", that is why the manual clarifies that when adjusting the preload you do it "on the center stand”
 

Sierra1

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Just wondering a few things. Pre-load is the +1, +2 etc...?? . . . .
Setting preload is easy, do as jlq advises. Total up you riding weight, and adjust. As a ballpark setting for preload, each helmet equates to 200lbs-ish, and the luggage equates to 50lbs-ish. On the other hand, setting your rebound/compression . . . . not so much. First of all, the ride that you like may not be the same as mine or somebody else's. Secondly, road surfaces determine what settings you use/prefer. To learn what the settings do, make big changes at first. (ie: if set on soft, go from -3 to +3, and so on) Large changes are easier to feel than small changes. Once you learn what the numbers feel like, you can fine tune them.
 
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MattR

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When you go from rider only to rider plus pillion does the system make any changes to the forks settings? I ask because having had my forks tuned, I was told there was no need to make adjustments to the forks just the shock


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Scrambler007

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I test rode an ST ES about 3 years ago and back then I felt like the suspensions were really nice. So this year thinking I would improve on the Africa Twins comfort (which was quite good), I bought a new 2021 ST (couldn't try it as roads were covered in snow and ice). So far I've been a bit underwhelmed by the suspensions. After reading and watching all reviews, the vast majority seem to say its one of the most comfortable suspensions out there. I'd say on the small bumps its smoother than on the Africa, but on any more significant bump, the high speed compression damping feels harsher than it should. It's still fairly cold outside and bike is brand new, I'm wondering how much it will improve once seat and suspensions are broken in and tires are operating at warmer temperatures...

There's a few things that aren't perfect on this bike that I can live with (the throttle play in all axes, the on/off injection of the S mode and the meh T mode, etc), but the suspensions might end up being why I don't keep the bike. It's for sure not the worse suspensions I've ever tried (I've owned over 20 bikes and tried well over 150), but for a bike this size meant to go around the world, it doesn't seem to soak up bumps as everyone seemed to say.

Here's a sample of the kind of roads we have around here:

I went through all settings for preload, and at my 200lbs, I ended up putting it at 1 helmet+luggage, Soft -3. I tried just about every combination possible and with only 1 helmet just sitting on the bike eats up most of the travel available.

Would love to hear from anyone who had this initial impression that has seen things improved over time, or found a solution to improve it. Thanks!
 
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fac191

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I think you are running way to soft on the damping. To be honest for Normal riding the Standard damping setting is about right for me and 1 helmet for preload. I weigh a bit less than you kitted up. When im pushing on I bump the damping up to hard +3 to keep it from moving around too much. Soft damping I only use if it's rough going.
 

Scrambler007

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I think you are running way to soft on the damping. To be honest for Normal riding the Standard damping setting is about right for me and 1 helmet for preload. I weigh a bit less than you kitted up. When im pushing on I bump the damping up to hard +3 to keep it from moving around too much. Soft damping I only use if it's rough going.
I think I've gone full circle. Going from Soft to Hard, -3 to +3, 1 helmet to 2 helmets with luggage...I still feel the sharper bumps hit a bit harder than they should. Not joking, the dirt roads around here are much smoother than the paved ones. I could ride 160km/h on dirt roads on my AT (haven't tried it on the ST yet it was still muddy as it's Spring here), and on bigger bumps I think it absorbed the impacts a bit better.

The standard damping felt stiffer than necessary. You say you use the Soft damping only when it's rough...that's 80% of my riding around here...more so after winter (the temperature variation + water freezing/expanding) will destroy roads in no time, it gets bumpy as hell hehe
 

fac191

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Thing is when you up the preload on the E.S. the damping range moves up as well. If it's not bottoming out when you ride i would run just one helmet that way you will have more control over the soft range of the damping.
 

Sierra1

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. . . . Not joking, the dirt roads around here are much smoother than the paved ones. . . . You say you use the Soft damping only when it's rough...that's 80% of my riding around here...
I've been saying the same about my roads for years. I see pictures of dirt roads, and they're all graded and groomed. They're in far better condition than my daily roads. There's about a 6mi stretch of highway. On a highway, it doesn't matter what the setting are, it's perfectly smooth. For me, soft didn't work. It didn't make sense, but when I went to hard the ride was better. I confirmed that my current setting is 1 helmet + luggage, with hard/0. And for me, it rides well. It might feel like total shit to you though.
 

Scrambler007

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Yeah sometimes it can be counter intuitive, too soft and your just using the end of the stroke, when not bottoming out. That and pretty sure one helmet for Yamaha is a 160-175lbs rider. Will give it some more time and continue playing with the settings. On the highway its definitely not a problem (road is in much better condition).
 

Sierra1

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The max load is 450lb, so I came to similar conclusions. 200lb/helmet, and 50lb/luggage. 'Cuz 50lbs of luggage is a lot.
 

Scrambler007

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The max load is 450lb, so I came to similar conclusions. 200lb/helmet, and 50lb/luggage. 'Cuz 50lbs of luggage is a lot.
There's possibly a 30-40lbs of accessories included in that 450lbs limit (crash bars, luggage racks, auxiliary lights, windscreen adjuster, etc). So far I've never seen a manufacturer use a 200lbs rider as their avg rider (though in many cases they should), generally its more in the 160-170lbs range.
 

Sierra1

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I can see your point, but technically she came with a "stone guard and side sliders" for "protection. Although you're very correct in the vast majority of us making those alterations. My wife and I max out the GVWR just by ourselves. :oops: Don't forget to include your clothing/riding gear/helmet(s) in your calculations.
 

hulkss

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I could ride 160km/h on dirt roads on my AT (haven't tried it on the ST yet it was still muddy as it's Spring here), and on bigger bumps I think it absorbed the impacts a bit better.
Some of the sharpness you feel up front compared to the AT may be due to the smaller diameter front tire on the ST. The smaller rolling radius hits bumps a little harder. Maybe try a little less front tire pressure.
 

Scrambler007

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Some of the sharpness you feel up front compared to the AT may be due to the smaller diameter front tire on the ST. The smaller rolling radius hits bumps a little harder. Maybe try a little less front tire pressure.
It's more at the back the problem, front feels pretty good, and both tire pressure is more on the low side.
 

hulkss

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The seat and tire sidewall stiffness both can make a noticeable difference in ride harshness on small sharp bumps.
 

Scrambler007

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The seat and tire sidewall stiffness both can make a noticeable difference in ride harshness on small sharp bumps.
Yeah I'll definately be putting more offroad oriented tires when the stock ones are done, also considering alterations to the seat, though from the short rides I did, seat was suprisingly good, for a stock seat. The stock seat on the Africa was horrendous for my size.
 

dragec

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Feb 28, 2022
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Yeah I'll definately be putting more offroad oriented tires when the stock ones are done, also considering alterations to the seat, though from the short rides I did, seat was suprisingly good, for a stock seat. The stock seat on the Africa was horrendous for my size.
I have/had the same problem.
After having CRF1000 (both, standard nad AdvSports) I was never satisfied with how ST deals poor tarmac. Yes, playing with ES (ZE) settings "helps" a little but it will never be like AT. While AT was soaking bumps, ST more jumps over them. Back wheel hitting bumps on ST sometimes is terrible.
Soft suspension + 21 front tyre make AT better (more comfortable) on bad streets. If I had this info before buying ST it would definitely influence my decision.

But today I'm not sorry for buying ST. I think for 2 up it is a slightly better bike than AT.
Seating position, seat comfort, shaft, wind protection, tubeless, cruise control are pros for ST.
Comfort (on bad streets) and great look for AT.

But all of this is individually.
For exampe, I have feeling that ST is lighter than CRF1000. For me it was harder to maneuver AT when fully loaded.:rolleyes:

And for me, ST behaves the best with Heidenau. In the moment I have TKC70, but after that Heidenau is back.
 
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