I'm Now a Firm Believer in Suspension Mods

[Mark R.]

I find the naysayers funny but also believe some riders don't need a suspension upgrade as they just don't ride the motorcycle to it's limits
20K miles on mine and I knew from the second long weekend ride this bike needed better suspension. or at least sprung to my weight. Problem was I just spent 14k on a bike and 2500 adv gear. I really didn't have a budget for suspension.. coming from enduro bikes and racing.. I found it very hard to ride within the limits of the bike and it's stock suspension. but for 20K miles I was hell bent not to get sucked in.

after my 3 week 6500 mile trek up to Canada and back this fall.. I knew it was time.. my bike was thrashed from bottoming out on the dirt roads and rocks. I'd stiffen up for the rough only to have the front end suck riding the wash boards.. then I'd soften up and g-out so bad I broke my sub pump case. the rear shock of the bike really wasn't too bad.. but lack of serviceability and no compression damping just doesn't cut it for long term ownership of this bike.

best of all... I have a leaky for seal so its time for an upgrade. LOL ::015::
Orderd the wilbers race shock with high and load speed damping, hydro spring adjuster and front springs.. going to play with the stock valves and shim stack to see if I can get a little better valving with the heavier springs.. I might just go with high viscosity of oil if the valving is close . If needed I'll go with racetech valves and play with the shims to get it dialed in..

The key for the fork is to reduce the high speed compression damping. When Rick of Cogent did mine, he said the high speed damping circuit was the most restricted he had ever seen. Now I am really happy.

 

[snakebitten]

I agree Mark. If it hadn't been for the almost non existent dampening on long runs of washboard, I might not have gotten so hell bent on going all out on the suspension upgrades.
I may have over reacted.
No regrets, mind you. But they did miss it on that high speed compression by a large margin.

 

[trikepilot]

I ride the OEM suspension and feel like I ride it pretty hard, but have had no complaints. I am probably more alike to DirtDad in being suspension agnostic, though.

But I live less than 14 miles from Ohlins and less than 5 miles from Cogent Dynamics - so someday I need to see what all this fuss is about, I guess.

 

[snakebitten]

Yo, trikepilot,

You must not be riding on any washboarded roads?
You know, where there are long runs of ripples, evenly spaced apart and big enough to require the forks to compress VERY quickly, MANY times per second.
Under those circumstances, you have no forks. They lock up and then your hands and arms become the suspension. Can rattle your teeth.

I'd rather they not even have specific valv-ing for that specific condition if it's not going to function. Those conditions can tire you quickly.

Once valved for it, you ride over the same roads and your completely loose in your hands and arms and the bike just flies through those sections.

 

[snakebitten]

Oh, and my forks and shock are 14 miles from you right now!

Go say hello to them for me. Lol

(getting freshened and DLC coating)

 

[trikepilot]

Oh... I ride plenty of washboards. Can't avoid them as pretty much all the USFS roads in the Pisgah have them through the curves. Just got off a ride on Fancy over some of these very washboards today.

Bike handled them with ease. BUT... I could feel them. Again, I think I am just agnostic to the idea of what suspension would do for me versus the enormous cost. I guess what I really need is to ride a rough stretch on my bike immediately followed by riding the same stretch on a bike with a tuned suspension.

I just don't know enough about suspensions and what they can offer at what price to make a determination of what will be best. I just keep plowing through. It has worked for years and I just don't know any better.

It is nice to know that if I want to get the suspension done, though, that two of the best around are literally right in my backyard.

Why don't you bring the Tenere up here sometime to get that next freshening and we can compare?

 

[fredz43]

It is nice to know that if I want to get the suspension done, though, that two of the best around are literally right in my backyard.

Why don't you bring the Tenere up here sometime to get that next freshening and we can compare?

Wow, you must have a pretty big back yard if they are literally right in it. ;D

On the serious side, when I had my 2012 with Ohlins front and back and was going to be in their area last year, I asked if I could get an appointment to stop by with my bike and have them go thru the suspension as a bit of a tune up type of thing. I was surprised when they told me that if I sent them the forks and shock, they could work on them, but they did not work on bikes with the suspension intact. I think they explained it had something to do with their business license or something like that which prohibited tem from working on bikes in their shop. Perhaps a zoning restriction? Strange, I thought, but that is the way it was.

 

[snakebitten]

I'm bringing it to Romney. Come ride it!

If you don't feel the difference, I'll never BUG you again.

 

[trikepilot]

If I make it... I'll take that challenge.

 

[Rasher]

Considering getting my forks re-valved.

The spring / oil change improved it massively, but the harshness on the high speed damping (I notice quite a jar when hitting even small bumps / surface changes at cruising speeds) does annoy me a bit.

My only issue is I love the feel and feedback in turns and on the brakes and worry sorting one may compromise the other.

Decided I will be keeping the bike a lot longer and not buying a new bike (well a new house that needed £40k of improvements decided on my behalf) plus the chances are it would just be another S10 - the Tracer is very tempting, but I like the shaft drive too much.

Will probably book in with MCT in spring and get them to have a look, the good thing is there man really knows suspension and has a good feel, they also work on assembled bikes and will take them out to feel what their changes have done.

 

[creggur]

I just don't know enough about suspensions and what they can offer at what price to make a determination of what will be best. I just keep plowing through. It has worked for years and I just don't know any better.

This was me forever. As a matter of fact, I'd never done more than play with the adjusters a bit on the suspension on any bike I ever owned. And truth be told I didn't have a real problem with the stock stuff on the Tenere. I could get the sag set for my weight without maxing everything out, and through researching here and trial-and-error had dialed the other adjustments in pretty good. I rarely venture off the pavement, and when I do it's no more than the occasional dirt road and I tend to take it very easy.

BUT, I've never had a bike like the Tenere which after nearly three years of ownership I have absolutely no desire to trade or sell for something different. I'd also farkled it more than any bike I'd ever owned so I pretty much had it looking and rigged like I wanted it.

So I was at a place I'd never been with motorcycle ownership before: I had a bike that fit me and all of my needs and wants so perfectly I was actually willing to take the leap and drop the big coin on suspension upgrades. I figured the worst-case scenario was even if wasn't "mind-blowing" better, it would surely be a noticeable difference and I would enjoy the benefits of that for the next few years.

So, down the rabbit hole I went, and man I couldn't be happier. And in the process met a first-class local suspension guy whom I also trust to do the maintenance stuff that I have neither the time nor tools and such to do myself (basically anything beyond oil, final drive, and air filter changes)...

Thus I now own what I consider to be the absolute perfect motorcycle for me in every way. Knowing what I know now, I would've spent more than I did to get the suspension to its current state, and I wouldn't have waited so long to do it. Worth every last penny plus!

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I just don't know enough about suspensions and what they can offer at what price to make a determination of what will be best.

::026:: I'm guessing no one is shocked to see me say that.

I suffer from past experience. I have had different suspension mods on other bikes. My FJR came with what I assume was an expensive aftermarket setup. I have always been told by whoever when I made the mod "oh, you're going to feel that one" or something similar. And if I'm totally honest, I rarely, if ever feel anything different. If I do, it fades away so quickly, I forget about it.

I have 100% faith that everyone that tells me they feel a difference is being completely and sincerely honest and just wanting to share their positive experience. I don't know if it was a misspent youth of trying to ride motocross with KE100, but I don't seem to be a sophisticated enough rider to appreciate the difference between stock and upgraded suspension.

I do look at the massive marketplace for upgraded suspension and realize there's something I'm missing. I don't think I'm right and everyone else in the world is wrong. I'm the odd man out here. I'm okay with that, it's familiar territory.

 

[creggur]

::026:: I'm guessing no one is shocked to see me say that.

I suffer from past experience. I have had different suspension mods on other bikes. My FJR came with what I assume was an expensive aftermarket setup. I have always been told by whoever when I made the mod "oh, you're going to feel that one" or something similar. And if I'm totally honest, I rarely, if ever feel anything different. If I do, it fades away so quickly, I forget about it.

I have 100% faith that everyone that tells me they feel a difference is being completely and sincerely honest and just wanting to share their positive experience. I don't know if it was a misspent youth of trying to ride motocross with KE100, but I don't seem to be a sophisticated enough rider to appreciate the difference between stock and upgraded suspension.

I do look at the massive marketplace for upgraded suspension and realize there's something I'm missing. I don't think I'm right and everyone else in the world is wrong. I'm the odd man out here. I'm okay with that, it's familiar territory.

I'd never even experienced a premium suspension, so my perspective is coming from complete ignorance. Just got back from another ride, and I tell YA it keeps getting better - still settling in a bit I suppose. Another piece of the puzzle is that it was setup by someone who knows what he's doing, who took into account how I use the bike, I can't help but think that made a difference as well.

Again, I didn't have an issue with the stock suspension, but since I have ZERO plans to part with the Tenere any time soon, I figured why not give it a try.
Glad I did.,.

 

[snakebitten]

Where have YOU been?

Keeping it huh? For a few more years.
Me too. I still can't believe ANY motorcycle can keep my attention this long. I'll say it again....I was the bull's-eye on the Tenere design target. Dead center.

 

[creggur]

Where have YOU been?

Keeping it huh? For a few more years.
Me too. I still can't believe ANY motorcycle can keep my attention this long. I'll say it again....I was the bull's-eye on the Tenere design target. Dead center.

Been here, just haven't been too chatty lately...no more 3 month sabbaticals for me, Sir...

 

[cetan]

Now I am "believer" too because I have ordered touratech extreme rear shock with spring for my ride weight and new fork springs.. so I believe that they worth the money

 

[Daviedevs]

Im a suspension virgin too. Just rode the thing with what was set by the dealer.

However yesterday i had my S10 set up by a suspension specialist. No mods as such..just a ride in ride out set up for £30.

The difference is fantastic. So much sharper in the bends and feels far more stable over potholes etc.

Wont wait to get the suspension set up again if I should get a new bike in the future.

 

[Rasher]

The front of mine was massively improved by a change of springs and oil, costs about £250 ride in / ride out at MCT in Stowmarket.

Rear seemed pretty decent with a bit more pre-load added, mine only struggled two-up which I why I replaced the rear shock.


The Mrs TDM was transformed by them, but with that the shock is awful so they re-valved it, a totally different bike afterwards.

 

[Tremor38]

Damn... Why i had to come across this one!?
I never touched the suspensions in 20 years of riding and now that's all i think off. Like yamabob said, i just adopt and ride.
Oh boy this is so much against my rule No.1... "the best tuning is FUEL".
Let's survive the holidays first, and then we'll see.

Well, you also call your bike 'Snowflake,' so it's really hard to relate on any level ;D

 

[BillPacific]

Someday, MAYBE, there will be a post on some thread on some forum where a fella adds a high quality rear shock and completely upgraded fork internals, by a qualified suspension guru, and will then ride off and come to the conclusion it was a waste of time and money.

Or maybe it will NEVER happen.

I vote for the latter, myself. Heck, today I installed new Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks on my pickup. Not exactly Ohlins quality kit, if you know what I mean.
And my oh my what a change it made in quality of ride and composure. And that's with leaf spring suspension in the rear! Nothing could be less sophisticated.

One thing for sure, it looks like there is 1 less naysayer in the world today. Lol

Congrats! And the best part is how much more you will enjoy every mile you put on your Beast from this day forward.


In my younger years I had what they called at the time a Heavy 1993 GSXR1100, only mod was pipe and ignition and experimented with tire choices. After moving to Florida with very little corners I was wearing flat spot on rear tire. I tried a sport/touring compound for increased mileage. I had a wake up call on how easy they could break traction while slightly lean on the gas compared to sport compound. I went back to sport compound only and forgot about trying to save money on mileage wear on sport/touring compound tires. Later in life I was fortunate to have a Ducati 996 with stock suspension and then a Ducati 998R with Olins I loved how I could control the bike and manipulate traction and slide at all angles. Next bike was a left over 2002 Aprilia Millie R with the full Ohlins , lighter wheels, pipe ect.. At the time I was convinced it was all worth the money. Till the day I tried to sell at a fair price. On the heavy bulkier feel of the Aprilia I don't think I ever got performance moneys worth. Just pride in it was rare bike, set up with nice parts. Now I think it was a waste of money. I haven't owned the Super Tenere long but after some pot hole roads I figured an Aventure bike with tall suspension would handle better. The first thing I thought of was an upgrade. But in my older age I think I have come full circle and would rather spend my money on tires and camp trips. But if I got to test ride a bike with vastly inproved suspension I may upgrade. Until then I am on the fense if spending money on this mode on this bike is worth it.