FREE Suspension Setup advice from an expert

It should be like the thread that says only certain people, and named names, should ride these bikes as they are the only ones to get anything out of the performance....

the unqualified and inexperienced should restrain from attempting to be technical.... there should be a star system against your name to quantify the level of your knowledge....

I am here to help all of you but I get what you are saying...

RRX, we all appreciate it, do you think there's much to be learnt from articles like this 2023 Silverstone MotoGP Report

roadracerx said:

You are getting pretty close to the limit on the installed preload on the shock spring. What is your bike and rider sag front and rear?

It is hard say what is causing the pulsing issue at the front of the bike without seeing it or more information.

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Yeah Im planning on a heavier spring for the rear. I use the progressive linkage so figured I had a little room
Front Sag is 25 bike 40 rider
Rear sag is 10 bike 30 rider
Gotcha. Maybe its the abs. Will try a session with it deactivated. I went to a better pad, so maybe it's triggering the abs now.

Paul G said:

RRX, we all appreciate it, do you think there's much to be learnt from articles like this 2023 Silverstone MotoGP Report

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I like Kevin's articles, he has real insight and discusses things 99% of us don't understand, but I still try

Colmn said:

Yeah Im planning on a heavier spring for the rear. I use the progressive linkage so figured I had a little room
Front Sag is 25 bike 40 rider
Rear sag is 10 bike 30 rider
Gotcha. Maybe its the abs. Will try a session with it deactivated. I went to a better pad, so maybe it's triggering the abs now.

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The FLAT position for the stock linkage is better for track use. I would consider possibly a 95 N/m rate with something like 11 mm preload to start. Set the fork compression and reb to 12/12 and the shock reb to 14 and compression to 13.

Is there a specific place, corner, track feature where this vibration happens? How do your grips look, are they worn out? Do you have a slippery, sloped seat? Do you have pegs that are grippy?

I ask these questions because it is possible you have a death grip on the bars and are not properly connecting with the bike through your lower body. In order to do that you need a flat, grippy seat so you don't slide forward when braking and something like Stomp Grip on the tank and grippy pegs.

roadracerx said:

The FLAT position for the stock linkage is better for track use. I would consider possibly a 95 N/m rate with something like 11 mm preload to start. Set the fork compression and reb to 12/12 and the shock reb to 14 and compression to 13.

Is there a specific place, corner, track feature where this vibration happens? How do your grips look, are they worn out? Do you have a slippery, sloped seat? Do you have pegs that are grippy?

I ask these questions because it is possible you have a death grip on the bars and are not properly connecting with the bike through your lower body. In order to do that you need a flat, grippy seat so you don't slide forward when braking and something like Stomp Grip on the tank and grippy pegs.

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There's no specific place on the track that it's happening, just when hard on the brakes. I use the dp seat, renthal grips are good. Gilles rearsets are grippy, and bike has stompgrips. No death grip. Problem is new since changing to the ohlins and changing the pads. My next track day is a Ducati revs day. Hopefully can get some one on one support to get to the bottom of it. Gonna bleed the brakes again and try those settings as well. Thanks

Take the brake pads out and run them in a figure 8 on 150 grit sandpaper on a piece of glass. This will make them level again. Let me know if this solves the problem.

roadracerx said:

Take the brake pads out and run them in a figure 8 on 150 grit sandpaper on a piece of glass. This will make them level again. Let me know if this solves the problem.

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Will do, but after thinking about it, this was the 2nd trackday on the pads and tires so the only thing that changed was the suspension (both forks and shock)

Just trying to eliminate variable. Maybe the fork was not properly put together...

@roadracerx you might have missed this post… I’d appreciate your input.

Alkhater said:

@roadracerx I’d appreciate a basic setup starting point and hope I provide enough information.

I have a base V4 with FKR 115 carts. and DU 416 shock. Currently installed with the supplied springs… 9.5(f) and 95(r) N/mm.

I haven’t ridden the bike at pace yet or on track so I’m not entirely sure on feeling/feedback…

Front doesn’t seem bad, I’m using a lot of the stroke while braking verified by travel indicator.

Rear does seem too stiff for my weight.

I weigh 65kg or 145lbs with gear, or even slightly less.

Also have a pair of 9 N/mm fork springs, 75 and 80 N/mm shock springs to try.

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Concerning pace… I’m not very fast. I’m about 20 seconds off of WSBK pace at Lusail but that’s on a factory SF V4S with stock tires. 2’20” (my experience is 2 track days on 600RR many years ago and 3 track days on the SF). But I hope to pick up the pace.

I’m also going on factory supercorsas with the Panigale but plan to move to slicks.


Any basic setup advice would be appreciated… fork position, air gap, shock length etc and I’d be happy to provide any additional info if needed. TIA

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@Alkhater sounds like you need to get your bike and rider sag correct FIRST. The springs installed are for a heavier rider. 145 lbs WITH gear you should probably be at 9.0s front, possibly even 8.75. I would start with 80 rear. Do you know how to set sag? Who recommended these springs for your weight?

roadracerx said:

@Alkhater sounds like you need to get your bike and rider sag correct FIRST. The springs installed are for a heavier rider. 145 lbs WITH gear you should probably be at 9.0s front, possibly even 8.75. I would start with 80 rear. Do you know how to set sag? Who recommended these springs for your weight?

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I appreciate the response.

I’ll drop the 9’s in the front, 80 rear. I know how to set sag.

Springs are what Ohlins manuals recommend for my weight.

Any insight on shock length?

Should the air gap be adjusted based on fork Tavel or feel?

@Alkhater shock length and fork ride height are based on tires and gearing, what tires are you using and have you changed gearing from stock?

I generally start with a 200 mm air gap, has nothing to do with travel. The smaller the air gap the more progressive the end of the stroke is. Road racers like linear feel/forces

HI @roadracerx,
Thanks for this post. I just want to know what the recommended suspension settings are for my Panigale V4S 2019 model. I'm 6'0" tall and weigh 200 lbs. I usually do a mix of track days and roads with lots of twisties. Appreciate your recommendation. THank you!

roadracerx said:

@Alkhater shock length and fork ride height are based on tires and gearing, what tires are you using and have you changed gearing from stock?

I generally start with a 200 mm air gap, has nothing to do with travel. The smaller the air gap the more progressive the end of the stroke is. Road racers like linear feel/forces

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I assume the smaller the air gap the less compressible the end of the stroke is?

I’m on stock gearing and tires for now. I’ll likely keep the gearing but will gradually move up to grippier Pirelli’s over time.

The air compressible, not the fluid so with less air the resistance to bottoming grows exponentially.

roadracerx said:

Stock geometry works pretty darn well.

Ducati does not make a bike that handles poorly.

ALL BIKES need the bike and rider sag checked, period. There is a generally acceptable range in which to work that has been detailed above, this ALWAYS works.

When a customer buys a bike who isn't within the 170-190 lbs range they need different springs, no way around that.

Often what I see is people changing the bike with tires, gearing, chain length, exhaust, mapping, throttles, clutches and almost always they make the bike harder to ride.

Sure settings could be altered to get something potentially better but I started this thread to help people and that is exactly what is accomplished here.

To solve problems you have to start with a KNOWN. I solve problems based on facts. Stock geometry, when accounted for changes will work for everyone, guaranteed.

Getting the bike back to a known geometry is harder than you might think with the multitude of changes folks make and providing solutions is more difficult than you might guess without a baseline.

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Do you have spring reccomendations? Ideally I'd like to just replace the springs without having to buy a full cartridge kit.

Would like to also replace the rear spring.

Solo weight is 220 with no gear.
With wife is around 335 no gear.

Any suggestions on spring rate ect would be greatly appreciated.

SlowWhite said:

Do you have spring reccomendations? Ideally I'd like to just replace the springs without having to buy a full cartridge kit.

Would like to also replace the rear spring.

Solo weight is 220 with no gear.
With wife is around 335 no gear.

Any suggestions on spring rate ect would be greatly appreciated.

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Bike is a 2018 959. Don't know how I missed that first time around.

@SlowWhite sadly replacement springs on oem Showa forks and shock are difficult to find. This bike is sprung for 165-185 lbs rider. Spring rates differ from each manufacturer, for example Ohlins sells springs to the public in 5 N/m increments for the rear and .5 N/m increments for the front. For example on the shock 80, 85, 90, 95 and the fork 9.0, 9.5, 10.0, 10.5 etc. There are R springs that Ohlins does not sell to the public that come in rates in between for the shock, 92.5, 97.5...

WP makes springs in different rates like 78, 82, 86, etc and Eibach is different as well and Eibach uses lbs/in not N/m.

Your stock rates are somewhere around 85-90 N/m rear and likely a pair of 10.0 N/m in front but you can't just put an Ohlins spring on Showa suspension.

What you would need to do is remove the shock and fork springs and measure their internal and outer diameter as well as the free length and then find someone who sells a spring that will fit those dimensions in the rate you need.

For your weight I would get a 100-105 N/m rear spring and a 11.5 N/m pair for the front. You will need a minimum of 10 mm preload on the shock spring and you will want to be sure you can get proper bike (25-30 mm front and 10-15 mm rear) and rider sag (40 mm front, 30 mm rear)