FREE Suspension Setup advice from an expert

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roadracerx said:
@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)
Click to expand...

So if I was looking to take the path of least resistance (time etc is limited as I travel 5-6 days a week every week) would the Ohlins NIX 30 cartridge kit be a suitable option. Based on the reading I have been doing there really is no inexpensive way to go about this. Just a matter of just how much you're willing to spend.

Are the potential better results for the money options, like forks from an 1199, 1299 or v4, then change the spring in those.

I know the manual adjustment Ohlins are more difficult to source and are more pricey. Is there going to be a noticeable performance difference over these vs Showas with a cartridge kit in them?

I'd say my skill level is intermediate. I've know my suspension needed to be addressed, then this weekend my front-end felt off as I was heading to the mountains. I pulled over and noticed the left fork was just dumping oil. That's ultimately what brings me here. Figured I may as well address the spring rates etc why I was replacing seals. I'm an mechanic/FSE by trait but have never worked on forks. Are there any other things I should be aware of while replacing seals?

Thank you for you help!
 
The nice thing about the Ohlins fork over a cartridge is that you can take the fork and shock off the bike and put them on another bike relatively easy and the complete fork is very high quality. I can source a new fork and shock for you as I am an Ohlins dealer, if you like. Or you can go to any of the shops on-line. Laps times drop as you gain positive experiences which generally come from well-made reliable parts. An Ohlins fork and shock ARE better than Showa externals with an Ohlins insert.
 
Howdy. I'm having an issue with my nix cartridges. The preload on the compression side turned itself 1/4 turn while on track. I put it back and a couple sessions later it had moved again. I was told to send the cap in so they could check it out and change the o-ring, but now I'm concerned that this may be related to a vibration I feel only when hard on the brakes. Is that a common occurrence and any idea of the cause/remedy?
 
@Colmn I have never seen the reb or comp change on Ohlins fork or shock of any variety. The preload on the forks does move a little. I would suggest a full service.
 
roadracerx said:
@Colmn I have never seen the reb or comp change on Ohlins fork or shock of any variety. The preload on the forks does move a little. I would suggest a full service.
Click to expand...

It's the preload, but it is only happening on one fork(the fork that has the compression adjustment). Is there an acceptable amount of movement that's normal? Forks have about 10 track days on them.
 
@Colmn Yes, the preload will do this and it generally doesn't move more than 1/2 turn. I take a sharpie and mark a line so I can see that it moved but it isn't something to be concerned about.
 
Hey RRX,
Wondering if you could help me out.
I’ve purchased an 2013 1199S Tricolore with 100miles (part of a collection).
Trying to adjust rear static and rider sag as the front are within your parameters so no issues there.

I noticed as I was adjusting the preload adjusters on the rear shock that the ride height lock nut became loose and was in fact altering my ride height. I’ve now allowed about 7 threads (I read that that’s close to the factory setting) exposed for the ride height adjuster and tightened the lock nut and I have about 4 threads showing for the preload adjuster.

My issue is I cannot get more than 10mm of static sag or 20mm of rider sag regardless of how much pre load I apply or remove and also regardless if compression is set to 1 or 30 on the DES.

Also I have replaced the Pirelli supercorsa with Rosso corsa 4’s and had an ex Ducati racer inflate them to 41 psi front and rear as he stated they were too low at 30/32?
The bike is for the occasional canyon ride only!

Appreciate any advice!
 
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Greetings @luigionassis that particular shock on the 899/959/1199/1299 has that ride height and preload issue you are experiencing. What I do is take the shock OFF the bike to make these adjustments. Swingarm angle is super important on these bikes and if you have changed gearing from stock and/or you have accidentally adjusted the ride height then you will be off for sure. Can you read the numbers on the shock spring? The tire pressure should be 28-30 rear and 32-34 front. 41 is WAY too high.
 
Can you put the bike on peg stands so the rear is in the air and measure the length of the spring on the shock please?
 
Would a rear stand work or do you require the rear to be suspended completely to allow maximum shock expansion?
 
ThunderHill (East) up in NorCal, I'm getting a lot of sliding and pumping out of the rear on the gas exiting the fast corners. Turns 1, 7, 8, and 11B. The bike is a 959 with 1299 linkage set on flat rate and a Ohlins DU569. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
 
SC1 compound at 25psi off the warmers, I'll get you the sag and clickers later, but Dave did the initial base settings on the sag and I haven't changed it. I'm guessing somewhere around 25mm.
 

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