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Suspension settings, 2012 F4R.

3K views 12 replies 5 participants last post by  Bandit_F4R 
#1 ·
Hi,
I have a 2012 F4R with 1800K, checked the suspension settings today & they were way out from what the manual said, would any of you guys have some settings for fast sport riding/track days?
Cheers
 
#2 ·
Best way to go is set it up for yourself mate.
Everybody rides different, have different tyres and sure don't weigh the same.
If you struggle to do it yourself, ask someone at the track (Instructor) to give you a hand.

I find it very un-nerving when guys share suspension setting over the net, it's good to compare, but to just use someone else's might be a disaster waiting to happen.
 
#4 ·
Hi,

I have recently bought a 2012 F4R and am having some trouble with the suspension settings for high speed road use. The first thing i did when bringing the bike home was reset the suspension to standard manual settings, which is waaaaaay too hard for use on the road.

I am getting a lot of front end vibration at high speed on the highway, so I have dialed the rebound and compression settings down which has helped. However I have the rebound at its minimum and even though the symptoms have reduced they are still there.

Do you have any thoughts or suggestions on resolving the problem? Tx
 
#8 ·
If you're having front end vibration, then I'd look towards front tyre balance and steering head bearings first, my money would be on the tyre.
If you dial the rebound and compression "down", you've removed any or all damping from the spring, this is a terrible thing to do man.
Read up a bit more on suspension adjustments, you can't remove all damping from a spring, it'll behave like a pogo stick.
 
#5 ·
First, let me welcome you to the forum...there are many people on here with varying resources who can help directly or indirectly.

Almost every question under the sun has been asked and answered more than a few times within this forum, so that being said, you may find some "impatience" with oft repeated questions. Please take the time to read between the lines, do some research, and have some empathy for those trying to help.

Take the bike to someone who knows what they are doing.

Suspension settings that are correct for rider weight are key to bike stability at speed.

There are several good suspension books out there if you want to learn how the systme works in order to provide control over varying surfaces without harshness or vibration.

Of course, if we had a clue as to where you are on this Big Blue Marble, someone local is likely to be able to provide help.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the reply and the welcome to the forum, I hail from sunny South Africa. Unfortunately our local distributor is somewhat lacking in the service department and I am not comfortable taking my bike to them.

As you may notice I have taken the time to search the forum for this particular thread. I have also scoured the internet having found some suggestions for track settings, however nothing for the road. I have noticed that there are some uniquely MV issues, such as locating the rear brake reservoir too close to the motor, causing overheating issues in some cases and I was wondering if the standard suspension settings may be another?

A lot of what I have read refers to a stiff frame which makes sense having spent some time on the bike, and I am fairly adept at making minor suspension adjustments having a rudimentary knowledge of how it all works.

As I previously mentioned I have dialled front rebound and compression out to maximum and while having improved the feel it has not solved the problem. I intend to try softening the spring pre-load a little but I am not convinced that will work. It feels like the rebound is set too hard, at standard setting on the highway the front end chatter occurs at around 130kph, having dialled out the rebound its has shifted the chatter to between 180 and 200kph.

Hope that adds a little more background detail to my situation. Cheers
 
#9 ·
Getting the preload thereabouts was the key for me. I spent a long time faffing about with damping which solved nothing. I had the slacken the front preload a hell of a lot to get 25mm of rider sag but when I did I could suddenly ride over sharp bumps without getting kicked. The bike also feels almost weightless on turn-in. It is an 800 though.

I have 35mm of rider sag at the back. Works for me. In fact last time I rode it I didn't think about the suspension once. :)
 
#10 ·
You should always start with sag....
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'll take the rebound and compression back to standard and then try starting with the sag. At the standard settings the bike was rock hard and didn't feel like there was much sag at all. I didn't check it because it is a 2 person job and only checked that the preload was set to standard as per the manual.
 
#12 ·
You can do it yourself. A ziptie on the fork stanchion will easily tell you the front. For the back I taped a straightedge level to the top of the number plate but sticking out a few inches. I parked the bike next to a wall and marked where the top of the edge touched the wall. Then I sat on the bike and marked where it dropped to. Just be careful getting on and off the bike. I'm not claiming this to be race team accurate but you'll get an idea.
Because of stiction if you do this several times you might get different readings. Just take an average. And remember to wear all your riding gear.
 
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