03/04 Suspension Setup

[Quarkz]

I found this guide for suspension setup for track and road on an 03/04 ZX6R. It isn't much use to me as it's all jargon and my suspension has already been screwed with (doh!) but I'm sure it will come in handy for a few of you's as we all know how crap the suspension is on this particular bike and want to try and adjust it yourself for a more comfier and safer ride

http://www.sadly-beautiful.com/random/setup01.jpg
http://www.sadly-beautiful.com/random/setup02.jpg

[matchan]

Good article that one, a decent place to start.

No doubt about it, the 03 suspension is ridiculously hard for Australian roads, but, if you happen to find a good piece of tarmac, like the 10kms north of the halfway house on the putty, or the resurfaced section of wisemans ferry road between pitt town and maroota then it just flies, I actually managed to touch down the toe sliders on my boots on the wisemans ferry road (love those bridgestones!).

Only had it to the track once, at oran park which is fairly bumpy in places and the suspension wasn't as sorted back then. Still good fun though.

Matt

[Barrabob]

Quarkz I am impressed!!!! you have done it again I was going to play with these things at the track in the morning but this is definitly a big help for me.I have been having trouble with the same things these guys are talking about and have only just got around to putting the cable tie on the forks to set the front preload,the way they stand up under brakes is also a pain but i dont quiet know what to do about that.

On the last bike i used to use the back brake first to compress the suspension/make it squat before i did anyting else going into a corner and drag it to the apex the back brake on a 6r is there for decoration and getting it to squat well not really.

Any way thanks for that its a good place to start and a fine peice that sums it all up pretty well.

well its not a 250 and i supose it never really is i just got to get it so it stops chuckin me.....do i sound like biagi

[gizmo]

All bikes stand up under brakes to some degree, just do your braking a little earlier. At the Tribe QR track day the Nikon boys even said that, because a bike generally won't turn well under brakes, unless your backing it in I guess. I have ridden a 99 R1 & it was shizit loads worse than my bike as well as being as big as a goldwing, well it felt like it anyways.

As for the article saying just get a new rear shock, WTF? Racetech gold valves &/or different shim stacks fix the problem, it's not like theres anything magical about a revalve, it's just a hydraulic damper for goods sake. Lighter spring, valving & setting up correctly can fix the problem.
Obviously if you could afford an Ohlins that would be great but $2k to fix a problem well, unless your a aircraft enginneer or a Sparky/Plumber, probably can't afford it.

[Barrabob]

When i went for a test ride i thought it was a little hard but i could adjust it out I usually use this guide for set up because you arive to a point that suits you
http://www.gostar-racing.com/club/motor ... set-up.htm

That said and the fact that the bike has only got 750 kms on the clock the peice that kylie found is a good place to start after that i can try mister racetech if i cant find a reasonable setting, no wonder nakkers has so many problems.

And it is a 600 so i supose i should be backing off the throttle in corners and adjust the compression screw instead of useing the back brake.

[mrmina]

i posted up the above link before and i reckon it one of the best suspension setups i have found.

[mat]

unless your a aircraft enginneer probably can't afford it.

Oi! Mister I spent $600 on my rear shock and it still hurts my nads when I even go near a bump

Ya could just buy an R6 and have comfort AND 636 eating performance and handling He He!

[gizmo]

It wasn't $600, was $300sumthing, & Arsesex performance sounds like you been sniffing too much contact cleaner @ work.


& on hurting my nads, it's only if theres bumps or your riding the bike, it's fine when it's parked in my shed.

[MunkeeGrlZX6R]

HARD!! Talk about understatement of the year!!! I had to take mine straight to Kawasaki GC and said "fellas its all wrong, I cant even touch ground properly do something PLEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSEEEEE!!!" They took out the spacer, and wound the spring right down and also lowered the front...only problem now, is that my 48kgs dont even make it move when I get on. And hitting stinky bumps and potholes either make me severely airbourne or make the head shake til I feel like I just spent an hour on a Jenny Craig weight watchers machine!
And after riding on the road between Killarney and Woodenbong I am REALLY glad I am not a fella.

[Quarkz]

I hear ya Munkee They removed the rear spacer on yours? Is that the little metal washer thing in between the rear shock and the frame? I was told that lowers the bike considerably, mine has only been wound down and the forks dropped, I need it lower though. The suspension sucks on this bike huh Im starting to get chest pains because the ride is so bumpy

[MunkeeGrlZX6R]

Seriously, its times like this I am glad my boobs aint all that big ha ha! However, I dont need an ab machine, just lean over the tank and put 15 bucks in the tank and take it for a long long ride. I just had a look at the two set up sites that you posted, one of my problems was tyre pressure, was only putting in the same pressure as I was putting into the zz-r (DOH!) it feels considerably lighter on the road.

now according to the pics, I can fiddle with the rear compression with just a flat head screwdriver...how will that affect the ride tho do you know?

[Nanna10r]

Kylie Mate give the Spacer "the Flick" i ve posted heaps about spacers pulled mine out at 1k service. Took out the 8mm alloy spacer & put in 2 stainless washers, combined with sliding the Forks 6mm i got about 15mm lower seat height. It does change the geometry slighty giving increase(i think) Rake angle. but I remember hearing fist thing Rossi n J Burgess did on the Yamaha was flatten its ride height to make it more predictable n less knife edge. Then they went about Fixing it once they made it more user friendly.
Cheers Brett

[MunkeeGrlZX6R]

Well I just looked at my suspension and its around to whats meant to be the softest already!! Yes they did take the spacer out...I am thinking about getting it chopped in two and making matching rings for my bike and me oh crap just got grease and stuff all over my laptop...

[Quarkz]

Hmm, I might just take that spacer out and see how the bike handles, people who have ridden the stock height 6R then jumped on mine reckon it's a lot harder to corner (?) I certainly have to muscle it through the corners more than the ZZR but I thought thats just cos I was going faster and because it's a bigger machine, maybe I just need to slow down

Munkee, my bikes suspension is on the softest and in all seriousness it's a freakin joke! Im about the same weight as you and the suspension doesn't give anything, it sure stands it's ground! Im hopefully, gonna get it all sorted out by a pro to reduce my head shakes and the crap ride, I don't know how much good it's gonna do though with the standard shockie

[mattyv74]

Hey guys, just my two cents, but.....
What do you guys want? Everybody says they want a fsater faster faster bike. The currnet 600's and 1000's are closer to the race bikes that we watch than have ever been readily availably to the public before.
Remember that these bikes are bsaically homologation models. That is, basically road versions of the race bikes.
This is how race bikes, and cars for that matter behave. Awsome on good roads and if you put them in the right place at the right time. But get them off line, in the wrong gear, or or are not fully committed, they'll spit you off.

Maybe we should considred slightly older less edgy bikes like earlier 6r's.

This was demonstraighted to me by Mario a couple of months back.
I am not fastest guy I know up Reefton spur, but there are a lot more guys behind me that ahead of me. Mario was every bit as quick as me on the way up, and was all over me on the downs on his superseeded 600.

Any rider trainning course will tell you very early on that modern sports bikes are far more capable than their riders.

Maybe they're just not the right model bike for what you guys are asking them to do.

Dont get shits at me, just some food for thought. Remeber that my bike spat me off only last month.