Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

1st i best explain that this is my first big bike, having riden it for the last two days( tons of experience, i know ), i think the front rides way too hard....

could anyone explain to my newbie/blondeness, the best way to set it up, so its more friendly to my wrists/arms/shoulders

any help would be greatly appreciated

the best advice i can give is just keep riding it.
ZxR's are pretty heavy on the wrists and it can take a little while to get used to.

launch the fuker onto the back wheel........saves arms, wrists, & front tyres .....maybe not steering head bearings & fork seals tho

Dj wrote:1st i best explain that this is my first big bike, having riden it for the last two days( tons of experience, i know ), i think the front rides way too hard....

could anyone explain to my newbie/blondeness, the best way to set it up, so its more friendly to my wrists/arms/shoulders

any help would be greatly appreciated

first keep your back straight (you should only be hunkered over when you're flying down the front straight keeping your head down eyes up below the screen), your elbows in (and bent slightly depending on your size and reach to the bars) and your grip should be firm but loose (i know it sounds a bit contradictory). Use your legs to support you on the pegs. I know when i've had a good ride on the '7 when i get off me legs are like jelly (dem bin workin).

if you're suspension still too much for you go to a profressional suspension dude, sure some of dem Melbourne guys can help you with dat.
sean

okay, ill try to paint a better picture....

i read on another site that the stock setting, in regard to the amount of rings prtotruding from the top of the fork (directly around the screw that can be adjusted) is 6.5.....mine was set at two...is this ride height? or preload? or what?

and those adjustment screws( refered to above) are for?????....they were screwed all the way in....

all i would like is for the front to be a lil softer, but i dont really wanna start playing about with things that i (obviously ) dont have any idea about.....

LMAO @ YAPPA~....mate, if i could get the front wheel in the air instead of lightin the back one up, ya might be onto somethin.....*lol

...mebbe i might have to see if i can catch up with ya''s on a ride one day soon, n hopefully have some light shed....

Dj wrote:okay, ill try to paint a better picture....

i read on another site that the stock setting, in regard to the amount of rings prtotruding from the top of the fork (directly around the screw that can be adjusted) is 6.5.....mine was set at two...is this ride height? or preload? or what?

Preload and ride height are, kinda, the same thing. How much do the forks compress when you sit on the bike?

and those adjustment screws( refered to above) are for?????

Rebound damping. They control how quickly the forks extend when the front wheel goes over a dip or pothole.

....they were screwed all the way in....

Ouch...all the way in means maximum rebound damping. Back them off a bit. They'll click at regular intervals as you turn them. Give it about 4 such clicks, then have go.

Before that, though, have look on the back of the forlegs near the caliper mounts. There should be another flatblade screw head sticking out of a casting there. That's the compression damping adjustment. It controls how quickly the forks compress when they go over bump or when you nail the front brakes. If that's also wound all the way in, and you've been riding the bike on the road, it's a miracle you haven't snapped both your clipons.

If the bike is really harsh, back that off a quarter or a half of a turn at a time until the front starts feeling floaty through corners.

I-K...you da man

thanks for explaining in a way that i understood implicitly, immediately

after looking for the compression rebound on the forks ( which i couldnt find, maybe coz it a H model ) i backed the rebound right off, then adjusted it 12/13, it was set on 13 initally

the question i now have is...

with less rings (2) showing at the top of the forks (6.5 being standard apparently) would that mean the ride height is higher or lower than the stock setting?

again, thanks in advance...

Dj wrote:with less rings (2) showing at the top of the forks (6.5 being standard apparently) would that mean the ride height is higher or lower than the stock setting?

Higher. More preload means the forks "sit" closer to maximum extension under static load, ie you just sitting on it.

You say you've only backed the rebound off_one_click... strange that such a small adjustment would've done the trick...

Having only just got the bike, have you checked the front tyre doesn't have 80psi in it, by any chance?

Also, have a play with the preload, as well. If there's less than about a cm of movement from the forks when you hop aboard and pull the bike off the sidestand, there's too much preload for your weight.

For the next few days, experiment. Every time you're about to head out, whether leaving home or a servo or cafe up a twisty road, change something, see if it makes things better.

okay, after changing then testing, pulling up, changing then testing over and over and over...

heres the settings ive decided to stick with for the time being, i know theyre not perfect, but the front end rides beautifully compared to what it was to start with....

preload - 7 rings
rebound - 2 clicks from min

can anyone see any disadvantages to this setup?

mate every body has a different setting according to weight, style of riding, type of riding etc. etc.

its whats best 4 u.

Dj wrote:1st i best explain that this is my first big bike, having riden it for the last two days( tons of experience, i know ), i think the front rides way too hard....

could anyone explain to my newbie/blondeness, the best way to set it up, so its more friendly to my wrists/arms/shoulders

any help would be greatly appreciated

I'd be going to the stock suspension settings first, then tweaking it from there.

You're talking about the way it handles bumps as opposed to the riding position right?