Before we proceed on how we can make the adjustment first should be seen what results we expect to the bike.

The theory is to make the front and back system working in a same reaction mode, this means the same lift and same reaction of the hydraulic part.

This ensures that the bike <> which is very essential especially in fast riding.

Static we must check it pushing in the deepest point the saddle of the bike where the front and rear system must be immersed and return to the same length and the same time (not applicable on all types of motorcycles).

SPRING

The first thing you should do is to adjust the SAG.

The Sag divided into two types.

Free sag is the travel of the suspension which is spends by the weight of the bike before the rider climb over it.

Loaded Sag is the suspension travel spent by the weight of the bike and riders weight since climbed up and not stepping foot on the ground.

As a very general rule we could say that the Loaded Sag which is the most essential should be about 30 % of the active travel advertised by the manufacturer of the bike.

Of course this percentage varies depending of the bike type (road or off road or street sports or travel loaded).

How we can measure that:

In front fork we pull the bike to defuse up all the travel (with the help of a friend) and measure the distance from the oil seal until the end of the bottom end of fork holder (the bottom end of fork holder if the fork is normal or bottom plate of the leg if it is Upside down). This measurement we called S1.

After we ride the bike by pressing the foot pegs dressed with the usual equipment and we do two measurements.

The first is pulling the suspension and leaving her to defuse down which call S2 and the second is pushing the suspension and leaving her to defuse up and called S3.

The Sag is given by Sag = S1 - (S2 + S3) / 2.

To the rear system we follow the same procedure except that the fixed points we use is the wheel axle and a point of the sub frame that you specify.

If measurements differ from the rate should be set if the springs are adjustable you can pre-load or discharge them.

Otherwise you will have to make the changes in a workshop.

It should also be clear that preloading a spring by placing spacer does not change the spring stiffness simply tucked under a greater pressure from the start of compression.

HYDRAULIC SYSTEM

After adjusting the springs need to set up the compression and rebound in harmony with the force of the springs in order to avoid dual rebound phenomena or vice versa stay in sinking more time.

Such situations make the bike does not have always contact with the road in case of abnormality terrain, severe braking or fast entry into a turn.

These settings are easily if the manufacturer have placed adjusting screws on the shocks otherwise becomes more complex and should differentiate their characteristics by changing oil viscosity or making revalving.

If your bike equipped by adjusters you must start reading the owner’s manual of the manufacturer and identifying where regulating the rebound damping and where the compression damping.

Unlike springs the damping adjustment especially compression does not show the right change that you do in static check, so need to make some riding km based on terrain which will usually encounter in the use of the bike.

We begin with all clicks positioned in the middle of the adjusting range and regulate depending on the result.

Compression damping

Is the hydraulic operation where breaks the fast immersion of the shock.

Somehow contribute to the reaction of the spring with the difference that shows stronger reaction relative to the spring.

Rebound damping

Is the operation in which generated hydraulic slowing of the rebound of the shock.

In general if we consider that our bike has proper hardness springs the following table can give a sensation of behavior depending on the setting you make.

Attempting to adjust the suspension process should be gradual and any time you make one change to be understood that changes behavior.

It would also good make changes over three positions (clicks) to see the difference and secondly to make small adjustments.

As a development of the products the manufacturers put to the latest shocks a more complex way with double adjusters where one (high) creates great change and the second (low) tweaks.

In conclusion we could say that the correct setup of the suspension of a motorcycle is one of the worst points for the safety of the rider.