hodge

hey there if you read the post http://www.superbikeschool.com/bbs/index.p...ct=ST&f=3&t=222 , you will see the characteristics of the kawasaki you are trying to set up. The numbers in the Sport Rider article are a good baseline to start with. Don't forget that with the stock suspension on that bike, you aren't going to get perfection .... just be careful. Don't be afraid to try different settings as you ride. With the stock fork springs being too soft, you may need to add compression. There is no real work around with the rebound valving in that shock. I think it will be useful for you to read the tuning guide at our site just to get you feeling more comfortable with adjustments.

Hey there Blu You have a few things working against you on your kaw. It does not sound like there is anything out of the ordinary happenning with it, but rather what you describe is characteristic of how the stock setup will work. The forks have a stock spring rate of .88 kilo's, so they are probably pretty close for you if your wieht is 150lbs. The big issue is the stock valving of those forks. There is both way too much rebound and compression damping. The result of too much compression damping is that the forks will ride high in the stroke and make turn in very sluggish and push wide. Even though you are having problems that seem to point to fork set up, in the case of your bike, there is also issues with the shock that are causing you grief. First, the stock spring rate on that shock is about 600lbs. As an example, on Will's race bike, we are running a 500lb spring and he weighs a pound or two more than you ... so you can imagine that with a stiff spring, the back of the bike is held very high, again making the bike push on turn in because the front of the bike is loaded more than it should be. The last problem is that the stock shock has way too much rebound. Try creating up and down motion on your bike, you will find that it is difficult because of the heavy spring and you will also see that the rebound is very slow compared to a setup like Will's. The excessive rebound damping causes the back end to pack in, also contributing to the bike running wide on exit. Do you know the total and free sag numbers on the shock? What tires are you running? Basically, with your stock suspension, you probably have about the best setup that you will be able to achieve based on the setup you mentioned following. If there is any more we can do please let us know.

It was brought to my attention that there is many people looking for help and suggestions regarding different suspension issues here in this forum. Our company does alot of work with the school and we have a close relationship with a few of the instructors. Last weekend at Willow, I talked a bit with Will about all the suspension questions here on the forum and he suggested that we jump in and do what we can to help out... so here I am. I will visit this forum about once a week as time allows to be of any help that I may. It may be of use to visit our site at www.gpsuspension.com and have a look at our tuning guide. When you post questions, please try to give good information. That would be things like information about yourself including your weight, bike description, do you use the bike for track days, racing or street riding. When you describe symptoms, it is most useful if you describe what is happening with the bike in respect to what is "loading". For example, are you entering a corner, are you in mid corner, are you exiting under acceleration..... If you need to, please feel free to give us a call, you can find all of our contact information on our web site.