Even if your sag and other numbers are off, at 155 lbs you should NOT have the front adjusters all in that could most definetly cause adverse effects... The springs are to soft for your weight and that means you have to live with the numbers being off...
The adjustment on pre-load isn't enough for anything above 45 Kg or 100 Lbs... and it really shouldn't be used to force sag like that... then you get really harsh bouncing like you describe...

Back it of a bit and it might help, increase rebound dampening a bit instead perhaps... (depending on what it's set at now)... and by everything Holy, get a pair of new front springs...

Even if you don't get springs now... I'd recommend swapping that fork oil... For some reason Honda hasn't really included that in the service intervalls but 3 years (04 model) and X miles is most definetly way overdue... I swap mine roughly every year as it comes out of winter storage... probably a bit overkill but the cost is negligable...

I started this after I first got the bike 3 years ago (bike is a 97) and found that the PO newer ever swapped the oil in 7 years... The oil was 1 part foam, 1 part water and the rest black goop and it smelled like rotten eggs...

 

Yeah, I definitely need to raise them to 1 ", stiffer springs seem to be the next best thing, as oil it seems that the valves don't flow enough oil, I thought to use thiner oil to help this.
But as you say oil is overdue or at least I need to have a look in there, I keep an eye open for a set of better forks, never know.

 

I'm not so sure thinner oil is a good idea...

I'd recommend correct springs for your weight, Race Tech main valves, don't bother with the rebound valves as the stock should be sufficient with the "taper mod"... and stock oil weight... then get the sag dialed in and start trying out settings...

Mayby Greg and the other experts can chime in... I'm like a fish in water with electronics and got loads of experience with tires, both bikes and cars... but in suspension my only experience specific on bikes are my own VTR... Cars are a whole other ball game...

But my general knowledge of suspension say's that oil ages... And forcing it through that stock valve X times ages it even faster... and adjusting for ride height and sag with the settings for suspension character is a bad idea as you overload a soft spring... that should be done with spring stiffness and a spacer...

 

I am 95kg and my vtr has stock suspension. I have never experience it tank slap. I always squeeze the tank(under power) hard with my legs to prevent it. Something I only learned riding dirt bikes.

You are fairly light so Id imagine the springs will be OK. Back your compression off a little more . To much will make it unsettled. Increase rebound in the rear will settle the *** end down. It will be like a pogo stick only weighing only 155pound causing the rear shock to rebound to fast.

These bikes are fairly neutral and turn slow unlike a race bike(gsxr or R6 etc) so it is highly unlikely you will need to firm up the suspension for road use

Cheers

Joel

 

With a few tweeks (like pulling the forks up 10mm and raising the rear ride height 5-6mm) and good suspension the SH turns very quick and firming up the suspension is one of the best things you can do to the bike. YMMV

 

I have to disagree. In the end it's all about the skill of the rider. Even when my suspension was stock I had very little trouble keeping up with the 600cc "race bikes" on the track or twisties.

I love it when young guys make fun of my bike. I just smile and invite them to come on a ride with me.

 

I'd say it's more unlikely that you will get a decent setup with stock front springs at 95kg... Since the stock springs are estimated to be the right stiffness for about 45kg (~100 Lbs) And that combined with a rear spring hard enough to load a passenger and you have a seriously mismatched setup...

I'm about your weight (93 kg) And I found it slightly unnerving to take a corner fast with stock setup as it was on the edge of bottoming out even with a flat road... That was fully stock with it cranked as hard as possible, and still waaay to soft...

And yeah... slip the forks up a few mm and then slow isn't really the right word...

 

I think of a broken coil spring, has anyone has his fork travel sitting less than half the full travel ?? That seem odd to me, but still the bike turns like a semi truck, I would drop the forks for a track day, it will help for sure.

 

My preloads, yes they are equal.

 

Um... you are aware that they are set to the absolute maximum preload? ie past the normal setting? That could definetly make them behave odd...

With that setup I would be scared to ride the bike...

If I where in your shoes I'd back it off until the full diameter of the top is visible and see what happens... It can't really make matters worse can it?

I'd say you are overloading your poor springs to the point where they go rigid...

 

I'm starting to think you have a broken spring or some other damage. If you have the preloads cranked down that far and the bike still sags, as much as you say it does under it's own weight, you have a major problem as this is in no way "normal"

 

Yes the adjustment was like this when I took the other 2 inch line from full extent pic above, the thing is that I can't remember my bike to be much higher, I assumed it was like this and people were saying that the front suspension sucks, so I always thought that that crappy handling was the nature of the beast, but it got worse lately, no more riding until fixed then.
With a hard spring on one side and the other not holding anything, a weird force is exerced to the front.
Thanks a bunch, I'm an engine guy so suspension settings are out of my field, so all the inputs are greatly appreciated.
I'll tear it apart when I'm done with the garage and post pics.
I am very afraid !!

 

Exactly Hwak. You said it. Good suspension. Not guess work with clickers. You are effectively shortening the rake by doing th mods mentioned hence making the bike turn faster and bringing out more high speed stability issues.

Firm the ride will make the bike handle better, but not adjusting the rebound to compensate will turn it into a raging bull. In simple terms increase rebound until the rear end starts packing down and then go out 1-2 clicks. Suspension specialists will revalve and replace springs to suit the rider. Making big changes all at once with inexperience with suspension spells disaster.

 

Well, I agree with most of the facts, but not some of your conclusions...

We are both saying the same thing as to backing of the pre-load and increasing rebound to balance the suspension...

We may have different opinions about the stiffness of the front springs though... I consider them definetly sub-par at my weigth (and yours) at 95 Kg... Atleast combined with the very firm stock rear spring... And atleast borderline at gboezio's weight...

I agree with the sentiment of not doing to large changes without any knowledge... And I never recommended that... However the symptoms gboezio describes isn't consistent with only setting it up a tad off... to me there is something more here...

So as I said in chopped up parts above... Start by opening the forks up, swapping the oil (standard weight etc.) since that is long overdue at this point... And at this point, have a good look at the springs and adjusters etc. there might be some damage... I would do this regardless of settings... it can't make anything worse...

At this point gboezio can choose to but it all back together as is or with stock replacement parts... and end up with either the same (obviously not working) setup and fiddle with the settings... Or choose to put in Race Tech springs for the correct weight...

This isn't what I consider a "large change"... You are not changing any basic characteristics of the suspension... You are merely moving the baseline to your current weight... It still has the same characteristics and needs the same basic setup, with balanced pre-load and rebound to work correctly...

And I would NOT recommend fiddeling about with raising the forks or shimming the rear at this moment, leave that for later, when you have the basic settings down pat... (or keep the same settings as you have before the spring swap)

However when the fork is taken apart to swap the spring I'd recommend doing the main valve and stack as well... You mentioned pro's to do this... Well I don't know if you ever worked with a RT kit? (Since you have stock) I'm not saying it's as good as what a pro could do... not even close...

But keep in mind that the stock valve is matched to the stock spring and the baseline weight (45 Kg?) so the flow is a bit mismatched with a heavier rider and even more so with the new spring... With the kit you get a chart to calculate a stack for your weight and type of riding (street/track) and that gives you a setup that is evenly matched in both spring and flow characteristics, with your weight as baseline...

This is a bit more a "large change"... but not that large... You don't need much more skill for this than the basics needed for normal service on the bike... The main thing is... Follow the instructions, don't improvise on your own... And keep things clean... And even cleaner than that...

Again a pro would be able to improvise and re-calculate that proposed stack if needed, you and me can't... But it's still a good baseline setup... Atleast as good as the stock in regards to balancing different parts with each other... And the way you set it up with adjustments after assembly is the same... Exactly the same...

 

OR, send me the forks and $325 and I'll take care of it all. PM if interested.

 

Considering I forked out almost that for the parts plus shipping, I'd say that's a bargain...