Forum

[Norm]

Wallace, don't you ever think about upgrading to a 19tooth and if you do, please don't mention it here

[Cafeman]

....( And drop the rear shocks by one notch as well--- for balance) -----
!!----------- Finally PAUL K }---- I reduced the PRE-LOAD on the rear shocks such that the dampening can start to work earlier ie to balance-up the rears with the front......


BALANCE!!!!! Preload adjusted for BALANCE!!!! As Alan stated twice.
Put the shock lower in its travel so you have BALANCE!! And have more room for rebound/extension. And the added benefit of less possibility of topping out. This is not as simple as a simple spring and pressing down on it (preload) and all remains the same. You have shock, its available working area, damping, weight, road conditions, etc. And where the shock is at rest as it waits to react to input to bumps and dips in the road is all dictated by preload....sag. And preload can change the way the bike behaves AND what the rider "feels".......Now we are beating a beaten horse!!!

[Paulk]

It looks like we are never going to agree fully but I honestly don't see how preload alters the damping. Is not damping a constant for the entire range of movement?

[Gwilly]

Who's this WE anyway..

Dont forget the bikes attitude may be ok on the upright but its dropping into a bend where the bike will wallow and scrape foot rests if settings too low/soft.

[Paulk]

Gwilly, apologies I meant Cafeman and myself. And yes we all put different demands on our bikes and set them up how we see fit. My whole point in this is that advise was given to do something that I questioned the reasoning behind, rear sag/ride height should not be determined by front end damping.

[Cafeman]

I believe what we have here is a discussion where one is correctly stating that, in general, a spring with any amount of preload will basically be just a shorter/longer length spring, and nothing else changes. I can agree on that point as long as its a single rate spring and all else being the same. But that's really not even what I've been hammering on about....it's just how changing preload "can" affect the feel (call it what you want: damping, speed/rate of rebound or compression, etc). I don't believe I ever said it "would" or "does" change the feel. It can, it might, it could, it has.....on "some" of my bikes. I'm sure others have felt changes in some cases. Whether one believes that or not is up to them actually experiencing differences adjusting preload on their bike. Like MadMike stated, these Enfields are no Ducati. Tootling around at 40mph with 4mm of sag or 16mm of sag on the rear (those are my max/min settings measurements) really doesn't matter much, unless you really are riding hard in the turns. I'm certainly no expert, all I have to go on is the few excellent suspension setup articles/manuals and the bikes I have tinkered with. My head hurts!

[Paulk]

Cafeman, I'm no expert either but I do stand by all I've said previously and I particularly disagree with the statement about different spring types , however as long as we can all ride around without bottoming, topping out and without ending up in a ditch this is all academic theory. Till next time.

[Alan R]

----------- all that previous "info" came out of going from a 17t to an 18t sprocket !!---- SO, who's going to be brave and step with me into the Machiavellian Twilight Zone known as}---------------------------- a 19t sprocket ????? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!............NORM, what spring rates do 'Roos use then ???

[Norm]

Alan, I think the ROOS have bounce and rebound mostly controlled by the dampening effect of a large tail

[Alan R]

---------NORM, you old WAG , you !!------ps,Off-topic I know but how's the leg ??