i am interested in adjusting the rear shock absorver and am not to familiar with it.
i know that by doing so will load the shock but how will it affect the ride and would i have to do anything to the front suspension? my weight is 195lb and hight is 5' 7" so inregards to that the mom shows i should be in the second position on the spring preload adjustment. thanks in advanced for any info to this thread:)

It depends on what type of riding you do, riding style and rider weight.

I'm 160-170 lbs and use the second or third notch. 3rd notch really is for faster riding and second is used for more cruising type riding.

I would think at your weight, you should be on the second notch at a minimum.

You do not need to do anything to the front suspension.

Also, consider tire pressure. I use to use about 28/28 f/r when I had the stock tires. Since changing to the BS 090 radials, I use 30/30.

Took me awhile to figure out how to adjust it without removing the rear wheel. It is a real bear to break that adjuster loose for the first adjustment, but once you get it moving once it's easier from that point forward. One tip is to remove that plastic chainguard, it lets you get easier access to the shock adjuster ring with a little more leverage.

I'm most comfortable with ours at the stiffest setting. (230# with gear, riding it generally like I stole it. :D )

I'm most comfortable with ours at the stiffest setting. (230# with gear, riding it generally like I stole it. :D )

lol... how does Annie like it at that setting? :p

Works just fine for her current amount of riding miles. :D But yes, if she does start using it a bit more, we will have to tweak it back and forth.

the roads here in orange , orange county, cali are both cruising and have the twisties as some call it. my riding depends on the route we are going, but in no way do i ride faster than i feel is safe on the roads here. i will have to check the tire pressure, i have not done that in a while but i dont think it is that. it feels mushy to me and could use a little more of that spring load, but i need not compare it to my S2000 or 04 si that i had set up for socal solo autocross. those are different types of adjusting and they are not on two wheels. ill do more research on this and come to adjusting to my weight and riding style. if you have any other info on this please dont hesitate

oh before i forget by doing this adjustment will it make me tuck more as i ride and am going into an apex or turn?

stiffening the rear preload will have the same effect as putting a larger rear sway bar on a car. The bike will turn quicker and the steering will be a bit lighter. But upping the spring preload will also make the rear ride harder and stiffer.

My advice is to adjust it one notch up and see if you like it. If you do, keep bumping it up another notch until you find it too stiff/hard for your liking, then back it down one notch. :)

if you are finding it "mushy", upping it will make it feel crisper.

The steering geometry on the 250R is quite conservative and adjusting the preload should not make you tuck... but check your tire pressures and make sure they are with in the recommended ranges.

interesting cars.. you should post in this thread. :)
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=9815

thanks Kkim, i will do so as soon as i can:thumbup:

Tim,

Please post your results. This will make for valuable input in the future when someone goes searching for this info. :)

sure will kkim. can i ask why you lowered your front forks and what did this do to the ride on the bike

I lowered the front to steepen the head angle. Makes the bike quicker turning. Like I said, the head angle on the 250R is fairly conservative, so I wanted it a bit sharper for the tight corners that I ride. It worked out great! :thumbup:

However, recently I switched to the BS 090 tires and the rear tire was a bit taller than the stock tire it replaced. I found some weird things happening, so I raised the forks back up 1/2 the distance that it was lowered plus I lowered (made softer) the shock preload from 3 back down to 2. It seem to have fixed the problem I was having and the bike still corners sharply.

i wish i could meet someone out here who is local that i can ride with to get more experience on the bike and to learn these little trix without having to dish out money to have it done...... i read all these forums post and even look for small group rides but it seems to me like people are not interested, oh well ill keep searching and keep reading so i can learn.... thanks for the info

Why not start up a thread in the general section asking if there are members near your location? You might be surprised who lives close by. :)

never came to mind, then again after work my mind is done since i am a welder/ fabricator/machinist. ill have to do that.....:thumbup:

I weigh 185 and I've found that the 3rd preload setting is what feels most comfortable for me. When I double up with my gf on the back, I up the setting 1-2 notches. With our combined weight of 295lbs, should I just go with the stiffest setting?

when you ride 2 up and are on the 4th notch, does the suspension seem to wallow or is the bike hard to steer/turn?

What does wallow mean?

The rear feels heavy (yeah, I know, obviously... there's a person there), like it sinks more than I've ever felt before when we hit a bump. I wouldn't say its hard to turn since 2 people makes it top heavy, but I also take turns slow since I'm not yet fully comfortable with doubling up.

wallow- feeling soft and mushy. Like a pig, wallowing in the mud. If so, crank it up the rear preload to max.

If the back end dips too much, it can also affect the front end by making the forks less perpendicular to the ground (think chopper front ends). When the forks are more laid down, it makes the bike harder to turn, but more stable in a straight line (highway riding).

you're up kinda late, aren't you?

Yeah, I would say it seems to wallow.. like a pig. :D I'll pay more attention to turning next time.


you're up kinda late, aren't you?

Yep, its pushing 5am now. I get a little off schedule when I dont have anything to do. Its sad when you oversleep a doctors appointment at noon (happened today... or was that yesterday?).

adjusted the rear settings and it really made a difference on the ride.

it was more responsive and it didn't feel like it bottomed out when hitting a dip

thanks for the help:thumbup:

adjusted the rear settings and it really made a difference on the ride.

it was more responsive and it didn't feel like it bottomed out when hitting a dip

thanks for the help:thumbup:
so you only went one step up? i haven't adjusted my spring yet. i also weigh about 195. do you notice that it is harsher over bumps and stuff now?

i guess i have a weekend project now. :)

are there any how-to links to adjust it? i am motorcycle illiterate.

the "how to" is in your owners manual. :)

the "how to" is in your owners manual. :)
yeah, but so was "adjusting the idle" :)

i went three clicks on it or the third setting....... :D

yeah, but so was "adjusting the idle" :)
does that mean you haven't read it? I was thinking about playing with mine - if you haven't figured it out by the time I do mine I'll take some pics for you

does that mean you haven't read it? I was thinking about playing with mine - if you haven't figured it out by the time I do mine I'll take some pics for you
oh no. i read it. but for some reason, on my bike, it didn't go as smoothly as they made it sound.

thanks for the offer. if i can't do it, i would appreciate the pics. i read the instructions again for the spring adjustment. going to give it a shot tomorrow. hospital ER was calling me in overnight and a couple times today so i couldn't work on it.

it does sound pretty straightforward. 1) take off chain cover 2) turn bolt 3) put chain cover back on.


edit: ok, it is sunday now. took me like 3 minutes to do it. very easy. was scared that the wrench was going to slip and i was going to whack my hand on something though. didn't have my mechanic gloves with me... no problems though. went to the 3rd notch. will re-adjust if needed after i ride again. thanks again for offering to help.