July 27th, 2009, 08:31 AM | #81 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: Chris
Location: Huntsville, AL
Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250 (sold) Posts: 755
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Im gonna try it before I go for a ride this afternoon, I don't plan on changing tires until the ones I have are worn out, which should not be long for the back, but the front tire still looks almost brand new.
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July 27th, 2009, 05:35 PM | #82 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: Chris
Location: Huntsville, AL
Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250 (sold) Posts: 755
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I adjusted the preload to 2 before I went on a 200 mile ride today, the bike handled better for sure, also when I had set on 1 bumps would bounce me out of the seat if I did not stand on the pegs, I expected this to be worse after I bumped up the preload, but I was presently surprised when I found out just the opposite. I might try 3 on my next ride.
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August 10th, 2009, 11:42 AM | #83 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Dave
Location: Michigan
Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 650RTE & 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250R (SOLD) Posts: A lot.
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Heres my Pic after i set the pre-load of the Rear shock too #2, From #1 (factory). Where my finger points is the Black (Tab) that clicks your shock into its setting, once youve turned it enuff. Each higher setting will come from your LEFT (bikes leftside) as to know.
I had my bike only on its kickstand, no one sitting on it. It was easy as hell turning it, nor did i get a knucklebuster so i dunno why you guys are having a hard time and using WD-40 on it! |
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August 10th, 2009, 12:21 PM | #84 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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August 11th, 2009, 10:47 PM | #85 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Andrew
Location: Vancouver, BC
Join Date: Jul 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250R Posts: 410
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I just bumped mine up a notch for the first time to setting #2 tonight and it was smooth and easy. I had the bike up on my paddock stand at the time.
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August 27th, 2009, 05:39 PM | #86 |
ninjette.org newbie
Name: Joe
Location: Tampa, FL
Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R Posts: 2
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Does anybody know how I can get this tool? Apparently my '09 Ninja didn't come with this. Kind sucks because the rear end is mushy and it takes almost no weight on the back to drop it down. Thanks!
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August 27th, 2009, 05:42 PM | #87 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Andrew
Location: Vancouver, BC
Join Date: Jul 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250R Posts: 410
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Did you buy your bike new from a dealer? If so it should be in your tool kit under the passenger seat. If not, talk to your dealer about one.
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August 27th, 2009, 05:43 PM | #88 |
ninjette.org newbie
Name: Joe
Location: Tampa, FL
Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R Posts: 2
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Yup, brand new from dealer. Wasn't in the tool kit though, even though the kit was sealed.
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August 27th, 2009, 06:55 PM | #89 |
Ramen Rider
Name: Gary
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2015 BMW R1200R, 08 Honda VFR800A (sold), 09 Ninja 250R (sold) Posts: A lot.
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then i would suggest you go to your dealer and let them know. otherwise, you could buy it here at bike bandit. it is part number 92110b. for $6.26
http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmot...-2009/o/m17969 hmm... i can't direct link, but it is under "tools and manuals"... then under "owners tools" |
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July 15th, 2010, 03:51 AM | #90 |
ninjette.org member
Name: b
Location: midwest
Join Date: Jun 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2008 ninja 250r Posts: 119
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this is a great diy. im 200lbs and the last ride out the rear just didnt feel stable enough when i went through a tight s turn going 60. ima try to tinker with the preload this weekend
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July 17th, 2010, 06:24 PM | #91 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Kevin
Location: Tampa
Join Date: Jun 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 250R Posts: 230
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Question: if the bike is lowered, does that put more pre-load on the shock/spring? The reason I ask is that my bike is lowered quite a bit (due to my lack of height and desire to get my feet flat while I'm learning) and I could not budge that adjuster to save my life. I also found the rear tire to be quite in the way and there was really no position on the adjuster where I could get a clear hold with the wrench.
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Kevin 2009 Ninja 250R |
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July 21st, 2010, 03:08 PM | #92 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: dawn
Location: portland, or
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i'm so thankful i found this...my bike was waayyyyy too bouncy....although being 105lb and having to bump it up to the third notch, i'm starting to think maybe something is wrong with mine
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August 4th, 2010, 08:24 AM | #93 | |
ninjette.org member
Name: John
Location: Los Alamitos
Join Date: Jun 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Ninja 250r Special Edition (Red/Black) / 2008 Suzuki GSXR 600 (Silver/White) / Ducati Diavel Carbon Red Posts: 76
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Quote:
I am on the same boat as you and have the same exact problem. Mine wont move either. Last futzed with by Hitman; August 4th, 2010 at 02:31 PM. |
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August 4th, 2010, 10:10 AM | #94 |
ninjette.org dude
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Try harder. I found it was easier to remove the chain guard, and attack it from the left side. Breaking it loose the first time can be a real pain in the ass. But once it starts moving, then you're good to go.
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August 4th, 2010, 10:19 AM | #95 |
I hate driving...
Name: S
Location: SW Ohio
Join Date: Jul 2010 Motorcycle(s): 13 Triumph Street Triple R, 09 Ninja 250r (Sold 4/20/12) Posts: A lot.
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I went in from the left side with the chain guard still in place. Then I gripped the right side of the swingarm (If I remember correctly) with my fingers and hooked the wrench with my thumb. This gave me extra power to pull the wrench with since now my fingers can pull as my thumb pushes
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09 ninja 2fiddy SE Driving slow things fast |
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August 4th, 2010, 12:48 PM | #96 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Dave
Location: Michigan
Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 650RTE & 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250R (SOLD) Posts: A lot.
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Push on the bikes left side. bike should be on its kickstand on stable ground ((not sitting in grass,dirt)
then have a friend hold the bike firmly on its right side, while you push on the preload setting. |
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August 4th, 2010, 03:13 PM | #97 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Kevin
Location: Tampa
Join Date: Jun 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 250R Posts: 230
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The real problem on mine is the rear tire is in the way. There's no room for the wrench to swing and I tried it from both sides, from every angle possible. My bike is lowered a LOT while I'm learning (I'm one of those vertically challenged folks). I believe the spring is significantly preloaded in this lowered state, though, so adjusting it is probably a crapshoot anyway.
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August 4th, 2010, 03:42 PM | #98 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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the rear shock comes in the softest of the 5 spring settings from the factory. if you haven't touched the preload adjuster, you're most likely in the softest position already. lowering doesn't affect the preload position.
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August 4th, 2010, 04:29 PM | #99 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Kevin
Location: Tampa
Join Date: Jun 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 250R Posts: 230
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Ok, now that I look at the suspension again I believe you are right. So the real problem is that the rear tire is in the way. I may shorten the adjuster wrench by the quarter inch it would need to clear the tire. I would like to put the adjuster on position 2.
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Kevin 2009 Ninja 250R |
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August 4th, 2010, 04:47 PM | #100 |
ninjette.org member
Name: John
Location: Los Alamitos
Join Date: Jun 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Ninja 250r Special Edition (Red/Black) / 2008 Suzuki GSXR 600 (Silver/White) / Ducati Diavel Carbon Red Posts: 76
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Thanks for tip everyone. Reason I'm adjusting mine to probably setting 2 or 3 is I went over a speed bump at a parking lot and my rear tire scrapped the underside of my bike. Now I have a nice tire scratch underneath.
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August 4th, 2010, 07:07 PM | #101 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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do you have your bike lowered?
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August 5th, 2010, 01:21 PM | #102 | |
ninjette.org sage
Name: J.G.
Location: Austin
Join Date: Oct 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 zx6r Green/Black, (ex-)Diablo Black '09 Ninja 250r Posts: 959
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Quote:
Even at 155lbs. the first setting is too bouncy for me - looks like an easy fix. |
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August 5th, 2010, 01:50 PM | #103 |
ninjette.org member
Name: John
Location: Los Alamitos
Join Date: Jun 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Ninja 250r Special Edition (Red/Black) / 2008 Suzuki GSXR 600 (Silver/White) / Ducati Diavel Carbon Red Posts: 76
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August 5th, 2010, 02:11 PM | #104 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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well, it's too low if you're hitting the under fender. exactly how many inches did you drop it?
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August 6th, 2010, 10:31 AM | #105 | |
ninjette.org newbie
Name: bun b
Location: windy city
Join Date: Jul 2010 Motorcycle(s): hers: 250r mine:gsx-r 600 Posts: 2
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Quote:
hitman i was having the same problem with the wife's bike. she was slammed on the roaringtoyz lowering links and we couldnt adjust the preload easily. i had to raise the bike up to the highest link hole to adjust preload, then drop it back down. hope this helps. the preload now is on the stiffest (5) but i think even with a heavy rider and fully lowered you can risk rubbing still -ben
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August 6th, 2010, 11:29 AM | #106 |
ninjette.org dude
Name: 1 guess :-)
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Right - adjusting the preload will certainly help, but with preload adjustments alone it's not doing a whole lot of change on the spring rate itself, so a heavy rider is still at risk of blowing right through the remaining spring travel and bottoming out the bike.
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Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered) |
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August 6th, 2010, 11:50 AM | #107 |
I hate driving...
Name: S
Location: SW Ohio
Join Date: Jul 2010 Motorcycle(s): 13 Triumph Street Triple R, 09 Ninja 250r (Sold 4/20/12) Posts: A lot.
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Could you maybe try removing one of the rear sets to make more room? (Thats if you don't want to shorten your tool)
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09 ninja 2fiddy SE Driving slow things fast |
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August 6th, 2010, 02:21 PM | #108 |
ninjette.org newbie
Name: bun b
Location: windy city
Join Date: Jul 2010 Motorcycle(s): hers: 250r mine:gsx-r 600 Posts: 2
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^ tried that also. basically the tab for the chain guard is usually the problem.... the spanner has to be perpendicular otherwise there isnt enough grip to turn it.. unless you are the hulk
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my wife's team mechanic |
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August 7th, 2010, 07:01 AM | #109 |
Cat herder
Name: Gort
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Have a friend hold the bike vertically from the front or (better) get it up on a front-end paddock stand.
Put a floor jack under the shock knuckle. Lift the bike. This will unload the rear suspension completely, which both makes the adjuster easier to move AND gets the tire out of the way. |
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September 14th, 2010, 07:10 PM | #110 |
ninjette.org member
Name: kenny
Location: nyc
Join Date: May 2010 Motorcycle(s): 250r Posts: 77
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How do you know what setting you are on now?
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September 14th, 2010, 07:15 PM | #111 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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February 18th, 2011, 01:03 PM | #112 |
ninjette.org member
Name: dave
Location: minneapolis
Join Date: Nov 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 blue ex 250 ninja and 2012 Metallic troll snot green,3)Honda GL1000,XR400R,Suzuki Dr200 Posts: 43
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Correct suspension set up for extreme riding or How a racer sets up the bike.
The correct way to set up your motorcycle suspension is to sit on the seat and bounce. You want the front and back suspension to drop at the same time. If the front drops first in a corner there is a greater chance of the front tire washing out. Likewise if the rear shock drops first there is a greater chance of the rear wheel breaking loose in a corner (less of an issue than the front breaking loose first). If you want a stiffer ride than the front forks will allow , then you have to stiffen the front shocks by adding a spacer or washers on the inside of the tubes to stiffen the spring. But only if you are not already at your stiffest setting on the rear shock. Remember to get the safest ride you need to set up the bike with the front and rear dropping at the same time when loaded the way you are going to ride and carrying a passenger changes the settings.
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April 14th, 2011, 08:46 PM | #113 |
YEAH! Custom name tag.
Name: Jon
Location: CT
Join Date: Jul 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Ninja 250R SE- SOLD to maverick9611 Posts: 525
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I just did this today. I keep forgetting to do it so I did it right after I rode today. I haven't had a chance to ride with it one the 2 setting. I was wearing my coat and gloves when I did it and it really easy. (I didn't want to hurt my hand or burn myself on the exhaust) I just hooked it in and pulled against the passenger foot peg bracket.
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Don't touch it. Don't even look at it. Go on, get out, you heard me. Don't look at me either. Yeah, you better walk on. I'll hit an old man in public. |
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July 17th, 2011, 02:13 AM | #114 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: aj
Location: New York / PA
Join Date: Jul 2009 Motorcycle(s): Red 09 Ninja 250r aka Sheila (RIP), Red '10 Ninja 250r aka Sasha (Sold), White '13 Ninja 300 (To be Purchased) Posts: 855
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So pretty much every time i hit the slightest bump in the road I end up hanging onto the handle bars for dear life as NASA identifies me as a UFO in orbit.
I'm guessing its on the first setting so I'm going to crank it up to the second one today after work (or before depending on when I wake up). This should help based on what i've read, right?? I'll let you guys know how it goes =)
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July 18th, 2011, 05:19 AM | #115 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Andrew
Location: Long Island
Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 Ninja 250r Posts: 30
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adjusting preload
Thanks for this! I didn't realize how bad my little ninja was handling until I changed the setting. Factory came at 1 and I changed it to 3 (190lb rider).100% improvement!
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July 18th, 2011, 04:52 PM | #116 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: L
Location: WI
Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '09 250R, '13 CBR500R Posts: 709
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is the pre-load related to the seat height at all? like raising the pre-load raises the seat a bit or vice versa.
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July 18th, 2011, 06:28 PM | #117 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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increasing preload will result in a higher seat height by a bit, but the main reason for adjusting preload is to set the spring weight/tension to the weight of the rider for proper suspension integration. Under ideal conditions, race sag should be set to 1/3 the total rear suspension travel.
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July 18th, 2011, 07:19 PM | #118 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Christine
Location: pittsburgh, pa
Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2011 black ninja 250r Posts: 67
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Adjusted mine will post up after the rain stops and Ican take a ride.
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July 18th, 2011, 09:11 PM | #119 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Josh
Location: Sacramento, Ca
Join Date: Jul 2010 Motorcycle(s): 09 Ninja 250r Posts: 215
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So I bought my bike used, no tools... I order the adjuster a while ago with some other little things and proceeded to forget all about it since it was on back order..
To day it showed up, I didnt think much of it went and moved it from p1 to p4 and took what started as a short ride but it was like a new bike that turned into an hour lap around the block. I LOVE IT, what a difference. |
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July 18th, 2011, 09:14 PM | #120 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Trevor
Location: USA
Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): 08 Ninja 250 Posts: 55
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So Im new to the whole bike scene and I have no idea what the difference is between a good handling bike and a bad one. From what I have read here my suspension preload should be about a 4 since I am 220lbs?
Thanks for the help! |
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