DIY - Adjusting the rear shock preload - Page 2

noche_caliente · January 17th, 2009, 09:43 AM

Gary - there's only one way to find out....

Sound Wave · January 17th, 2009, 09:45 AM

true....i just don't want to break it by trying to force it a way it won't go.

boy, this motorcycle stuff is sure foreign to me.

kkim · January 17th, 2009, 10:52 AM

Gary, try it. My comments were based on the shape of the adjuster "ramps". It might be possible going "backwards", but I never tried based on the ramp shapes and from other posts I've read saying the shock could be only adjusted in one direction.

That being said, I've gone through the 5th to first position before, so it is possible going that way, too.

HKr1 · January 17th, 2009, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sound Wave

well, kkim mentioned that you can only turn it in one direction so i didn't even attempt to turn it back from 3 directly to 2.

so you are sure it can turn in both directions? not doubting you.... just confused now. thanks.

YES! I never heard of anybody going past 5 to 1.

You can believe DK < He's Mr Suspension

Dan Kyle · January 17th, 2009, 12:20 PM

You can go from 3 to 2. Yes

kkim · January 17th, 2009, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HKr1

YES! I never heard of anybody going past 5 to 1.

I have.

HKr1 · January 17th, 2009, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkim

I have.

You have been breathing too much salt air

kkim · January 17th, 2009, 12:29 PM

Actually... I'd suspect brain freeze.

It was down to 57* this morning. Brrrr...

I won't say it was easy going from 5 to 1, but it is possible. In any event, Gary, I hope you find a way to get to the setting you want. Please let us know how it turns out and how you achieved it.

noche_caliente · January 17th, 2009, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkim

Actually... I'd suspect brain freeze.

It was down to 57* this morning. Brrrr...

I'd kill for 57* right about now! my computer told me it was -1* here! talk about far too cold, and I know that many others are even colder!

Sailariel · January 17th, 2009, 03:11 PM

Kelly, We have been down to -26. In northern Maine, they set a record of -50

kazam58 · January 17th, 2009, 04:58 PM

oh dear, poor Kelly would die off before we even zip up our jackets all the way.

kkim · January 17th, 2009, 04:59 PM

lol...

Sound Wave · January 17th, 2009, 05:34 PM

ok, well i tried going from 5 to 4 to 3 to 2. thanks dan kyle for chiming in.

SOOOOOOOO much easier. i now have it set. it just clicked easily down each notch.

not saying it isn't possible to go from 5 to 1, but i couldn't do it... then again i didn't realize until just now that the tool kit comes with the extension bar... so maybe i could have gone from 5 to 1 using that for more leverage.

thanks everybody for the help. learned a couple new things today!

kkim · January 17th, 2009, 05:39 PM

Gary,

Glad you were able to resolve you settings and thanks for the clarification on being able to go back from a higher to a lower setting. My apologies for the bad info... I'll edit my post.

What setting did you leave it on and how does the bike ride now?

Sound Wave · January 17th, 2009, 05:48 PM

i got it set on 2 now. no worries about the info. i think you are just stronger than i am.

i haven't tried out this setting yet. planning on riding a bit later today. not sure how it looks like on your rock, but looking out my window there is literally not even one cloud in the sky. plus it is a mild 76 degrees. definitely riding weather! gotta love the winters in hawaii!

current shot from my window:

kkim · January 17th, 2009, 06:08 PM

lol... I was going to post some pictures of us planting some avocado trees today, but decided against it for fear of being lynched.

What was your noose size?

noche_caliente · January 17th, 2009, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sound Wave

i got it set on 2 now. no worries about the info. i think you are just stronger than i am.

i haven't tried out this setting yet. planning on riding a bit later today. not sure how it looks like on your rock, but looking out my window there is literally not even one cloud in the sky. plus it is a mild 76 degrees. definitely riding weather! gotta love the winters in hawaii!

current shot from my window:

Hey, Gary!

That is all...

Sound Wave · January 17th, 2009, 07:45 PM

oops. hehe. sorry. sometimes i don't think before i talk/type.

oh and yeah setting #2 feels perfect for my weight and the type of riding i do. just came back from a quick ride around diamond head and back. you can actually kind of see it in my pic... although, there are a whole bunch of condos and hotels blocking it.

btw, i swear i am not waving at those harley guys anymore unless they wave first. got 5 no wave-backs. stuck up buggers.

GreezMunky · January 17th, 2009, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sound Wave

btw, i swear i am not waving at those harley guys anymore unless they wave first. got 5 no wave-backs. stuck up buggers.

Heh, that's funny. When I'm riding with my dad who rides a Harley, most of the time he waves to sport bikers and they don't return the wave until they see me and all of a sudden they feel like waving.

noche_caliente · January 17th, 2009, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sound Wave

oops. hehe. sorry. sometimes i don't think before i talk/type.

oh and yeah setting #2 feels perfect for my weight and the type of riding i do. just came back from a quick ride around diamond head and back. you can actually kind of see it in my pic... although, there are a whole bunch of condos and hotels blocking it.

btw, i swear i am not waving at those harley guys anymore unless they wave first. got 5 no wave-backs. stuck up buggers.

The hubby and I were looking at your pic - Diamond Head is off behind the two tall towers, yes?

Sound Wave · January 17th, 2009, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noche_caliente

The hubby and I were looking at your pic - Diamond Head is off behind the two tall towers, yes?

yes it is. those twin towers are really new. actually as i look out my window, there seems to be at least 6 towers that weren't there when we moved in 10 years ago. most of the new buildings are slowly blocking our ocean view.

here is the diamond head view from one of our other condos... can see most of it except for the MOST IMPORTANT part

:

noche_caliente · January 17th, 2009, 08:36 PM

Neat. So how many condos do you have? Our best man got married at waialae beach park back in '04, so we were there for a week - though I have to confess that Honolulu was my least-favorite part of the island - I prefer more of the nature scene... next HI visit, I'll be over with Kelly

kkim · January 17th, 2009, 08:52 PM

Gary, if the SF ever gets its act together, you'll have to bring the bike over for a ride on Kauai.

Noche... does that mean I'll have to clean out the garage for you guys to throw your sleeping bags in?

Sound Wave · January 17th, 2009, 08:56 PM

yeah, when people imagine hawaii, oahu is not it. way too crowded and busy. although, our windward side of the island is really beautiful.

personally, i love oahu. after all, it is home. but maui is my second favorite. it has a balance of the slower lifestyle, nature, and things to do. i think on the big island, most shops and businesses close by 6 pm... something dumb like that. it is way too country for me. but they do have the active volcano which is really cool.

kauai is beautiful, only been there once. really slow paced.

to answer your question, including our residence, we own 4 condos. although 2 are in guam. with the marine bases set to close down in okinawa by 2012 and relocating to guam, the value of property on guam has been shooting up. if you got some extra money, it still might be worthwhile to pick up some property there. idk.

edit: kelly, yeah that sf. on again, off again. i can't keep track. would love to go for a ride in kauai. that video clip you posted before was on kauai right? we don't anything like that here on oahu.

kkim · January 17th, 2009, 09:09 PM

yep, that's the road up to Kokee via the Waimea canyon road.

it's the only real good riding road we have here, but it's a doozy. planning to hit it tomorrow if my riding partner gets in touch with me.... if not I'll be heading out by myself. weather is supposed to be perfect.

Sailariel · January 18th, 2009, 07:56 PM

Kelly, My shock was set on 2 at the factory and I rode the bike for 5K miles with no problem. I weigh 195. I was running 36psi Rear Tyre and 32psi Front. Am now running 28 Front and 32 Rear and the shock absorber is set at 3. I will have to wait for some clear weather to try it out. Today we got 18" of snow.

kkim · January 18th, 2009, 09:47 PM

sorry to hear that Alex... here's a shot from my ride this morning.

g21-30 · January 19th, 2009, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Allmayer Beck

Kelly, My shock was set on 2 at the factory and I rode the bike for 5K miles with no problem. I weigh 195. I was running 36psi Rear Tyre and 32psi Front. Am now running 28 Front and 32 Rear and the shock absorber is set at 3. I will have to wait for some clear weather to try it out. Today we got 18" of snow.

I too am 195 and last week set mine to 3.

Alex, don't you have snow tires or chains or maybe studs? I can picture you now leaned over with chains!!

Sailariel · January 20th, 2009, 11:11 AM

Sam, I do have studded tyres on my bicycle. It doesn`t have 30HP and starts easily in the cold.

kayfouroh · February 25th, 2009, 05:33 PM

Can someone possibly take a picture of what each setting is on the spring? Mine is at the lowest (as in, on the dial itself, not sure about the shock).

I bought the shock used to transplant on my 01 Ninja and I am not sure of any of the settings.. the shock does feel a lot firmer than the stock one, though!

Cochese · May 9th, 2009, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Kyle

The spring on the 2009 USA bike I have here is about 90 Nmm.

I had to go to a 80Nmm spring for a 180 Lb rider to get the correct Rider sag (30MM) with a reasonable amount of spring preload.

I would say a 90 NMM would be OK with a 210 to 230 LB rider

On the spring chart below Green is the stock spring and Red is the spring that comes on the New Ohlins Ninja 250R shock (KA840)

http://www.rogueracing.org/dk/KA840.jpg

By the way same with the fork spring waaaay too stiff for a 180 Lb rider.

Dan,

I have a 2009 250R and I'm about 220-225 lbs... Am I good to go with stock? I suppose I should avoid the Ohlins KA840?

CodE-E · May 9th, 2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cochese

Dan,

I have a 2009 250R and I'm about 220-225 lbs... Am I good to go with stock? I suppose I should avoid the Ohlins KA840?

The manual gives a shock setting / rider weight reference. (see page 1 of this thread).

To repeat, the manual gives a reference of a 68 kg / 150 lb rider. For the European models, setting #2 is designed for that rider; for the US model, setting it's setting #1.

So if you're over 68 kg, you'll might want to increase the shock setting to something stiffer.

I'm 65 kg with a Euro model, and I left my rear shock at the factory default #2. It feels very firm (but not too hard). #1 would maybe be a bit more comfortable, but I guess the handling might suffer a bit if it's too soft.

BlueRaven · May 9th, 2009, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HKr1

YES! I never heard of anybody going past 5 to 1.

I have by myself and i'm just a 115lbs girl but not without some bruising on my hand.

arcman · July 26th, 2009, 01:00 AM

I'm 102kg (225lb) with all my gear on (no laughing please) and my '09 Australian model came set to 1, I took into into a shop the other day to have some HEL s/s brake lines fitted and had a chat with their suspension guy. He was certain that I'd need it set to 4 based on my weight.

Went for a city ride after I picked it up on Friday evening and a 350 km (220 mile) country ride Saturday and, wow...totally different bike. I can't believe how much better she rides in traffic and out in the country.

This all came about from some guys suggesting on a regular Tuesday night ride (when it was blowing HARD and GUSTY [so hate that combination as a newish rider]) that the preload would have a big effect on my riding in wind. Can't say if it'll make much difference to riding in strong, gusty winds, but it has made the whole bike feel so much less "squishy" in the tail.

A.

ScorpionNinja · July 26th, 2009, 06:58 PM

Ive looked at the rear shock, trying to figure out how the hell do you Read or know What the Setting is set too? #5,1,3,2,4? i dont see any markings like "4" or such down there. i need to set it higher... my rear tire has rubbed the rear fender backing afew times... and i see marks from it!

(me solo, at 166 lbs.) sorry no Fat Chicks on back.... yet!!! >_<

Sound Wave · July 26th, 2009, 07:03 PM

your rear tire has rubbed your fender? something doesn't seem right. at 166 lbs, it doesn't seem like anything should be rubbing. which part is the fender? could you show a pic of where you are rubbing?

anyways, if you look at the collar on the shock, you can see that there will be 5 different levels. the lowest one is 1 and the highest one is 5. i weigh 185 lbs and i had mine set to 2. i just found that setting most comfortable for they way i rode.

Alex · July 26th, 2009, 08:36 PM

The one that compresses the spring the most is 5, the one that compresses the spring the least is 1.

addy126 · July 26th, 2009, 09:13 PM

At the suggestion of TnNinjaGirl, I adjusted my pre-load from 1 to 3 due to the fact my cornering felt skittish and I was less than impressed about the road handling even after I changed out to Pirelli Sp. Demons. She was right! Adjustment was easy sleazy (I did have to take off my rear hugger for this) took it up to 3 in a flash, then went riding. It was back to cutting corners like a knife in butter! The difference was tremendous and I now had faith in the 2009 N-250 handling again! It seems all about the pre-load to get that bike to handle with finesse!

Cedilla · July 26th, 2009, 10:36 PM

My bike just does not feel planted at all on high speed corners, it bugged me alot when I first got the bike, but I have gotten used to it so I don't really mind anymore, but if I bumped up the preload would it make it handle better at high speeds, I just left the preload alone since I weigh right at 150, but now im thinking about bumping it up a notch or two, would I see any benefit?

Sound Wave · July 26th, 2009, 10:46 PM

cedilla, it can't hurt to try. easy to do. if you don't like it, return it to how it was.

although, imo the best mod you can do to improve your high speed handling is to change out your tires. not too expensive, but you will feel much more confident hitting the twisties.

January 17th, 2009, 06:08 PM	#56
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	lol... I was going to post some pictures of us planting some avocado trees today, but decided against it for fear of being lynched. What was your noose size? Last futzed with by kkim; January 17th, 2009 at 11:00 PM.

July 26th, 2009, 08:36 PM	#77
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	The one that compresses the spring the most is 5, the one that compresses the spring the least is 1. __________________________________________________ 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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January 17th, 2009, 09:43 AM	#41
noche_caliente ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Kim Location: mundo de ensueño Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 250 Posts: A lot.	Gary - there's only one way to find out....

January 17th, 2009, 09:45 AM	#42
Sound Wave 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.	true....i just don't want to break it by trying to force it a way it won't go. boy, this motorcycle stuff is sure foreign to me.

January 17th, 2009, 10:52 AM	#43
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	Gary, try it. My comments were based on the shape of the adjuster "ramps". It might be possible going "backwards", but I never tried based on the ramp shapes and from other posts I've read saying the shock could be only adjusted in one direction. That being said, I've gone through the 5th to first position before, so it is possible going that way, too.

January 17th, 2009, 12:20 PM	#45
Dan Kyle ninjette.org newbie Name: Dan Location: Sand City Calif Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): 1098 848 ZX10R GSXR1000 Posts: 8	You can go from 3 to 2. Yes

January 17th, 2009, 12:29 PM	#48
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	Actually... I'd suspect brain freeze. It was down to 57* this morning. Brrrr... I won't say it was easy going from 5 to 1, but it is possible. In any event, Gary, I hope you find a way to get to the setting you want. Please let us know how it turns out and how you achieved it.

January 17th, 2009, 03:11 PM	#50
Sailariel ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Alex Location: Belfast, ME Join Date: Jul 2008 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Honda NT-700-V, formerly, Green 2008 Ninja 250R Posts: A lot.	Kelly, We have been down to -26. In northern Maine, they set a record of -50

January 17th, 2009, 04:58 PM	#51
kazam58 Sarcasm: Yea that'll work Name: Andy Location: Essex Jct, VT Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250R Posts: 330	oh dear, poor Kelly would die off before we even zip up our jackets all the way.

January 17th, 2009, 04:59 PM	#52
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	lol...

January 17th, 2009, 05:34 PM	#53
Sound Wave 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.	ok, well i tried going from 5 to 4 to 3 to 2. thanks dan kyle for chiming in. SOOOOOOOO much easier. i now have it set. it just clicked easily down each notch. not saying it isn't possible to go from 5 to 1, but i couldn't do it... then again i didn't realize until just now that the tool kit comes with the extension bar... so maybe i could have gone from 5 to 1 using that for more leverage. thanks everybody for the help. learned a couple new things today!

January 17th, 2009, 05:39 PM	#54
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	Gary, Glad you were able to resolve you settings and thanks for the clarification on being able to go back from a higher to a lower setting. My apologies for the bad info... I'll edit my post. What setting did you leave it on and how does the bike ride now?

January 17th, 2009, 07:45 PM	#58
Sound Wave 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.	oops. hehe. sorry. sometimes i don't think before i talk/type. oh and yeah setting #2 feels perfect for my weight and the type of riding i do. just came back from a quick ride around diamond head and back. you can actually kind of see it in my pic... although, there are a whole bunch of condos and hotels blocking it. btw, i swear i am not waving at those harley guys anymore unless they wave first. got 5 no wave-backs. stuck up buggers.

January 17th, 2009, 08:36 PM	#62
noche_caliente ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Kim Location: mundo de ensueño Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 250 Posts: A lot.	Neat. So how many condos do you have? Our best man got married at waialae beach park back in '04, so we were there for a week - though I have to confess that Honolulu was my least-favorite part of the island - I prefer more of the nature scene... next HI visit, I'll be over with Kelly

January 17th, 2009, 08:52 PM	#63
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	Gary, if the SF ever gets its act together, you'll have to bring the bike over for a ride on Kauai. Noche... does that mean I'll have to clean out the garage for you guys to throw your sleeping bags in?

January 17th, 2009, 08:56 PM	#64
Sound Wave 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.	yeah, when people imagine hawaii, oahu is not it. way too crowded and busy. although, our windward side of the island is really beautiful. personally, i love oahu. after all, it is home. but maui is my second favorite. it has a balance of the slower lifestyle, nature, and things to do. i think on the big island, most shops and businesses close by 6 pm... something dumb like that. it is way too country for me. but they do have the active volcano which is really cool. kauai is beautiful, only been there once. really slow paced. to answer your question, including our residence, we own 4 condos. although 2 are in guam. with the marine bases set to close down in okinawa by 2012 and relocating to guam, the value of property on guam has been shooting up. if you got some extra money, it still might be worthwhile to pick up some property there. idk. edit: kelly, yeah that sf. on again, off again. i can't keep track. would love to go for a ride in kauai. that video clip you posted before was on kauai right? we don't anything like that here on oahu.

January 17th, 2009, 09:09 PM	#65
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	yep, that's the road up to Kokee via the Waimea canyon road. it's the only real good riding road we have here, but it's a doozy. planning to hit it tomorrow if my riding partner gets in touch with me.... if not I'll be heading out by myself. weather is supposed to be perfect.

January 18th, 2009, 07:56 PM	#66
Sailariel ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Alex Location: Belfast, ME Join Date: Jul 2008 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Honda NT-700-V, formerly, Green 2008 Ninja 250R Posts: A lot.	Kelly, My shock was set on 2 at the factory and I rode the bike for 5K miles with no problem. I weigh 195. I was running 36psi Rear Tyre and 32psi Front. Am now running 28 Front and 32 Rear and the shock absorber is set at 3. I will have to wait for some clear weather to try it out. Today we got 18" of snow.

January 18th, 2009, 09:47 PM	#67
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	sorry to hear that Alex... here's a shot from my ride this morning.

January 20th, 2009, 11:11 AM	#69
Sailariel ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Alex Location: Belfast, ME Join Date: Jul 2008 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Honda NT-700-V, formerly, Green 2008 Ninja 250R Posts: A lot.	Sam, I do have studded tyres on my bicycle. It doesn`t have 30HP and starts easily in the cold.

February 25th, 2009, 05:33 PM	#70
kayfouroh ninjette.org member Name: Frank Location: Long Beach, NY Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2001 EX250-F Posts: 19	Can someone possibly take a picture of what each setting is on the spring? Mine is at the lowest (as in, on the dial itself, not sure about the shock). I bought the shock used to transplant on my 01 Ninja and I am not sure of any of the settings.. the shock does feel a lot firmer than the stock one, though!

July 26th, 2009, 01:00 AM	#74
arcman Love to ride Name: Andrew Location: Melbourne, Australia Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2011 ZX10-R Posts: 36	I'm 102kg (225lb) with all my gear on (no laughing please) and my '09 Australian model came set to 1, I took into into a shop the other day to have some HEL s/s brake lines fitted and had a chat with their suspension guy. He was certain that I'd need it set to 4 based on my weight. Went for a city ride after I picked it up on Friday evening and a 350 km (220 mile) country ride Saturday and, wow...totally different bike. I can't believe how much better she rides in traffic and out in the country. This all came about from some guys suggesting on a regular Tuesday night ride (when it was blowing HARD and GUSTY [so hate that combination as a newish rider]) that the preload would have a big effect on my riding in wind. Can't say if it'll make much difference to riding in strong, gusty winds, but it has made the whole bike feel so much less "squishy" in the tail. A.

July 26th, 2009, 06:58 PM	#75
ScorpionNinja 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.	Ive looked at the rear shock, trying to figure out how the hell do you Read or know What the Setting is set too? #5,1,3,2,4? i dont see any markings like "4" or such down there. i need to set it higher... my rear tire has rubbed the rear fender backing afew times... and i see marks from it! (me solo, at 166 lbs.) sorry no Fat Chicks on back.... yet!!! >_<

July 26th, 2009, 07:03 PM	#76
Sound Wave 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.	your rear tire has rubbed your fender? something doesn't seem right. at 166 lbs, it doesn't seem like anything should be rubbing. which part is the fender? could you show a pic of where you are rubbing? anyways, if you look at the collar on the shock, you can see that there will be 5 different levels. the lowest one is 1 and the highest one is 5. i weigh 185 lbs and i had mine set to 2. i just found that setting most comfortable for they way i rode.

July 26th, 2009, 09:13 PM	#78
addy126 ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: addy126 Location: Tx Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 Kawasaki N-250 + '09 Vulcan 900 Classic Lt Posts: A lot.	At the suggestion of TnNinjaGirl, I adjusted my pre-load from 1 to 3 due to the fact my cornering felt skittish and I was less than impressed about the road handling even after I changed out to Pirelli Sp. Demons. She was right! Adjustment was easy sleazy (I did have to take off my rear hugger for this) took it up to 3 in a flash, then went riding. It was back to cutting corners like a knife in butter! The difference was tremendous and I now had faith in the 2009 N-250 handling again! It seems all about the pre-load to get that bike to handle with finesse!

July 26th, 2009, 10:36 PM	#79
Cedilla ninjette.org sage Name: Chris Location: Huntsville, AL Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250 (sold) Posts: 755	My bike just does not feel planted at all on high speed corners, it bugged me alot when I first got the bike, but I have gotten used to it so I don't really mind anymore, but if I bumped up the preload would it make it handle better at high speeds, I just left the preload alone since I weigh right at 150, but now im thinking about bumping it up a notch or two, would I see any benefit?

July 26th, 2009, 10:46 PM	#80
Sound Wave 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.	cedilla, it can't hurt to try. easy to do. if you don't like it, return it to how it was. although, imo the best mod you can do to improve your high speed handling is to change out your tires. not too expensive, but you will feel much more confident hitting the twisties.