A little Lean Angle fun

[1K9]

Junk might as well go back to the stock ones.

Have been riding the Comfort Touring set @ minimum preload. They don't buck you off the saddle but they are not comfy at all unless the road is a smoothie. Ordered the 444. I would not know how to adjust the high dollar fancy ones. Put a set of original Showa on the Valkyrie and they are to grampa's sorryass specs.

 

[Claviger]

Regarding Wilbers, Beemershop the US vendor and I recently did some sag settings and adjustments.

Bottom line, I should be using 36nm springs, not 50nm springs, given my and the bike weight. Since 36nm isn't an option, I'll be going with 40s, I bet this makes a huge difference in feel/comfort.

If you're interested in a set of good rebuild able 640s given them a call, speak with Jeff, and give him accurate weights. He can set you up with a set of Wilbers that are sprung right instead of oversprung like Wilbers tends to do.

Apparently I was the unwitting guinea pig for 642s in the US through them when I bought mine, so now they have the measurments they needed to develop the spring chart for the R3/R3R.

 

[Speedy]

Is the 50nm the combined rate of the pair, or each? My ride was at 34nm / pair when we last rode for comparison.

Wallowing is generally a lack of dampening not springs too soft. I am now at 40nm / pair.

 

[warp9.9]

Is the 50nm the combined rate of the pair, or each? My ride was at 34nm / pair when we last rode for comparison.

Wallowing is generally a lack of dampening not springs too soft. I am now at 40nm / pair.

Is that the same for the front on the dampening ?

 

[Claviger]

It's 50nm each, and your bike felt great. In that "just right" comfort zone. Just dawned on me, 34/pair, so 17 each?! Really conveys how oversprung 50nm/each is!! 20% less is going to be a very noticable change I suspect.

I'm totally happy with the damping adjustment range. Can be dialed from sporty to stupid hard with the clickers, nice wide range, but never what I'd call plush.

Now wondering if the very high rate springs are a contributor to high speed wobble I sometimes experience and the trailing edge rear tire scalloping I get.

 

[1olbull]

Have been riding the Comfort Touring set @ minimum preload. They don't buck you off the saddle but they are not comfy at all unless the road is a smoothie. Ordered the 444. I would not know how to adjust the high dollar fancy ones. Put a set of original Showa on the Valkyrie and they are to grampa's sorryass specs.

Excellent choice, Ricardo!
Hope you ordered the standard spring rate.
Start by setting your sag (loaded bags and you) to .75 or 1 inch) ride and hand adjust as needed.

 

[Speedy]

Wow!! Incredibly heavy spring rate. That is close to 2x the stock spring rate of the old Classic and standard shocks. At that rate you can't have much set in. 1/4" or so max. Do you, or have you had, travel indicators? How much travel during normal riding?

Measure one of those springs for me please. Wire diameter, outside diameter, height (free length) and number of active coils (closed coils don't count) and I will calculate the spring rate.

If you are hard on the throttle with 3/4" sag and stock spring rates, the shocks will top out if going straight ahead (jacking is significant on the Rocket.) With centripetal force adding load and springs rates like 50nm I suspect you are topping out intermittently depending on road surface and traction. Could easily bring on a wobble. And when topped out during braking the tire unloads so traction is diminished. Scalloping is worse when traction is minimal while leaned over.

How did you arrive at the 36nm number?

 

[Speedy]

Is that the same for the front on the dampening ?

Yes. Springs are meant to support a load. Shocks control the rate or velocity at which the load is transferred into wheel travel. If too soft suspension travel is fast and the spring will oscillate (over travel up and down as it reaches equilibrium) hence the wallowing. If the shocks are too stiff, travel is too slow and tire loading changes very fast with surface irregularities. Thus stiff shocks will make a tire "skate" across bumps. If riding on a glass smooth road, stiff suspensions work well and offer lots of rider feedback. Unfortunately roads that smooth are not found in the real world.

 

[TURBO200R4]

Yes. Springs are meant to support a load. Shocks control the rate or velocity at which the load is transferred into wheel travel. If too soft suspension travel is fast and the spring will oscillate (over travel up and down as it reaches equilibrium) hence the wallowing. If the shocks are too stiff, travel is too slow and tire loading changes very fast with surface irregularities. Thus stiff shocks will make a tire "skate" across bumps. If riding on a glass smooth road, stiff suspensions work well and offer lots of rider feedback. Unfortunately roads that smooth are not found in the real world.

 

[Claviger]

First, thanks for the complete and thoughtful responses. I'll measure the spring when I get home.

36nm/each was the Beemershop calculation so I can't say how, but paired with the valving he assures me it'll feel much better while still being very sporty.

As you mention, on nice roads, it's amazing. On rough roads it's still smoother than stock Roadster shocks, that's how bad Roadster shocks are haha.

I think you're bang on with the topping out during acceleration, at full throttle the bike kind of does feel like it's skipping across the road if it has bumps.

Jeffs opinion at Beemershop is 36nm and 15mm of preload will ride vastly better, makes more sense now with what you've mentioned.

Finally, I'm gathering from other reading the trailing edge scalloping is largely due to trail braking while leaned over, as you mention, so for me that qualifies as "normal" wear.

Preload - 5mm (lol)
These are my measurments:

One Cavaet - bike only has 1/2 gallon of fuel in it at the moment.