[blusv650]

i was looking at my sv today and notice the a** was low compared to my buddies zx10r, i took a look at it and it looks like it is adjustable. is the shock adjustable and if so wat will this do to the driveabilty of the bike??

 

[erstadw]

I believe his you can adjust rebound and compression. Also I believe his spring is a little stronger than the stock sv spring. rebound is how fast the shock pushes back out and compression is how fast it pushes in. Being able to adjust these you can make a better ride.

 

[Rogue.Element]

i was looking at my sv today and notice the a** was low compared to my buddies zx10r, i took a look at it and it looks like it is adjustable. is the shock adjustable and if so wat will this do to the driveabilty of the bike??

Its adjustable. just click to right or left to stiffen or loosen. Looser is more comfortable for me, tighter makes it handle a bit better. I also generally ratchet it tighter a click or 2 as well if Im doubling up on a longer ride.

 

[andyauger]

The SV can be adjusted for preload, which will set the ride height. It won't change the stiffness, so the feel of the ride will be the same. If you're heavy the best alternative is to replace the shock with something aftermarket, or "repurpose" a shock from another bike. There's extensive information on doing this in the FAQ section.

 

[blusv650]

ok well i am a light rider only 150lbs soaking wet, so i can adjust the shock up higher and it will handle better?

 

[Rogue.Element]

ok well i am a light rider only 150lbs soaking wet, so i can adjust the shock up higher and it will handle better?

I guess it depends on your ride style. For me it seems to, but it may just be in my head.

 

[httc84]

You adjust preload for proper sag - not ride height. Preload adjustments are the rings on top of the rear shock and the two screws on the top of the forks on 2nd gens. If you want to change handling characteristics, adjust the fork height in the triple clamps.

Step one: Set proper front and rear sag.
Step two: Adjust forks in triple clamps. Lower the front two much and you will affect corner clearance though.

At 150, you are the rider the suspension is set for. Just set up the preload properly.

Oh yes, when you go two-up with a friend, you can adjust rear preload to compensate, just set it back when solo.

 

[donniej]

I weigh 165 to 175 depending on seasons, I uses a 636 shock when I had a gen1. It's fully adjustable and slightly raises the rear. For my weight it was good, it might be a hair stiff for you.

If you just want to raise the rear, you can do that with slightly shorter dogbones.

 

[andyauger]

Let's see, you adjust preload to set sag, which is how far down the bike sits with the rider on it, which is ride height. Same thing.

Check your total sag, shoot for 20 to 30mm.

Changing the ride height (or sag) will change the bike geometry on the road, but it won't improve the ride. Raising the rear relative to the front (or lowering the front relative to the rear) speeds turn in at some cost to straight line stability. Lowering the rear relative to the front (or raising the front relative to the rear) slows turn in and improves straight line stability. Changing front/rear relative height changes the rake and trail slightly. Changes in rake and trail have a relatively big effect on handling.

 

[slakwhere]

hey blusv650, i have a 636 shock and a set of shorter dogbones for sale. i'd be happy to hook you up with either of them if you're interested.

 

[zoltan]

Let's see, you adjust preload to set sag, which is how far down the bike sits with the rider on it, which is ride height. Same thing.

It's generally accepted not to be the same thing. While adjusting sag on a motorcycle will affect the ride height to some extent, actual ride height adjust in a shock is the ability to lengthen or shorten the shock independent of adjustments to the spring. Once the spring preload is set to give the proper sag, it should not be changed to try and adjust the ride height.

The SV's stock shock is adjustable for spring preload (sag) only.

The fact your bike's rear looks lower than the ZX10R's doesn't mean there's something wrong with your bike, it just means it looks different.

 

[andyauger]

Very true. With the non-adjustable SV shock my answer was correct in this specific case, but incomplete.

Fork tube position in the triple clamps will change ride height as will preload adjustment. Same with adjustable-length shocks. Rear ride height changes with preload adjustment and shock length adjustment.

 

[zoltan]

Very true. With the non-adjustable SV shock my answer was correct in this specific case, but incomplete./QUOTE]

Not really. Sag is not the same as ride height. Ride height is not the same as sag. You can ask any motorcycle suspension tuner and they will tell you the same thing. Unless you redefine terms, the SV shock does not offer ride height adjustment.

While spring preload affects how high the bike sits, it should only ever be used to adjust sag. Ride height adjustments should be carried out with a shock's ride height adjuster, if so equipped, or with new dog bones.

 

[slakwhere]

you CAN adjust the ride height with dogbones, but you're making a change to the bike that will change the forces applied to the shock, which will change your suspension.

 

[andyauger]

Once you set the sag you can then set ride height on many bikes. On the SV you're limited to setting ride height independent from sag on the forks (unless you change the rear shock or dogbones).

Note that many track bikes are set with less sag to give them a little extra ground clearance (plus most tracks are pretty smooth so you can sacrifice some extension capability, usually). Suspension experts often quote different sag measurements for street and track. I don't favor this approach. I've also heard many "track setup experts" say that you want more preload to stiffen the ride, which is completely wrong, but there you go.

I agree with you, sag is not the ideal way to adjust ride height. Sometimes that's all you've got to work with, e. g., a heavier rider on an SV with stock shock.

 

[Veee]

Note that many track bikes are set with less sag to give them a little extra ground clearance (plus most tracks are pretty smooth so you can sacrifice some extension capability, usually).

that is incorrect. less sag is due to using suspension more than on street.
they still use all travel available on track. it would be wrong to give up travel for ground clearance, nonsense.