Newbie questions about rear suspension adjustment

Joined
May 24, 2017
Messages
4
Location
Rocky Mountains
Hi guys and gals - my fiancee and I picked up an 02 (ABS/TCS) ST1100 used after my fiancee sat on it and declared that it was destined to be our new adventure bike. And indeed it was - we love it. It has ~35K mileage but didn't come with a manual or tool kit. This is my 3rd bike (1st was a rebel, 2nd was a shadow) and I've been riding about a year so I'm still a definite newbie, and not exactly mechanically minded.

That being said - I am now at the point where I am needing to adjust the rear suspension because it's too soft, especially for two riders. I found two copies of the ST1100 manual online -

One here: http://campaigns.hondampe.com.au/Motorcycles/manuals/ST1100.pdf

And one here: http://www.tonyco.net/pictures/Honda_ST1100/owners_manual/major_components.htm

They have two different sets of instructions as far as adjustment settings for the rear suspension, with the second link including different settings for the ABS/TCS models (mine). I am assuming that those are the settings I should follow, correct?

Neither manual goes into much detail (at least, enough detail for someone like me). Today I lifted the bike up onto the center stand and tried to set the adjustments to match the second manual's instructions for 2 riders - 90 degree / quarter turn for the damping, and spring preload at setting 4.

However after doing it, I realized I don't know what's setting 1, and what is setting 5 on the preload - they're not exactly marked. So here are my 2 questions:

1. Am I right that the second manual's instructions are correct for my bike (quarter turn damping / spring preload 4)?

2. On the preload adjustment, is the lowest part of the "staircase" setting 1, or is the highest part of the "staircase" setting 1? I'm trying to figure out if I turned it the wrong way.


THANKS!!!

 
Joined
Mar 13, 2012
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5,043
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soCal
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'97 ST1100
STOC #
687
yes, 1 is lowest, 5 is highest, and for two-up riding you want the spring set to the higher end so 4 seems reasonable. On the damping screw clockwise makes it stiffer, try it at a few different settings and go by feel.
 
OP
OP
Joined
May 24, 2017
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4
Location
Rocky Mountains
yes, 1 is lowest, 5 is highest, and for two-up riding you want the spring set to the higher end so 4 seems reasonable. On the damping screw clockwise makes it stiffer, try it at a few different settings and go by feel.
Thanks for the response. So it sounds like I did it right (set it at second from the highest). Since I'm such a newb, maybe you can help me understand how that works, because it seems like the opposite to me - wouldn't the highest setting allow that piece to lower more and give the spring more "room" to spring, making it softer, while the lowest setting compress the spring more making it stiffer? Thanks.
 

DJDixon

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For the rear shock preload, it looks like this:

Metal stop
..............Position 1
............................Position 2
..........................................Position 3
.......................................................Position 4
....................................................................Position 5

It will get harder and harder to turn the spanner as the preload goes up, since you are compressing the spring. So position 1 is easy, position 2 takes more effort, position 3 even more, etc.

The manual has recommended settings, but you can fine tune them as you wish. I ride one up and I have the preload in position 4, as I may be a bit more, ahem, "stout" than the manual makes allowance for. :eek:
 
Joined
Mar 13, 2012
Messages
5,043
Location
soCal
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'97 ST1100
STOC #
687
shock.jpgCorrect?

Edit: Uh oh - seems my intuition was right and I did it wrong. The above image is opposite, huh?
the image is incorrect, the setting where the spring is compressed the most by the preload adjuster is setting 5, not setting 1.

The more weight you put on the bike, the further the spring will need to compress to counteract that weight. The amount the spring compresses to counter the weight affects the final ride height of the bike. With zero preload, the resistive force is supplied entirely by the spring compression. The purpose of spring preload is to add a static force to the spring, which is added to the force supplied by the spring compression, so the spring needs to compress less to create an equivalent counter force to counteract the weight of the bike. This prevents the ride height from sagging too low under higher weight loads.
 
OP
OP
Joined
May 24, 2017
Messages
4
Location
Rocky Mountains
Thanks for clearing it up. I got it set to the -correct- 4 setting. However somehow in the process I managed to bend the lower lip (of the two lips that sandwich the place you put the spanner) down. Oh well. I'm assuming it's not going to affect the shock performance.
 
Joined
Sep 24, 2015
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546
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East Anglia, England
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ST1100X
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#1702
Rocky, at your bike's age and mileage, the rear suspension is going to be passed it's best. I noticed mine was leaking, when it started squelching as I pulled the bike up on the centre stand. That was at 35k miles and 6 years use.

Roger
 
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