My review of the CB1100 (2018 EX)

[Tev62]

Mate that tip about the suspension worked wonders for my bike, much appreciated

Excellent!

Olof, yes, a bit of extra pre-load on the back (even if you leave the front alone) has always worked for me. It just puts the bike on its nose that bit more and does improve cornering feel and poise. Try it.

Don't mind me if I add, although pumping up the preload is ok for raising the back, suspension will work mostly in top of it's travel, thus not optimally. Try dropping the the triple clamps for 1cm, it will have the same effect on geometry, but the shocks will work in the mid-travel where it's supposed to be

'14 CB1100 STD 5 speed

Yes, a very common mod people make on bikes to sharpen up the steering because you have just shortened the trail of the bike but this should only be necessary if you run out of preload adjustment to achieve the same thing on a standard unmodified bike.

I have to disagree with you a little on setting the preload at the mid point of your travel. A general target for where the suspension should sit in its stroke is about 25-30% when you are sitting on your bike when fully clobbered up. Having it mid stroke is too much use of that travel, the compression forces on the road will always be greater than the effects of a dip in the road. At 50% sag you are losing overall suspenstion travel.

Here is my take on preload when I got new suspension on my Daytona. I can be a little long winded so apologies for the length in advance!
https://youtu.be/hx6ExYqls9E

[j3gq_imp]

@Tev62
Looked at your video again, really nice. Thank you !
But I have to admit looking at left traffic from the motorcycle perspective gets me surely dizzy.
Renting a car in the U.K. has always been a piece of cake. But on a motorcycle I would kill myself, not in the first 5 minutes, but after some "relaxation" time, say after 2 hours. In the rental car you have the "wrong" steering wheel inside the cockpit to remember. But on the cycle, all you have is traffic as a constant reminder of who is supposed to be where. Once you have traveled a quite road for a while, then a turn or a round about, and finally a wide truck "on the wrong side". That would be the end of me.

[tod.branko_imp]

Mate that tip about the suspension worked wonders for my bike, much appreciated

Excellent!

Olof, yes, a bit of extra pre-load on the back (even if you leave the front alone) has always worked for me. It just puts the bike on its nose that bit more and does improve cornering feel and poise. Try it.

Don't mind me if I add, although pumping up the preload is ok for raising the back, suspension will work mostly in top of it's travel, thus not optimally. Try dropping the the triple clamps for 1cm, it will have the same effect on geometry, but the shocks will work in the mid-travel where it's supposed to be

'14 CB1100 STD 5 speed

Yes, a very common mod people make on bikes to sharpen up the steering because you have just shortened the trail of the bike but this should only be necessary if you run out of preload adjustment to achieve the same thing on a standard unmodified bike.

I have to disagree with you a little on setting the preload at the mid point of your travel. A general target for where the suspension should sit in its stroke is about 25-30% when you are sitting on your bike when fully clobbered up. Having it mid stroke is too much use of that travel, the compression forces on the road will always be greater than the effects of a dip in the road. At 50% sag you are losing overall suspenstion travel.

Here is my take on preload when I got new suspension on my Daytona. I can be a little long winded so apologies for the length in advance!
https://youtu.be/hx6ExYqls9E

Excellent!

Olof, yes, a bit of extra pre-load on the back (even if you leave the front alone) has always worked for me. It just puts the bike on its nose that bit more and does improve cornering feel and poise. Try it.

Don't mind me if I add, although pumping up the preload is ok for raising the back, suspension will work mostly in top of it's travel, thus not optimally. Try dropping the the triple clamps for 1cm, it will have the same effect on geometry, but the shocks will work in the mid-travel where it's supposed to be

'14 CB1100 STD 5 speed

Yes, a very common mod people make on bikes to sharpen up the steering because you have just shortened the trail of the bike but this should only be necessary if you run out of preload adjustment to achieve the same thing on a standard unmodified bike.

I have to disagree with you a little on setting the preload at the mid point of your travel. A general target for where the suspension should sit in its stroke is about 25-30% when you are sitting on your bike when fully clobbered up. Having it mid stroke is too much use of that travel, the compression forces on the road will always be greater than the effects of a dip in the road. At 50% sag you are losing overall suspenstion travel.

Here is my take on preload when I got new suspension on my Daytona. I can be a little long winded so apologies for the length in advance!
https://youtu.be/hx6ExYqls9E I'm not saying to set the sag on 50% but to allow sag to be normal and the suspension to work in the mid range, pumping up preload for geometry rather than to offset the weight increase so that the sag will be, again normal, it a horrible idea when it comes to ride comfortable, you will end with way too much rear end chatter, and bouncing off imperfections in the road and speed bumps. I know that because I'm a lazy rider in a sense that when I have a bike on which I'd take the Mrs out more frequently, I'd pump up the preload and leave it like that even when I'm riding alone, horrible idea, especially for my riding style

'14 CB1100 STD 5 speed

[Tev62]

".....pumping up preload for geometry rather than to offset the weight increase so that the sag will be, again normal, it a horrible idea...."

Ah yes, totally agree there Tod, 100%. I do believe a lot of riders misunderstand that preload is there to offset the weight of the rider and load and that if you don't make that adjustment the secondary effect is taking your trail out of its optimum value as the manufacturer designed it.

[the Ferret]

I love suspension experts... they almost never agree with each other lol... wait, experts on ANYTHING, almost never agree with each other.

[GoldOxide_imp]

I love suspension experts... they almost never agree with each other lol... wait, experts on ANYTHING, almost never agree with each other.

... you probably haven't read the suspension experts on the Africa Twin forum. (sheez) It gets very religious.


If I follow any one of the Kool-Aids, then I am clearly not enjoying my suspension for my riding weight. Truth is to date: It has been bliss.

[the Ferret]

no, but I've read them on the FJR forum lol. One of them called my suspension settings MUSH and said he'd refuse to ride on it. I'm certainly no expert, but know what feels good to me! lol

[GoldOxide_imp]

no, but I've read them on the FJR forum lol. One of them called my suspension settings MUSH and said he'd refuse to ride on it. I'm certainly no expert, but know what feels good to me! lol

[Tev62]

But you dont need to be an expert to understand what preload is for, its premise is really, really simple.

[tod.branko_imp]

I love suspension experts... they almost never agree with each other lol... wait, experts on ANYTHING, almost never agree with each other.

Ain't that the truth, just like choosing the right religion. I can just read and listen and apply what I learned, as long as it makes sense in my head and works in practice I'll take it.

I like the way Dave Moss approaches suspension, if you don't know him here is a link to his website

https://davemosstuning.com/

End of the day, setting up suspension is a heuristic, keep making mistakes and eventually you'll get there

'14 CB1100 STD 5 speed