daboo Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 How well does the stock suspension handle the things like pot holes, freeway expansion joints, etc.? I'm not looking to modify an FJ-09 for the racetrack or to compete with the YZF-R1 owners out there. I use my current bike for commuting and long weekend rides. The roads are pretty bad in places around Seattle, so I wouldn't want a firmer ride, but a more compliant one that soaks up the bumps. Does the stock suspension work well in those conditions? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member michael Posted February 17, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted February 17, 2016 How well does the stock suspension handle the things like pot holes, freeway expansion joints, etc.? I'm not looking to modify an FJ-09 for the racetrack or to compete with the YZF-R1 owners out there. I use my current bike for commuting and long weekend rides. The roads are pretty bad in places around Seattle, so I wouldn't want a firmer ride, but a more compliant one that soaks up the bumps. Does the stock suspension work well in those conditions? Chris At least for me, at 250lbs, the stock suspension is terrible on anything but very smooth surfaces. Of course I am not even near the design weight of what Yamaha laughingly refers to as suspension on this bike. It has the cheapest possible shock with a spring that is likely too stiff for most people. The forks are a joke... while they have springs in both sides that are way too light for most people, there is damping only in the right fork leg, and it is completely inadequate, and adjustable for rebound only. My favorite roads are patches on patches rough twisty roads, and this bike is absolutely frightening on those. Monday I was on one of those roads and the rear tire was losing contact with the road in bumpy corners and hopping sideways, the whole bike was pogoing up and down. The front end dives excessively under braking. Couple that with the hair trigger throttle connected to a very powerful and responsive engine, and it was more excitement than I would rather have. Hopefully the money I am spending on suspension (about $1600) and remapping the ECU will make the thing more civilized. I believe it will, but this is not an inexpensive bike to get into shape. But maybe it works well for 160-180lb riders. I kinda doubt it. They say the best you have ridden is the best you know, so if you don't have experience with really good suspension, you might think it's just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingfisher Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 The stock suspension is not bad to me; maybe I'm just easy to please. It was definitely on the firm side when new, but after close to 10,000 miles, it is better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soldierofrock Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Stock front springs are progressives so they will do well. If you are -200 lbs or a bit more, you just have to get them tuned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
root Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 300+ lbs here and I'm fine with it. There's certainly better stuff out there but for what this bike is designed for and the price point, I certainly think the "terrible" remarks are a little over the top. If your expectations are high end BMW level comfort and adjustability or ready to push it to the limits at the track you'll be disappointed. If you are expecting budget sport touring, it may even exceed expectations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotboot Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 It's soft, compliant and mushy. If that is desirable and your handling and tunability expectaions are low you will get used to it. I think it's rubbish for my one up 200 pound experienced riding needs. I really thought it was going to be better, the dive under braking is really extreme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monterey10 Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 It's better than the suspension on a VStrom, but not nearly as stiff as a sport bike. It can sag quite a bit in the rear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member fanowater Posted February 18, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted February 18, 2016 I weigh 180lbs and ride it hard and think the rear shock is an instant throw away - just complete garbage. The front isn't bad, but the compression is a bit harsh. I put on a Penske 8983 rear shock and had Traxxion Dynamics AK-20's installed. Very happy with them. 2015 FJ-09 2006 Triumph Daytona 675 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xpress Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Most people forget that a lot of Jap bikes are designed for an average Asian male, and if you're 5'8" and weigh 120lb the bike is brilliant. I still think the suspension is great for commuting, it's soft enough to absorb BS in the road, but stiff enough to drop low and take a corner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericm Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 I'm 145 lbs, 172 with gear. I'm going to get a better shock and have the fork worked on. The fork and shock especially are too harsh on sharp edge bumps once the rebound is adjusted to remove the wallowing effect. It's like there's too much high speed compression damping but not enough low speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member fddriver2 Posted February 19, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted February 19, 2016 I'm 145 lbs, 172 with gear. I'm going to get a better shock and have the fork worked on. The fork and shock especially are too harsh on sharp edge bumps once the rebound is adjusted to remove the wallowing effect. It's like there's too much high speed compression damping but not enough low speed.30 lbs of riding gear? Holy smokes.... "It doesn't matter who walks in, you know the joke is still the same" Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member stad Posted February 20, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted February 20, 2016 Being from Seattle I'd recommend taking your bike down to KFG (Barry Wressle) or Fluid Suspension (Dave Alexander) and having it set up, go from there. http://www.kfgracing.com/ http://www.fluidsuspensionscience.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericm Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 30 lbs of riding gear? Holy smokes.... 28. I was surprised too. But that's street clothes, Aerostich, back protector, boots, helmet, gloves. The suit is not light but I'm not riding without it. Made me understand why when I set the preload with just street clothes on it felt like it was too low. I would have guessed that stuff weighs 10lbs at most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member fddriver2 Posted February 20, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted February 20, 2016 30 lbs of riding gear? Holy smokes.... 28. I was surprised too. But that's street clothes, Aerostich, back protector, boots, helmet, gloves. The suit is not light but I'm not riding without it. Made me understand why when I set the preload with just street clothes on it felt like it was too low. I would have guessed that stuff weighs 10lbs at most. Just seems like a lot... I was comparing it to what I used to work in... The total weight of a firefighter's PPE depends on the tools needed for the job, but basic PPE (helmet, hood, pants, coat, gloves, boots and air pack) weighs about 45 pounds. "It doesn't matter who walks in, you know the joke is still the same" Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member keithu Posted February 20, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted February 20, 2016 240lbs here and I think the suspension is fine. Not perfect, but not terrible either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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