YOUR issues with the suspension?

[lothodon]

so i've been here for a while now and read SO many 'complaints' about the stock suspension.

i've been riding for 20+ years and i don't have an issue with either the front or back, but then i'm not a racer or track day kind of guy. i could ride the snot out of my buell xb9r, my two r1's and this bike without modifying anything.

i'd like to know, in 'simple' terms, what does the suspension do or not do that a better one would/could?

'pretend' i have no idea what pre-load, rebound and dampening are, use specific examples if you can. i'm trying to learn.

 

[MotoRick]

I'd like to know also. I've only put 60 miles on it so far but I haven't got any gripes yet.

 

[Lee_533]

Well, I'm not really sure why this thread would be useful to people but I'll throw in my opinion. I do not have a problem with the front suspension (yet) but since I do track mine and race it around the mountains, a rear suspension would be nice. It seems that the bike likes to "wobble" in a corner if there is a small dip or any cracks in the road. I ride with supersport bikes and I am the only one that has this problem. I road with a guy that had the FZ1 and he changed out his rear and said it made a huge difference and that the bike seemed so much more stable. I can't justify paying for a whole new front assembly but I got my R1 shock off ebay for $10 and now I'm just waiting for Satan666 to get his V4 adapter finished. If it doesn't make a difference then it's not a huge loss but if it does I would rather have that stability while riding.

 

[malikona]

SO, if you've read so many complaints why do you need us all to come here and go over it again for you?
I don't feel I need to justify anything to you. You don't have an issue with suspension? That's a fantastic bit of luck for you, really.
Unfortunately for me though, I'm not really considered when a bike manufacturer is designing or setting up a bike, let alone the suspension. At 6 foot 4 and weighing in at 115kg's I'm no jockey lol. The suspension always needs attention on my bikes.

I will say that it feels like you and your twenty years of riding are questioning the validity of others in a very condescending way. I'm not a fan but you can pretend I have no idea what I'm talking about.

I think you totally misinterpreted the fellow's intent here; he is just looking for a survey of opinions and a layman's overview of suspension issues, which I for one would benefit from.

For my part, I feel like the rear end squirms uncomfortably at lean angle in corners on any sort of questionable pavement, more than it should. I've found that clicking preload to 7 and making sure the tires are well warmed up makes it a bit better. I'm 6', 165 lbs, thinking of going to 8 on preload. I am trying to scrape my footpegs and I often ride two-up.

 

[lothodon]

SO, if you've read so many complaints why do you need us all to come here and go over it again for you?
I don't feel I need to justify anything to you. You don't have an issue with suspension? That's a fantastic bit of luck for you, really.
Unfortunately for me though, I'm not really considered when a bike manufacturer is designing or setting up a bike, let alone the suspension. At 6 foot 4 and weighing in at 115kg's I'm no jockey lol. The suspension always needs attention on my bikes.

I will say that it feels like you and your twenty years of riding are questioning the validity of others in a very condescending way. I'm not a fan but you can pretend I have no idea what I'm talking about.

post reported and pm sent.

get off your high horse and read my post. i was asking for information to HELP ME, in NO WAY was it condescending to ANYONE that's posted issues with the suspension.

 

[Vapordan]

post reported and pm sent.

get off your high horse and read my post. i was asking for information to HELP ME, in NO WAY was it condescending to ANYONE that's posted issues with the suspension.

Rodney King "can't we all just get along?"

 

[beefcake morris]

Wow, angry a bit.

Come on who bought this bike, with the idea to be the next CCS/WERA champ. If your motogp material you would be there already and not on a fz8.

The fz8 is not great at anything, but it is a good bike and does most everything well.

Can it be upgraded to be a much better bike, hell yeah it can. Just remember at the end of all the upgrades it is still heavier and slower, than any of the other sport bikes that just Yahama offers.

Weight of the FZ8 467
Weight of the R6 417
Weight of the R1 454
Hell the weight of the F1 is 487 and the is with farings and a bigger motor.

Loth, I like to mod and that is the plain and simple thing of it. Which does not answer your question.

I do think the suspension could have been better, but I really think that comes from being spoiled by doing suspension mods on my previous bikes, that I was racing on a track and riding on the street (dual duty as I call it).

Now I have seperate bike; FZ for street riding only and my DRZ 400 sm for track duty. I can simply say there is nothing like taking less of a bike DRZ 400 SM example and pass sport bikes in a corner, but I am getting off topic.

 

[lothodon]

i really just want to know what i'm missing. as in, when you lean into a corner the bike does 'this' and if the suspension were better would or wouldn't do 'this'. trying to learn what rebound and pre-load and dampening ARE and the effects they have on certain riding conditions.

looking for help. as in, what does a preload adjustment do? what effect does rebound have on bumpy roads, cornering...etc. i'm really green to this stuff even though i've been riding for years.

 

[Vapordan]

looking for help. as in, what does a preload adjustment do? what effect does rebound have on bumpy roads, cornering...etc. i'm really green to this stuff even though i've been riding for years.

Start here to understand the terminology ResultOne Racing Technologies - Suspension Glossary.
It's not a requirement to understand minutia about suspension terms like preload, rebound etc. These terms are only valuable when you want to communicate to someone else. Or when you take a test. Otherwise, it's perfectly ok to say the bike sags when I sit on it and I don't like that. Or the back wobbles in a bumpy corner. Stock bikes usually have adequate suspension settings for average riding conditions. The reason for this is strictly due to competition. There's very little difference in bikes for a specific class because the technology is very mature. The complaints you see here are 'arguably' only when the FZ8 is being pushed hard.

To me, the suspension works with my ailing back so much so that I've never felt the need to muck with it. I notice the back-end wobble in a rough corner coming in really hot (high revs, low gears, heavy on the brakes). I notice the dive on the front brake too. Smoothing it out is really a hassle that I dont care to undertake just for a few corners. Plus it isn't an exact science, it's about compromise between two or more settings.

The best way BEST BEST way to understand your suspension is to find a smooth road, make a note of your front and rear settings then one at a time, change it. So back shock all the way to 0. Ride. Redial all the way to 9. Feel the difference. And so on. Through trial and error or reading you may understand how one setting affects another, that's where links like the above come in handy. Same thing works on a track. A soft suspension bounces too much and doesn't help settle the bike for entry and cornering at high speeds. A hard suspension all day long on the highway will kill your back the next day. Finding the happy balance is where the money is.

 

[MotoRick]

SO, if you've read so many complaints why do you need us all to come here and go over it again for you?
I don't feel I need to justify anything to you. You don't have an issue with suspension? That's a fantastic bit of luck for you, really.
Unfortunately for me though, I'm not really considered when a bike manufacturer is designing or setting up a bike, let alone the suspension. At 6 foot 4 and weighing in at 115kg's I'm no jockey lol. The suspension always needs attention on my bikes.

I will say that it feels like you and your twenty years of riding are questioning the validity of others in a very condescending way. I'm not a fan but you can pretend I have no idea what I'm talking about.

I think both Lotho and myself sincerely wanted to hear what the specific problems are/were. For me, I only have 60 miles on my bike as I mentioned which is not enough mileage to get a good feel.

 

[lothodon]

Start here to understand the terminology ResultOne Racing Technologies - Suspension Glossary.
It's not a requirement to understand minutia about suspension terms like preload, rebound etc. These terms are only valuable when you want to communicate to someone else. Or when you take a test. Otherwise, it's perfectly ok to say the bike sags when I sit on it and I don't like that. Or the back wobbles in a bumpy corner. Stock bikes usually have adequate suspension settings for average riding conditions. The reason for this is strictly due to competition. There's very little difference in bikes for a specific class because the technology is very mature. The complaints you see here are 'arguably' only when the FZ8 is being pushed hard.

To me, the suspension works with my ailing back so much so that I've never felt the need to muck with it. I notice the back-end wobble in a rough corner coming in really hot (high revs, low gears, heavy on the brakes). I notice the dive on the front brake too. Smoothing it out is really a hassle that I dont care to undertake just for a few corners. Plus it isn't an exact science, it's about compromise between two or more settings.

The best way BEST BEST way to understand your suspension is to find a smooth road, make a note of your front and rear settings then one at a time, change it. So back shock all the way to 0. Ride. Redial all the way to 9. Feel the difference. And so on. Through trial and error or reading you may understand how one setting affects another, that's where links like the above come in handy. Same thing works on a track. A soft suspension bounces too much and doesn't help settle the bike for entry and cornering at high speeds. A hard suspension all day long on the highway will kill your back the next day. Finding the happy balance is where the money is.

good glossary read, thanks!

 

[calscrazy]

the fz8 is not a race bike. that is why i have an r6 also. it's not that the suspension is total crap. it's just every rider is different. height, weight, style no two are the same. thats why one setup for suspension doesnt work for everyone. i like my fz8 for fun runs and touring. u can kiss my #*$ if i am riding 8 hours in the saddle of that r6. it does make a good track bike though.
cost effectiveness is the biggest reason for the fz8 not having fz1 forks to begin with. nobody would buy the fz8 if its price in the middleweight market was 1500 more than the competitors.
i do agree it is too soft on the front end. especially since i am heavy on the front end. i dont mind the back end skipping or sliding but the front needs to stay planted. i have a tendency to shift weight forward as well as side to side when cornering. so all i have done is back off some when on the fz8.

 

[Vapordan]

the fz8 is not a race bike. that is why i have an r6 also. it's not that the suspension is total crap. it's just every rider is different. height, weight, style no two are the same. thats why one setup for suspension doesnt work for everyone. i like my fz8 for fun runs and touring. u can kiss my #*$ if i am riding 8 hours in the saddle of that r6. it does make a good track bike though.
cost effectiveness is the biggest reason for the fz8 not having fz1 forks to begin with. nobody would buy the fz8 if its price in the middleweight market was 1500 more than the competitors.
i do agree it is too soft on the front end. especially since i am heavy on the front end. i dont mind the back end skipping or sliding but the front needs to stay planted. i have a tendency to shift weight forward as well as side to side when cornering. so all i have done is back off some when on the fz8.

What is the r6 like on the track? How does it compare to the z8 on the street? I think there is a track bike in my future as my aggressive riding and yearning for twisty stuff is not really realistic for the streets. I also want space to improve my skills and the track is a better option. There is a dealer demo day here tomorrow where I can feel out some other Yamaha and I want to try the r1 and vmax thug bike.

 

[calscrazy]

i tried a 1000 on the track and just felt i could never get all of what it has. my r6 has fully adjustable suspension. i went to a suspension guru here locally and had him set it up. took us half a day but its perfect for me. on the track it does everything i want it to in full confidence. when i took the fz8 i spent the first session just nice and easy. second session i was in full on hammer mode. i had a few "moments" on the fz. i felt the front end nose diving. not just from hard braking. had a buddy ride it and he said same thing. i am borderline level between levels 2-3. i can cut same lap times as 3 but dont like some of the people in 3. they scare me! IMHO if u r gonna go to 5-8 trackdays a yr then u need a good superbike. find a good used 600, get it home, go through it well and then grip it n rip it!

just be sure to turn off the maniac button when going to work!

 

[Camo]

post reported and pm sent.

get off your high horse and read my post. i was asking for information to HELP ME, in NO WAY was it condescending to ANYONE that's posted issues with the suspension.

A simple misunderstanding, I've obviously read the original post differently than you intended. My bad.
Please accept my sincere apology.

The front loses traction under heavy breaking due to massive dive in the ultra soft stock shocks. I also had wobble and movement that didn't inspire confidence while cornering. The rear unsettles the whole bike if there's a slight dip or bump and again hampers spirited riding, especially since our Aussie roads are rubbish.

For me, Im not trying to achieve super sport performance and handling or ride like a moto gp star... But I do like to ride the tight stuff and when your bike feels planted, it's almost like you can ride to the very edge of your limits confidently and without second guessing yourself. But when you know the bike may get unsettled hitting the slightest dip in the road, it's almost impossible to push.

I still think if you don't feel there is anything wrong with your setup, don't blow money upgrading it because others are having issues.

 

[GarryM]

My story......

The FZ8 isn't a supersports bike and I bought it knowing that. I'm getting older and the speed limits around here are getting slower and slower and heavily policed so I'm not interested in a supersports bike any more so I was very impressed with the plush ride of the FZ8 over my old R6. I'm not a particulary heavy guy and I find the front suspension works fine for me. It's not as well controlled as my R6 forks but it does the job well enough.

My beef was with the rear shock. There just wasn't enough rebound damping. I found the rear to be wallowy and on big bumps this also upset the front end. During the test ride I even asked the sales guy if the rear shock was trashed. He said no, thats how they made them. There is one particular bump I ride over a lot that I hardly felt on my R6 but on the FZ8 I was almost thrown off the bike.

I've been rubbished several times on this forum for doing this but I replaced the FZ8 shock with an FZ1 shock. The FZ1 shock has slightly firmer rebound and compression damping with a stiffer spring than the FZ8 shock. While obviously it wouldn't be as good as a high end aftermarket shock it was a big enough improvement over the FZ8 shock to fix the wollowing problems I was experiencing. It also means that the front end doesn't have to work as hard as it had to with the stock shock so it feels better as well. The ride is just as plush as it was before but there is better control and now I hardly feel that bump....just like on the R6

 

[TeleRob]

I could not dial in the rear for my weight and riding. Main issue I had was that I would bottom out on the stock shock @225lbs and the roads I rode. There are a few bumps and tracks on my commute, and the fun twisties can have all sort of bumps after the winter around here. If I tried to stiffen the preload, it felt like I was going to get ejected on bumps. Due to that, I moved it to around 7.

The other issue was rear squat on the softer preload settings when rolling on the throttle. Its not exactly the best way to roll out of a corner IMO, and I think it looks a little comical taking off at stop signs.

I also was going to go get a PC5 and a Yoshi and all that, but I was talking to a very experienced rider around here that convinced me to sort out the suspension first. I'm glad I did, because I feel much more confident as well, and I can make the stock pipe scream at over 6K. I prioritized the seat, then suspension in my mods.

 

[MotoRick]

Thanks for all the helpful replies! Since I'm trying to be a good boy and stay under 5800 rpm (per the manual) and not push the new tires until I've got 100 miles on them, I really haven't been able to test the suspension at all yet. Since I weigh 270 pounds, I know I'm going to have to do something with the suspension.

 

[Call me knight hawk]

This is only my opinion and you all know what they say about opinions. They are like arm pits, everyone has one and everyone thinks yours stinks. I weigh in at 220 lbs. and ride 80% canyons with a lot of elevation changes. I found that the front end would dive hard while braking into a downhill turn. This would mess up the entrance to the corner. As far as the rear shock goes, any tight fast turning would compress the rear shock to the point that the pegs would grind. Any bumps in a turn at med to high speeds the pegs would catch the ground. I had set the shock at 8, 9 and 10, at ten that ended but then the shock was very stiff and didn’t match the soft front forks. I know that grinding the peg is no big deal but for me it is a confidence killer when you are moving at a rapid pace. I spent about a grand and I am happy with what I have now.

 

[LitzerSki]

MY problems with the suspension?

Well, I recently have had both of my relay arms bent into a "V" shape and one is broken. VERY close to a catastrophic failure of the swingarm. I'm not sure if my shock is blown or not yet...I haven't torn into the bike yet, but had there been a quality shock back there, I'm pretty sure this would have never happened.

I'll post up some pics when I can.