How does the front suspension on a motorcycle work? | Home Schooling Lesson 6

Welcome to Bennetts BikeSocial's #Motorcycle #Homeschool in association with Honda Engine Room.
This is a series of short, entertaining and easy to understand explanation of a motorbike, it’s components and how both outside influences and rider adjustments can affect the balance, control, grip and stability of the bike.

#Lesson 6: How to set up a motorcycle's front suspension and understand what it does


And remember, there's no detention or homework!

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[darseyno]

one of the best explanatory videos on suspension that i have ever seen. Thank you so much for the simplicity of this video

[Henryboy]

You sir are the best teacher on the internet i have found 👍

[mujtabakamal]

You make it sound like a piece of cake. Slayed 👍

[caseyworthington]

Thanks for this. Helpful. More please! :)

[robholloway]

Cheers Adam, that explains it for simpletons like me to understand 😂 saying that I wouldn't really know if the bike needed an adjustment anyway I just ride it, so I think I will just leave well alone cheers 😁😎

[rcraven]

I have seen preload being changed on track days so that instead of the compression and rebound being say some 6 inches or 15 ctm. the pre load would be reduced to only say 3 inches or 75 ctm.. all this depends on weight including the rider and should improve the bikes ability to steer round corners. However should basic none track riders bikers want or have a specific need to change the pre load under normal road riding condition? Could messing with preload be detrimental or compromise the bikes stability and safety at all. If they have got it wrong?

[AdhilAbdulMajeed]

I'm trying to slow down the rebound on my project bike. Should I make the holes on the damper rod smaller or bigger? Will the same affect my compression too?

[terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

Because the two halves of the fork are not fixed together the spring does not stay compressed and get "stiffer" it is changing (or maintaining) the ride height instead. Your spring length would actually be very similar at all preloads. That is in normal regular conditions of course and you haven't exceeded the springs capability. i.e. some really weak spring rate totally mismatched to the weight of the bike.

[nealharris]

Cheers Chad. Always been a bit weary of adjusting these things. Street Triple RS seems to come out of the factory very stiff so might be worth easing these settings to get a more compliant ride? thoughts?

[arfanzufar]

how about the number of the holes? is it better to have 2 holes or 4 holes?

[rhyannarval]

Sir can i ask something about my USD front Fork? Just b'coz the rebound is very bad.

[ChisungLee]

I sit on my bike and stand up, I hear clicking noise from the front. I think it's the fork. What should I check? is it the protrusion, fork clamp, preload, oil viscosity, geometry of the bike due to rear and front not leveling? I slightly jump to sit to mimic a bump and the rear sags, I stand up then I see the weight going to the front and rebounds and settles.

[walterverheyen]

since when is adding preload condensing the spring? A spring condenses when weight is added. Do you add weight by turning a screw? No. So nothing is condensed by adding preload. Adding preload adjusts where the bike is hanging in its suspension, thus setting sag.

[MKMK-tyid]

So if I'm riding on a bumpy road, and I feel every bump going through my handlebars I should open up the compression to smoothen things out ?

[xontheweb]

Great to go into my Skype meeting a little less thick than I was 6 mins ago.

[BarnettSpeedSuzukiThou]

Preload certainly doesn’t compress the spring

[nealeburgess]

I like chocolate cake. Can you give me more details on your recipe, please?