FJRiders.com

Added 11/6/2016 - Photo of OEM (non-ES) rear shock showing two spring design (this is Gen1 but all others are the same concept). On the SOFT setting both springs work together, on HARD setting the top spring is locked out.
http://www.fjr1300.info/photos/html/H0023.html

Revised 12/1/2017 - Cleaned up notes, revisions and added info for SOFT and HARD settings of rear shock, essentially with a calculation to show actual spring rate when the two springs are in effect when set to SOFT. However, the Gen1/2 numbers for look very low and unreasonable, despite the formula. One does not know preload in that setting, and one would tend to think there would be at least some, or enough to boost the effective load carrying capacity. The HARD setting numbers are simply the one spring K1 in effect as the K2 is locked out.
I have now installed my RaceTech shock on my Gen3 with an 850 lb. spring, with a touch of preload, but it is right on the money for a 190-220 lb. rider, validating that the RaceTech rear shock spring recommendations are high/too stiff, thus use Penske's recommendations.

11-22-16 - Post 1 now has revised matrix to show expanded Gen 1 specs per Fred's info, and note 4 on ES fork bushings.

Please submit any errors or omissions, or additional info you'd like to see. Future format may change as options are allowed in the forum software.

Disclaimer - I may know a lot but I'm not a suspension guru. I gather info from tech documents, conversations with FJR riders at tech days and other meets, experiences of my own, etc. Curious about how stuff works and always learning, your input is welcome.

Thanks Ray!

Wow. Thanks.


Sent from my porn viewer.

You'da man Ray!

wish I was smart enough to know what it all means

Updated post 2, as will be done frequently (I'll let you know about anything significant), but keep your eye on post #1 hopefully later today when Photobucket is ready..... LKLD, you ARE going to get smarter, I promise.

Nice job Ray!

See Post 1 for photo version of the matrix..... kinda what it shoulda looked like.

raYzerman wrote:See Post 1 for photo version of the matrix..... kinda what it shoulda looked like.

Oh, Yeah! Excellent!

raYzerman wrote: LKLD, you ARE going to get smarter, I promise.

Thanks Ray, many have tried...

Nice job Ray. As you know I had some of that info posted over on the other place. But never in such a cool and concise format. I really like it.

One correction, not all 1st Gens are the same. The '02's and '03's have different springs that the '04's and '05's, which with the proliferation of bootleg '03 factory service manuals on pdf (are we allowed to talk about that over here?) caused a good deal of confusion among the '04-'05 riders. You had to check in the '04+ "supplement" for the actuals on the Gen 1.5's.

Appreciate the clarification.... my data was from what is supposed to be an '03 manual (it's actually says '01 on the cover). If you have the numbers for '04-05, I'll include a reference.

What surprised me when I put this together was how light those Gen1 suspensions were...

FeeJeR Fred wrote:One correction, not all 1st Gens are the same. The '02's and '03's have different springs that the '04's and '05's, which with the proliferation of bootleg '03 factory service manuals on pdf (are we allowed to talk about that over here?) caused a good deal of confusion among the '04-'05 riders. You had to check in the '04+ "supplement" for the actuals on the Gen 1.5's.

That's EXACTLY the kind of thing that should be talked about. It's those little facts that make this type of information exchange so valuable. Also, makes ya think twice about buying a bootleg version of something.

The problem isn't with the copy of the manual, it is that they Yamaha came out with a supplement (addendum) to the manual that is in the back of the older manual that has all of the differences for '04-'05.

raYzerman wrote:



Added 11/6/2016 - Photo of OEM (non-ES) rear shock showing two spring design (this is Gen1 but all others are the same concept)
http://www.fjr1300.info/photos/html/H0023.html

Like!

Post 1 and 2 revised with new matrix, etc.

Post 1 revised with new and improved revised matrix, see note at bottom of Post 1 for further info.
Also posted on FJROwners.com as a .pdf
Available in .pdf if send me your email addy.

Thanks for the effort Ray

Bump for those interested in suspension.

Very nice Ray and Fred.