TallTom
Registered
The terms should be the same but the bike is different. @c10 or anyone. I am trying to wrap my understanding of pre-load better.
Quick summary. I bought a road sofa Goldwing. It has a hydraulic rear pre-load that adjust from 1 which is meant to generally by 160 lb rider, no luggage. Up to 25 which is 450 lbs (2 passenger) plus full load of luggage. Roughly 600 lbs. Infinitely adjustable from 1-25.
I found I like the PL to be at 11 for just me and what little extra weight past me.
Today my neighbor called me. He had a new Harley he purchased and it was being trucked in from the dealer he bought it from. He asked if if take him there. I said sure. He said we can ride back together. So he essentially became my first passenger. I forgot all about my pre-load and didn't think to adjust. I sort of forgot all about it as I was more adjusting to the idea that it was my 1st 2up ride. I weigh 235. He weighs 220. So off we went. I actually wanted to see how the big girl did.
My 1st impression was holy chyt she didn't like all this weight. She wallowed through turns and when it came time to brake it felt like you needed acres to plan ahead. Entering the highway on ramp she felt very sloshy and vague.
The destination was 20 miles away. We get there and truck was not there. He called only to find out that there was an identical mile marker and highway in Fla. It was about 45 miles away. While he was sorting that out, I'm checking tire pressures and generally thinking this bike isn't going to be near as capable as I hoped loaded up for the long hauls. He mentioned it was very squishy and all over the place back there.
Then I remembered the pre-load hit me. I said wait a second....and moved it up to 25. He said he could feel it change. We pulled out and headed to the road. I instantly felt a huge difference in the turning and maneuvering. Braking was back to awesome again. The remainder of the trip was 2000% better. My confidence in the bike came back solid.
But I've been reviewing what I thought I knew about pre-load. The braking aspect I think I grasp. A lower rear end and the brakes feel vague because the bike is still sagged lower in the rear that it doesn't sufficiently unload into the front where majority of the braking is.
And the same could be said about the steering vagueness. But I was set at 11, just under half of the pre-load. So I'm trying to process the geometry changes and ride mechanical moments I'm actually adjusting in the term pre-load.
I mean 435 lbs is about 2/3 load capacity on the suspension. I wouldn't expect such a huge lack of feel and handling. I mean the bike felt actually less than safe. I thought pre-load was meant to load the spring so that it pre-loads the spring travel to keep it from being under or over sprung and it doesn't bottom out or top out in travel.
Now I'm thinking I dont know what pre-load does. Physically I can watch the rear raise and lower from 1-25-1. So I have to imagine that is spring and piston being loaded. But I may be totally missing a lot in my understanding now. I assume the shock dampening is a constant and the pre-load is only to load or unload the spring coils. So 200 lbs deflects the spring so much and you need to add "weight," to keep the spring under correct tension for the weight on it.
What say you gurus?
Quick summary. I bought a road sofa Goldwing. It has a hydraulic rear pre-load that adjust from 1 which is meant to generally by 160 lb rider, no luggage. Up to 25 which is 450 lbs (2 passenger) plus full load of luggage. Roughly 600 lbs. Infinitely adjustable from 1-25.
I found I like the PL to be at 11 for just me and what little extra weight past me.
Today my neighbor called me. He had a new Harley he purchased and it was being trucked in from the dealer he bought it from. He asked if if take him there. I said sure. He said we can ride back together. So he essentially became my first passenger. I forgot all about my pre-load and didn't think to adjust. I sort of forgot all about it as I was more adjusting to the idea that it was my 1st 2up ride. I weigh 235. He weighs 220. So off we went. I actually wanted to see how the big girl did.
My 1st impression was holy chyt she didn't like all this weight. She wallowed through turns and when it came time to brake it felt like you needed acres to plan ahead. Entering the highway on ramp she felt very sloshy and vague.
The destination was 20 miles away. We get there and truck was not there. He called only to find out that there was an identical mile marker and highway in Fla. It was about 45 miles away. While he was sorting that out, I'm checking tire pressures and generally thinking this bike isn't going to be near as capable as I hoped loaded up for the long hauls. He mentioned it was very squishy and all over the place back there.
Then I remembered the pre-load hit me. I said wait a second....and moved it up to 25. He said he could feel it change. We pulled out and headed to the road. I instantly felt a huge difference in the turning and maneuvering. Braking was back to awesome again. The remainder of the trip was 2000% better. My confidence in the bike came back solid.
But I've been reviewing what I thought I knew about pre-load. The braking aspect I think I grasp. A lower rear end and the brakes feel vague because the bike is still sagged lower in the rear that it doesn't sufficiently unload into the front where majority of the braking is.
And the same could be said about the steering vagueness. But I was set at 11, just under half of the pre-load. So I'm trying to process the geometry changes and ride mechanical moments I'm actually adjusting in the term pre-load.
I mean 435 lbs is about 2/3 load capacity on the suspension. I wouldn't expect such a huge lack of feel and handling. I mean the bike felt actually less than safe. I thought pre-load was meant to load the spring so that it pre-loads the spring travel to keep it from being under or over sprung and it doesn't bottom out or top out in travel.
Now I'm thinking I dont know what pre-load does. Physically I can watch the rear raise and lower from 1-25-1. So I have to imagine that is spring and piston being loaded. But I may be totally missing a lot in my understanding now. I assume the shock dampening is a constant and the pre-load is only to load or unload the spring coils. So 200 lbs deflects the spring so much and you need to add "weight," to keep the spring under correct tension for the weight on it.
What say you gurus?
