Hi, Does anybody know what the factory settings are for the front forks on an ST2? I've tried the net, but can't seem to find them. Any help is much appreciated.
This is for an ST4, but it should be similar. FRONT: Preload: 16 mm (Use 22mm socket); rebound damping: 11 clicks from full in; compression damping: 12 clicks from full in. REAR: Preload: 165mm spring length (no position listed); rebound damping: 1 turn out from full in; compression damping: 1 turn out from full in.
Thank you Figaro, I'm having a peculiar problem, where leaning into bends at around 30 mph the front seems skittish and bouncy; whereas if I take them at higher speeds it feels more planted.
I ended up with quite low tyre pressures on my ST2. I knew the suspension was in good nick, and I'd played with the settings without being entirely satisfied with the results. But dropping the tyre pressures made a hell of a difference, I ended up with about 32psi at the front, can't remember about the rear. But it made the bike feel much nicer, good enough to fire round the Nordschleiffe in fact!
What a difference, ran mine down to London today with 32.5 psi front - 36 rear and it behaved impeccably. Thanks for the info, very much appreciated.
That's the pressures I found best on my old 4S. Infact I found the front sensitive to 1lb different very noticeable
Which ST2? Some have fully adjustbake forks, the later omes dont. Also if they have never been rebuilt, thats a long time, may be worth a service and fork oil change And I always found 32/36 worked well on my ST2
Only the first model year had adjustable kit I think, although I could be wrong. Had you been on the cidre when you typed that post..?
I've gone through a fair few tyre types on the 4s and not matter what, including the current RaodSmart IIs, 33 front and 36 rear works best in all conditions. Even on track, I've dropped the rear to 30 and left the front as is and it's been good. A
I have a 'new to me' 1999/2000 ST4. I checked the factory settings for fork preload (16mm) as I wanted to get back to standard settings. Checked mine and they were 10mm so I thought I'd go back to 'factory'. Book says between 10mm and 25mm with standard setting at 16mm. Wound it up and at 16mm it seemed to tighten up and not want to go any further. Forks felt much too firm!! Have wound it back to 10mm. Question, have I got 'non-standard' forks? I am told the previous, previous, owner had made some changes, e.g. fitting an ST4S alloy swing arm, so I am wondering about the forks.??
Hi , There are no standard settings. just starting points. We are all different and all need different settings to suit our weight , the way we ride and the amount of comfort/compliance vs feed back we prefer. Fork preload should be adjusted to suit your weight and measured by the amount of sag the forks do with you in full riding gear sat on. There are many online guides for "Setting sag". An alternative method is to put a tie wrap round a fork stantion to measure fork travel, you are looking for the forks to go through the stroke during your heaviest braking without bottoming out, leaving around 15mm of travel left to allow for hitting a bump at heaviest braking . Start with full pre load and wind it off both side equally until you get the 15mm. If the amount of travel left is less than 15mm with all pre load used up then you need heavier springs. If it is more than 15mm with all rebound off then lighter springs are needed. Adjust this again when you have worked on your compression damping. It may need fine tuning again then or if you gain a lot of weight such as luggage/ pillion or too many pizzas. Rebound damping , you are looking for one return movement when you compress and release the forks whilst stood over the front end pushing down on the bars hard and releasing them, easier to let someone else do that while you observe. One return stroke, not another second oscillation , just 1 controlled return stroke. Start with damping wound quite well out and increase gradually until the control point is found, that is then done. Compression is a matter of personal preference , the more you add the more the forks will progressively harden up as they go through their stroke. The amount you want is down to feel, Quick way is start in the middle of adjustment, count the clicks. Then ride it. Then try a couple of clicks more and a couple of clicks less, which feels best to you ? When you decide, go 2 clicks further the same way , better or worse? adjust accordingly until it gets to firm or too loose and go back a bit. Then you try to get the rear under control so its movement matches the front, the force you have here is the load applied to the wheel by the engine, this is where compression damping comes in as opposed to braking forces at the front. These settings are not ideally fixed, you should adjust them as the oil gets worn or as you ride faster. The bottom line is to understand the actions of the adjustments so that you can logically adjust them and ride to feel for improvements. It is not a black art but a little reading may help.
Thanks Dan, that is very useful. I was actually after what the setting was as it 'left the factory' to give me a starting point. I did not know what the previous owners had done before I got the bike. As it happens this problem is all sorted now as, foolishly, I was taking the wrong measurements but, on re-reading the manual, I have sorted it. Thanks for the helpful response though.
