Ok, latest update with feedback required!!! The new spring is being fitted as I type but Riders just called and explained that reports have come back to them that there is a risk with fitting a heavier duty spring in that the gears on the motor to adjust the spring have been stripping after prolonged use due to only being made of plastic and struggle with the stronger tension. Has anyone who's done this mod had any problems to report??
Firstly I think they are talking about the ohlins rear damper, not the skyhook one. Second, although there were concerns of plastic teeth stripping I've not actually heard of anyone having this happen.
Hi, Because I have not heard of any issues with the skyhook damper, only (so far unproven) concerns over the ohlins txt with the semi-active controller. That was only to do with the compression / rebound motors, so are unaffected by changing the spring. The spring preload on ohlins is done by hydraulics, so a stiffer spring only affects seals, not gears. I thought the skyhook used a similar arrangement. Maybe others have heard or had issues. I would have expected this to be common knowledge by now if there were an issue. Sorry I can't help any further.
It's a load of bollox, the preload is hydraulic, there's a pump in a cylinder under your seat that pumps oil down into your shock, this in turn pushes a ring out that compresses your spring. So the question is. even if you had the old spring on but were 2 up and full of luggage it would amount to the same pressure needed to compress the new spring with all that weight on the only difference is the bike will lift instead of the spring compressing.
JC, what both you and John say makes perfect sense. Worries me when a dealer can get it so wrong by saying the spring is adjusted by plastic gears when its clearly hydraulic, should of thought about that myself when he first mentioned it, be interesting what they say when I pick it up.
Just thinking aloud here , yes the spring is adjusted by hydraulic pressure on the spring , the silver long thin tube under the seat i assume carrys the hydraulic oil , is it a case of plastic gears or a plastic screw thread set up drives a piston up and down the tube assembley that pushes the fluid to the rear shock pre load acctuator . When you change pre load settings on the rear you here a whirring sound ............is this a pump running or a motor driving a piston down the tube that could have plastic gears or threads . I maybe completley wrong here but its a thought
Yep was thinking along those lines too, once I'd sat and thought about it, but I doubt it would strip gears, there must be some sort of relief valve in the hydraulics other wise it could burst the hydraulic line the seals or damage the pump. If for instance the pipe got kinked or there was some sort of blockage or jam of the preload piston. I'm not saying they couldn't get stripped if they are plastic but as I said in my last post if the spring isn't compressing then the bike is lifting up.
Sidetracking for just s moment. Having checked the spreadsheets for what are listed as the default settings for DSS, I find they are slightly different from the settings on my 2014 bike bought here in the US (as an ex-Demo with 1000 miles on it). So two possibilities:- 1. They are set differently for different markets. 2. Someone fiddled with them before I bought it. What is most likely?
Probs someone fiddling with them, just go into the menu and set it to default, that will cancel out every thing they may have fiddled with.
Well todays the moment of the true, comfort seat fitted for the wifey, custom spring fitted, suspension set up and taking her out on it for a test ride in an hour. This is kill or cure (the bike that is) all being well she will notice the difference and like it, failing that who wants an immaculate 2014 1800 miles skyhook MTS for a big saving over a new one!!! Jumping the gun a bit, come back latter
I await the report from Franksie. Interesting thread, as I test rode both Skyhook and non skyhook before buying. Truth be told, I felt immediately at home with the non skyhook. For me it rode like a dream,compliant suspension giving a comfortable yet secure handling ride. If it weaved a bit,it was completely predictable. Skyhook had me bouncing off ruts etc,set on default, seemed to only really work well when pushing the cornering speeds up. And if a weave sets in,it's no where near as predictable as non skyhook.That's fine ,but if I fancy a more relaxed pace to look at the scenery etc,the I find it a little crash and bang?. So I did buy skyhook, because I thought I would get used to it,and come trade on time it would be more desirable than non skyhook. Well the new model launch will kill my purcahsing theory dead! In retrospect I prefer the handling of non skyhook. I cannot decide if it's because I'm an old fossil used to more traditional methods of suspending, but I find it more comfortable overall. Maybe as this is skyhook MK 1 it will improve over time, I feel it needs too.
WELL, One step forward one step backwards. With the new spring the wife has found that the constant chattering/ movement under her has now gone so that's the main problem solved, however she now finds the suspension VERY firm to the point of jarring her back on bumps, potholes etc. Currently the rear preload is set to 6 so will be having a play with it tomorrow weather permitting. Interested to see how your wife got on with it. As its set to 6 I don't have an awful lot of movement to soften it up. Whatever happened to just buying a bike and riding it, also had the starter switch assembly replaced under warranty and today found the dash misting up AHHHHH
