Does anybody here know how to lower the rear shock? I read the shock adjustment portion on the service manual but they don't actually tell you HOW. I have no clue. Help would be much appreciated.

 

The factory shock doesn't have height adjustment, just preload adjustment.

To lower the rear end you'd have to buy lowering links.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by 'lower' the rear shock. The only adjustments that you can do on an F2 shock are the preload setting that is changed by turning the large collar at the bottom of the suspension. There's a wrench specially designed to attach to the collar in the tool kit. There are seven settings on the collar, 1 is the least and 7 the most preload.

The other adjustment is the rebound that is changed by turning the dime sized screw head that is just past the preload collar. I have no idea if clockwise or anticlockwise adds or reduces rebound but if anyone knows then I'd like to play around with mine so please let me know.

That's all I know about the suspension, hope it's helpful.

 

clockwise adds dampening (slows down rebound)

Don't be afraid to tinker with it - just count the number of turns from where it is now til all the way in. That way you can always go back to where you are now.

 

For adjusting damping you should do the following, riding somewhat mildly, on roads you are familiar with and feel safe riding:

1- Ride the road first to warm up.
2- Turn your damping ALL THE WAY IN (to the right) which SLOWS DOWN the return of the shock after being compressed. Take a ride on it.
3- Turn your damping all the way out which SPEEDS UP the return of the shock after being compressed. Take a ride on it.


Ideally, if your bikes suspension is working along with being sprung and valved sensibly for your weight... you should be able to notice a difference in handling and bump characteristics at the top and the bottom of the suspension settings. neither will be perfect, and both will have advantages and disadvantages.

Return yourself to a dead nuts middle setting on the rear shock, and then ride again. Now that you have a feel for what the bike does when it's stiff and soft, and what happens when it's too stiff or soft, you can intelligently troubleshoot your suspension.

Doing anything less is just shooting blind.

 

Oh yeah, do read the tutorials on setting sag. It's important you have sag set properly. Also, do not set your bike up for race sag, as it won't be adequate enough to safely navigate the "rougher" pavement found outside of race tracks!

 

Thanks for the advice on damping. I will definitely give that method a try now I know what I am doing when I change the setting. I got Twist of the wrist II on DVD and there is a nice video on there with Keith Code showing how to set the sag on your bike but I haven't tried it yet. I plan on getting a friend to help and give it a go before I start riding again in the Spring.

 

Word. I've seen those instructions, but forget what they advise for sage. If they don't specifically advise setting sage for the street I'd google an answer. I believe 25-30mm is for track, and 30-40mm is for street ideally. That extra sag is for inconsistencies in the surface of roads on the street. Double check with an expert though...

 

There is a lot of good information in this thread!