Well i've been riding my 02 F4i now for about 6 months with stock setting and i finally decided to mess with the oem settings and adjust them to my weight. Went through tons of youtube vids and threads online and was a little hesistant at first to attempt this cause its really my first time doing something like this. Well boy im i glad i did, with the help of a friend i was able to dial the bike in and now its like riding a whole new bike. First time out after all my adjustments, i was taking it easy but the more i rode the more i got response from the bike and i was able to ride faster and smoother into turns. I didnt realize it till later but i actually was going faster and put some new strips on my tire i never had before. Braking is so much smoother, and no more nose diving. Taking off feels much nicer and responsive. If you havent messed with your suspension i would highly recommend it.

Oem settings
front with no weight was 267mm
front with rider was 223
Difference was 44mm which is to soft
Front after adjustment was 232 and got 35mm which is recommended


Spring set to 5
Rear with no weight was 451mm
Rear with rider on 421mm
Difference was 30mm which is recommended

Here's my measurements just to give you a rough guide

Anyone else tryed this on there own??? curiouse to see there measurements and how they differ from my oem settings.

 

We had a suspension set up weekend also!! Kind of made it easier with more people around.. I only weigh 145 lbs and was surprised how far out of adjustment my front was.
Front rebound adjuster is almost all the way in no lines showing! probably need new springs. rear shock 3rd setting was perfect for my weight. but i still think the rear rebound is slow and the adjuster is all the way out no more adjustment left. love the new settings!! Ride safe!!

 

sweet, glad to here mine is somewhat similar to yours on the adjusters.

 

Glad you are liking your new setup. When new owners come here & want to start putting this or that go-faster mod on their bike for looks, I always try to steer them in the direction of a proper suspension setup first (along w/ good preventative & regular maintenance). A properly set up suspension no only makes riding the bike more responsive but safer as well. Anyway, good job on doing your suspension setup on your own. Take pride in your accomplishment.

 

Yep, time for a fork rebuild soon.

You may want to invest in an Ohlins/etc rear at some point. But you said you are loving the new settings for now. They prob feel like a huge improvement over where you had them.

 

Same thing with cars that i dont get, these people put huge money into there engines and forget that all that power needs to go to the ground and be able to stop and they forget to mod there supspension and brakes first.....My bike is bone stock minus the micron exhaust but you gain your riding skills from suspension brakes and tires, not how fast you go on a straight. Just my 2cents. My goal when i get confident enough is to able to read the bike better and be able to understand what its telling me in the turn when your at a full lean. And believe me i'm in no hurry to do this, with time comes experience and hopefully one day i'll be able to fully get rid of my chicken strips :-) Hopefully this adjustment will give me a little more confidence and capability to accomplish this goal.

Next on my list is steel brake lines.....any recommendations on that one???

 

I'm thinking about that.. I don't think the fork oils have been changed from 06. so I'm thinking servicing the rear and front and see how it is.. Thanks for the input :-) It's nice to have a forum to bounce things off of people who have experience!!

 

Excellent outlook for sure. You are def approaching it w/ the correct attitude. Gain & hone your skills at your own pace w/ properly setup equip, as you are doing.

If you get the opportunity, sign up for a trackday that is run by a quality trackday org that offers a new track day rider course w/ good instructors. They'll teach you proper techniques for twisty riding & will help you improve w/ every session you ride.

Don't worry about those chicken-strips. ;-) Ride in your own comfort zone & progress at your own pace.

There are many good options. Galfer is a one of those.

 

Sure, glad to help.

Yep, prob need to change that fork oil when you get a chance.

Speaking of fork oil changes...they really help. I always install new seals (dust & oil) w/ ea fork oil change. You can do this, along w/ changing your springs (if necessary), right in your own garage. All you need is a good quality front stand that lifts by the lower triple (in conjunction w/a good rear stand), some basic hand tools, & a copy of the factory service manual. It really is pretty easy work if you follow the steps outlined in the manual.

If you don't feel comfortable w/ doing the work at home, you can always send your forks to RaceTech/etc, to have them rebuilt for you w/ the specs you determine are best for you.

 

You got 35mm of front sag with stock suspension? You must weigh like 110lbs. Or did you not take into account the sag from the bikes weight before you sit on it? You have to hold the bike up and measure the forks fully extended to get correct sag numbers, if your starting measurment was the bike sitting on the ground then you actually have somewhere around 55-60mm sag right now.