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BITUBO JBH & XZE11 post install first impressions.


DewMan

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[strong]Bottom Line:[/strong] Even for a commuter, such as myself, well worth the investment. I don't have to think about the suspension anymore. It's now a non-issue.
 
[strong]Where my opinion is coming from:[/strong] I'm a 52 year old returning rider after a 20 year hiatus from riding. I used to wrench in a shop 30 years ago. I've put 60K miles on my previous Mid-80s model bikes. The FZ-07 ABS is my entry vehicle back into riding again.
After a couple hundred miles on the stock suspension I decided to invest in a suspension upgrade after deciding that the factory suspension seemed angry and unsettled even at legal speeds. It didn't like any change to the current speed or direction and would complain any time a change was made. My initial assumption that it was just me not used to being back in the saddle wasn't the issue. I did not try either the JBH or XZE11 separately. I installed both before taking it down off the paddock stands.
 
[strong]Initial thoughts after the 1st 80 miles of mostly lonely surface streets with a little Interstate:[/strong]This is what the factory suspension should have been. Engine braking, with stock pipes & flash, doesn't unsettle it anymore even in a curve.Curves feel planted even on uneven asphalt.20mph Speed humps  and 10mph speed bumps and dips are no longer jarring.At legal speeds + ~10mph under all riding conditions feels so much more compliant than the stock suspension.it has yet to give me any pucker factor at all.
The only attitude from the suspension now is it's telling me  "Is that all you've got? Grab some throttle, I got your back". This is what I got back into riding for. My confidence level has doubled.
Thanks go out to @Bellissimoto for selling a great product at a good price.
 
 

DewMan
 
Just shut up and ride.

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I'm really happy to read that you're happy!
And I'm happy too, with all Bitubos on my bike.
 
Please, can you specify (for my research, and for a comparison) what's your weight "in gear" and what's the K of the front/rear supplied springs?
My weight is about 79 kg "in gear" (about 174 pounds) and the JBH springs was K=9, but it was too stiff.
Now I'm @8,25 (8@left, and 8,5@right) and I'm near the solution. The next change will be the right spring, in order to god down to a K=8.
And I can bet that I'll be really really happy.
The K of the mono is 12, and it's good for my weight. I've installed in the spring 2016, done some chenges to the settings, and it's all. ;)
 
Thank you for your infos, and have a happy ride with you 07!!

www.MT-Series.it
Yamaha Official MT-Series Club

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@Etorty I ordered mine with "250LBs (130KG) with gear" since I normally carry a bit of gear when I commute. That and I'm 6ft and not skinny. :D
 
Hand written on the end of the XZE11 spring, near as I can read the partially obscured [HASH]S, is "17 86 151" and silk screened on the side of the coil is "Bitubo 130" also the box label list "customization: 17/01954-B"
 
I didn't notice, and honestly wasn't looking for any markings on the front springs. But the box label states "customization; 17/01954-7"
 
So that's all the info I have on them. Hope some of it is useful to you.
 
I'm not well versed in custom suspension work to run the calculations to know if it's "correct" for me but I trust that they sent me what I needed.

DewMan
 
Just shut up and ride.

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Thank you, @dewman !
The K of the front spring is engraved on the flat surface of the top of the spring, that's not visible with the cartridge ready to fit, as is.
But you can find the "K" on the first page of the paper manual that I presume you've received with the JBK.
This is how looks mine:
 
 
JBH_front_page.jpg
 

www.MT-Series.it
Yamaha Official MT-Series Club

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They gave me .9 springs as well. I ordered for a 230lb rider full geared but requested for it to be set on the aggressive side. The rear shock came with a Bitubo 120 spring. 
 
Any idea if they change the valving for rider weight? If so is there any way to find that info?

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OK, I'm not sure we can trust the paper manual values. Mine also lists 0.90kg/mm as well. All values are the same as on your picture @etorty
 
I'm thinking the manual lists the default values, but I can't see your ~175lb load rate being the same as my @250lb load rate.
 
 

DewMan
 
Just shut up and ride.

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I would have pegged 0.85 or .875 for you @etorty. It's not uncommon for the default spring to be 0.9kg/mm for this weight class of bike. 230-250lb are 0.925-0.95 territory. 0.9 will still work, just needs more preload. What are your guys' rider and static sag values? This is where less optimal springs start to show their hand. And how much preload did you have to put into the system to get there?
 
 

bannerfans_1095431.jpg
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I would have pegged 0.85 or .875 for you @etorty . It's not uncommon for the default spring to be 0.9kg/mm for this weight class of bike. 230-250lb are 0.925-0.95 territory. 0.9 will still work, just needs more preload. What are your guys' rider and static sag values? This is where less optimal springs start to show their hand. And how much preload did you have to put into the system to get there? 

I didn't get my static sag numbers but the rider sag was 23mm on the front and 25mm on the rear with the as shipped settings. I backed both forks off 2 turns on preload and ended up at 25mm on the front. After riding around a bit I went 2 clicks up on the rear rebound (3rd hash) and two clicks down on the front compression. Frost heaves still give a pretty good jolt to the front end but I don't even feel the normal bumps anymore.
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Hy all!
That's my tests for the front:
 
Standard springs: Left K=9, Right K=9
Resulting K=9
• preload 0
• static 21 mm
• rider 29 mm
Max dive with Compression=0 (all open for the test): 65 mm
 
 
Replacement of the Left spring (with a K=8)
Springs: Left K=8, Right K=9
Resulting K=8,5
• preload 0
• static 22 mm
• rider 33 mm
Max dive with Compression=0 (all open for the test): 75 mm
 
Replacement of the Right spring (with a K=8,5)
Springs: Left K=8, Right K=8,5
Resulting K=8,25
• preload 0
• static 23 mm
• rider 34 mm
Max dive with Compression=0 (all open for the test): not yet measured
 
 
 
With this last configuration the ride is more comfortable than before, but I can notice that in my case the weight that I can put on the front is too little. I ride in an front position (I can see only a little part of the rearview mirror, normally… in order to see it I must move me a little backwards). So I’ve decided to change even the Right spring with a K=8, in order to go to a resulting K=8. I expect to gain one more mm for the static sag, and one or two more for the rider.
 
One notice with the K=8,25 configuration.
Some days ago I’ve ridden with only 1/3 of fuel in the reservoir (about 6 or 7 kg less than the full load). I’ve noticed a little more trembling front, riding uphill to the border Italy/France (from 1000 mt to about 2000). This trembling (little!) was noticeable in straight roads. During the downhill (to the France) the front was good and not trembling, due (I think) to the weight of the entire system on the front fork.
 
At 1000 mt in France, I’ve put fuel (full reservoir), inverted the ride and go uphill to the border again. During the ride uphill, this time, no sensations of trembling in any kind of road. And after, I'm gone downhill to home.
So: the additional fuel was good for me, in order to have a good load on the front.
With a lightweight bike, and a (near) lightweight rider, 5 or 6 kg can make a noticeable difference.

www.MT-Series.it
Yamaha Official MT-Series Club

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actually your preload isn't 'zero' it's just that you didn't add any extra via the adjuster. It would be nice to know what the build-in preload is. It's probably 10mm, maybe more. The OE is something like 20mm if I recall. Full fuel load probably moved your rider sag down another few mm.

bannerfans_1095431.jpg
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Right, the external preload register is 0 mm for me, and the internal register length is 15 mm, according to the extremely precise Bitubo's manual (the specific manual for the spring's substitution - see image).
 
Schermata_2017_07_08_alle_09_58_05.png
 
The internal register can be used to set a "preset" minimum preload, but by setting it to 15 mm the register doesn't apply any load to the spring.
 
BTW, by reassembling the upper cap fork into the fork leg system, some preload is applied.
I haven't this measure by now, but I'll check this when I'll do the final spring substitution. ;)

www.MT-Series.it
Yamaha Official MT-Series Club

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all,
yesterday I've changed the right spring with a new K=8.
So now my final K is 8.
I've checked the distance between the upper cap and the stanchion at the moment of disassembly.
The measure is 9 mm. So, I presume that's the "base" preload applied to the springs when the upper cap is screwed into the stanchion.
 
Schermata_2017_07_16_alle_01_22_06.png
 
At this time I haven't ride with the new setup (my back is not healthy...) but I hope I'll check in the next two weeks.

www.MT-Series.it
Yamaha Official MT-Series Club

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  • 9 months later...
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I might start looking into this, after I pull my forks, waiting on my triple stand attachment to be shipped.

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  • 2 weeks later...
FZ07R WaNaB

I just came from Pattonme's place where he installed the Bitubo XZE11 on my FZ-07. The difference between the Bitubo and that piece of crap OEM shock was immediately noticable and huge. I had previously added heavier fork springs and fork oil, so the combo is now really nice. I also have already bought the JBH cartridges which will be installed in 1-2 weeks which will be even better.

 

Thank you Paulie at Belissimoto for the deal, and Pattonme for the excellent wrenching!

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1 hour ago, FZ07R WaNaB said:

I just came from Pattonme's place where he installed the Bitubo XZE11 on my FZ-07. The difference between the Bitubo and that piece of crap OEM shock was immediately noticable and huge. I had previously added heavier fork springs and fork oil, so the combo is now really nice. I also have already bought the JBH cartridges which will be installed in 1-2 weeks which will be even better.

 

Thank you Paulie at Belissimoto for the deal, and Pattonme for the excellent wrenching!

Congrats on the upgrade! It is a night and day difference is it not?

I've now got 3,000 miles on the bike and I'm still very impressed with the Bitubo upgrades. I place the suspension upgrade above a new pipe & ECU flash as the best thing I've done to my FZ-07.

 

I'll be interested to know how much of a difference the JBH cartridges make.

DewMan
 
Just shut up and ride.

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topazsparrow

Nice!!

 

I just installed the XZE 31 rear shock and the JBH cartridges as well.

 

unfortunately the front springs are a bit too stiff, the preload adjusters are backed all the way off and it's still a bit too stiff -- regardless, the difference is huge. No diving under breaking, wheelies are way more controlable and the rebound dampening not only exists now, but is tunable and hot damn it works nice.

 

A comfortable 25% speed increase around corners that used to make me a little leery. A+

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what springs did you get and your weight? There's a spring spacer in there as I recall so perhaps chop 5-7mm out of it and re-measure your sag numbers.

bannerfans_1095431.jpg
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topazsparrow
16 hours ago, pattonme said:

what springs did you get and your weight? There's a spring spacer in there as I recall so perhaps chop 5-7mm out of it and re-measure your sag numbers.

Ii weigh maybe 180 with gear

 

I'm not actually sure what spring was included. I placed my order with Bellissimoto and they just asked for my weight during the order (Y0148JBH01WO). I'll have to check for that spacer next time I do maintenance on the bike, that'd be and easy fix if it's the case! My buddy is a bike mechanic and did the work for me, so I didn't get a chance to spot it.

 

Thanks

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