How to make the bike ride better on rough roads?

[Grant31781]

Some of the roads in my area are extremely rough. The asphalt has many  close spaced dips and humps in it similar to a washboard. We also have tar snaked roads that are rough. I am 155 pounds riding on the stock 18 suspension. 

When the bike is on these rough roads, the ride is rough enough my helmet and glasses are bouncing around and you can hear the bouncing in my voice when I talk.    The suspension seems like its being worked too fast for the valving thus making the damping very hard under these conditions. It seems like it is nearly hydro locking.  On roads that are smooth it ridings fine.  It also works fine on larger hits like a railroad crossing.

 

Other than the harsh ride on these rough roads I like the suspension. Any cheap solutions to get better ride quality on the rough roads? 

[FZ not MT]

On 12/13/2021 at 9:12 AM, Grant31781 said:

Any cheap solutions to get better ride quality on the rough roads

Sticking with the word "cheap", there is one thing you can try that will make a difference - heavier fork springs and heavier fork oil.  If you do your own work, that should cost you between $100-$120 depending on how good you are at finding a deal on the springs. Sonic is the brand I have on my bike. Once you get your forks done, play around with the preload on your stock shock to see what works best with the forks. Your bike will ride better until you change your shock which is where you will notice a big change. A free tweak would be finding the lowest tire pressure that allows you a softer ride, but yet still handles properly.

A small disclaimer, my bike does not have ABS, so I have no clue whether the heavier oil/springs will work the same with an ABS bike.

 

Edited December 16, 2021 by FZ not MT

[Triple Jim]

Just now, FZ not MT said:

Sticking with the word "cheap", there is one thing you can try that will make a difference - heavier fork springs and heavier fork oil. 

He weighs 150 lbs and says:

On 12/13/2021 at 9:12 AM, Grant31781 said:

When the bike is on these rough roads, the ride is rough enough my helmet and glasses are bouncing around and you can hear the bouncing in my voice when I talk.

I don't think stiffer springs and higher viscosity fork oil will help in this case.  Lower vicsosity fork oil might though.  Also maybe 2017 or earlier springs, having a lower rate, could also help.  If the 2017 and earlier rear spring had a lower rate it could help the rear feel softer.

So many guys go to stiffer suspension that the 2017 and earlier parts should be available cheaply on the used market.

Grant, have you measured your front and rear static sag with you on the seat?  I imagine it will be low, like 15% or less of the travel.

Edited December 16, 2021 by Triple Jim

[Grant31781]

Jim,

I have not measured sag. Front sag? Coming from dual sports/ dirt bikes front sag is not measured only rear. I think it has to do with stiction in the front. 

 

What are the ideal sag numbers for front and back on this bike?

[Triple Jim]

For the front you can pull up, measure, push down, measure, and average.

I don't know of any reason this bike's desired sag would be any different from other street bikes.  I usually try for about 25% of travel, but the number varies with rider preference.

[M. Hausknecht]

Jim beat me to it!

Some suspension sag when you're on the bike is crucial but just how much is a matter, within a range, of personal preference. The typical range is between 20-30% of suspension travel. Most street riders seem comfortable at between 25-30%. Light as you are, I think Jim's guess that you're around 15% of front fork travel might not be far off; it sure would explain in part the harshness you're experiencing.

Edited December 16, 2021 by M. Hausknecht

[Triple Jim]

I find my MT-07 to be a bit harsh on rough pavement too.  I'm around 180-185 wearing full leather gear.  The MT is lighter than other bikes I've owned, so that's part of the reason.  I like suspension to be a little on the stiff side, but I may try some cartridge emulators at some point.  They should take out some of the harshness on compression, I'd think. 

[Grant31781]

With my rear preload on the softest setting I have 1.375 inch sag. The front sags 1.125 inches.

 

Turning in the little screw on the bottom of the shock makes the shock feel very stiff when bouncing on the seat. Turing it all the way out it is very springy with very little damping. About 1 turn out seems to be the best balance in the damping.

[Triple Jim]

Dividing those  numbers by the travel, which is 5.1" both front and rear, gives you the % sag.  The front is a bit on the low side, but not terribly so.  This means your preload is not bad.  Going to lower rate springs and then adjusting the preload to get back to around 25% sag will make a softer ride.

[Grant31781]

I put a ziptie on the fork leg to see how much it moved on my ride on the rough roads. I only got 2.5 inches of travel. I stood the bike up in the shop and rolled it forward and pushed down on the forks with the front brake to see how much I could compress it. I could only get  2.75 inches.

Racetech recommends springs for prefer soft from .72, .77 and .79 and for standard .74, .79, .81.

 

 

Should I go with the .72 for the best ride quality? With the lighter springs, Should I increase the fork oil weight to say 20?

 

What about the AR-25 Axxion Rod kit?  Would this work better to give a plush yet controlled ride?

[M. Hausknecht]

Road bumps and pushing on the bars should not use anywhere near all of your fork travel (at yer weight, anyways). Braking hard with the front brake will do more than either to load the front end. Try that and then see what you're using. Sorry, I can't help you with your spring selection. Heavier weight fork oil will make the forks seem stiffer; more reluctant to compress and to extend. It doesn't appear you want stiffer....

The AR-25 Axxion Rod kit doesn't appear to be adjustable. Perhaps someone who has tried them can comment. Why not get Gold Valve emulators from Racetech? They at least allow for some adjustability, and cost less.

[00RAH]

your legs should be absorbing the bumps. they are a big part of your bikes suspension. 

Edited December 23, 2021 by 00RAH

[shinyribs]

Just now, 00RAH said:

your legs should be absorbing the bumps. they are a big part of your bikes suspension. 

You stand on the pegs everywhere you ride on your 07? 

 

 

[00RAH]

pretty much

[M. Hausknecht]

Is that a dirt bike thing? On pavement when encountering especially rough bits of roadway over the last 40 years, I've put much of my weight on the pegs because it does help the suspension to cope. It is merely a bandaid, however, for poorly functioning  suspension if a rider finds it necessary or beneficial more generally when street riding.

[shinyribs]

Yeah, it's a dirt bike thing. Raising off the seat on a street bike is normal if you see a hard hit coming, but if you're standing constantly on a street bike....well, nobody is doing that. 

[maz20]

Well, the FZ/MT-07 can definitely be a rough ride in the rear with that heavy 180mm rear wheel (wider than the other bikes in its "class" i.e., middleweight/"standard" Japanese bikes, etc) under the relatively light (less than 400 lbs, pretty light for its "class" too) chassis. In other words -- it's really not the best "sprung-to-unsprung weight ratio" for rider comfort, for that matter...

Likewise, this solution would probably be the most ideal, but might be pretty pricey. Since it also sounds you're looking for more of a "comfortable" albeit less sporty ride, I'd also recommend (like others here too) to test out some softer springs in the forks and shock. But, note that you might also in addition have to increase the compression damping too to prevent bottom-outs, if you choose some 'really soft' ones! Also, since the front forks don't have separate rebound/compression adjustments, be careful with your spring choices there too (soft springs might require more compression damping but less rebound, whereas changing oil viscosity either increases or decreases both compression/rebound simultaneously)

Edited February 15, 2022 by maz20

[klx678]

150 lb, I'd do the research, contact Race Tech or Traxxion and talk to them about the spring rate and fluid viscosity.  Clearly they are expert in what it takes.   

Do the best you can with your shock spring and damping.  If you like the bike and plan to keep long term, consider buying a better shock sprung and damped to suit your size and riding.    I got a used Ohlins shock from a rider here for a good price and am going to swap out the front springs and fluid to suit my 200 lb weight and riding style.   But I plan to keep the XSR for a long time.

 

This is kind of like some of the brake and tire question things.   I contacted Brembo about master cylinder compatibility for the XSR brakes to get their thoughts when helping aother rider.  Their suggestion was spot on.   Done the same thing with some questions about tires, but they're more subjective relative to the rider's use.  Never hurts to talk to the authorities.  Most riders can mainly relate what they have experienced and few really have the broad knowledge of the experts.   No slam on the riders here, just what is the norm.

Edited February 12, 2022 by klx678

[scat2me]

I'm 65  no matter what I do ...everything sags

[klx678]

Except blood pressure...