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What is Suzuki thinking when they build suspension

By rdhj,
in DRZ400/E/S/SM

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rdhj

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working on setting up my DRZS for my weight and went to racetechs web page. It recommends a person's weight be around 118 lbs for the stock fork springs with a rate of 0.44 be correct. Yet, the stock rear spring is recommended for a rider with a weight of 185 lbs. Anyone have a clue why they would make the front end way t0o soft for an average rider. I found someone on here to sell me the stock fork springs as I am only 120 lbs, but now I need to spend a bunch of money on a rear spring with a rate of 4.98 (5). ? Anyone happen to have one of these I could get cheap?

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rdhj

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yea, oops

S= 5.5

E 5.3

i'd say thats close enough..

think of you and gear, and racks and oversize tanks,

tanks bags, and etc.

even though you might not do any of that.

better to err on the side of little extra heft.

I used racetechs page and put in that i have an oversized tank and it told me 4.98 for my weight..not even sure which spring I have at this point.........guess i should start eating more fast food ?

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punga

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better question yet, what 118 pond person would be riding a street legal bike!

Hey now..I'm just above that 118lbs..Last i checked 125lbs..Used to be 140 And i'm doing my best to get back there. If anyone thinks its hard to loose weight it's way harder for me to gain and keep weight. I swear I have the fastest metabolism of anyone i know. I can eat whatever I want and not gain a pound. It sucks.

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NMdesertRacer

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Hey now..I'm just above that 118lbs..Last i checked 125lbs..Used to be 140 And i'm doing my best to get back there. If anyone thinks its hard to loose weight it's way harder for me to gain and keep weight. I swear I have the fastest metabolism of anyone i know. I can eat whatever I want and not gain a pound. It sucks.

:banghead: Yeah just wait till you get married and have kids! ?

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rdhj

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Not easy being skinny. I am 120 lbs. Racetech recommends a rear spring rate of 4.98 (5 really) for my weight for anyone interested. The e spring is still kinda stiff for us light weights at 5.3. Racetech says that rate is for a 180 lb person. Guess we all need to gain 60 lbs or caugh up $100 for aftermarket.

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dakynz

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yea I'm with you. The DRZ is definitely sprung way light. For comparison I've bought a Honda 450X and its rated for a 185 lb rider. The WR450 is rated for a 180lb rider.

So why did the DRZ go so light on the front. Who knows. Definitely needs a stiffer spring down here for desert riding. About gone over the handlebars when hitting the whoops to quick.

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pslamp32

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Now you guys are making me wonder about this myself. Excuse my noobness but at ~155 lb can't I just adjust the front forks a bit harder and the rear a bit softer to dial it in for me? I'm primarily street. I have them set to the stock stiffness and rebound settings right now since I'm clueless about adjusting shocks. Thanks!

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ROUNDEYEHELMETHEAD

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Now you guys are making me wonder about this myself. Excuse my noobness but at ~155 lb can't I just adjust the front forks a bit harder and the rear a bit softer to dial it in for me? I'm primarily street. I have them set to the stock stiffness and rebound settings right now since I'm clueless about adjusting shocks. Thanks!

it's really a matter of what works for you.

depends on how you ride & what you want from the suspension.

if you're not pushing the bike hard on the street the stock springs will work.

i go 155 & i'm using .46 front springs & the E model 5.3 kg rear spring. for me this works better than stock off road.

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pslamp32

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it's really a matter of what works for you.

depends on how you ride & what you want from the suspension.

That's part of the problem. I don't know any better. I've ridden quite a few bikes over the years but have never really messed with the suspension. I just go as is and get used to that I guess. I'd like the best performance but probably wouldn't know how to get it or maybe even realize it if I had it! ?

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fastgun

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When I first started riding, I really did not know what was a good suspension.

I bought springs for my weight, then adjusted the adjustments to be right in the middle.

It was an improvement that even a new comer could appreciate. As time goes by, even with a correct spring rated for my weight and riding style, I find that my ability to determine what I want from my bike has helped me to change the adjustment to be even lighter for my weight.

A spring that is rated to be pretty close to your weight is a proper place to begin. Then with the adjustments on the bike you can dial it in over time.

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