Minor Winter Project - installing suspension worth 1/3 of the bike

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by Amber Lamps

Hmmm...or spend the $3-4,000 on a more up to date bike, just sayin'

I did that the last time, then spent another $2200 on suspension anyway

When you buy a bike it's made for the "average" rider, with all sorts of compromises made. They use things like progressively wound springs, rather than a straight-rate spring of appropriate rating. I don't really believe in progressively wound springs. In many cases when you set the proper sag for your weight, you'll end up using up almost all of the lowest spring rate anyway.

Unless you weigh 150 pounds the odds are that your suspension isn't properly set up for you, on a sportbike. It tends to be set up on the plush side, rather than the performance side of the equation. Having springs that are better suited to your weight, whatever it might be, can only help. Aftermarket shocks also tend to have better damping control, as the stock units are made to a cost. Many have little or no effect from adjustment.

So I spend less than $7500.00 on the bike, then toss $2000.00 at it in suspension components, and get a bike that handles better for me than the one for $3-$K more would. Horsepower is largely immaterial, on the street.