Is my rear suspension at fault or bike design?

[martinskin]

My Suzuki V-strom 650DL with ABS.

The annoying thing for me is that with a pillion, the headlamp dipped beam becomes like a main beam and main beam lights the trees above my eyeline. I have tried cranking the rear preload to maximum, but this makes no difference to headlamp beam but a very uncomfortable ride for pillion and myself.

I've heard someone say adjust my headlamp beam, but I am wondering if the bike suspension is just not designed to take a pillion.

If I adjust beam alignment for the times I will have a pillion, when I don't have one I cannot ride at night as the beam is too low. Sometimes I will drop my pillion off and then continue my journey home, swapping beam alignment on the two headlamps in the pitch dark at 11pm is just a pain.

This is my 6th bike in 25 years and never had this problem before.

Comments please.

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[Westbeef]

Part of the MOD2 is questions on what to do when carrying a pillion passenger.

One answer is to adjust the headlight angle if required

[Joeman]

Increase your rear preload - assuming you have adjustable rear shock?

[Guest]

I have tried cranking the rear preload to maximum, but this makes no difference

 

Increase your rear preload - assuming you have adjustable rear shock?

 

[Guest]

Suzuki suspension is pretty, shall we say "budget", especially on the more budget bikes, all the suspension money gets thrown at the likes of the GSX-R.

I used to have an SV650 and pillion needed full pre-load, and my wife was only 9 1/2 stone then.

£500 on a suspension upgrade may be money well spent.

Have a dig around on www.V-Strom.co.uk

[cockercas]

Cranking up preload makes little diffrence.

1 full turn of preloads is about 1mm of travel.

Get a stiffer spring if you do alot of 2 up

[martinskin]

Increase your rear preload - assuming you have adjustable rear shock?

 

Preload at full, but makes no difference to headlamps beam, just makes a hard ride for me and harder for the pillion.

[martinskin]

Cranking up preload makes little diffrence.

1 full turn of preloads is about 1mm of travel.

Get a stiffer spring if you do alot of 2 up

 

Did wonder about the spring. Yet with OEM in place and only 17,000 miles of mainly just me (86kg) it seemed unlikely.

[Stu]

Cranking up preload makes little diffrence.

1 full turn of preloads is about 1mm of travel.

Get a stiffer spring if you do alot of 2 up

 

Did wonder about the spring. Yet with OEM in place and only 17,000 miles of mainly just me (86kg) it seemed unlikely.

 

Age and mileage has nothing to do with it unfortunately

The spring will probably struggle just with your weight

[martinskin]

Cranking up preload makes little diffrence.

1 full turn of preloads is about 1mm of travel.

Get a stiffer spring if you do alot of 2 up

 

Did wonder about the spring. Yet with OEM in place and only 17,000 miles of mainly just me (86kg) it seemed unlikely.

 

Age and mileage has nothing to do with it unfortunately

The spring will probably struggle just with your weight

 

Hey Stu - are you called me overweight?

But seriously what weight do the manufacturers expect guy's to be? Skinny as a rake?

And where can I find what spring the bike would have been fitted with and what (& where) I can get to replace it???

Thanks Stu (and others).

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[Stu]

They are probably made for a 9stone rider with gear and soaking wet!

You would probably benefit from a progressive spring check out hyperpro and see if they do one for your bike

[martinskin]

They are probably made for a 9stone rider with gear and soaking wet!

You would probably benefit from a progressive spring check out hyperpro and see if they do one for your bike

 

Thanks

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[megawatt]

If all else fails, modify headlamp so you can adjust it easily.

[Stu]

If all else fails, modify headlamp so you can adjust it easily.

 

but that's not a solution to poor suspension

[martinskin]

If all else fails, modify headlamp so you can adjust it easily.

 

Explain?

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[megawatt]

It's not a solution, but if you can't find a solution, deal with the symptoms.

. I don't know how accessible the pivot points are for the headlight, but if they are accessible, fit a two position adjuster for one or two up riding.

[martinskin]

It's not a solution, but if you can't find a solution, deal with the symptoms.

. I don't know how accessible the pivot points are for the headlight, but if they are accessible, fit a two position adjuster for one or two up riding.

 

Doesn't have pivot points. The two headlamp units are in an upper fairing.

The beam is adjusted up/down on a hex headed bolt; one for each lamp.

Takes about 10 minutes to adjust each headlamp up or down the required amount, with arm down inside the fairing, providing I can see what I'm doing and don't drop the tools. Not what I want to be doing late at night after dropping my pillion home.

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[megawatt]

Most things are doable. Depends on your imagination and bank balance.

[cockercas]

I know im late but most oem springs are for a sub 80kg rider.

Normally between 68 and 75kg.