Small adjustments make a BIG difference! - Ducati.ms

Activator · Jun 28th, 2009, 9:11 am

Generally, I am pleased with the ride and handling (especially compared to the Multi 620 I had before!), but I had a few small issues. While the suspension is very "plush" compared to the 620, the more I rode, the more I was getting annoyed by small road imperfections. These imperfections also seemed to make the Hyper "wiggle" over bumps a bit more than I liked, especially on corners where the rear would "hop" over small bumps. Rear tire grip also seemed a little slippery when leaned over... (BT-14S)

1st, I hadn't checked the tire pressure since picking up the bike. (I know, I know...) My dealer had set it to about 33f/36r so I lowered them to 32/33 (cold).

2nd, the suspension was at factory settings (15 clicks rear, 1 1/2 turns front). I went 3 more clicks out on the rear, and another 1/4 turn out on the forks.

3rd, I increased the rear preload by 1 turn. BTW, how do you guys adjust rear preload? (non-S) There's NO room for a tool, and using a hammer and screwdriver - even with the tip covered in duct tape - made notches in the soft adjuster rings! Arghhh...

So NOW the Hyper is mush smoother over small imperfections, the rear grips WAY better, and the overall ride is plush, but not mushy. Amazing what a few tiny tweaks can do. I'm much happier!

remery · Jun 28th, 2009, 9:32 am

Interesting post, your concerns seem similar to mine but I've only done about 200kms so shouldn't say much. When you say you went out front and rear, did you do both the compression and rebound by the same amount? I'm running 30PSI front and rear now but it is pretty cold here and I'm not riding hard.
_____________________________
2008 Ducati Hypermotard
2005 KTM Supermoto sold
2002 KTM Supermoto sold
1968 Ducati 350MKIII Desmo
1979 Honda XL500 stolen
1978 Suzuki GS550 sold
1972 BSA 500 sold
1972 Suzuki TS250 sold
1970 Suzuki TC 120 sold

Activator · Jun 28th, 2009, 10:18 am

I went 15 clicks out from fully tight on BOTH rear shock adjusters, then added 3 clicks more. On the forks, I went 1 1/2 turns out from fully tight, then added a 1/4 turn on BOTH sets of adjusters.

i have a feeling that dropping the tire pressure made the biggest improvement. I may even drop it a bit more... to 30f/32r. The manual says 2.2 bar front AND rear, which is about 30 psi.

Activator · Jun 28th, 2009, 10:23 am

Note that I'm 6'4" and 205 lbs. and am NOT an "aggressive" rider. At these settings I feel like the Hyper is smoother, less sensitive to small road imperfections, and is more confidence-inspiring.

ElDiablo · Jun 28th, 2009, 10:02 pm

Cool I just got HM and was wondering about the setup.

remery · Jun 29th, 2009, 4:55 am

I'm about 200 pounds but having just come off a KTM Supermoto with nearly 12 inches of travel I'm finding that the Hyper tells me about all the road imperfections which gives me a bit of a scare. I've backed off the compressions settings half a turn but haven't had a chance to test. Onn your recommendation I'll back off the rebound half a turn as well.

lelenb · Jun 29th, 2009, 7:38 am

When my bike was new there was a great deal of slop in the throttle cables. The rear brake had no power because the plunger shaft was backed off. My bike has plastic preload rings on the rear shock so care had to be excercised. I don't know if the non-s model had these as well so be careful or they will cross thread if they are plastic.

I put on CRG lane splitter mirrors and it make the front end more stable because the stock mirrors catch a lot of turbulent air. Also removing the pins on the brake and clutch lever perches and tilting the levers down made the bike feel so much better. I also removed the pins for the controls but be careful here as the bodies of these controls are plastic and can't hold the controls in position without some electrical tape under them around the bar for grip. They have not moved in over a year.

Also the bike you have now is not the bike you will have after 1,000 miles or so. Everything get smoother/better. The seal breaks in, the clutch gets smoother and the brake wear in. Also the feel of the is greatly effected on this bike the front to back suspension height. If you want more feel out of the back tire lower the back of the bike a bit. I found by riding other peoples Hypers that if the back is high the rear feels a bit vague and it seems like you are sitting on top of the bike. My bike is some what balanced and feels like you are sitting in it more then being on it. I ride up on the tank dirtbike style so I still get good weight on the front end.

remery · Jun 29th, 2009, 11:01 am

Man those pins... I was afraid to ask, I wanted to tilt the levers down a bit but found there was some bloody pins in there so I left them. What's the deal, to they just pull out? I find I have to rotate my wrist to an uncomfortable angle to blip the throttle while under brakes.

minusone · Jun 29th, 2009, 3:43 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by remery

Man those pins... I was afraid to ask, I wanted to tilt the levers down a bit but found there was some bloody pins in there so I left them. What's the deal, to they just pull out? I find I have to rotate my wrist to an uncomfortable angle to blip the throttle while under brakes.

Yes, they pull out.
Do so for comfort

AXE · Jun 29th, 2009, 10:25 pm

That is a good start. With your size and weight, you could probably stand to adjust the spring preload a little more and set the sag completely front and back. Then go back to the compression and rebound adjustments. Really, you probably need heavier springs front and back. I stopped short of this, but believe I could get the bike a little better. I do like mine overall, but I think it could be better.

Out!