MOTORCYCLE SPORT

Top out” too easily and fail to allow enough travel for appropriate rebound from bumps. If the ride height is too low, the shock can bottom too easily, resulting in a harsh ride. The spring rates are set up for the full amount of travel. If the preload is too little, the combined rate is not enough to resist bottoming. Generally speaking, the vehicle should settle 1/4 to 1/3 of its wheel travel with the rider on board for off road use. The proper way to measure the ride height: 1. Support the vehicle on a frame stand or center stand with the rear wheel clear of the ground. 2. Have an assistant measure and record the vertical distance between the rear axle and a point directly above it (seat, fender, frame, muffler, etc.). 3. Take the motorcycle off the stand and sit on it in a normal riding posture, with one foot on the peg and the motorcycle balanced so as to have minimal weight on your other foot. 4. Have the assistant carefully measure from the same two points. Subtract the second measurement from the first. The difference is the amount of settling or “sag.” NITROGEN PRESSURES CAUTION: The pressure in these shocks cannot successfully be checked. Concerns with the gauge volume and the gas volume in the shock body create a situation where you cannot accurately determine what pressure was in the shock. In addition, the gas is in a column on top of the oil, and when the pressure is lowered (i.e. checking the pressure) the gas will emulsify into the oil. This will cause the gas and some of the shock oil to escape into the gauge. It is possible to lose a large percentage of the shock oil by depressing the core of a charged shock to the atmosphere. Please note that in order to check the pressure, some of the gas must escape and fill the gauge assembly. The volume of the gas pocket is about the size of your thumb, so a very small volume change results in a large pressure drop. Because the gauges’ volumes vary, it is not possible to deduce the actual pressure in the shock prior to attaching the gauge. Therefore it is imperative that any attempt to check pressure be accompanied by the capability of refilling the shock. In other words: If you don’t have a nitrogen source handy, don’t check the pressure.

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