No wonder I struggled tuning suspension

[PDoz]

I consider myself reasonably capable of adjusting my suspension, but the past month with my 02 lemans had me stumped!

 

It probably doesn't help that the settings it came with were WAY out - how does 35 mm static sag on the front sound- the first ride was pretty interesting!

 

Ok, so I got the sags close (need stiffer fork springs but it's close), the rear seems to be getting close, but I was REALLY struggling with the forks.

 

Finally I bit the bullet and lined up a rough patch to do some serious fine tuning. Back and forward, adjust the settings, try it again.

 

Something was very wrong - every time I adjusted the rebound it felt like I was adjusting compression as well.... so back home to read the manual.....Hmmm, Ok, so LEFT FORK IS COMPRESSION...that explains a lot! One day I'm going to visit the moto guzzi factory and find the genius who fitted 2 right side fork caps on my bike..... and I'm going to make damn sure he never does it again!

 

Since I'm considering replacing my fork caps... does anyone make fork caps for the marzochis with a bleeding screw? If not I'll just drill and tap my own, it's just that right now I'm a bit tired of fiddling with the forks.

[GuzziYang]

Wait until you engine mount bolt fall out (cause by no blue lock-tight compound and use of none fine pitch thread bolt), fuel started leaking for no reason (hey the genius at Guzzi forgot the tighten the fuel hose clamps), None start issue (your bike decides to take a vacation for no aparant reason), and instrumentation mount that broke in half more times the I care to count (cause by male and female thread are glue to the rubber not as a continuous piece) and my bike only got 5k on the clock so my adventure just starting.....

 

Getting back to your issue, think the best bet is to get the correct fork cap through a dealer or Marzocchi directly, ebay is always a option to look for use fork parts.

[Skeeve]

 

Since I'm considering replacing my fork caps... does anyone make fork caps for the marzochis with a bleeding screw? If not I'll just drill and tap my own, it's just that right now I'm a bit tired of fiddling with the forks.

 

About this time you should be seriously considering just replacing the marginal bargain-bin 'Zocchis with a complete GSXR front end or what have you, as others on here have demonstrated is possible, in order to end up with better suspension at about the same price needed to repair the 'Zocchis...

[GuzziMoto]

I think you are missing the obvious solution.

Somewhere out there is a Guzzi just like yours but with two Left side caps. You just need to find him and do a swap.

I am one of those people that has a GSXR front end on one of my Guzzis.

Let me know should you want to go that route.

[rbt1548]

I consider myself reasonably capable of adjusting my suspension, but the past month with my 02 lemans had me stumped!

 

 

Something was very wrong - every time I adjusted the rebound it felt like I was adjusting compression as well.... so back home to read the manual.....Hmmm, Ok, so LEFT FORK IS COMPRESSION...that explains a lot! One day I'm going to visit the moto guzzi factory and find the genius who fitted 2 right side fork caps on my bike..... and I'm going to make damn sure he never does it again!

 

 

My adjusters are both the same too, Marzocchi's, 2007, (late registered, late 2004 ), Le mans, I think they changed them in 2004 to both the same.

First pic is of a 2003 model, second pic is a 2004 model the same as my own. My friend has also a 2004 and the fork caps are the same.

Is it possible someone has fitted a later pair of forks?

 

It also says in the owners handbook... "The motorcycle is equiped with a hydraulic telescopic fork with separate adjustment of the shock absorbers during rebound and preload", nothing about compression.

 

Does anyone know , on a 2004 model , when it says "from fully closed" which way is fully closed, especially on rear. On front the book does say "3 turns anti clockwise from fully closed so fully closed in the front's case is clockwise, but what way is it fully closed on the rear?

 

Cheers

Robert

 

2003

 

 

2004

 

[PDoz]

Rob, I can't tell from the photo, are your caps labelled compression or rebound adjustment? You could be the magical person mentoned above with 2 compression caps

 

IN all seriousness, despite having R on my left cap it's definitely adjusting compression dampening. The reason I went back to the manual is I could feel compression changing and not having found a compression dampening adjuster didn't know what was happening. Whilst I could easilly keep the caps as they are and warn any future owner, I'd ideally like to have bleed valves anyway. Coming from a dirt bike background I release the built up pressure before every ride- fork seals seem to last longer that way. If I can't find caps with bleeders then I might just earn myself a bodge by using a permanent marker to write "c" on teh left cap

[rbt1548]

Rob, I can't tell from the photo, are your caps labelled compression or rebound adjustment? You could be the magical person mentoned above with 2 compression caps

 

IN all seriousness, despite having R on my left cap it's definitely adjusting compression dampening. The reason I went back to the manual is I could feel compression changing and not having found a compression dampening adjuster didn't know what was happening. Whilst I could easilly keep the caps as they are and warn any future owner, I'd ideally like to have bleed valves anyway. Coming from a dirt bike background I release the built up pressure before every ride- fork seals seem to last longer that way. If I can't find caps with bleeders then I might just earn myself a bodge by using a permanent marker to write "c" on teh left cap

 

Hi PDoz, both my caps have "R" only on with arrows to the +&- and the small triangle, just took a pic of my own, hopefully it will be clearer for you.

 

Multi adjustable suspension is a black art to me, I think I'm someone who doesn't like too many options, and multi adjustable suspension is a bit intricate for me. I appreciate that some people will adjust their suspension to the Nth degree, but when talking to a suspension guy at a bike show he said some adjust their suspension just 'cos the manual says you can turn it a click this way or that and a lot of the bike mags are encouraging people to mess about with suspension settings that are prefectly fine from the factory but only if you were Rossi you would notice the difference. We all know you do have to change some settings if you maybe change from solo to a pillion and luggage, but sometimes I wonder if the mechanic was correct and we change them too much because we are encouraged to do so.

 

I realise that your problem is totally different, yours is all over the place and needs to be sorted, at least you know what your are doing and what to look for , whereas me, I would go to the standard settings and only adjust if I had to, I realise that is probably sacrilege to lots of people but I'm not confindent enough on suspension to mess too much with it.

Any idea what is the fully closed direction on the rear?

Good luck and I hope you get it sorted!

 

My caps;

[GuzziMoto]

Screwed in (clockwise) is full dampening (closed).

[rex007can]

Strange, mine have the proper C and R on the caps.

Bad quality control?

[PDoz]

Rob, you're probably correct that for most people standard is better than what they adjust their suspension to. My problem is I come from a dirt riding background and over the years have developed a tendency to ask my bikes to do things they were never really intended to....so learning how to fine tune suspension helps. Trouble is, everytime I get on a new bike now I have this irrational urge to fiddle / fine tune / personalise / screw things up.... Since 90% of people who ride my bikes ask me to set theirs up the same I figure I'm either super fussy or as stupid as everyone else.

 

As an experiment / learning exercise, try lining up a bit of lumpy road and adjusting rebound dampening to fully closed / open, ride it then return to standard settings and do the same for compression. It's surprising how quickly you can get a feel for what each does and how much more enjoyable your bike is when you have tweaked the bike to what you like. Note I say what you like and not what's right- life would be too boring if we all liked the same thing. Warning, this may result in you wanting a bike with both high and low speed compression and rebound adjustment...then fiddling with oil viscosities, volumes and shim stacks.... personally I'm just happy to have a bike that feels right.

[rbt1548]

Strange, mine have the proper C and R on the caps.

Bad quality control?

 

These are the caps that were fitted to bikes up to 2003, the 2004 seem to have the other caps fitted, there must have been a change over. I have one , a friend has one and the caps are the same. Also the owners manual shows the later type.

[rbt1548]

personally I'm just happy to have a bike that feels right.

 

That about covers it for me too! I had a wee look last night, In the ownwers manual, it says 6 turns fully open to closed for the rebound screw, I get 5; and 15 for the preload nut fully open to fully closed, I get 15.

The rear according to the manual the knurled adjuster on the remote for compression should be 43 fully open to closed, I get the 43; but at the rebound knurled adjuster it says I should get 34 open to closed, when I fully close,(clockwise), I get 9 clicks then no more clicks but it still will rotate anti clockwise for a good few turns.

 

The spring preload length is 152mm which the manual says is standard.

 

Anybody enlighten me on the rear rebound settings , any help would be appreciated.

Cheers

[PDoz]

The plot thinkens..... the photos above made me look again and my caps are as per the 2004 model shown. The left is definitely adjusting compression and right adjusting rebound. I have teh hollow axle which apparently came out with the 2003 upgrades, but I've got all the other 2003 upgrades like fuel punp in smooth tank, exhaust crosovers, and my bike still has engine paint. So I'm intrigued Rob, can you try turning your left and right adjusters fully in and see which part of the stroke each affects?

[rbt1548]

The plot thinkens..... the photos above made me look again and my caps are as per the 2004 model shown. The left is definitely adjusting compression and right adjusting rebound. I have teh hollow axle which apparently came out with the 2003 upgrades, but I've got all the other 2003 upgrades like fuel punp in smooth tank, exhaust crosovers, and my bike still has engine paint. So I'm intrigued Rob, can you try turning your left and right adjusters fully in and see which part of the stroke each affects?

 

Will do, but got wheels off just now for cleaning, but will PM you the instructions straight out of the owners manual in case that helps just now.