FE 550 Suspension set up and a little extra

520pilot said:

Hey crew,
I'm interested in some input on my FE 550...

a. So I'm up to ride four...and love it. by some peoples standards I think I've got the forks on the gentle side of plush...but I can hit big shyte at speed and stay on line so I'm happy with it for now..

b. We rode last weekend and while chasing a new 510 and a mate's 525 ...we found ourselves running a moderate to tight loamy section, nice and damp with a heap of fast flowing single trail corners at up to130 Kph...(not sure how many mph) but it's friggin fast ...it was sweet sphincter puckering gear..

c. My twisted brain tells me I want the Berg to turn a little easier...just a tad....I stand to ride for the most part, but on this trail it was a slight uphill and I found my self sitting on the gas cap and forcing the front in...

d. SO...! with the sag set up right I'm thinking I may bring the foks thru the trees a little...and see how it goes....am I on the right track...if so how many MM should I try each time..?

e. As a lighter side of life deal I made this video of some of last weeks ride and posted it on you tube...it's pretty cool and has some good tunes...check it out if you like..it was a bit of fun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9za062jGCc

Stay upright

Cheers

Pilot

Click to expand...

Try lifting the fork tubes 5mm at a time. If you are in the sweet spot of the handling, that small of a change will be quite noticeable.

Or try a half turn more pre load on the back.

RE: Re: FE 550 Suspension set up and a little extra

try 19, 18 or 17mm offset TCs if it's getting bad. i did a thread describing what 14mm did for me a few years ago. we call them yokes over here so slam that lot in a search in suspension and 'Taffy' as the author.

regards

Taffy

What Dale says is a good start. If you work your way through the Owners Doc to the suspension sections you'll find a setup sheet that may help.

If you want valving, which I recommend, call Frank Pons at Biketek, 02 4620 9020. My 650 has been his development mule, and it works unreal over rocks and elsewhere. He can do it for you, just tell him Steve said!

Steve

I agree with Dale also for a start. But no more than 3mm at first. You would be surprised how easy
it is to over shoot your mark of where you really like it.
Example:
Installed the factory connection shock link on the CRF. It lowers the rear around 4 or 5 mil w hile
extending the shock for smoother absorbsion on heavy impacts/whoops etc.. To compensate ride
height you need to raise the forks some and find the sweet spot. Stock setup is flush with the triples
A 1 to 1 ratio of raising the forks 5mm was too much and it turned to quick. I then went to 2mm up
and wanted a little more so 3mm hit the sweet spot and I feel good right there.
I know were talking Husaberg here, but thought I would give an example.
You can also experiment with race sag to an extent but as with me on both my bikes ,
I need 100 to 105 for the most part . Under 100 usually feels a little harsh for me even though
you can turn a little better

Pollo


Pollo

520pilot said:

Hey crew,
I'm interested in some input on my FE 550...

a. So I'm up to ride four...and love it. by some peoples standards I think I've got the forks on the gentle side of plush...but I can hit big shyte at speed and stay on line so I'm happy with it for now..

b. We rode last weekend and while chasing a new 510 and a mate's 525 ...we found ourselves running a moderate to tight loamy section, nice and damp with a heap of fast flowing single trail corners at up to130 Kph...(not sure how many mph) but it's friggin fast ...it was sweet sphincter puckering gear..

c. My twisted brain tells me I want the Berg to turn a little easier...just a tad....I stand to ride for the most part, but on this trail it was a slight uphill and I found my self sitting on the gas cap and forcing the front in...

d. SO...! with the sag set up right I'm thinking I may bring the foks thru the trees a little...and see how it goes....am I on the right track...if so how many MM should I try each time..?

e. As a lighter side of life deal I made this video of some of last weeks ride and posted it on you tube...it's pretty cool and has some good tunes...check it out if you like..it was a bit of fun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9za062jGCc

Stay upright

Cheers

Pilot

Click to expand...

Well done on the video Pilot, nicely edited. Great job!!


Steve

I found that my 650 deflected off all sorts of stuff. I wound the compression right off but was never really confident with it. Frank had a few goes at the3 forks, and the shock, and it now soaks everything up and doesn't bottom. Say for example you are railing a berm, and suspension is loaded, and then you hit a root or something and it used to deflect and run high. With the valving mods it just keeps tracking. Everyone who rides it can't believe how plush and at the same time totally controlled it is. It may be that if you are fast enough, then you are hitting things harder than I do and making it work, but I found that when I did push harder, it would then 'blow through the stroke', and then the steering head angle changes dramatically, and it wants to tuck, so much better for me after Frank's work. He's a good mate of mine, and he plays with it when he comes to visit and we go for a ride, hence that fact that its been done a few times.

Wildman who is up your way has ridden it when the forks were in an earlier stage of development and seemed to ike it.

Steve

I'm running the Scotts which I like. I've not tried any others, but the adjustable high speed damping seems to make so much sense, and the others don't seem to have it. The normal damping is backed off so you don't work any harder on single track, but just every now and then something impacts and the damper takes over and you know its made a difference, not often when everything else is working, but when it does, it may not always mean the difference between staying upright and not, but its good for the undies.

I recall that when Frank was at Husky Imports he setup Stefan Merrimans bikes before he went OS and got his world championships. He is renowned as being fussy with his suspension setup.

If what you have at the moment is working for you, except you'd like a bit quicker turn in, then what Dale said above is the way to test.

If you have an 07/08 you can also try the other steering head offset. Didn't work for me, but might for you.

Suspension is a very subjective thing at times, but I find it interesting that people are reluctant to buy a bike these days without fully adjustable supsension, and then they won't touch it because they are afraid to stuff it up and make it worse, and they leave it how the apprentice set it when they took delivery. Dirt bikes and road bikes.

I just noted that nolana is logged on at the moment. He has a 08 650 that Frank has setup down here too, he might like to comment?

Steve

Suspension is a very subjective thing at times, but I find it interesting that people are reluctant to buy a bike these days without fully adjustable supsension, and then they won't touch it because they are afraid to stuff it up and make it worse, and they leave it how the apprentice set it when they took delivery. Dirt bikes and road bikes.

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I see it a lot too not sure if its funny or sad

Franks rates are very reasonable too IMHO

The best deal Frank does is that he will come to you.

He comes to visit me on average about 4 times a year to do suspension work for people I know directly or indirectly. Because I look after the logistics, he charges less than if you sent it to the shop. If you get it done at my place the deal is you arrive, do an optional test ride on my tracks, pull your forks and shock out and give them to Frank. He then performs his magic, hands them back to you for reassembly in the bike. Its then setup, watching you ride, and we then do more riding and setup until its right. I help. He currently charges $340 for this which includes oil, and gas. Any parts other than shims are extra. He has a fun time, I do to, and keep learning, and everyone gets a better bike for a bargain price, and a good ride.

He is next back on 4/5/6 Dec and I have a couple of spots still vacant if any UHE members re interested.

I'd imagine that pilot could organise something up Brissy way. You need a shed with some gear and a test track. If they are in the same place it helps, but isn't essential.

Steve

I can absolutely vouch for Frank's work on three bikes all with very different set up objectives (adventure/road/trail). Despite my hopeless descriptions of current performance and desired outcomes, he has been able to deliver every time. In particular, the result of his fiddling on Steve's 650, which has been pretty much replicated on mine, is awesome. I also run the scott's in a similar mode (minimal low speed/plenty of high speed damping) and it has saved the y fronts on just about every ride - lots of rocks down our way! To make great work even better, Steve has a small test track in front of the shed to help get clickers set too, which gives a great demo/learning opportunity of this often black art in a pretty controlled/repeatable environment.

Enough of a plug?!?

Nice Pics of Mt Mee pilot , we call Heartbrake hill ( Broken Peak ) its a fun hill plenty of nice hill there , the other one in your pics is called T Junction , it used to have a fallen tree across it , it was tough back then LOL .Do you head out to belthorpe much , that is the mecca for hill riding , I love the place

I ve just bought a FE550 and cannot wait to give her a ride .

520pilot said:

Shane
...We're thinking that this Sunday is the time to get out again...why don't you come and join a few of us at Team Euro... could be a fun day...PM me for the details...as for T junction and the fallen tree... we cut our way through it...We don't specifically go chasing hills..more so trails at speed...if there's a hill to be ridden then so be it...get on board mate and come out...we run early and usually end up at the pub for lunch and a qucik beer then split up and head home

Any other Berg riders PM for details you're very welcome...

Cheers

Pilot

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Yeah mate definately catch for a ride with you guys, Team Euro ,I m off to Woodenbong this weekend though, I m always up for the fast flowing stuff , but have to say I love the steep snotty hill action . I assume you guys ride Beerburrum , Amamoor etc as well .