Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Ok, so I've started to tinker with the suspension. We tested the pre-load awhile ago, found that it was right so left that. Now, lately now that I've had the bike for long enough I've become to notice some things. Mainly, that the bike jumps all over the place when lent over.

Thinking that this was the front suspension, luckily one of the fellas I ride with knows his suspension, and actually showed the problem was the rear. So, speeding up rebound and compression a touch and now the bike is rock solid. heh, bad term, I mean perfect. Bike is fully stable around corners, takes bumps quickly, hell it works exactly like it should.

Side effect of that though was that it made the steering a bit slow and heavy. Now, a VERY common mod on 7Rs is to jack the rear ride height up to counter what many consider to be slow steering from standard. Anyway, I dialed in 10mm on the ride-height adjuster (+20mm in the saddle).

Now, its almost perfect. Rear end is sorted, bike fully stable round corners, and the steering is nice, light, flickable, good, whatever.

Last gremlin being now, that since we raised the rear, we put more weight on the front end. What this means of course now, is that the pre-load is out, causing the front to dive too much under heavy hard braking.

Now, it'd be easy for me to go out there and just re-set the preload, but whilst I was searching for a guide to adjusting rear ride height, I came across this:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/webzxr/zxr ... stest.html

Now, if any of you are allready aware of this and have changed the pre-load otherwise (I'm guessing with spacers), how did you do it?

kempy i have posted a suspension setup link on the same forum. Check it out and see what u think.

If you're a member of the yahoo group there's also http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/KSRC/files/Suspension%20setups/ZX7R/
ty

I don't believe all this info is for your bike.
In the states the 91 to 95 model zxr was known as the zx7r.
I'm pretty sure the 96 + zx7r did have preload on the front forks, as ride height is adjusted by moving the forks in the triple clamps... If you wind the adjuster down it will put more tension on the spring, therefore its preload..

Heres the piccy
http://www.buykawasaki.com/scripts/Empa ... e=ZX750-P5

The specs from Kawasaki.
Suspension, front - 43 mm upside-down cartridge fork, adjustable preload, 8-way compression and 12-way rebound damping


The best way to set is is to lift the bike up on the side stand so the front wheel is just about off the ground and have someone measure your suspension travel. Then sit on the bike, with gear on and in riding position, with all your weight on the bike, then measure the same points.
The difference should be about 25 - 30mm for hard riding and 35 - 40mm for average street riding.
Adjust the preload until its where you want....??

just been reading this thread and the ride ht adjustment thread and i was wondering whether i've got too soft setting on the front suspension?
Like mattyv i'm finding the 7's front niggly on bumpy corners but awesome on the smoother track at Qld raceway and on the Nebo-Glorious Rd. What has happened is that under sudden heavy braking on a bumpy road like Mt Mee it bangs and feels like its hitting the suspension stops. My bro says that it could be oil shock (ie. the oil reaching compression limits?). The bike is set up by Race Tech (r/r shock fr. internals and gold vavled) for an 85kg rider (i'm 83kg without leathers on).
Any ideas? Should i move to a heavier grade shock oil (i have no idea whats in it now?)?
Seanzx7r

Know stuff all bout setup but was told i was leaving blackies out of corners down byron way 2day.




Regards
Glenn(zx7r).

Put a zip tie around your front forks and go for a hard ride. You should have about 10 - 15mm of suspension left below the tie. If the tie is on the rubber at the bottom its too soft, if its much more than 25- 30mm away its too hard..

what a good idea, 'up there for thinkin down there for dancin', I'll go for a quick blat up Glorious this wed arvo and give it a try
thanx
seanzx7r