Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

riding my zzr250 today i noticed that going over some bumps i would actually bottom out the shock.
So when i got home i did a bit of light reading and realised i might need to adjust the preload spring in the back.
Problem is i have no idea how to do this. I can see the spring and what seems to be an adjuster, so i smacked it a bit with a screwdriver and hammer but it would not budge an inch.


Do i have to remove the spring completely? more importantly, which way do i turn it? can someone give me some quick tips on how to do this?
Thanks

for a quick easy fix, load up the forks with half a dozen 20cent pieces... only works to a certain extent, depends how heavy you are though... cheers
(I hope zenodamper doesn't see this, he'll hit me ) -J.

well i weigh 95kg

seraph wrote:for a quick easy fix, load up the forks with half a dozen 20cent pieces... only works to a certain extent, depends how heavy you are though... cheers
(I hope zenodamper doesn't see this, he'll hit me ) -J.

Good thought ....but it will also reduce your travel? therefore would bottom out sooner just a thought

ok i cant figure out if u guys are pulling my leg or not...

MrWasabi wrote:ok i cant figure out if u guys are pulling my leg or not...

Naa mate we are just non experts giving non expert opinions & sooner of later an expert will step up & flame us

I think he's talking about the rear shock.
I don't know how easy it is to adjust in its native environment, but the one I had in the gpx was easier to adjust off the bike. You can get a C spanner for doing this job .... properly.


The bit you are hitting is two rings locked together. You have to loosen the top one first and it is a normal right hand thread.

You are probably right Daisy next time I will read the question first
No coins required here

robracer wrote:You are probably right Daisy next time I will read the question first
No coins required here

aww man i just got back from the servo to break my $5 into 20 cent pieces!

Daisy wrote:I think he's talking about the rear shock.
I don't know how easy it is to adjust in its native environment, but the one I had in the gpx was easier to adjust off the bike. You can get a C spanner for doing this job .... properly.


The bit you are hitting is two rings locked together. You have to loosen the top one first and it is a normal right hand thread.

seeing as the gpx and zzr are so closely related i might take it off and adjust it then. i didnt notice 2 rings, i only saw the one, but then again it is a bit dark in there...

now down to my local bunnings to get me a c spanner

i will pay with with my plethora of 20 cent pieces!

Good luck with the C spanner I dont think its the kinda tool that bunnings would have ... though thay heve everything else
Let us know how you go

MrWasabi wrote:

Daisy wrote:I think he's talking about the rear shock.
I don't know how easy it is to adjust in its native environment, but the one I had in the gpx was easier to adjust off the bike. You can get a C spanner for doing this job .... properly.


The bit you are hitting is two rings locked together. You have to loosen the top one first and it is a normal right hand thread.

seeing as the gpx and zzr are so closely related i might take it off and adjust it then. i didnt notice 2 rings, i only saw the one, but then again it is a bit dark in there...

now down to my local bunnings to get me a c spanner

i will pay with with my plethora of 20 cent pieces!

aw man, I should stop reading and post on forums when pished... -J.

MrWasabi, your rear pre-load doesn't have two rings, it has a stepped collar. To increase the pre-load turn the collar until the spring is more compressed - if you keep turning too far you'll go back to the least compressed setting. The 20c coin trick is for your front forks - it's a cheap way of increasing the pre-load (as such) on the front forks by compressing the springs a little more.

When I did the pre-load in my zzr250 I found it easier to put the bike on the centre-stand, remove the rear shock, compress the spring using a g-clamp (or a sring clamp if you're really technical) then rotate the collar. You can do it using a C spanner (I don't imagine a hammer and drift would work) but it's a PITA to reach and you're guaranteed one skinned knuckle for each step of pre-load you add or remove.

95kg's should be OK on a zzr250 with the pre-load up high, I weighed more than that and did about 40,000km's on mine.

dave#3 wrote:MrWasabi, your rear pre-load doesn't have two rings, it has a stepped collar. To increase the pre-load turn the collar until the spring is more compressed - if you keep turning too far you'll go back to the least compressed setting.

My bad. I remember now, I stuck it in the vice and turned it with the multi grips. The other type must be in the 600 then.

robracer wrote: Good thought ....but it will also reduce your travel? therefore would bottom out sooner just a thought

No, it increases your remaining compression travel and has no effect on total travel.