Hard forks

I think I need the forks sorting. The bang up the bars when hitting a bump is causing me pain in my right thumb. I had a guy set them up which has improved them a little. So the question is and I did search but couldn’t find the post. Has anyone found a good working shim stack and oil weight that I can copy in my 1200? Thanks also if possible including sources preferably in the UK

Lots of threads to wade through like [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ....I've never found any easy answers to suspension performance

Removed my forks and took them to a shop for rebuild (bad seal on one) with a shim stack assortment I had culled from threads on the topic. The very experienced tech basically said no. He said hed rebuild the shock to OEM spec, with the exception of a lighter weight oil (5w).

His advice, which he could not stress enough, was to do a proper sag test with 'your butt on your bike', and base any changes on the results of that and my ride report.

Worth noting that the GRiSO was still a new unknown entity to me at this point, with very few miles and very little 'baseline' experience to critique it from.

So I'm approaching a couple thousand miles on it. I have a feel for the weight, I have experience on a variety of road conditions. I've even gone camping so have ridden with gear on board. I agree the front as shimmed is jarring, but I also know exactly whats in there and that everything is working properly. I also believe that the way too soft rear is affecting the way the chassis behaves under load, and therefore affects what I'm feeling up front.

I guess my point is, do the Sag test rather than grabbing others conclusions and running with that. Realize that rear shock performance/settings will have a tremendous effect on front performance.

Kidsmoke,
You didn’t say if you had set the sag yet… ?

Tinker, to Kidsmoke’s tech’s point;
Changing the oil & setting the sag will at least let you know the best the OEM can offer.

Nobleswood wrote:

Kidsmoke,
You didn’t say if you had set the sag yet… ?

Tinker, to Kidsmoke’s tech’s point;
Changing the oil & setting the sag will at least let you know the best the OEM can offer.

Once you've done this, you can play with the adjustment screws, but only go 1 or 2 clicks at time. And only change one thing between test rides.

Saw this a little while ago from a GRiSO owner.

For those interested (data geeks) here is a spread sheet I keep this stuff in. Just added Dave Moss's setup for comparison.

**Settings for all compression and rebound is COUNTER CLOCKWISE from fully closed.

STOCK BD1 BD2 GG Dave Moss
FORK Tubes (rings showing) 1 2 2 2 2
FORK Preload (rings showing) 4 4 5 4 5
FORK Compression (bottom) 1 1 .75 .25 2.25
FORK Rebound (top) 1.5 1.5 1 2.25 1.33

REAR Preload (threads showing) 12 15 15 15 17
REAR Compression (top) .25 1 .75 .25 1
REAR Rebound (bottom) 17 30 25 40 21

I'm Running BD2 right now and like it very much, but will try out Dave Moss's settings. I found his front compression settings a bit odd, but with increased preload may even out.

The GRiSO can be an awkward fat girl or lithe athlete depending on suspension settings and tire pressures.

I would like the lithe athlete option thanks lol

one of the most important things to glean from others experiences is the pre-load/sag is step 1 period.
when it comes to setting the compression and rebound there are too many factors that affect handling specific to you, the bike and riding/road conditions to be able to copy someone else's settings and have it be the right settings for you.

get the sag right - follow some basic guidelines such as Dave Moss to get you in the ballpark, then - ride and adjust, repeat until it feels right to you.

I have found that the fork oil viscosity changes how the forks and shocks react to changes in the adjuster screws. So what works for others may not work for you if you don't have the same fork oil

that's my 2 cents on setting up the stock suspension

Nobleswood wrote:

Kidsmoke,
You didn’t say if you had set the sag yet… ?

No sir. Plan to buy the sag reading tool thats been flying around, and do this right. I've considered the last month the research/baseline phase. Only 400 miles on the new set of tires, 1100 since the forks were serviced.

Trying to give the G5 at least a little love this summer, poor girl.

Kidsmoke, good to hear.

I have to agree with Rick Pope & Chris W’s comments

And to add, just watched on youtube; Fortnine’s video, tank slappers & the quest for perfect suspension .
Which adds a bit more to my understanding….

If you get a tank slapper on a GRiSO, you've seriously fucked up....

Thanks for your suggestions guys. As I said a local suspension guy to me did the sag and rough setup. But I am still getting a lot of pain in my right thumb I think from the forks jolting on bumps (and around me the roads are rough). I may try removing some oil as an easy first step.