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Adjusting rear preload. Knob hard to rotate

10K views 13 replies 11 participants last post by  Ray Tuggley 
#1 ·
Hi,
New owner of a std Africa Twin, that i bought used, still feeling it just as it is. I was trying to go back to factory settings but had difficulty to rotate the rear preload knob.
Is it hard to rotate, it has any blocking device or there might be some problem?
Thanks
Antonio.
 
#2 ·
Unless you have to turn it with pliers. I’d say that the previous owner most likely never touched it. A lot of people don’t adjust it like we should, just as long as it doesn’t feel like somethings gonna break...
 
#3 ·
I changed my preload quite often on my 2017 AT and it was always a pain to rotate it. Sometimes I took off the knob and used a wrench instead. But the main problem with this shock, its just too soft. Now I have a Ohlins shock instead, amazing compared to the stock one.
 
#4 ·
How hard it is to rotate depends on where you are within its range. Put a white dot of paint on to start with so you know how many turns you have made. Go anti clockwise and it should get easier until it is in the fully soft position. Do it on the centre stand with the shock relaxed. Count the turns in, it will be stiff as you increase turns.
 
#5 ·
I will try again. I was afraid of braking the knob. I thought that it might have a blocking device.
As i don't know how it is set, I will stantr from the 0 position and set the factory position, front and rear, then will try to find how it rides with more preload.
Probably will need higher rate springs.

Thanks.
 
#8 ·
I have this 'problem' too. You can turn it up about 35 clicks... those are A LOT of turns. The more you wind it up, the heavier it gets. And to make things worse, if you have a hand size of L or larger, your hand hardly fit around the knob without constantly rubbing your knuckles against the edges. Don't try to wind it up with a screw driver, you'll end up destroying it.
 
#9 ·
Having the rear wheel off the ground - definitely helps. I had an adjuster broke on a different bike - but it was real easy to spin... You may be at the end of adjustment - so try backing it down the other way. I adjusted mine before I got my centerstand by leaning the bike onto the sidestand to get the rear wheel up.
 
#10 ·
Thanks for your inputs.
The problem was my large hand. I grab the knob just with 4fingers. To difficult even more, there is a power socket zipped to the electric wire just on top. I think that power socket is to charge the battery. Unzipped it and it becames easier.

With the bike on centre stand, rotate conterclockwise to zero, then turn it clockwise trying to feel the clicks. Not sure, but each half turn is a click. Adjusted it to 30 clicks (factory setting is 7 and max is 35). The static sag, is, now, 46mm and rider sag 87mm, so raised the rear 13mm from previous setting. Still need to reduce rider sag to 65,4mm. Not even in the full preload will achieve that.
In the forks increased also the preload to keep close the level (and trail).
As I won't do serious offroad, and run 90/10 tyres, this preload settink will be enough for now. I will try to learn how to use damping settings.

Thanks.
 
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