When you purchase a new or used motorcycle, the suspension on your bike should be customized to you and your riding needs. The biggest mistake people make with their motorcycle suspension is using universal weight ratings. These are based on the average sized rider and the maximum amount of weight the bike can hold. But what do you need for your bike?  Is it a comfortable ride?  If not, let’s dive into what you should consider when adjusting your motorcycle suspension for a smoother ride.

Suspension Basics

The problem with stock motorcycle suspension is it’s either too rigid or too soft, ultimately because it’s not adjusted to you and your riding style.  When you want a more comfortable ride that is smoother over bumps in the road, you should start with a set of shocks that are made for your weight.  What is your weight? It’s the total weight of you and your passenger, if you ride with two people most of the time. It’s also important to think about the dampening of the shock. Can it be adjusted? How hard is it to adjust? Additionally, is this shock a brand you have heard of? These are questions you should consider to ensure you’re taking all factors into account. 

Shocks 101

Shocks control the action of the spring. When you combine the spring and the shocks, they enable the suspension to move so the energy from bumps in the road are absorbed by the shock instead of your bike. 

If you are looking for a recommendation for shocks, Jan and I will tell you Super Shox are what we have found to be the best. The reason we like these shocks is because they easily adjust by hand allowing for precise customization for every bike. They are ordered for the weight of the rider(s) and their gear.  Also, these shocks have a 50/50 split where they travel the same distance both up and down. Finally, all Super Shox are manufactured, assembled and tested in Grayslake, Illinois.

No matter what shock you look at, if you keep these questions in mind you will find a pair that will match your riding style and fitment. Give us a call at (636) 775-1385 to take advantage of our July special for 20% off front and rear suspension components, including air rides. 

This month’s special is fork oil changes. Often overlooked, this regular maintenance task keeps your bike running smooth. Depending on the brand of your bike, your owners manual usually will recommend fork oil changes every 20,000 to 50,000 miles. For instance, Harley Davidson suggests changing fork oil every 20,000 miles. If you’re not sure about your bike, give us a call and we’ll let you know. 

If you’re not sure when the last time your fork oil was changed, how do you know it might be time? If the front end of your bike starts to feel too soft or you notice the nose diving when you apply pressure to the handlebars, it could be time for your fork oil to be changed. Another, more subtle, sign is when the forks come back up jerky or too fast, instead of smoothly and evenly like they’re supposed to. 

It’s also important to know that there are different weights of fork oil available. The difference is based on the amount of dampening you want in the front forks. If you use a lighter weight oil you will not dampen as much as if you use a heavier oil. In other words, the viscosity of the oil will affect the feel of the suspension.  

Harley puts an equivalent oil of 8 to 10 weight oil in the stock shocks. Jan and Sparky will recommend 30 weight oil due to the fact it dampens at a slower rate and your forks will not slam back up. Instead after a bump the forks will slowly return to the original position. This will give the motorcycle more of a European feel and make the bike respond with more control. 

Ultimately, the oil used is based on your personal preference. If you change the oil weight and do not like the ride it is as simple as try another weight until you find that sweet spot.

Give us a call to schedule an appointment to change your fork oil and notice the difference in how smooth your bike rides. The month of June, fork oil changes are 15% off!

by Reine & Jan Knobbe

Just coming back from the Hot Bike Tour, I was reminded once again about the wide variety of motorcycles on the road.  From simple streamlined Bobbers to the cureent popular 30 to 32 inch front wheel baggers.  One thing  that we all experience on our rides are the many bumps, potholes, and other objects on the road that can’t always be avoided.  Many riders start out on the totally awesome hardtails that look cool but are often termed “bar hoppers” because they are not comfortable to drive across the country like the cruisers.

Not all rides are created equal and some rides can be bone jarring!  Factory shocks have come a long way and most rides now have air ride shocks.  Jan, always on the lookout for new porducts, recently came across Super Shox shocks.  So he called the company and told them about the Hot Bike Tour and that he wanted to try out their shocks to determine for himself if what they were advertising was true.  They agreed to send him a set to try out.

Unffortunately Jan’s bike is down (that’s another story), so we were unable to take it on the tour.  Lucky for us we have a terrific employee, Chad Hemmelgard, who loaned us his bike.  We transferred our Mustang seat (I must have my comfy seat!) and Jan put on the new set of shocks.  I must admit I was a little nervous about the cross country trip having had very little ride time this summer with all the rain and then a downed bike.  I road over, 2,000 miles from Troy, Missouri to Billings, Montana and enjoyed every minute!  We took the scenic route off the major highways as often as possible and the ride was smooth everywhere!  Even the highway abutments that were big were not bad at all.  No bone jarring bumps on this trip!

There are lots of shocks on the market.  Big DIFFERENCE in shocks is that factory shocks are air over hydraulic, SUPER SHOX shocks are coil over Nitrogen, similar to the shocks they put on most of the Screaming Eagle models but much better.  Check out these shocks on YouTube and call me if you like what you see.  They are worth every penny or dollar, remember what HD stands for.

Your Tech and Owner,

Jan Knobbe and Reine Knobbe