Rear Suspension Bouncy

[Tom2112]

Greetings Everyone, I'm pretty new to riding. I only got my 2009 FZ6R back in July. I've been racking up the miles on it and learning as I go.

One thing that troubles me is that the rear suspension seems very bouncy. If I hit a dip in the road, I get a springy bounce a couple times before the bike settles. If it were a car, I would bet the shocks need replaced.

However, I'm a short fat guy. I'm probably at 300 lbs. I figured the rear shock adjustment needed dialed up. And I did turn it up from 3 to 5. That helped a lot, but I still get that squishy bounce. I might try going up to 6.

I read somewhere - and now I can't find it - that I probably need to replace the rear spring with one appropriate for my weight.

What do you guys think?

 

[Chucker]

I would definitely replace the shock and fork springs and put in heavier fork oil. At 300LB, you're overwhelming the suspension (no offence intended). I'm about 200LB and had similar issues. These bikes are set up for around 175LB. The right springs make a world of difference. You'll get a nicer, firmer ride and the front end dive under heavy braking will be virtually eliminated.

Go to Race Tech's website. Everything should cost you around $300 if you do the work yourself.

 

[Tom2112]

No offense taken. Thanks for the info! I know I weigh about twice as much as the "typical" skinny Euro moto-racer type. LOL

I didn't notice the front end dive until you mentioned it. Yay, more parts!

Any idea how to figure out what weight oil and springs to get?

 

[Chucker]

The Race Tech website has a spring rate calculator.

I would use 15W oil.

 

[Final Impact]

You might just look into an aftermarket shock on the rear. With a little work other adjustable used parts can be fitted too.

Best money spent on the FZ6 was fixing the front and rear suspension. R6 forks and a revalved R1 rear shock with an adjustable collar for preload. At 175lbs running stock linear rate spring on the R1 shock....
It was like $400 to fix both ends. DIY...

 

[Chucker]

That's much easier and cheaper with a FZ6 than a FZ6R.

 

[BluePill]

Look carefully near the bottom of the shock. If you see signs of oil, you may have a bad seal and be low on fluid. There are many, many rebuilders who can help you.

 

[Tom2112]

Thank you gentlemen! I just sent Race Tech an email requesting their help picking the products that are right for me and my FZ.