Suspension sag issue

[Grig]

2024 T7.   Factory suspension with 20mm lowering links.   Went through process to adjust sag.   I had not done this yet.  I was not able to get to 30% of the 200mm of total travel.  I am at 24 clicks and I am at 33%.  I am 200lbs with my gear on and I put my normal load of tube, tools and rain gear on the back.   No paniers which I sometimes carry.  I want to be able to dial up the preload when I put paniers on. Thoughts?

[Grig]

To follow-up.  I did read some of the other posts on sag and sag adjustment with lowering links.   Helpful.   So is my solution a stiffer rear spring?   If so where would I go to get the right one?  Spring rate stuff looks like alchemy to me the uninitiated.  

[deanso]

Did  you also lowered the front  forks accordingly:

 

[Grig]

Yes, I lowered (raised) the forks 10mm.  

[CamT]

I have the alt rider links shown above 

 

I’m 170lbs + gear, but have crash bars front and back fitted so that adds some weight there 

 

I went with the Rally Raid 90 N/mm spring. it got me exactly where I wanted to be. 4 clicks of preload with no luggage 

 

I also bought the front fork preload spacers. It needs them ,but haven’t fitted them yet in the year or so since I have fitted the spring. Im managing just fine so far , but will do the front now that I run luggage bags on my front crash bars when I go camping

 

i just emailed rally raid, told them my weight, lowing links, and riding style and they recommended the spring 

[prowlnS10]

Setting correct sag for your weight is not possible with the oem spring (targeted for 160-170 lb rider)...you will need an 90 Nm or 95Nm depending on preference for rider set-up & style of riding...I'm 220 lbs with gear & settled on a Rally Raid 90 Nm after trying a 95 Nm spring.  Rally Raid & K-Tech are popular suppliers of springs & suspension components...K-tech have more preload due to longer length vs RR, which are closer to the oem length .  Depending on how aggressive you ride the oem fork springs may just need a spacer or preload capable fork cap to set correct front sag.  The lowering links alter the linkage ratio (soften the rear), so inherently need more pre-load &/or stiffer spring.  Here is some info from my blog that might be helpful

Edited September 23 by prowlnS10

[Grig]

This guy with Altrider had the best explanation for front fork adjustment.  His take is raise the fork 50%.  

 

https://youtu.be/qbFFxs0oDZE?si=nj3X_j1qC1CcZJ-O

[Grig]

Helpful suggestions.   I needed new springs.   Should I do the front at the same time?

[Grig]

Mike your web page was very informative and helpful.   Thanks.   

[712moto]

12 hours ago, Grig said:

Helpful suggestions.   I needed new springs.   Should I do the front at the same time?

The short answer is yes  And if you are getting new springs anyways then getting a pair for the front is not too expensive.

If you stiffen the rear of the bike, you will increase the capacity for that damper+spring system to carry load - this is good. But what will also most likely happen is that when you get a spring that suits your weight and then set your sag correctly, the rear of the bike will ride taller. This in turns means that the center-of-gravity of the bike will shift slightly forwards and up, and you might overpower the front forks even more than before - making it even more important to have correct springs in the front. If not, you might experience that the bike "dives" more during breaking and might be more prone to bottoming out. Some can be tuned out by increasing compression, but more suitable springs will always be the preferred option.

 

[Grig]

Thanks for the replies.   Super helpful. 

 

Mike above referred to:

"Rally Raid 5.6 Nm Fork Springs, Pre-load Cap & fork travel O-rings & 95 Nm Shock Spring"

 

Not sure what all of these bits are but this looks reasonable to me although I would go with the 85 or 90 Nm rear spring and comparable front springs.  It makes sense to do both front and rear. 

 

Going  for a full suspension swap at $2500 for front and rear is beyond me.  Plus I will be 70 years old on my next birthday so I don't ride crazy stuff on the T7.  I do ride hard dual sport but on my lighter CRF when not recovering from crashes on the trails.  Just won't give it up.  My wife rides dual sport with me but doesn't crash as much.  

[Grig]

One more question.   Sorry.   I dug into researching springs and there are 2 types:  linier and progressive.   My initial and uninformed conclusion is that linier would be best for the rear.  I don't think a progressive would solve the sag issue especially when carrying baggage.   Progressives might work for the front.  Also any thoughts on RaceTech springs?   I have their full suspension on my CRF and it is great.  But the way they describe their springs seems different which makes it difficult to compare theirs with Rally Raid and others.  Thoughts?

[AZJW]

Many here ( me included) are happy with their RallyRaid linear rear spring. @Ktmmitch of RallyRaid is a forum vendor and has been helpful in the past in helping with spring selection. Their US distributor is Rockymountainatvmc.com. 

 

https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/rally-raid-products-shock-spring-p