1000S2R stiff suspension

[CottonwoodBob]

Springs are extremely stiff. Put 180lbs on front and goes down about an inch. Got shocks set at softest setting. Been quoted $1400 for "spring kit". I'd have to see machine with kit before that kind of money.

Looking for suggestions for getting a softer ride?

Bob

 

[Admin]

 

[ScottJ24]

Yup the stock setup is very harsh. I used Shock Therapy's spring and valving setup and have been very happy with it. It is not cheap and there are other options but all are costly.

 

[Hello_Darkness]

George White @ Double E racing or

Gary @ GForce Racing in Tennessee

 

[DRZRon1]

Springs are extremely stiff. Put 180lbs on front and goes down about an inch. Got shocks set at softest setting. Been quoted $1400 for "spring kit". I'd have to see machine with kit before that kind of money.

Looking for suggestions for getting a softer ride?

Bob

Internal valving/springs and disconnect rear sway bar

vendors listed above

 

[CID]

Springs are extremely stiff. Put 180lbs on front and goes down about an inch. Got shocks set at softest setting. Been quoted $1400 for "spring kit". I'd have to see machine with kit before that kind of money.

Looking for suggestions for getting a softer ride?

Bob

What year?

There are two quick, free fixes - 1. If you aren't backing it in to the turns, unhook your swaybar. On an R, you have to remove both links and tie the bar up. Removing one link will let the bar hit the upper trailing link, 2. Back off your crossover rings. I was able to back mine off 25 turns without coil bind on my '21 R2.

More details here starting on post 15 -

New Talon Owners - First Things to Know and Check

I'm new to the SxS world - damn, there's a lot to learn, hence this thread - maybe we can make it easier for others new to the Talon and put it in one thread. 1. If you're a motorcyclist, you already know that sometimes your bike won't shift into gear at a stop without rocking the bike back and...

hondasxs.com

 

[CID]

George White @ Double E racing or

Gary @ GForce Racing in Tennessee

This is the best answer. I'm running Shock Therapy's setup from 2019, and they're not much better than stock. To be clear, I took the stock shocks off and replaced them with a set of ST setup shocks, back to back and the difference is pathetic (for ST).

 

[Hello_Darkness]

This is the best answer. I'm running Shock Therapy's setup from 2019, and they're not much better than stock. To be clear, I took the stock shocks off and replaced them with a set of ST setup shocks, back to back and the difference is pathetic (for ST).

I've only ever installed one set of their springs on an X, and I thought it was worse than OEM.

Really felt like it hit me in the back more on larger bumps (parking curbs) then it did stock.

We've got GForce on the race car and we recently installed Double E shocks on a customers X2. Lightyears better than stock.

 

[hondabob]

Check with Weller Racing in Mesa. Two of the guys were happy with the improvement.

 

[Scrappapotamus]

I've only ever installed one set of their springs on an X, and I thought it was worse than OEM.

Really felt like it hit me in the back more on larger bumps (parking curbs) then it did stock.

We've got GForce on the race car and we recently installed Double E shocks on a customers X2. Lightyears better than stock.

The Double E Suspension was installed on my '19. Had it out several weekends ago and the ride and handling is vastly different, definitely leaps and bounds beyond stock. I had my X out several weeks before and the ride was horrible. Already talking to George at Double E. As everyone has stated above, the only way to make one handle and ride better is get off your wallet. I spoke with George several times prior to pulling the trigger and the turn around was quick

 

[DRZRon1]

Springs are extremely stiff. Put 180lbs on front and goes down about an inch. Got shocks set at softest setting. Been quoted $1400 for "spring kit". I'd have to see machine with kit before that kind of money.

Looking for suggestions for getting a softer ride?

Bob

hi - hope you are enjoying the ride

unfortunately there is no joy with the shocks

most that want comfort with their machine have done the valving/springs and sat in disbelief after spending more hard earned cash on a new ride

I’m one of those - also, if you spring for the comfort - also upgrade the caps to schrader valves - as the stock “football nipples” mostly leak the nitrogen out in a short time. I don’t race/etc. but wanted comfort and there was no $500 answer that I could find.

good luck with your ride and please do tell us what you end up doing if anything

 

[CottonwoodBob]

What year?

There are two quick, free fixes - 1. If you aren't backing it in to the turns, unhook your swaybar. On an R, you have to remove both links and tie the bar up. Removing one link will let the bar hit the upper trailing link, 2. Back off your crossover rings. I was able to back mine off 25 turns without coil bind on my '21 R2.

More details here starting on post 15 -

New Talon Owners - First Things to Know and Check

I'm new to the SxS world - damn, there's a lot to learn, hence this thread - maybe we can make it easier for others new to the Talon and put it in one thread. 1. If you're a motorcyclist, you already know that sometimes your bike won't shift into gear at a stop without rocking the bike back and...

hondasxs.com

2021

 

[CottonwoodBob]

I've only ever installed one set of their springs on an X, and I thought it was worse than OEM.

Really felt like it hit me in the back more on larger bumps (parking curbs) then it did stock.

We've got GForce on the race car and we recently installed Double E shocks on a customers X2. Lightyears better than stock.

Since the springs are so stiff and allow very little compression, would not think shocks are involved.

 

[CID]

Since the springs are so stiff and allow very little compression, would not think shocks are involved.

It's not the spring rate, it's the valving IMO.

Start by tying your swaybar up and backing off your crossover rings, immediate improvement and a free, reversable experiment. Ride is much better on my '21 R2.

I knew before I got it home that the ride was stiff so I planned on beadlocks so I could run lower tire pressures. I've settled on 8 front and 9 rear.

And although they'll last forever, light truck tires ride terribly, OHV tires are much more pleasant.

 

[Dankathy]

It's not the spring rate, it's the valving IMO.

Start by tying your swaybar up and backing off your crossover rings, immediate improvement and a free, reversable experiment. Ride is much better on my '21 R2.

I knew before I got it home that the ride was stiff so I planned on beadlocks so I could run lower tire pressures. I've settled on 8 front and 9 rear.

And although they'll last forever, light truck tires ride terribly, OHV tires are much more pleasant.

I know you put some miles on, have you had services done? Mine (live valve) started getting harsh at about 6000-6500 miles, ran them the rest of the summer tour. now at 9000mi she says something has to happen. Weller doesn't want to do live valves, have things ready to go to schmidty next week. Found out some springs were collapsed also, I'm sure that doesn't help

 

[CID]

I know you put some miles on, have you had services done? Mine (live valve) started getting harsh at about 6000-6500 miles, ran them the rest of the summer tour. now at 9000mi she says something has to happen. Weller doesn't want to do live valves, have things ready to go to schmidty next week. Found out some springs were collapsed also, I'm sure that doesn't help

I haven't done anything since installing the ST's. I'm a bit intimidated on how to pack 4 shocks to send them off. It seems I read that Fed Ex (maybe?) will box them for me but I haven't followed up on that.

Isn't Schmidty local to you? Are you shipping them or delivering them?

Sorry to hear that your ride has degraded bad enough to be noticeable at 9000 miles.

Say Hi to Kathy.

 

[Hello_Darkness]

Since the springs are so stiff and allow very little compression, would not think shocks are involved.

I don't to claim to know all that much about suspension setup, I can rebuild any shock or fork but I've not been involved in them enough to modify them.

All I can I say is the Shock Therapy spring kit on that X2 was terrible and the few full shock builds I've ridden in have been light years better.

 

[Dankathy]

I haven't done anything since installing the ST's. I'm a bit intimidated on how to pack 4 shocks to send them off. It seems I read that Fed Ex (maybe?) will box them for me but I haven't followed up on that.

Isn't Schmidty local to you? Are you shipping them or delivering them?

Sorry to hear that your ride has degraded bad enough to be noticeable at 9000 miles.

Say Hi to Kathy.

Weller has a system that as I remember you pay and they will send you boxes including the freight costs to them, return freight is included in the service. This is based purely on my memory, would be advisable to call them -I've never done it this way. What I do with both Weller and schmidty is make appointments to drop off one day and pick up the next. Not local, but a good excuse for a couple days road trip. Kathy says hi

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

Weller has a system that as I remember you pay and they will send you boxes including the freight costs to them, return freight is included in the service. This is based purely on my memory, would be advisable to call them -I've never done it this way. What I do with both Weller and schmidty is make appointments to drop off one day and pick up the next. Not local, but a good excuse for a couple days road trip. Kathy says hi

Weller is just as horrible as ST. They are not a shock tuning company, they are racers who sell stuff and "shock services" is just one of those things. Shock tuning is an art, and like every form of art there is, not everyone is a shock tuning artist. There has been more than one complaint about the Weller shock tuning floating around here about their less than impressive service and performance.


Shock tuning is a buy once cry one affair. You either spend the money and pay the EXPERTS to set them up right, or you try to be frugal and end up wasting money on a crappy product that gives you crappy performance at best, that you then try to convince yourself doesn't suck as bad as you know it does.

Unless you have driven or ridden in a car with properly tuned shock done by an expert, you realistically have no clue what a good setup actually feels like.

 

[DRZRon1]

Since the springs are so stiff and allow very little compression, would not think shocks are involved.

.

Weller is just as horrible as ST. They are not a shock tuning company, they are racers who sell stuff and "shock services" is just one of those things. Shock tuning is an art, and like every form of art there is, not everyone is a shock tuning artist. There has been more than one complaint about the Weller shock tuning floating around here about their less than impressive service and performance.


Shock tuning is a buy once cry one affair. You either spend the money and pay the EXPERTS to set them up right, or you try to be frugal and end up wasting money on a crappy product that gives you crappy performance at best, that you then try to convince yourself doesn't suck as bad as you know it does.

Unless you have driven or ridden in a car with properly tuned shock done by an expert, you realistically have no clue what a good setup actually feels like.

Well said - unfortunately it’s like just about anything off road I’ve owned - gotta pony over for comfort and a good ride

 

[lowranger]

Springs are extremely stiff. Put 180lbs on front and goes down about an inch. Got shocks set at softest setting. Been quoted $1400 for "spring kit". I'd have to see machine with kit before that kind of money.

Looking for suggestions for getting a softer ride?

Bob

I sent my shocks to Weller in Arizona. They asked what kind of riding I was going to be doing, what kind of weight I was carrying in the rear, spare tire etc. When I got the shocks back, I took my Talon X 2 seater out on the same trails I had ridden before, so I could tell if there was a difference. There was a "Big" difference! No harsh bumps, it seemed to smooth the trails out. I've been running them for about 2 years now and am very happy.