Headshake

[CRGuy]

Yesterday I was riding my bike I hit fourth gear and then the next. My bike happend to have a real bad case of head shake. Not a single person besides me had the problem in the same section. I am going to slow down the rebound in the front becuase of I washed out. What do I need to do to keep me from getting real bad head shake?
For the rest of the day I was called Ricky Charmicheal. I wondered why untill someon told me how bad it looked. They said I was getting thrown around like a rag doll. Most said that they would have let go.

 

[Saratoga]

Slowing down the rebound will not help the headshake problem. Speeding up rebound allows the forks to extend faster and thus helps take away headshake. On the Hondas I have owned, that was not enough. Stiffer springs and a revalve was the only thing that helped my Hondas with the dreaded headshake. I switched to a YZ this year. I realize now that I should have switched years ago.

 

[shockdoc]

CRGuy
Usually when you experience headshake while accelerating like that it is because the frt. end is to light. Check your sag to make sure rear is setting up where its suppose to. You may also raise the forks in the clamps a little and this will put weight on the frt. end too. When your bike sits like a chopper it will want to slide out & climb the berm as you try to corner also.


doc

 

[CRGuy]

Doc,
I thought the same thing about race sag. It's way off. The rear sits real low. I think ricky charmicheal's machanic set my suspension up! Ricky run's alot of sag and boy does this thing look like a chopper at times!
Ok we solved what it was. Now how do I take my sag to 95mm? what tools are used? What do I need to do? The big screw on the top of The KYB's on a 01' honda are the air pressure screw's and the small one's in the center are rebound right?

 

[JTT]

you can use a spanner wrench to turn the locking collars on the rear shock to increase preload, 0r simply use a punch to unlock the lock ring and turn the spring to increase the preload.

...and yes, the screw in the centre of the KYB fork cap is rebound (turn it out, counterclockwise to speed up) SLowing rebound will only make it worse.

 

[shockdoc]

CRGuy
You need a hammer & a long punch. Spray a litle lube around the shock preload nuts then loosen the top lock nut 1st. Then screw the bottom one down to tighten the spring. Put the bike on a stand or have some one hold the rear end up to take pressure off the spring & this will help. Once on the stand measure from rear axle straight up to the fender & mark this spot. Then take it off the stand put the handlebars straight and take the measurement again. You will want around 25mm of "free sag". After you have this then sit on the bike & measure again. If you don't have 90-100mm's of rider sag then you need a diff. spring.

The top hex adjustment is high speed comp. & the small middle screw adj. is the low speend adj. The screw adj. on the bottom of the shock is your rebound.

After you get this set your forks around 8-12 MM up in the clamps. Then ride and see how it handles & fine tune from there.


doc

 

[Jeremy Wilkey]

CRG,
Only use the punch to losen the lock ring, and then turn the spring with your hand. If the oil did it's job you can get it done much fatser and not destroy the preload ring ears.
Regards,
Jer