V7C Shocks

[oldmanjob]

Has anyone messed around with the shock adjustments on the V7C. I love the bike but on rough roads the ride is awful, like there are no shocks at all. Not sure whether to screw them up or down :blink:

 

[john zibell]

What is the measured sag of the rear? You want about one inch (26mm). If you don't have enough sag, back off the pre-load, if you have too much, increase the pre-load.

 

[draidt]

Screw the adjusters down you want less preload on the springs (IE. Make the springs longer and they will give a softer ride and allow the shocks to work better), still not to your liking then MG sells some neat Ikons with RED springs on them. The V7C is set up stiff from the factory, but be careful about getting to much of a plush ride and introducing wheel hop perfect setup for washing out on a fast bumpy twisty.

 

[oldmanjob]

Thanks for the info. Will try softening the ride one complete turn at a time. I have enough trouble with gravel in the turns without wheel hop hmy: :laugh:

 

[Holt]

Haven't seen a V7C live yet, but as far as I can tell from the pics, they carry same Sachs shocks as found on Brevas and Nevadas.
They are not high-end shocks, but may be a tad better than those no-names first presented.

A few of us changed the OEMs to something more responsive, as Icon, YSS or Wilbers.

Makes a noticable difference in many aspects.

 

[oldmanjob]

john zibell wrote:

What is the measured sag of the rear? You want about one inch (26mm). If you don't have enough sag, back off the pre-load, if you have too much, increase the pre-load.

The sag in the rear is 1 inch. 29 inches with no load and 28 with me sitting on it. So I guess I am back to square one :unsure: If I back off the pre-load a full turn would this soften the ride somewhat, as I am a novice when it comes to suspension adjustments hmy:

 

[john zibell]

Backing off one turn will make the ride softer. But if you get too soft, you bottom out which actually makes a harsher ride. Just experiment to see how it goes. If you live where there are many rough roads, it may be better to increase pre-load. If things still don't work for you it may want to upgrade the rear shocks. Original shocks tend not to be too good.

 

[oldmanjob]

First, the tire pressure was too high at around 38 psi so i dropped it down to the recommended 32 psi and tightened the springs 1/2 turn. Took it out for a 25 mile test around the neighborhood much better. Am going to Cherokee tomorrow so that will be the test hmy: :laugh:

 

[oldmanjob]

Did 162 miles round trip to Cherokee NC and back (the low fuel light has not come on yet ) The ride was real smooth with the shocks adjusted and the correct tire pressures. While on the interstate and the other Hwy's, the bike was not a happy camper below 4000 RPM in fifth gear (55-65 MPH) It seem to be running its best in 4th turning between 4-5 thousand with no stress. It seems 5th gear is only happy over 65 Mph. On these small blocks what is the ideal rpm range in the different gears. My 06 Bonneville was a happy camper in the 3500 RPM range, and the 883 Sportster I am trying to sell, will happily chug along at 2500 RPM. Being new to the Guzzi family I want to break in the motor right.

 

[Silverhorse347]

I like rear tires to run in the high 20s (27-29psi).

Lugging along, welcome to Guzzidom. You really don't want to lugg any guzzi below 3k rpm. I can not ride in a pack of Hardleys at all, I will be shifting up and down or buzzing 44oo rpm on my SPII. My bike loves 4000 rpm all day at around 75-80mph.

Suspension tuning is tricky with a street bike unless it just sits in the garage. Good luck and just keep ''test riding'' a few hundred miles everyday you will get it.

 

[Moz]

don't redline it but don't go easy either - variation of engine speed is key & the best place to put differing loads on all parts is in hilly twisties... good rides through these will bed everything in nicely.

Remember also that the Guzzi won't fully loosen up till > 5000 miles, so don't sweat it yet.

 

[Holt]

Guess happy revs depends on going up- or downhill :laugh:

The Breva is happy from 2500 to 6000, except at a quite "unsweet" spot at exactly 4000 rpm - which is a bit annoying, as that's equal to 90 kmh - in 5th gear - , which is the "base-speed" here.
Others have noticed that spot as well, so it's not just mine.
I've found the "sweetest spots" at 3500 and 5500 rpms, depending on gears also.
Have a look on the torque-curve, and you'll see that it's flat as a pancake.
The smallblocks are actually one of the few motorcycles on which you can perform a start with your right hand tied to your back. Easy on the clutch, tho'
I don't agree on the high revving; it doesn't harm, but the bike is perfectly happy at any number. With the exception mentioned.
Revving will mostly make the gasoline companies happy. :S

 

[oldmanjob]

A point of interest. On the speedo it registered 163 miles from initial fill up, back to the gas pump to fill up. The gas light never came on, so it took 2.895 gallons to fill, so that means that I got approximately 56.30 MPG :woohoo:

 

[sign216]

My V7C has a sweet spot at 4k rpm, which is 63-64 mph. It's the best balance of engine rpm and vibrations, although really the bike is happy to do more or less. I've heard others say that the vibrations are bad at 3k or below, which is moot since you rarely travel at that speed.

I imagine "sweet spots" may differ not only between individual machines, but between the different frames (Nevada, Breva, V7C).

Joe

 

[Guzzimundi]

Holt wrote:

Guess happy revs depends on going up- or downhill :laugh:

The Breva is happy from 2500 to 6000, except at a quite "unsweet" spot at exactly 4000 rpm - which is a bit annoying, as that's equal to 90 kmh - in 5th gear - , which is the "base-speed" here.
Others have noticed that spot as well, so it's not just mine.
I've found the "sweetest spots" at 3500 and 5500 rpms, depending on gears also.
Have a look on the torque-curve, and you'll see that it's flat as a pancake.
The smallblocks are actually one of the few motorcycles on which you can perform a start with your right hand tied to your back. Easy on the clutch, tho'
I don't agree on the high revving; it doesn't harm, but the bike is perfectly happy at any number. With the exception mentioned.
Revving will mostly make the gasoline companies happy. :S

I still don't see that bad spot at 4.000 in fifth but I'll check more carefully as the basic speed here is just above that spot at 100 kph. Very linear smooth throttle.

 

[boptone1]

The pre-load adjustment is certainly the place to start, but depending on how much you weigh, the results will vary. It is logical to assume that the manufacturer sets up their shocks for an average weight. With the V7 shocks as stiff as they are I'm guessing that this number is maybe a higher value. What is an average weight? 170lbs? 180lbs? 140lbs?

I think it is going to be pure luck that the bike one has has shocks within the parameters of one's own weight. At 155 lbs mine certainly doesn't. I checked into several shock manufacturers and found a couple that can build a shock tailored specifically to your weight and riding style. Works Performance Products were very helpful and seemed to have an excellent product. If you can afford them they are worth looking into. Penske had a shock that could be more or less made to fit too. Ikon shocks (used to be Koni) can be adjusted not only for preload but can also be adjusted for damping. Plus - you can order springs that are made for your specific weight. I thought that these were worth a try and ordered a pair. The price was higher than - say - Progressives, but much cheaper than the others I mentioned. I have to assume that there is at least some correlation between price and quality though, no? When I try them out I'll know if my gamble was successful.

One other thing - tire pressure. Yes, the ride will be softer with lower pressure but - your tires will last longer if you keep the pressure high.

 

[Bikebits]

I put Ikons on my Triumph Scrambler and they were a big improvement over stock once dialed in.

Different bike, different rider, but I settled on damping position 3 with the spring on the softest setting for cruising and the middle position with a passenger or for sport riding.

 

[boptone1]

The stock shocks on my V7 were also quite stiff at first, but after 2000 miles they softened up a bit. Still, I put a set of Ikons on. By the way Ikons are essentially Konis. Koni apparently sold the rights to another manufacturer. They are high quality shocks. Dave Gardner in San Francisco is the US distributor and was very helpful and a pleasure to deal with.

These are not racing shocks but the difference from the stock Guzzi Sachs is quite an upgrade. I bought the 7614 series which is a billet aluminum body. The springs are made to your specific weight and can be pre loaded via the two nut system. I think the 7610 series has the 3 step adjustment system. It looks like all their shocks have a 4 position rebound adjustment.



http://www.ikonsuspension.com/content/a ... ndex.shtml

Dave Gardner at:
ikonusa@gmail.com

 

[GTM®]

Outline of most every twin shock on the market HERE.