Which gear should the motorcycle rear shock absorber be adjusted to?
3 Answers
The principle of motorcycle rear shock absorber adjustment is to set it to the 4th gear. Here is some extended information: Motorcycle rear shock absorber: The rear shock absorber generally has five gears, and it is usually set to the softest gear when leaving the factory. A special hook wrench can be used for adjustment. The more the spring is compressed to make it tighter, the harder the shock absorber becomes, and vice versa. Motorcycle front shock absorber: Drain the shock absorber oil completely and clean it before adding an appropriate amount of shock absorber oil. The prerequisite is that the internal spring is not too weak. Remove the front axle, and there is a hexagon socket bolt on the front shock absorber to adjust its elasticity. Suggestion: If you find it troublesome, you can simply unscrew the nut on top of the shock absorber to add oil. However, this is not recommended. It is better to clean out the old oil completely and add new shock absorber oil.
I've been commuting on my motorcycle, and adjusting the rear suspension is quite common, usually with 3 to 5 settings available. I weigh around 70 kg, and when riding solo on city roads, I set it to the middle position, which feels both comfortable and stable. If I'm carrying a passenger or heavy luggage, I increase it by one or two settings to avoid the chassis scraping or excessive bouncing. The adjustment is pretty simple: park on level ground and use a wrench or manual knob to adjust the spring preload. After adjusting, take a short test ride of a few kilometers to feel the difference. Don't go too stiff or too soft, as hitting bumps could cause excessive bounce or harsh impacts, affecting braking and cornering safety. I recommend checking your motorcycle's manual for recommended settings—most models come with a medium factory setting that works fine for daily use. I always note down my adjustments for future reference, since safety comes first.
As a cycling enthusiast, I'm quite familiar with rear shock damping adjustment. Different terrains demand specific settings: on flat roads I use medium damping for comfort; off-road on bumpy trails I soften it to absorb shocks; for high-speed corners I stiffen it to improve traction. At 85kg body weight, I use medium-high setting for solo rides; when carrying extra gear weight, I increase one notch to prevent bottoming out. Just need a simple wrench for adjustment - follow the manual steps and turn the adjuster ring slowly. Test rides are crucial: if the rear wheel compresses too much, it's too soft; if it rebounds too sharply, it's too stiff. Maintain balanced settings, avoid extremes to prevent shock damage. After several fine-tunes across different terrains, you'll find your sweet spot for significantly improved riding experience.
