suspension's "fatal flaw"?

[Terry_b]

2 hours ago, twf said:

You did change geometry. If you really wanted same as it was you would need to drop forks down in clamps to raise front to same geometry you had.  

Ok, fair point. What I meant was that I cut the spacer for the correct static sag. Yes, the front technically sits lower overall but it's all in the suspension. Moving the forks up in the clamps is a fixed geometry change.

[Cruizin]

The MT07 is a bargain basement priced bike. And people get surprised that Yamaha put a weak suspension in it. Cheap suspension is how they kept the MSRP so low. 

Yes, the MT07 has shet fork components and a shet rear shock. It's a fact.  Good news is that you can spend a little bit on suspension and still have a great bike for under $10,000.  Rare these days. 

[robbo10]

And probably more than half of us is running around on it almost perfectly content with it as is.

[maz20]

Imo the primary issue with the stock shock is the lack of compression damping, actually. That's what makes people "feel" like there's too little rebound. Namely, inadequate compression damping means you will be compressing the spring way more than you should be for a given bump or riding speed / style. So, because the spring is now storing more energy (being more compressed) than it should be in the first place, you will now feel like "Hey,  I need more rebound damping to prevent this thing from pogo-ing all over the place!"

So, while yes, increasing rebound damping can technically "bandaid" this issue, it's not always the correct fix -- for example, if what you want is to ride more "sportily" or "aggressively" in a more stable manner over not-so-fine city streets (that is, I'm not talking about them smooth/bump-free track circuits lol).

Having low compression damping (counteracted with correspondingly higher rebound damping) is fine if you just want a smooth slow ride around town or handle bumpy roads comfortably at low speeds. But, for something more sporty/aggressive (which is kind of why you'd feel like you'd want to increase rebound damping in the first place! ), especially over bumpy roads and potholes, you can't afford to be using that much of the spring on such a lightweight bike for every single one bump/pothole out there (unless your roads are smooth and imperfections are very far apart in between to give the spring enough time to rebound back all the time (even with the "greater rebounding damping") or you just ride slowly : / , same idea).

Edited May 29, 2020 by maz20

[Jeremy11226]

I have a 2018 with completely stock suspension and motor. It's great.

At six foot three, I weigh 250-27o pounds depending on my virtue lately. Add maybe 30 pounds for the big top case I never take off, whatever groceries or work stuff is usually in there, and my gear.

So, what does an entry-level naked bike with purportedly lame suspension ride like, with a giant man and his luggage on it?

It's great. Because I use the bike like a general-purpose piece of transit, not a race bike.

I ride within range of the speed limit most of the time. I corner mildly aggressively on Sunday morning backroad rides, but I don't drag knees on my way to the grocery store.

And in those conditions, an average rider, on average roads, more concerned about staying out of ambulances than pushing the bike as hard as possible, will have the time of their life. It has good road feel. It's fairly well settled in sweepers. The rear shock  can be adjusted to your weight, more or less.

Buy it, ride it, and have fun. Then, if you have the money and the curiosity, let the aftermarket spending begin! I'm sure it can be improved a lot, but I'd rather just pay mine off first.

[Grant31781]

This is  a 2018 with stock suspension. Seems to work ok to me. 

 

 

[stickshift]

17 hours ago, Grant31781 said:

This is  a 2018 with stock suspension. Seems to work ok to me. 

 

 

Nice riding.

You should take the peg feelers out of the pegs if you want more lean angle.

Invest in more safety gear (gloves!) with your youtube royalties...

[D.A.]

On 7/21/2020 at 10:24 AM, Grant31781 said:

This is  a 2018 with stock suspension. Seems to work ok to me. 

 

 

That track looks like a blast! Not much margin for error, though, with guard rails and cement walls immediately off the pavement along much of it. Nice job navigating it!

Please post Lap 2. I’ll watch it!

In regards to your stock suspension, have you ridden a 2017 or earlier MT on a track? I’m curious to know how someone who’s ridden the bike with both sets of OEM suspension (pre- and post-2018) thinks they compare. (I’ve searched the archives but came up empty). 

[Grant31781]

Guys this is not me riding. I saw this in my suggested videos and asked him if the suspension was stock.