Raising ride height on 695

[canjapseye]

Does anyone have any info on raising the ride height a smidgen on a 695? I seem to recall someone talking about a jack up kit a while back? Also, has anyone raised the handlebar? I would like to get a bit more height in the seat and also a silghtly more upright riding position. Or, shall I just get an 1100S instead!

[southfrance]

If you turn the rear shock rebound 2 clicks to the right ( harder ) it will stiffen things up and makes the bike feel a smidgen higher, less saggy. I fitted Rizoma bars to my 695 and they really sit you up and take the weight of your wrists almost completely. Then I sold it and got a 796 which is really NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE, much higher and more comfy. YUM, YUM

[canjapseye]

Hi and thanks for your response. Coincidentally I have done just that with the rear shock tonight before checking this post and took the bike for a quick run. It did appear to be a bit higher, but I concede that it is just that the bike doesn't sit down as much when I impose my 14 stone on it. I have looked at the 796 and was most impressed. I keep telling myself to hang on to the 695 as it is a good all rounder and hasn't cost me a fortune. Today I even got a little obsession with the Aprilia Shiver, some wicked second hand deals going.

I would be most interested to hear your opinions of the 796.

Ta, Cap'n:roger:

[southfrance]

canjapeys, the 796 is fantastic and a worthy upgrade from the 695. The seat hight and position is much better and I get less cramps now. The brakes a really powerfull and give me much more confidence, the suspension is hard/sporty and the bike is well planted. The engine really rumbles and the stock cans sound great. In red it looks the bees knees and I feel like I've won the lottery. Take one out for a test, really throw it around, you'll be amazed at how agile/responsive it feels compared to the 695. In three words,

EXOTIC - FUN - CHARACTERFULL

[chris.p]

Changing the rebound will not change the rear ride height, what it does is slow or speed up the way the shock rebounds after it has been compressed.
To change the ride height using the shock you would need to change the preload, the more preload the higher/taller the shock is, but at a trade off, you will lose your static sag, do not adjust it so that it has less than 5 to 10mm of static sag.

The 695 as the 620 has a non adjustable ride height rod I believe , if this is the case then get a second hand 748/916/996 ride height adjuster complete with eyes.
suspend the rear of the bike and remove the existing ride height rod, adjust the adjustable ride height rod to the same length as the non adjustable one and fit.
Once you have it securely fitted, check the ride static ride height and adjust the ride height adjuster to where you want it, beware that you will have to re do your static sag as changing the ride height will alter the shock static sag, so shock preload will have to be adjusted back to a static sag of between 15 and 10mm.


Chris.

[canjapseye]

Ta for the advice. What I actually did was to crank up the adjustment on the top of the spring. i.e. the notched adjuster; turned it a bit to increase the preload on the spring and this does seem to help a little by stopping the bike sitting down as much when I first sit on it.

I must admit, the idea of a 796 does appeal, but I fear that Riders of Bridgewater would be asking me for £4,000 plus my 57 plate 695. Too much I think. How long untill some second hand 796s appear on the market?

[chris.p]

Ta for the advice. What I actually did was to crank up the adjustment on the top of the spring. i.e. the notched adjuster; turned it a bit to increase the preload on the spring and this does seem to help a little by stopping the bike sitting down as much when I first sit on it.
?

So you have adjusted your preload not the rebound.

As I wrote, adjusting the preload changes the ride height.

How much static sag do you have now you have adjusted it???


Chris.

[southfrance]

I must admit, the idea of a 796 does appeal, but I fear that Riders of Bridgewater would be asking me for £4,000 plus my 57 plate 695. Too much I think. How long untill some second hand 796s appear on the market?[/QUOTE]

probably quite soon, i'm always amazed at how quickly new bikes appear on the market having only done a few hundered miles.

[canjapseye]

So you have adjusted your preload not the rebound.

As I wrote, adjusting the preload changes the ride height.

How much static sag do you have now you have adjusted it???


Chris.

I still have the same amount of static sag as before the adjustments were made:biggrin:.

The bike however demonstrates a noticeable difference, I haven't actually measured it but it is beneficial. I assume the top castellated nut acts only as a stopper for the nut below? Technically I woudl need two supsnesion spanners to lock this nut down.

Anyone got a 796 for sale yet?:)

[chris.p]

I still have the same amount of static sag as before the adjustments were made:biggrin:. :)

1/ How much static sag have you now got???

2/ How have you measured it??



Chris.

[chris.p]

This will help you set up the rear end of the bike.

REAR SHOCK.

RIDER SAG

Should be between 30mm to 40mm


Sag________

STATIC SAG.

Once you have set your rider sag, the static sag should be checked ( this goes for both front & rear)

This should be between 7mm to 16mm, ideal being around 10mm.

Sag________

Spring Weight______

If there is to much rider sag a harder spring will be required, if there is to little rider sag a softer spring will be required.


The more preload you set on the shock, the smaller tha rider/static sag will be, do not let it go below 7mm.
You will need two of you to measure the sag.

1/ Lift the rear of the bike till the suspension is fully extended and measure verticaly from the top of the rear wheel nut to a point on the rear subframe, call this "X"

2/ Sit on the bike so your full wheight loads the suspension(This is best done with the bike in a front wheel grab and get a friend to measure the same gap as before, if you do not have a wheel grab, get a third friend to holed the bike by the handlebars) again measure the gap between the top of the rear wheel nut to the same point on the rear subframe as before, call the "Y"

Take measurement Y from X, this will give you your rider sag.


3/ Measure the gap between the top of the rear wheel nut to the same point on the rear subframe again, with no rider on the bike and the front of the bike being held by the wheel grab or a friend, call this "Z".

Take Z away from X, this will give you your static sag.


Hope this helps.


Chris.

[canjapseye]

Sorry Chris, but I haven't got round to takin the dimensions. Looks a bit technical to me. Thanks, Cap'n