Raptor Chapter

I have a new hagon rear shock and find it a bit hard. I have backed off the spring preload a lot.

Does anyone else have one and if so what length of preload is on yours (approx length from top of nut to bottom of head cap) and what damping setting from fully in if you know (big ask I know) .And how much sag are you getting when you sit on the bike?

I am 12 stone and get approx 15mm measured at the front of the seat.

Thanks

I have a hagon on mine and have done for many years now. It was bought from Hagon for the raptor with my weight taken into account for the correct spring rate.

Is your spring marked with the weight as Hagon do many differant ones? Maybe its too stiff a spring?

Any measurements i make on mine may not be as relevant as its an outfit now but I can see what i can get for you as I havent changed anything in the changeover but Watsonian Squire may have during the build and set-up!

It's got 100/175 on the spring but I specified weight aswell . A couple of times I hit a bump and wallop and I'm not sure my kidneys can take anymore.

I have backed it off until there is no preload with the bike lifted off the floor but it is still too hard. The shock is new but about a year old as I didn't get it tried out last year.

I think I still have the old raptor spring and a tuono one so could try those.

In my experience, Hagons are reluctant to go below their own opinions as to spring rate and you really have to lean on them to give you something that suits the lighter rider. Added to that, many of their products have a lot of internal stiction that makes the ride stiff. That could ease up, of course, as you use it.

I'll be interested to hear of your progress because I'll shortly have two second-hand Tuono shock options to try, and may yet be looking for a lighter spring. The Raptor is nowhere near as nasty to ride on rough roads as my 750 Monster, but more comfort would be good!

Nick

Interesting thread as I'm on the cusp of buying a shock and got the choice down to a Hagon or Wilbers. And although it goes against me buying British when I can I was veering towards the Wilbers as it seems they spec both the spring & the damping to your weight. Although I do have to confirm the latter.

So is it the spring that is too firm or the damping? I was always under the impression that preload doesn't change the spring rate but only changes the sag/ride height.

I wonder if Hagon also adjust the damping to suit the different spring (rates)? As you're light and therefore have a light(er) spring perhaps the damping is just overpowering it.

Cheers,

Andy B

Yes, preload just affects ride height.

I imagine that a Hagon monoshock to fit the Raptor has at least a basic combined damping adjustment to it. A Wilbers is what I put on the Monster, and their construction does seem to be an order of magnitude higher than that of Hagons, if not in the ultimate suspension league. Sadly, the Monster never rode acceptably even with the Wilbers, re-vamped forks and a rebuilt seat. The standard Raptor 1000 is better than the stage I reached after throwing a deal of money at the Ducati, I'm glad to say!

Nick

I imagine that a Hagon monoshock to fit the Raptor has at least a basic combined damping adjustment to it.

So perhaps the sweet spot for a light spring will be at the nether regions of the damping adjustment?

A Wilbers is what I put on the Monster, and their construction does seem to be an order of magnitude higher than that of Hagons, if not in the ultimate suspension league

Good to hear - is this the case even with the non adjustable ecoline model I wonder? As well as been, ahem , cheaper I'm working on the principle that if it is sprung & valved/damped to my specific weight why would I need to adjust it anyway (I never take a passenger).

Cheers,

Andy B

It could be damping maybe not enough rebound. I hit a bump hard whilst Coming up to a corner it ejected me skywards but then I had to get hard on the brakes for the corner and whacked my bollocks hard against the tank.
I had to slow to a crawl due to the discomfort.
It's a bit better now but still not great, the bikes handling that is not the gonads.

andybaggies wrote:55 years ago]A Wilbers is what I put on the Monster, and their construction does seem to be an order of magnitude higher than that of Hagons, if not in the ultimate suspension league

Good to hear - is this the case even with the non adjustable ecoline model I wonder? As well as been, ahem , cheaper I'm working on the principle that if it is sprung & valved/damped to my specific weight why would I need to adjust it anyway (I never take a passenger).

Cheers,

Andy B[/quote]

My Monster Wilbers shock came with a single damping adjustment so I guess it wasn't the ecoline. So long as that model isn't made somewhere else, I should think it's OK.

Problem is that suspension people, experts and manufacturers, seem to think in terms of trackday rides on perfect surfaces or carrying everything including the kitchen sink on good main roads. It can be hard to get them to accept a request for a comfortable ride over average poor roads for a rider of modest weight because it appears that they reckon that the occasional bump-stop impact has to be avoided at all costs. For this reason (and experience!), I don't take what they say as the ideal for me on the roads I ride, and will always want some adjustment capability and access to different springs. Suspension-setting is a black art: bouncing on a bike at rest seems to have very little relevance to what the ride will be like!

Nick

Problem is that suspension people, experts and manufacturers, seem to think in terms of trackday rides on perfect surfaces or carrying everything including the kitchen sink on good main roads. It can be hard to get them to accept a request for a comfortable ride over average poor roads for a rider of modest weight because it appears that they reckon that the occasional bump-stop impact has to be avoided at all costs.

Very true & it wouldn't surprise me that litigation is also a concern.

and will always want some adjustment capability

Thats a good point and may well sway me to going for the Wilbers 640 which does have damping adjustment.

Suspension-setting is a black art: bouncing on a bike at rest seems to have very little relevance to what the ride will be like!

Tell me about it. I'd been running 5wt in the forks and last weekend replaced around a quarter with 2.5wt to try a improve the high speed damping. It made a farty difference to taking sharp bumps but the overall feel seems to be more 'jiggly' than I recall. But whether this is caused by allowing the knackered rear to take more centre stage only time will tell.

Andy B