Rear shock adjustment!!!!!!

Have a 2003 and I am wondering how to go about setting the rear shock. Me and the wife will be doing alot of two up riding with the beetle bags being used. Total weight around 350lbs. Riders and gear. All of the miles will be on Alaska highways, not the greatest. Any suggestions would be great.. Thanks!

 

Full pre-load & damping 1/4 turn from full out.

KC-10 FE out...
lane: :usa2:

 

How?

I have a 6th Gen and want to adjust the rear shock preload since I just installed a lowering link. I see the small dial adjuster at the bottom of the shock, is that the preload, if it is not, where/how on the shock can I adjust the preload?

 

That small screw at the bottom is for adjusting rebound, not preload. If you look at the coil spring on the shock, there is a hold colored ring at the top of it. That is the preload adjustment (assuming you have a non-ABS model). There are seven adjustments. Turning it clockwise reduces preload and turned it counterclockwise increases preload. You will need the spanner wrench and extension from the tool kit and adjust it from the left side of the the bike. Just make sure not to go from adjustment 7 to adjustment 1.

Read the owners manual or the service manual as it will explain how to do it and I believe there are some pictures.

 

Is that the Castelated Washer lookin thing at the top of the spring? (red arrow in the picture below)

Also, is Preload adjustable on both front and rear suspension, or is it just a rear-shock thing?

And 1 final detail question, I hear a lot of people mention measurements as targets for preload/etc, but where are they taking the measurements from. Seems to me that the measurement from a fixed point on the rear fairing to a fixed point on the rear-tire center wheel nut would be a good measurement, but it's almost impossible to get a truly vertical measurement for that, which I am concerned will throw off the acutal measurement settings (because the tape is not perpendicular to the ground, and must bend a bit to reach the reference points.

Thank you a ton for your help!

 

Yes, that is the correct item to adjust preload on the rear shock. The position shown in the picture is setting 1 and as turn it counterclockwise, it will increase preload.

Preload is adjustable front and rear, however with the stock suspension only the rear has adjustable rebound.

Concerning the measurements, just place a piece of tape on the rear cowl with a horizontal mark on it and measure from there to the axle nut as you mentioned. Don't worry about the slight arc that is created from the swingarm traveling. When setting sag this has such a minimal effect that you wont notice. With the shoddy stock suspension, 1-2mm of sag difference will never be noticible. Just make sure when you are taking measurements that you always take them from the same two points and everything will be fine.