Saggin' with my hommies

[Guest captain nemo]

Ok, I've seen some rather esoteric thoughts expressed on sag and suspension. Here is my idea: I take the Guzz and jack up the whole bike with lifter under the cross over (they tell me at Moto International that this will not hurt the bike). Ok, I lift up the bike until the very moment the back tire breaks surface. Now, I take a measurement - like with a yard stick measuring the height, say, of the top of my license plate. Ok, I set the bike back down and take measurement number two at the top of my license plate. For the third measurement I sit on the bike and take a final reading at the top of my license plate. This is my understanding for figuring sag. I hope I am correct. Please do not make this difficult. Will this do it? Can we all do this and get an idea what we are running for the mono shock? A combination of these measurements while noting our body weight should tell the story. Right?

 

Today I'm busy painting my front forks red. So far so good! Pictures will follow.

[dlaing]

Yah, that should work.

Measure from the ground to the bottom of the rear reflector with the bike lifted then subtract the measurement with the bike loaded in riding position.

That is your sag.

It is good to have a helper measure when you are on the bike.

But remember it is better to stand with the one you love than to hang or heaven forbid, sag with your hommies.

A center stand would make this easy.

Putting pressure on the crossover scares me since after a rear tire change at a non-Guzzi dealer that put the bike up on my cross over/muffler and may have been responsible for cracking the welds.

But the stock crossover may be fine since it is also supported at the passenger pegs through the mufflers.

[Janusz]

I would be afraid to support the whole bike just on a crossover. Maybe the whole system will support the weight but you can bend the metal in..

Why not use the item every even casual DIY-er should have- the elegant, easy to use after some practice and very useful for almost all service original MG red paddock stand?

 

For just measuring your sag you do not need a static sag of the bike alone (your middle measurement). Allyou need are the to measurements.

[Guest Brian Robson]

Rather than lift the bike up and hope nothing bends, you can try just holding the bike on the brakes on a hill. Hold the front brake to extend the rear and the rear brake to compress.

Your friend can then take the measurements.

I think that asking people for their settings can help to a degree, but finding the right set up for yourself is dependent on a number of factors, probably the greatest being how you ride.

Nobody will have the right measurements, because we all ride over different roads, at diiferent speeds and in different ways.

I agree with John re the Guzzi stand, the best $200 you will spend for DIY work on your bike.