got my 4s
 

got the 4s from manchester the other week now got another 1000 miles on the clock since collection. love the power and ride but need to try to get more preload for two up riding,( any ideas) can`t keep the wife off the back, she can last all day now after being used to the monster.

Ohlins :cool::lol:

LMAO!!

It hurts at first but they get used to it in the end ;)

:o

[Edited on 18-10-2005 by TP]

Hi

Welcome to the 4s club.
The rear preload on the 4s is easy to adjust using the knob by the side panel. Clockwise increases preload and anti clock decreases it. The standard setting is for a spring length of 150mm. Get yourself a six inch ruler (or metric if you must!) Two up with luggage I increase the preload so that spring length is 140mm.
After a bit of practice you get to know how many turns you need on the knob so when touring I don't need to carry a ruler. I usually set it back to standard when I get back home
HTH
Daryl

Got that as standard on an ST4S!

John

Ratchet, good to hear you've got the bike now and are having fun with it. as Darryl says preload adjustment is with the knob at the RH side. I don't know what you weigh but I'm around 190lbs .I adjusted the front preload for 40mm sag and the rear for 35mm which has the knob at 3 turns in. For 2-up I crank it up to 7 turns in. I found it useful to paint a thin white line on the knob - it makes counting the turns easier.
You should have come on the Trossachs run on Sunday. You would have had a great ride and a chance to meets some more of us and talk about Ducatis.

[Edited on 19-10-2005 by Derek]

[Edited on 19-10-2005 by Derek]

Welcome to the DSC ST4 section.

Sorry to marginally hi jack the thread but I would like an adjustable ohlins for my ST4 from an ST4S if anyone has one.

My wife also likes it on the back but hasnt got used to the jarring she gets when we hit even a fairly small bump.

Welcome Ratchet - and anyone else with the astute common sense to get an ST4s

If you or anyone else from DSC are in my neck of the woods next season (it's getting very cold here and I'm desparately hoping to get one last ride in before the snow and police close the high passes at the end of the month) I'll be more than happy to offer tour route tips and a friendly greeting.

Now chaps / ladies - has anyone suffered the same problem: yesterday I noticed that the rear brake pipe line, where it passes through the simple "wire guide" was chaffing somewhat despite the "black armour" strip that encases the brake pipe at this point. If you have, how did you stop the chaffing?

Cheers.

noticed mine on the st2 the other day and i rekon its nearly sall the way through
ministry of crap designs came up with that hanger i rekon
i'm planning on using it as a good excuse to upgrade to braided hoses

Yep... mine has done that too.
Just rotated the black sleeving a bit.
Kept an eye on it & no probs in the last 12 months or so...
:D

Hi everyone,
I swapped my 4 for a 4s 3 weeks ago and I haven't stopped smiling since !
My son had the 4 and he's quite pleased two!
Why are these bikes so underrated?
Alan

Because the motorcycle press only want to talk about sportsbikes ???

Congrats on the 4S's Ratchet and Two Dukes.

On the brake pipe thing, I had that about 3 years ago. It's not so much a hanger as an overgrown paper clip isn't it? Anyway, I switched to a braided hose and also made sure that the hanger was completely vertical (it was at 45 degrees before). Haven't had a problem since.

have had rear preload up to max and two up still too much sag, notice lock collar has locking pin, if the shock is removed can you change the standard range or are you looking at a new spring ?.
Derek, was trying too make run sunday, all family ties changed early sunday morning, but sounds like due to the problems, instead of me being behind you guys as i thought, turned out I was probably infront. after giving up, had blast to oban and down a83 to balloch. Passed the glasgow crowd heading home on the a811 ?, but had a good time which is what counts.:burn:

If you are reaching the max preload then you need a heavier spring. Not something I'd advise on doing yourself unless you have a suitable spring compressor. Pity you missed us on Sunday. Still, as long as you had a good run and enjoyed yourself that's the main thing.

Welcome to the 4S club. Great fun! There have been a lot of posts on setting preload and other adjustments here. Just go back a few months and you should find something.
Either that or find a 45 kilo significant other. Lot of them here in Japan! Makes touring easier....LOL

Ratchet, can I ask how much clearance you have between the rear tyre and the ground when on the centre stand ?

If it is more than about 5mm I would suggest you adjust the rear ride height instead of the preload.

Mine was set to around 30mm when I brought it, and the stands would touch down on fairly mild lean angles at very sedate speeds.
I adjusted the ride height and all is now well - I run out of tyre before touching down now, unless there is a bump mid corner of course ;)
Just be aware that the bike will lean over a lot more on the side stand...

Hope that helps.

And you get more weight on your wrists and have to bend your neck more to see where you are going!

And wee short legs don't reach the ground so easily :D

Wee long legs struggle a bit as well! Who'd have though 20mm would make so much difference.

Need to find the weather and the daylight to adjust rear, lock nuts damm tight, can never find that second 19mm spanner I had lying around and never used, and the bottom one looks interesting to reach without taking off some paint in the process.
Me thinks I`ll need to remove whole adjuster first,wee legs not a problem, except for the wife getting on. More weight on the wrists can`t wait still trying to get used to that after none on the monster.

Interesting comment on the 'weight-on-wrists' front. I can't say I noticed any difference.

Yes the nuts are extreeeeeeemely tight !
I went and brought a brand new spanner to ensure it had not openned up as some do over time (especially when forced). Halfords spanners are pretty good for the price.

The bottom nut is pretty tricky to get to, but using a pair of spanners back to back on the nut & alloy tube, and then trying to squeeze them together like you would with a pair of plier handles worked in the end. Just took a lot of effort (and swearing ! ;) )
I don't think I explained that very well, but hopefully you'll figure out what I meant when you try it.

Short legs ?
buy a DP gell seat :rodent:
The riders part is a little lower, and the pillion bit is more sculpted so it stops the pillion from unexpectedly joining you on the front part :o

Re the nuts on the ride height adjuster... remember that one is a right hand thread and the other a left hand thread.....

Wrong - they can be either if you use a big enough spanner, and maybe a hammer! :lol:

Sorry, couldn't resist that one. I withdraw it. :pig:

That's RAF training for you................

Absolutely, why do you think they had to retire both the Vulcan AND the Buccaneer?

Cos they let me work on them...............

Yeti are you a robbie williams fan by per-chance.

just you signature sounds familiar........................