Motorcycle rear Shock installation and tuning (Suzuki DR650).

Dino’s Tinker Shed, S3 Ep10, Motorcycle rear Shock installation and tuning (Suzuki DR650).
In this episode, I finish up my project of removing the entire rear suspension, servicing the shock, and finally re-installing it. Today I reinstall the shock, set the sag and talk a bit about why sag is important to the ride of your bike and how to determine what it should be.
This is not a complete tuning guide to get your DR650 into race trim but rather basic fundamentals of how to set your ride height to perform well on most roads and trails.
You will notice that although I had the shock serviced, I did not re-valve the shock so other than new oil, it is bone stock inside. I don’t mind the stock ride quality for the style of riding that I do so I left it untouched for now.
As always, I have included time code chapters so you can ship around if you like.
TIME CODE CHAPTERS:
00:00- Cold opening
01:35- Introduction
01:56- Why I did not re-valve the shock
04:05- Pre-setting the Preload.
06:58- What is SAG?
09:39- Setting the compression damping.
10:16- Installing the shock.
12:45- Setting SAG.
17:04- Installing the airbox.
19:00- Summary
MUSIC:
Country Cue 1 by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/

[@ZRiotWi]

Its a good day when Dino drops a vid!

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Thank you so much, appreciate the support 👍 Dino

[@10mikebarr]

bought a dr a few months back your channel helped me out alot thank for the videos! 😁

[@DinosTinkerShed]

My pleasure 😁

[@Skidmate]

Great explanation of setting the sag! Good idea to work with a buddy that has a similar bike, so he also knows his way around it. Good thing Karl was wearing 'safety glasses' or else you would have had to put snow on it!🤣

[@DinosTinkerShed]

LOL this is true about the snow, he's tough though came through with no permanent😀 damage. Thank you again for the comment Dino

[@williamhayter2952]

Another great video. I liked your tip about removing the air filter to assist in attaching the bellows.

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Thank you, I'm glad you found it useful, the bellows was a bit tricky for sure. Thank you again for the comment Dino

[@garetg-ox8hl]

Appreciate the detailed videos. I had never picked up a wrench before and Just took my carb apart cleaned it up and put procycle jet kit in. also drilled slide and cut the spring. Bike is running the best it has since I had someone else do carburetor work. Now on to tuning my cogent shock for my weight with gear. You the man dino!

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Thank you so much for the feedback and kind words. Glad my content is useful, thanks again and tinker easy Dino

[@stlskybob]

awesome, love seeing real world mechanic videos.

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Thank you glad you enjoyed it. Dino

[@hardyboy86]

really appreciate all the dr content, ive got lots of work to undertake this spring and ill be referencing your videos

[@DinosTinkerShed]

That's great, spring is not to far off, I know I'm ready to get out and ride. Di o

[@lingkheyshing]

Thank you so much for sharing which I have been looking for long time. 😊

[@DinosTinkerShed]

You are very welcome, I am glad you find the video helpful. 😀 Dino

[@cranerigging3604]

Well done guy's and great advice ! 👍 At 13:24 Carl is going to need a stunt double in future video's 😁

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Lol That's a good idea, he sure took a good bop in this video. He's tough though. Dino

[@alanmck5382]

great video as usual, very informative....bloody hell 🥶 -11 degrees......I'm at the other end of the spectrum down under here in Oz currently 35c lol...cheers🥵

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Lol it's still -2 and it's coming into the middle of March ugg. Thanks for the comment Dino

[@beysangcedric]

New guest on video ! 12:11 Say Hi to the squirel 😂 Nice video thanks

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Lol we have a lot of squirrels here. Thanks for the comment

[@MalJ-eb7nv]

Good video as usual Dino. Handy having another pair of hands for the rear shock - bit hard on your own. Lots of good info on adjustments etc. I have left my valves stock but a couple of friends have changed valves etc. They are heavier than I am and they like the changes. Standard settings suit my riding style but I did lower the spring setting. Thanks Dino.

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Thank you for the feedback Mal, I am sure that eventually my curiosity will get the better of me and I will start playing with the valving (it is a habit I can not seem to break lol) but I think it is important to realistically know how you ride and what you can actually extract from the bike. Again for me I don't think I have the ability to exceed the current suspension set up but as my ridding improves the idea of tuning may become too tempting LOL. Thank you again Mal Dino

[@douglassrhine989]

When snow crunches it cold,, nice video thanks

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Thank you Dino

[@PeteTruman]

Thank you for your patient and informative videos

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Glad you enjoy them, thanks for the comment. Dino

[@royjmcc7]

Nice work Dino!

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Thank you so much Di o

[@ontrider6421]

Good video, something that I found worked well for adjusting preload is I cut a piece of 5/16 keystock about a foot long and use that to hammer on it has a nice square edge and won't damage adjuster rings

[@DinosTinkerShed]

That's a great tip for sure, I can't believe how little room there is in there for a tool. I'll have to mention your tip in a video at some point, thank you for sharing. Dino

[@jeffmartin6174]

Outstanding videos Dino. I've been watching intently for a few weeks as I searched for a DR. Just purchased my mint, low mileage 2016 and can't wait to dig in. Well done! From a fellow Ontario rider.

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Thank you for the comment and congratulations on the new to you DR. Dino

[@craiglortie4245]

Nice explanation of SAG. Thanks Dino!

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Your welcome, glad you enjoyed it. Dino

[@TLOverlander]

Another great vid... The importance of proper suspension baseline setup can't be understated, Particular with high powered sport bikes and dual sport bikes. Sag gives you the proper "droop" and as we know, the suspension is just as important in keeping the wheels in contact with the ground on bump hits AS Well as hollows and potholes.

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Good points all around Eric, thanks for the information Dino

[@rupertsuzuki3376]

Great video Dino. I cannot stress how valuable your info is on the lower bolt torque…I wish I had this video available when I reinstalled my aftermarket Cogent shock. Nothing like stripping out the threads on a brand new expensive shock, unless a guy was looking for a reason to do a video on installing a Heli-Coil… Also, not sure if it’s right or wrong but I like to put never seize on the aluminum threads.

[@jarrodleis4046]

Great video Dino. If you do end up deciding to re valve your shock in the future don’t be afraid to tackle the job yourself. I am confident that you could do that job after watching some of your videos. I installed the full FFRC stuff front and rear on my bike. The fork is very easy and the rear shock is not too bad. My advice for someone who wants to improve the suspension on a budget would be to buy the front valving and leave the stock spring. For the rear I would just try the 10w oil. If you are under 200lbs you can probably get away with the stock spring. These two mods will result in a big improvement for about $300 all in. With the full FFRC suspension the DR650 suspension is as good or better than stock DRZ 400 suspension.

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Thank you for the feedback and for mentioning that I may weigh under 200lbs LOL. You provide great tips for sure and I know someday the urge to tinker with the tuning will get to be too much and I will dive in. Thank you for your comments, they are appreciated. Dino

[@ParallelCamper]

Good tutorial. Thanks!

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it Dino

[@volvogt21]

Great video Dino. This video made me realise how hard it must be to be Canadian...... half metric half imperial. Foot pounds Celsius inches millimetres miles per hour. You must end up pretty confused. Lol. Hey I do the same myself. Although I'm totally metric except I occasionally revert to feet and inches.

[@DinosTinkerShed]

LOL, ya I was part of the transition generation ( Canada switched to metric in 1975 when I was 5) I learned both metric and Imperial. If I had to choose it would be metric for its interoperability between weights, and measures and the fact it is based on the power of 10 across the board. However I do use both interchangeably a lot as do many Canadians so I hope it is not to confusing in the Videos. Thank you again for the comment Dino

[@volvogt21]

@@DinosTinkerShed yep I totally get how you would end up using both systems. Funny story: I was on a mostly US bike forum and someone asked how much I weighed re the bike suspension. I replied 11 Stone..... my comment got some pretty hilarious responses: What you weigh the same as 11 stones? How big are those stones etc etc I'd wrongly presumed that if you used pounds as a weight measure you would used stones as well.

[@DinosTinkerShed]

LOL that is funny, I have a good friend who may be the best Agricultural and industrial mechanic I have ever met. He is from Switzerland and immigrated to Canada about 20 years ago. He and I often get onto the topic of how can the US not see the advantages of Metric, we laugh a lot because a lot of the other mechanics come up with all sorts of reasons that imperial is superior like how much easier it is to know that 3/4 wrenches are larger than an 11/16th wrench 😖. Makes for a good time for sure. Dino

[@volvogt21]

@@DinosTinkerShed it's funny because most youtubers i watch seem to use metric for most things even in the states (except capacity and distance and temperature oh and weight too. Ok so they use metric spanners and that's about it. Lol. Final question: is it aluminium or alooooominum?

[@MOTODANS]

Nice one Dino. I was hoping it would be a bit easier to adjust with the airbox out proper tool like you said would help. Hmm it may still be easier to remove exhaust and drop our bottom save playing around with that airbox. I have never been able to get a tool in. I use a piece of 10mm square steel which does the job. Interesting to see how you find it when out riding.

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Thanks Dan, I'll provide an update on the ride once the snow stopped, we are supposed to get around 15cm today lol.

[@robbieandbeckie]

Sorry I missed the video when you rebuilt the rear shock. Filing the stake off of the shaft nut is a pain. The worst part, at least around here, is finding someone to charge 150psi of Nitrogen to the bladder.

[@scotttaggart]

Thanks. Better than a steel drift punch, there are nice brass drift punches (Motion Pro makes one, I think).

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Brass is a good option with less chance of damage to other parts. Someday Ill have to pick a set up. Thank you for the comment. Dino

[@duncanwhitcombe4392]

Hi Dino I have just upgraded the front and back suspension for my 07 DR 650 with stronger springs and re-valve in the rear and I went with the Ricor Intimidators valving in the forks. Wow 😮 what a difference the intimidators make in the front. Almost completely eliminating fork dive under braking. I completely recommend the Ricor valves if you could do your research and maybe share with your viewers.

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Thank you for the feedback, at some point I am sure I will give in to the urge to re-valve the bike either because my riding style improves to where I require it or just out of curiosity, when that happens Ill check out the Ricor valves and compare them to the other options. Thank you again for the information, it is interesting to hear others experiences. Dino

[@susanm5208]

Hi on a 250cc motorcycle what you suggest going up a hill on a freeway when you have 5 gears

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Hi Susan, I will confess I have not ridden a 250cc so the capabilities of that machine are not really something I can comment on from personal experience. With that said I will say that for me I might try to adjust my route to ride less freeways and especially if they are in hilly areas. Even with my DR650, it will run at highway speeds but is far happier at 80-90kmph (50-55 mph) than 100-115kmph. I try to take the long way around to keep the bike happy but also it is usually more interesting. If I must ride a section of highway, I just pick my speed and don't let others push me to much, its hard sometimes but easier on the bike. I hope this helps, sorry I can not be more helpful. Dino

[@krookimuss]

Hey Dino! And congratulations on 3k subs! I'm looking for an oil filter magnet for the XF/DR 650 but don't know the dimensions are correct for this engine. Any ideas? Thanks once more for your awesome channel!

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Are yo looking for a magnetic drain plug or a magnet that fits inside teh oil filter? Dino

[@krookimuss]

@@DinosTinkerShed that fits into the filter :)

[@RabiesTheBeagle]

It would be interesting to know if you think Jaws or Shamu would win.

[@justgjt]

Great video and info Dino. I cannot imagine being in -11 deg C. I had the stock setup for some time but had it modded by Teknik Suspension to suit my weight,height, 25lt fuel tank and camp luggage & fuel ,food & water. It made a hell of a difference. I just pulled both the front and back out and sent them off to their shop on the other side of the country. For me it was worth the exercise and was not that costly compared to buying the parts and doing it myself without doing the valve stacks. I have a question regarding your screen you have fitted. What bike is it originally off ?

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Thank you for the feed back, eventually I am sure I will get tinkering with suspension tuning a bit more but for my riding ability and style right now the stock set up seems to work OK (although if I rode a tuned bike that may change my view LOL). It can get a bit chilly at times here, when I head up north sledding I have seen -40 once and have ridded a few times in -35c. Riding at 50 to 80kmph, any exposed skin get red real fast and you quickly learn how to dress for it. My wind screen is off a BMW 650 Dakar, it came with the bike when I bought it used but with out any mounting hardware so I made some. the unit is some what heavy and I was saying yesterday to my buddy Karl, that although it works well I may switch to a parabellum screen to take some weight off the fairing. Thank you for the comments and questions Dino

[@beartrax7709]

Great video Dina, can you tell me what windshield you are running ? Thanks !

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Sure, it's off a BMW 650 Dakar, it came with the DR when I bought it. Dino

[@rossbrown9156]

Hey Dino don't you have a C- spanner in the tool kit that came with the bike? That's the only thing on the bike it could be for?

[@RabiesTheBeagle]

2006 Ford GT accomplished 310 MPH FTW

[@jweavejo1]

Dino I'm gonna take your advice. Hey Carl can you come down to Alabama and help with my rear shock install?

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Lol, Karl's the kind of guy who might do that lol. Di o

[@gromit576]

Hello Dino, is it possible to tighten the preload without removing the airbox and seat? Last week I lowered my DR650 using the Soupys lowering kit. I found my rear wheel rubbing the exhaust when I ride. I don't have any tools or any buddy to assist. Gotta do it myself.

[@DinosTinkerShed]

Thank you for the question. The adjusting collar is in a very tight spot and even with the airbox out it's hard to adjust. The only way to do it without removing the air box is to use a long drift or stout flat blade screw driver and a hammer to move the ring. This is ok to do just don't use a cold chisel like many do, it can sheer off the tabs.

[@gromit576]

@@DinosTinkerShed Thank you. I applied WD40 and used my 16" tire lever to loose it. I found that with sag my rear tyre is just about brushing my exhaust pipe! You video shows rotating the spring clockwise. I will give it a try.

[@stevenmccoy2885]

once you loosen the lock you can turn the spring by hand to adjust pre load

[@gromit576]

@@stevenmccoy2885 I used the middle part of a wodden coat hangar bougt from a Dollarama store. Super easy and no damage to the aluminum ring and no need to remove any part.