This video is to the point and concise. Not understanding why my bike had a wobble if I took my hands off the grips. As soon as I watched this I ran out to my bike to check and my suspension was wound all the way out and I’m a man of a slightly larger girth (16st) trying to dial the bike in ready for a Euro road trip this summer - cheers Mike
I am a similar weight to you especially with my gear on, mine is a non GT 2019 model, how close were your settings to this video to get it right? Mine has a horrible wobble with my hands off the bars between 45-60mph
@@lewismannion3917 Hi Lewis (I’m travelling at moment so can’t pop to the bike) - I think im about 1 thread showing both sides and then I played with the small screw until there was little to no bounce both front and rear. I’m not home until next week but I think that’s about it. When I dialled it in the bike behaved brilliantly on my 4k miles trip
@@michaelingledew cheers for the reply, I've got it a little less than that at the moment but way better than when I bought it, only thing I'm struggling with is adjusting rear preload, I'm on the non GT so need the C spanner to adjust and there isn't much room. I'm currently 2-3 notches off maxed out so not sure how much more I want/need
This is a massive help thank you. I’m heading to the west coast Scotland next week so I will be doing this to my 19 plate tracer gt. thanks again Steve
Thanks for the video. I'm about 200 pounds. I got my 2019 in the summer of 2024 with 6K miles on it. The suspension was still on the factory settings. I moved the front forks preload to about 1 1/3 lines showing and tightened the rebound and compression adjusters to about two clicks off full hard. In the back more or less the same. Shock preload two or three clicks from full hard, same for damping adjustment. The bike handles much better and the ride did not become harsh which is what I was worried about. I don't ride with a pillion or have the panniers loaded often. Now to do something about the seat.
I just did mine yesterday, then found your video. You've done an excellent tutorial. I'm not at big guy at 160lbs, but I was really surprised that I had to really crank up the preload to get a sag of about 40mm on front & back. I also had to really turn down the compression & rebound on the forks. I just sort of bounced the front as best I could & observed how fast it would sink & rise; I did that until it seemed better. On the back I did the same & turned down the rebound until it would compress & come back to neutral smoothly. The ride improved a lot over bad paving, it soaks up bumps like never before. Ride is much smoother, forks are no longer harsh & seat doesn't pound over bumps.
Dear Sir, thank you so very much for sharing. I recently purchased a 19 Goo with 3k miles. After a few days of practicing slow and mid speed maneuvers at the school parking lot; stock front fork settings felt like a waterbed mattress. Seven Miles per hour U turns was springy... I found the front forks at 7 lines ?.. I grabbed a wrench and kept turning until I reached 4 lines and then the damper screw like you demonstrated to 5 clicks, then road tested the Bike; Immediately, I felt the difference in ride quality. I was quickly connected with the bike and the road... saying predictability, less dive (squished my nuts on a stop, prior to the adjustment ) and overall feel for the road. I confidently road my bike thru Glendora Mountain Road in the Angeles National Forest here in San Gabriel Valley, California. mixed road surface ; broken asphalt , cracks , up and down slopes side to side slopes, very fun. I comfortably and easily maintained 38 - 42 - 48 Miles per Hour thru turns. Thank you So So Much. If you're ever in my town, stop by and say hello! Cheers. Sergio 180lbs ! perfect setup - I haven't messed with the rear shock absorber yet... my bike only had one damper screw on the right front fork..
Glad I found your video. I bought a used 2018 gt and the original settings were far too soft for my 14 stones, perhaps the previous owner is much lighter than me 🤣 as front forks setup showed 6 lines, or it was the dealer setting never changed. I sometime ride with my son, another 6 stones, plus the top case. I started with your settings and it has improved sensibly the ride. I might touch the rear shock to accommodate my son, so 1 or 2 clicks from hard, but front, even I'm 14 stones, it seems to be OK with 4 lines. I'll ride more and eventually lower it to 3 lines if necessary. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Asian bikes like this are sprung for a child under 170lbs. The average rider with gear and accessories starts at 200lbs. Then add luggage and pillion we are looking at 300lbs or more. The stock shocks blow through compression and are not serviceable. The forks have 5 weight oil. After setting preload to the max on stock springs it is still out of operation range. The compression and rebound settings maxed all the way in. Still too soft. This is what I did with my 2019. Upgraded to Ohlins best shock on rear. Replaced fork springs with K-Tech and 15 weight oil. Compression and rebound settings on forks at 2 clicks out. It's a dream to ride now
Thanks Chris got my tracer in New Zealand about same time as you. Found that the center stand scraping quite often, changed it to your setting much better. Gave me more confidence in the corners. Roads round some can get quite bad do to the logging trucks.
So glad you made this easy to follow guide. There are so many that over complicate the suspension set-up but I could follow this. I’m 11 stones 10 so have set mine 1 less than yours all round and will see how that goes after a few rides.
Thanks for the tutorial! Even though I have Scottish roots, I had to see what 12Stone9 is in lbs - 177lbs! Awesome! Same weight as me. Now to work on the bike tomorrow. Cheers! 🇨🇦
@@ShiteLines cool. I've got an mt09 2014 and the clutch and gearbox make way more noise than my previous 2009 cb1000r. With 20,000klms difference between them.
Just a quick one. Im about to screw the front down all the way (17 stone) what would I need to do to the small top screw please. Hoping you get this message quite quickly lol.
@@ShiteLines brilliant I will do. Chucking it down now but forecast looking good for tomorrow. Will try option 1 and once I reach Helensborough I will try two if I’m not to keen. Take care
I’m about 7 pounds heavier than you and measured mine via sag readings and how far the shocks were compressing on riding. I’m slight harder on the front with 3 lines showing and about 2 clicks firmer on the rear preload so pretty much agree with your settings. I haven’t played with compression or rebound as I’m pretty happy with the ride now. Certainly the GT is a big improvement on my 2017 tracer.
Thanks Laine working on mine although I am 15 stone roughly and I have the front preload with 3 lines showing might have to go to 2 lines showing on the front.Thanks for the videos.
Lainey !! thank you for making this I have never changed my setup and have always wondered if it would make a big difference I must have a look at mine and see what mine is set at lol Cheers Again for making this !
It’s the best of a shit situation tbh. It does give a harder ride but a noticeably better ride, is it 100%? No where near it. Does it need upgraded components, probably. Am I bothered anymore, no. I traded the bike, got a vstrom 650, ran about on that for 2 and a half years with non adjustable suspension without a single complaint and have now had a MT09 SP 2023 for 6 months and have no complaints with that either, substantially better in all areas with regards to suspension. At the time of owning the Tracer my mates had a 2017, 2016 and another 2019 GT, I adjusted theirs and they said the difference was night and day, even getting rid of the speed wobble on three earlier versions they were renowned for.
Hey Russ. The settings are based off my weight. I spent hours with my mechanic mate trying to perfect this. These are the settings that had the sag as close to tolerance as possible. I'll be honest...the suspension isn't the best and it was pretty difficult to get the sag set. You in essence need to over compensate in preload to get the bike set correctly
@@ShiteLines If your fully loaded weight with gear on plus accessories exceeds 170, you need heaver springs. Also the front fork oil needs to be replaced with 10 or 15 weight oil, depending on climate, rider weight, riding style and road conditions (Motul because other brands are to thin). The shock is absolute garbage. It is literally a fake shock. It blows through the compression like if the "needed" adjuster was wide open. Also to note it is not serviceable. All suspensions need to have oil changed at regular intervals. So just upgrade when new for safety reasons and a huge improvement in comfort and enjoyment. With the correct springs front and rear suited for western people it completely transforms the bike to a much higher level and allows you to set sag setting to where it needs to be. The bike will sit level when riding. No more diving in the front when braking. The rear won't drop out when Accelerating causing wheel spin... It will be planted and far more stable in all conditions. I'm certified master technician.
@@Davidlouis3 there was none on that model. The only adjustments on the 2019 tracer was the preload and one leg done compression and the other done rebound.
@@ShiteLines Thanks. ATM is is set to 7 lines showing! I wonder if it was due to the previous owner or standar Yamaha setting. The rear shock is fully hard and I don't think has a rebound screw.
@@frapphat on a 2016 tracer there is defo a ten/reb screw on the rear shock at the bottom of it left hand side. On your forks I’m sure 7 lines showing is the standard setting, try it at 1 line showing
Hey dear Friend Great video Am 65 kg how many I will do it ? I have it 3 rings 6 click to soft And real 12 clicks to soft and 4 to soft. I need also for friend have 100kg Thanks
Thanks a lot. I got my Tracer and did your setup. Tried it for a short test ride and can feel it's more sporty with your settings. 🙏 Do you think making rear shock harder (twisting that thing with hand) is better for the great roads in Germany? I'm your weight but sometimes ride with gf behind. 🖐️
This video is to the point and concise. Not understanding why my bike had a wobble if I took my hands off the grips. As soon as I watched this I ran out to my bike to check and my suspension was wound all the way out and I’m a man of a slightly larger girth (16st) trying to dial the bike in ready for a Euro road trip this summer - cheers Mike
Glad it worked for you Michael, all the best.
I am a similar weight to you especially with my gear on, mine is a non GT 2019 model, how close were your settings to this video to get it right? Mine has a horrible wobble with my hands off the bars between 45-60mph
@@lewismannion3917 Hi Lewis (I’m travelling at moment so can’t pop to the bike) - I think im about 1 thread showing both sides and then I played with the small screw until there was little to no bounce both front and rear. I’m not home until next week but I think that’s about it. When I dialled it in the bike behaved brilliantly on my 4k miles trip
@@michaelingledew cheers for the reply, I've got it a little less than that at the moment but way better than when I bought it, only thing I'm struggling with is adjusting rear preload, I'm on the non GT so need the C spanner to adjust and there isn't much room. I'm currently 2-3 notches off maxed out so not sure how much more I want/need
This is a massive help thank you. I’m heading to the west coast Scotland next week so I will be doing this to my 19 plate tracer gt. thanks again
Steve
Enjoy your tour Steve
@@ShiteLines will do. Massive soft spot for your side of the border mate. Only in Newcastle so won’t take long to get to the fun bits. Thanks again.
Thanks for the video. I'm about 200 pounds. I got my 2019 in the summer of 2024 with 6K miles on it. The suspension was still on the factory settings. I moved the front forks preload to about 1 1/3 lines showing and tightened the rebound and compression adjusters to about two clicks off full hard. In the back more or less the same. Shock preload two or three clicks from full hard, same for damping adjustment. The bike handles much better and the ride did not become harsh which is what I was worried about. I don't ride with a pillion or have the panniers loaded often.
Now to do something about the seat.
@@davidc9695 glad it worked for you David. I always thought the seat was fine. I did have a bagster seat on my 2014 MT and it did make a difference
I just did mine yesterday, then found your video. You've done an excellent tutorial. I'm not at big guy at 160lbs, but I was really surprised that I had to really crank up the preload to get a sag of about 40mm on front & back. I also had to really turn down the compression & rebound on the forks. I just sort of bounced the front as best I could & observed how fast it would sink & rise; I did that until it seemed better. On the back I did the same & turned down the rebound until it would compress & come back to neutral smoothly. The ride improved a lot over bad paving, it soaks up bumps like never before. Ride is much smoother, forks are no longer harsh & seat doesn't pound over bumps.
Dear Sir, thank you so very much for sharing. I recently purchased a 19 Goo with 3k miles. After a few days of practicing slow and mid speed maneuvers at the school parking lot; stock front fork settings felt like a waterbed mattress. Seven Miles per hour U turns was springy... I found the front forks at 7 lines ?.. I grabbed a wrench and kept turning until I reached 4 lines and then the damper screw like you demonstrated to 5 clicks, then road tested the Bike; Immediately, I felt the difference in ride quality. I was quickly connected with the bike and the road... saying predictability, less dive (squished my nuts on a stop, prior to the adjustment ) and overall feel for the road. I confidently road my bike thru Glendora Mountain Road in the Angeles National Forest here in San Gabriel Valley, California. mixed road surface ; broken asphalt , cracks , up and down slopes side to side slopes, very fun. I comfortably and easily maintained 38 - 42 - 48 Miles per Hour thru turns. Thank you So So Much. If you're ever in my town, stop by and say hello! Cheers. Sergio 180lbs ! perfect setup - I haven't messed with the rear shock absorber yet... my bike only had one damper screw on the right front fork..
Glad I found your video. I bought a used 2018 gt and the original settings were far too soft for my 14 stones, perhaps the previous owner is much lighter than me
🤣 as front forks setup showed 6 lines, or it was the dealer setting never changed. I sometime ride with my son, another 6 stones, plus the top case. I started with your settings and it has improved sensibly the ride. I might touch the rear shock to accommodate my son, so 1 or 2 clicks from hard, but front, even I'm 14 stones, it seems to be OK with 4 lines. I'll ride more and eventually lower it to 3 lines if necessary. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Asian bikes like this are sprung for a child under 170lbs. The average rider with gear and accessories starts at 200lbs. Then add luggage and pillion we are looking at 300lbs or more.
The stock shocks blow through compression and are not serviceable. The forks have 5 weight oil.
After setting preload to the max on stock springs it is still out of operation range. The compression and rebound settings maxed all the way in. Still too soft.
This is what I did with my 2019. Upgraded to Ohlins best shock on rear.
Replaced fork springs with K-Tech and 15 weight oil. Compression and rebound settings on forks at 2 clicks out.
It's a dream to ride now
Thanks Chris got my tracer in New Zealand about same time as you. Found that the center stand scraping quite often, changed it to your setting much better. Gave me more confidence in the corners.
Roads round some can get quite bad do to the logging trucks.
So glad you made this easy to follow guide. There are so many that over complicate the suspension set-up but I could follow this. I’m 11 stones 10 so have set mine 1 less than yours all round and will see how that goes after a few rides.
Thanks for the tutorial! Even though I have Scottish roots, I had to see what 12Stone9 is in lbs - 177lbs! Awesome! Same weight as me. Now to work on the bike tomorrow. Cheers! 🇨🇦
Thanks Chris, this has made a massive difference to my bike. 👍
Thank you very much for making this video. Going to try this on my bike as I weight roughly the same as you.
from what I've seen on UA-cam regarding these bikes I'd say Yamaha needs to seriously address the build quality on these models.
Yep, they’re way too undersprung for the European market. The news tracer 9 GT on the other hand is a different kettle of fish
@@ShiteLines cool. I've got an mt09 2014 and the clutch and gearbox make way more noise than my previous 2009 cb1000r. With 20,000klms difference between them.
Just a quick one. Im about to screw the front down all the way (17 stone) what would I need to do to the small top screw please. Hoping you get this message quite quickly lol.
Steve try it with 3 lines showing and the top flat head screw 6 clicks out (from it fully clockwise, turn it anti clockwise 6 and see how you get on.
Then after a good ride, try it with 2 lines showing (leave the flat head where it is) and see how you get on
@@ShiteLines brilliant I will do. Chucking it down now but forecast looking good for tomorrow. Will try option 1 and once I reach Helensborough I will try two if I’m not to keen. Take care
I’m about 7 pounds heavier than you and measured mine via sag readings and how far the shocks were compressing on riding. I’m slight harder on the front with 3 lines showing and about 2 clicks firmer on the rear preload so pretty much agree with your settings. I haven’t played with compression or rebound as I’m pretty happy with the ride now. Certainly the GT is a big improvement on my 2017 tracer.
Thanks Laine working on mine although I am 15 stone roughly and I have the front preload with 3 lines showing might have to go to 2 lines showing on the front.Thanks for the videos.
Dropping the front to 2 lines showing sill definitely help you mate.
Thanks Chris for the clear instructions.
Great video, very helpfull , thank you!
Lainey !! thank you for making this I have never changed my setup and have always wondered if it would make a big difference I must have a look at mine and see what mine is set at lol
Cheers Again for making this !
I'm considering lowering my suspension with lust kit ,what you recon
Surely increasing spring preload will make it ride over a bad road surface harder making it more uncomfortable relatively speaking?
It’s the best of a shit situation tbh. It does give a harder ride but a noticeably better ride, is it 100%? No where near it. Does it need upgraded components, probably. Am I bothered anymore, no. I traded the bike, got a vstrom 650, ran about on that for 2 and a half years with non adjustable suspension without a single complaint and have now had a MT09 SP 2023 for 6 months and have no complaints with that either, substantially better in all areas with regards to suspension. At the time of owning the Tracer my mates had a 2017, 2016 and another 2019 GT, I adjusted theirs and they said the difference was night and day, even getting rid of the speed wobble on three earlier versions they were renowned for.
For the ones who count in kilograms;
12 stone (9 and one half) pounds =
80.5126457 kilograms
Thnx for the tutorial!!!😉
Sure glad you converted to the nearest tenth of a milligram.
You've not mentioned anything about setting up the sag?
Hey Russ. The settings are based off my weight. I spent hours with my mechanic mate trying to perfect this. These are the settings that had the sag as close to tolerance as possible. I'll be honest...the suspension isn't the best and it was pretty difficult to get the sag set. You in essence need to over compensate in preload to get the bike set correctly
@@ShiteLines If your fully loaded weight with gear on plus accessories exceeds 170, you need heaver springs. Also the front fork oil needs to be replaced with 10 or 15 weight oil, depending on climate, rider weight, riding style and road conditions (Motul because other brands are to thin).
The shock is absolute garbage. It is literally a fake shock. It blows through the compression like if the "needed" adjuster was wide open. Also to note it is not serviceable. All suspensions need to have oil changed at regular intervals. So just upgrade when new for safety reasons and a huge improvement in comfort and enjoyment. With the correct springs front and rear suited for western people it completely transforms the bike to a much higher level and allows you to set sag setting to where it needs to be. The bike will sit level when riding. No more diving in the front when braking. The rear won't drop out when Accelerating causing wheel spin... It will be planted and far more stable in all conditions.
I'm certified master technician.
You never mentioned or adjusted the compression on the bottom of front forks mate??
@@Davidlouis3 there was none on that model. The only adjustments on the 2019 tracer was the preload and one leg done compression and the other done rebound.
Gracias por tu video. Yo peso 110kg. Intentaré encontrar los clicks adecuados a mi peso 😉
Hi Chris I am around 131/2 stone what would you suggest? 👍👍👍
Thank you a lot Chris !
After I figured out what a stone is, we are about the same, I’ll give this a run in the mountains.
Works perfect now, thanks so much for this. I was a fair bit tight, now I can carry significantly more speed through turns with both wheels down.
What is the top screw for for... is that rebound? Thanks.
Top screw is on one fork is tension, on the other is rebound
Do these settings also apply to the 2016 Tracer 900 (not GT)? Thanks
The 2016 tracer will need the preload on the forks set to 1 line shown, try that and I bet you immediately notice the difference
@@ShiteLines Thanks. ATM is is set to 7 lines showing! I wonder if it was due to the previous owner or standar Yamaha setting. The rear shock is fully hard and I don't think has a rebound screw.
@@frapphat on a 2016 tracer there is defo a ten/reb screw on the rear shock at the bottom of it left hand side. On your forks I’m sure 7 lines showing is the standard setting, try it at 1 line showing
Hey dear Friend
Great video
Am 65 kg how many I will do it ?
I have it 3 rings 6 click to soft
And real 12 clicks to soft and 4 to soft.
I need also for friend have 100kg
Thanks
boas com essa configuraçao com fica o top speed? sem wooble?
Chris - Is your weight that you gave (12.9 stone) with or without your riding gear? Thanks!
Yes mate
Thanks a lot. I got my Tracer and did your setup. Tried it for a short test ride and can feel it's more sporty with your settings. 🙏 Do you think making rear shock harder (twisting that thing with hand) is better for the great roads in Germany? I'm your weight but sometimes ride with gf behind. 🖐️
Yes mate
I am 7 watermelons and 3 bananas , what settings do you recomend?
I recommend twa taes n a pa
I'm a bit lighter than you, 10st 10lbs. What settings would you recommend?
I'd try the same mate if I'm honest
@@ShiteLines thanks for the quick response. Isn't there a 5th ring I should reveal on that fork adjustment?
@@themorfill with you being a bit lighter id try it with 5 rings and see how it feels. If you feel it's still a bit divey try 4
Man, i'm from Brazil. I have 110 kilos and my girlfriend (pillion seat) has 60. We always ride together. What do you suggest?
@@guilhermecrispim8084 you definitely need to upgrade your suspension before you crash from losing control. See my other comments in this post
12 stone 9 come on. What's that in kg? Otherwise really good video. Thanks for that. I will try that out. 😁👍
80kg
i have 105kg [16.53 st]what you think i need to do
Fully hard at the front on the preload. 0 lines showing. fully hard on preload at the back
You need to upgrade before the bike kills you. See my other comments in this post. Don't take bad dangerous advice from amateurs.
@@cruisingthethaiway6881 I did upgrade it. I got shot of it :)
@@ShiteLines what happened? What did you upgrade with?
@@cruisingthethaiway6881 I got a vstrom 650 xt
Thanks a lot
one two three four five sex... Anyways thanks a lot for help mate :))
I must be a "fatty" so mines going down to the bone LOL
🤣🤣