Any thoughts on "softening" the ride a bit

[BerndM]

I really like my new 2013 DCT with the exception of the windshield, which I'm working on, and bit with the suspension.
Here in SoCal, land of the still mostly "free"-ways, there is the unpleasant fact that the concrete settles a bit between the plate sections, so you get a little rise at the joints. Depending on your bike/load/speed combination, this can often create sort of a bouncy hobby-horse effect. At his point, only 2 1/2 weeks into ownership I haven't messed with the front or rear shocks at all.
Just trying to find out what you guys have tried and what your results were.
I don't know what weight rider Honda sets the suspension for at the factory, but I'm about 195 pounds or so with ATGATT.
Your commentary will be appreciated.

 

[670cc]

The old school front suspension can't deal with sharp raised bumps. You would need to modify them with Ricor Intiminators or Race Tech Gold Valve Emulators. I can't speak first hand about the Ricor units, but I do have the GVEs on my NC. They're designed to handle the sharper bumps without compromising overall damping. There are adjustable to a degree, to suit your tastes. They're not perfect, but are an improvement. The price is around $120 and there is a fair amount of labor involved - the forks need to be removed and disassembled.

On the forks, for little money, you could also mess with oil weights and oil level, as well as spring rate. But if you aren't highly experienced, you'd likely make them worse, plus they still would have the inherent shortcomings of the basic damper rod design.

There are several options for aftermarket rear shocks but you're talking $500 and up.

 

[bduffey]

Leaving mine the way they are! I notice you are coming off of a 650 Burg. Compared to that, the 700 is a pleasure!!! (I too rode a Burg)

 

[maxwellian]

I put the Ricor valves in my fork, and a used f4i shock that I got for forty-five bucks in the back. I'd eventually like to buy an ohlins, but for now I'm way happier over the washboards and potholes.

 

[Enforcer]

I believe the suspension, both front and rear, are one of the weakest aspects of the NCX as I'm sure this was a major consideration made by Honda to keep the purchase price reasonable for the targeted buyers. I have spent considerable money over the years on trick suspension tweaks and upgrades on a variety of different motorcycles, most times with considerable improvement over stock. I have found money spent on suspension upgrades to be a better return than money spent on trying to increase horsepower.

When I did track days on my RC 51 or Suzuki SV 650, it was the suspension and brake mods that made my lap times faster, not an extra 2 or 3 horsepower.

After evaluating the NCX suspension and the cost to upgrade the front and rear and really do it right, I have concluded it would not be cost effective for me to spend that kind of money on this particular bike. I take into consideration the quality of the stock suspension and do not push it beyond its limitations and expectations and adjust my riding style to meet the road conditions.

This is only my personal opinion based on my experience and the current status of my wallet.

 

[Chestnut]

I'm also in SoCal, and I had gold valves done when I blew a fork seal. Honestly I don't notice a significant difference - I'm sure some tinkering would help, but it'll have to wait.

 

[Old Can Ride]

Five inches of fork travel is just that, 5 inches of fork travel. Some folks have put on extended forks, but also raises the seat height for not even an inch of fork travel. Some bikes have only 2 to 3 inches of fork travel. Boy makes a fellow go running to the Harley shop?

 

[maxwellian]

After evaluating the NCX suspension and the cost to upgrade the front and rear and really do it right, I have concluded it would not be cost effective for me to spend that kind of money on this particular bike. I take into consideration the quality of the stock suspension and do not push it beyond its limitations and expectations and adjust my riding style to meet the road conditions.

This is only my personal opinion based on my experience and the current status of my wallet.

You must either have better roads or a tougher back

I don't know if the bike can go any any faster, but the jolts up my spine are much reduced

I definitely found the rear shock made a bigger difference comfort wise,

 

[mike5100]

I have just done 220 miles of country roads in Scotland and northern england with a bit of motorway mixed in. My NC is superbly set up compared to other bikes I have had in recent times (Versys, ninja 250R, Triumph Rocket 3). I agree there's a bit of a sharp thump over short bumps, but it's better than any of the 3 bikes I have owned and also better than any of the bikes I have test ridden recently except the BMW S1000R
I tried messing with the forks on my last Rocket and it didn't really help. I am going to leave the NC750 standard because it works for my weight 178lb.
Mike

 

[BerndM]

Leaving mine the way they are! I notice you are coming off of a 650 Burg. Compared to that, the 700 is a pleasure!!! (I too rode a Burg)

I can't argue with you there. The Burgman rides like a truck. The NCXD is much better, but I think it could still be improved on

 

[BerndM]

I put the Ricor valves in my fork, and a used f4i shock that I got for forty-five bucks in the back. I'd eventually like to buy an ohlins, but for now I'm way happier over the washboards and potholes.

Was that F4i shock a straight drop in swap or were there mods needed?

 

[Ruggybuggy]

So say a 2001 F4 shock works? How does it perform? Where do you mount the reservoir?

 

[maxwellian]

No mods, just had to hose clamp the reservoir to the frame. Not sure how to link to the thread about it from my iPhone. Title was something about shock measurements wanted. First guy to try it has the handle justplainbill I believe.

 

[maxwellian]

Oh, it performs much better. You lose a bit of travel and theoretically ride height, but gain preload and use more travel on anything but a big hit. I've never bottomed it. I'm not an expert on suspension setup, but it feels firmer, but more compliant over sharp bumps. The shock to my sometimes sensitive spine are greatly reduced.

 

[maxwellian]

http://nc700-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4501

 

[Versys Chris]

Hi Bernd,

I am on here looking for answers too, but I can tell you that after 800 miles the front has improved (loosened up) and is starting to get smoother. The rear on the other hand is still not to my liking. I was trying to find out what people have set their preload at for the rear, but between this forum, a German forum and the UK forum, nothing conclusive came up. I find the rear in its current setting (4 threads visible) not very responsive over rough roads / short bumps, which we have a lot around here in Nova Scotia, Canada. I will go and setup the rear with proper preload for my weight (180 + gear) and hope it will improve at least a little bit. So in short, give the front a little bit of time to "wear in" and you might be surprised.

Cheers

Chris