Gentlemen,My newly purchased 09, has a new spring(only)that the prior owner had installed..he had it spect for his 210Lbs. ..i am 170..and it rattles my teeth on many bumps. It has almost zero sag..My question is> how many turns would make a noticeable difference? guessing 3? Also, how many turns out from closed,on the dampning as well? any advise appreciated.

* Last updated by: GrandCamino on 6/9/2019 @ 5:24 PM *

Is this an external preload adjuster?

You need to have the sag set so with your gear and ass mass its in the center of the dynamic range, typically 25-30mm. It's not just a few turns one way or the other

Then set the bike adjustments at the factory settings for rebound/damping ect. From there adjust a bit at a time.

I would highly recommend a professional suspension setup if you can't do this or aren't comfortable doing it

agree, need to set the sag.

If you can't get the sag set then spring is to stiff.

You can use racetech's spring calculator to figure out
a good spring rate.

http://www.racetech.com/ProductSearch/12/Kawasaki/ZX-14%20Ninja/2006-11

Also for a good starting point this is worth a look at....

https://www.cycleworld.com/sport-rider/suggested-sport-bike-motorcycle-suspension-settings

When I had the G1 I started based on this vid

ZX14 Suspension Set up

It is the stock shock with much stiffer spring...is really all i was told...currant sag is 10mm ...i will read up from the links given...thanks so much...the info here,on this site, has been a great help as i learn this bike.

each 360° turn of the adjuster nut results in approximately a 3.5 mm increase/decrease in loaded sag. I turned my rear preload adjuster nut 4 complete revolutions from where it was set when brand new. They had it set up for a passenger I think. My rear shock spring with no load now measures 7 1/8 inch in length. I am 210 lbs. It was about perfect for me. Before that the rear end would fly up off of bumps.

Sorry at present, I have not loaded the pics for this one but if you need them I will.

http://zx14ninjaforum.com/messages.cfm?threadid=0FBAD329-D9A8-D755-1C455125FFBD4B86

* Last updated by: Rook on 6/10/2019 @ 1:47 PM *

Also, if you have an aftermarket spring, that will probably make some difference. I would assume that would be the reason the previous owner put it on. He probably felt the stocker was too soft. Mine was stock spring.

* Last updated by: Rook on 6/10/2019 @ 1:49 PM *

I bought a replacement stocker with a heavy Race Tech spring for use 2- up. It works pretty good. At 63k I had it rebuilt and had the valving changed. Much better now. Not Ohlins quality but better than stock.

Mad

I have a stock spring if you're interested. It was removed and replaced by Traxxion Dynamics when they re-popped my shock.

Thanks for the offer Danno...and for everyones sugestions... i spent some time reviewing the links and Rooks research and findings ...invaluable stuff! I verified where the rear shock settings are now and everything ,even with the new spring, was set very stiff,,one turn from closed :o ...i backed the spring 2 full turns and used some of Rooks settings for comp. and rebound. Hope to ride today.

.i backed the spring 2 full turns

What is the sag? Did you set it and just not say in your post?

Setting the sag is #1.

Doesn't matter how many turns, etc. If you can't get the
sag set to like 30-35mm then you need to change the spring.

Danno has a stock spring and I'm sure he'd give you a good deal on it.

* Last updated by: piken on 6/12/2019 @ 8:43 AM *

Pls heed what Piken is saying, set the sag correctly, and the front and rear have to sag together same amount.

Its possible to get the adjustable stuff out of wack to the point the bike can become dangerous. Front comp/rebound have to work in sync with the rear. Imagine the fun a soft front and a stiff rear will be if you hit a real pot hole at speed - I hate a good high side.

Be safe, do it right its not that hard!