I have a Yamaha SR150, maybe 2001? The ride is kind of stiff, I adjusted the rear shocks/springs so that the ride height is maximum, but it still feels like a sporty/hard suspension. Actually, I don’t recall if there are springs in the back, they’re covered by side bags.
When shocks/springs get old, do they get softer or do they sag and then get more harsh?
I have a bad back and need to have the softest suspension possible, that’s why I changed from a scooter to a bike in the first place. I’m wondering if I need to get a dual purpose bike with the off road suspension, but really don’t want to spend money.
One shop said 1,600NT, another said over 5,000 to replace the rear shocks, is this just you get what you pay for?
Also, the front wheel wobbles somewhat when I take my hands off the bars at around 50Km/hr. People have said, ‘ah whatever’, but wobble would probably increase the likelihood of tank slap right? Because the possibility of tank slap is totally not cool.
As springs and shocks get older, they should indeed get softer and allow greater travel in the suspension.
The price difference in shocks and springs can be significant sometimes, it does indeed often come down to “you get what you pay for.” Although no one can be sure that the prices you have been quoted are responsible quotes, offering a difference in products.
Front wheel wobbles can commonly be generated by worn and feathered tyres, incorrect tyre pressure, uneven performance of the two fork stanchions or misalignment of the front forks. Without braced front forks, they can float and turn a fraction, which causes wobble. I often straighten mine up as my bike gets knocked in traffic and when parked and will result in the same behaviour once my alignment goes out. A simple fix really though. Just jam your front wheel in a gap and then gently turn the handlebars until you believe your wheel angle and two fork stanchions are perfectly 90 degrees opposed.
If it is a comfortable suspension you are after, I may suggest the commercial SYM ‘Wild Wolf’ which is what I am riding. I have altered the gear ratio as the original one was too low (high torque low speed) in favour of slightly higher comfortable speed (around 70 cruising) and better fuel economy. The suspension I have is standard and I find it perfectly comfortable, providing just the right amount of control for my range of speed while at the same time soaking up as much of the uneven road surface as possible I think.
A used commercial Wild Wolf in good condition should be over NT$ 20,000, but they can take a little sourcing.
Problem with this sort of thing is its pretty subjective, so you don’t know for sure you’ve got a definite fault with your existing kit, and if you buy new shocks you won’t know for sure you’ll get a fix.
It might be worth trying a (few) newer SR150(s) and seeing how it/they feel(s) (they apparently don’t make them anymore as of this year but there may still be some NOS around.) They might not let you test ride, but they can’t reasonably stop you bouncing the seat.
If “they all do that, Sir” then maybe there’s nothing wrong with your (standard?) shocks and you have to look at upgrades or other models.
If the newer ones are better, maybe the valve that the oil skooshes through is clogged? Stripping and cleaning might then be a fix, though I dont know how possible or difficult that is on the SR150.
Might also be worth changing to a lighter oil, for example, ATF, which is probably a lower viscosity than what it came with, and also might have a cleaning/seal conditioning effect.
If you are in Taipei, take it to Mr. Chen’s bike shop just South of Keelung Rd on Roosevelt Rd. He’s about as honest as you will get and does good work.
Front wheel wobble for me is normally due to a bad bearing in the front wheel(cheap) or the steering column is loose(mechanics don’t like to fix this because they really cant charge anything for it). Both are very dangerous and should be fixed immediately.