Kawasaki Vulcan Forum banner

Rear Shoocks air pressure?

5K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  Aussie.Nomad 
#1 ·
What air pressure do you have in your rear shocks? I have been riding solo & it feels too firm, I have set the rebound to 1 & checked the air pressure & it read only 2psi
 
#2 ·
It would seem you are a very small man in stature if you have it set on 1 with 2psi.
I'm 227 pounds dressed and have mine on 3 with 40psi, its firm but I like firm when curving. Most of my rides are back roads and curvy. I also am darkside and have 40psi in the rear and 38psi in the front. But, that said, I can two up [she weighs 130lbs] and not change anything.

You may want to use a different gauge to check your psi. The best way is to buy the small hand pump and it wont let air escape when you unhook it. Most of them have a gauge, but mine is stuck on 10psi..so that may be the problem, you have a bad guage.
 
#5 ·
Definitely invest in one of those micro-pumps.
PN: K56019-060A
The price is a bit steep; but it is the best tool for the job.

I put most of my miles on 2-up.
I keep my pressure between 15 & 20 lbs. They will lose pressure over time.
I change the setting of the rebound from 2 to 3; if I plan on riding some aggressive roads.

The stated procedure for adjusting air pressure is to lift the bike so that the rear wheel is off the ground.
I did this the first time and compared pressures to the bike on both wheels on a flat surface with a brick under the stand so the bike was near straight up and down.
My pressures were within 2 lbs; on the lift vs on the wheels.

Scott
 
#6 ·
My 2012 Voyager came from the dealer set on #2, and zero pounds of air. I weigh 175. It was ok for me riding solo. However, when I put my son on back (also 175) I pumped the rear up to 20 using one of those handy dandy no-leak pumps, and #4. Now that I am back to solo I have left it on 20 lbs, but dropped it to #3. A little stiff, but does seem to help with clearance in the twisties!
 
#7 ·
The shocks with zero air in them are set for a 150 lb rider and no luggage or passenger. Adding air as you add weight to the bike helps keep the ride geometry consistent and puts the suspension in the sweet spot.

Setting the rebound properly helps to keep your rear tire in contact with the road surface when you are going over bumps.

I weigh 190 and I like to have the rear shocks set at 30 with rebound set to 2 or 3 depending on road surface. For me having the preload set to 30 allows a little more cornering clearance and turn in a a little quicker.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top