When I took delivery of my 02 Scura # 545 this past March, I was very disappointed with its ride quality. It was brutally harsh and stiff. The lack of compliance in the suspension was well... painful. This was also compounded by the fact I had a faulty rear shock which was finally replaced under warranty.
Once the new shock was installed, I decided to tackle the suspension adjustments myself using several suggested settings from other websites. I don't know how these "experts" arrived at their settings because unbelievably, the bike got worse! Lesson learned? I will not trust any self-proclaimed "experts" I have not actually met.
Enter Todd. He agreed to assist me with my settings. I cannot thank him enough as the bike is nearly perfect for me now. He carefully and systemically documented and adjusted sag, preload, compression and rebound. The improvement was immediate on the first test ride. He knew exactly what I was trying to achieve even when I had difficulty articulating what I wanted. Some more adjustments, more test riding, more adjustment and suddenly, "magic". The bike transformed into what it should have been from the factory. Gone is the unsettled, drifting unpredictable front end. The "high speed wobble" has been banished forever. As an added bonus, I got a nice, smooth compliant ride. Thanks Todd!
Roger G.
Castaic Lake, CA
My pleasure Roger.
The following settings are for a @180# rider (total with all gear on):
Front forks:
Set sag to 1/2" (12.7mm) - we found this to be approx. +5.5 turns from full soft on the spring preload setting.
Compression: +3 of 28 (max) from full soft.
Rebound: +6 of 28 (max) from full soft
We pulled the forks up through the triples @3/8" (9mm) or to the third line on the forks under the clip-ons, to maximize stability.
Rear Shock:
This bike was equipped with a warranteed Ohlins unit, so hopefully these will be within a good range for the stock Ohlins shock as well.
Spring preload set to 1/2" (12.7mm) sag. +4 turns from stock position.
Compression: +12 of 23 (max) from full soft
Rebound: +24 of 39 (max) from full soft.
We hope that these offer some good base references, and I would appreciate all feedback from other Scura owners - Contact Todd.
