Ryker Rally front shock spring preload settings.

[Spyderdale]

Just wondering where you Rally riders are setting your front shock preload. 1,2,3, or 4 ? For reference I weigh 200 lbs. Just trying to a good feel for my new Ryker. Thanks

[Tslepebull]

When I was using the stock Rally shocks I set them at about the 2.5 mark (I weigh 170 suited up). I have since replaced the front shocks with 400 mm shocks I purchased from Amazon. They gave me 1.5" more front end clearance and as SportsterDoc has indicated they provide much better cornering performance. I have left the 400 mm shocks at the (as received) setting.

[cueman]

230lbs. 3rd ring on 2019 Rally. Corners very well! cueman

[chris56]

We got a "rally" to test for a weekend, our 900 was in the shop for service. I would start with the softest settings on the front, our ones was adjusted for 2up and absolut uncomfortable on the side of our 900 !
Maybe its also about the higher handlebars what I use, no weight on the front and no stress for my shoulders if we ride over potholes ..
I don`t see the reason why your front should be adjusted "harder", the shocks are high quality, maybe you look for shock extensions to bring the front in a real "rally" mode

[Huggytree]

Mine was set at 3 by the dealer. I’m 205. It’s just fine

[RykerRick]

I'm pretty much set up about the same as Cueman, 225 to 230lbs 3rd ring on my 2020 Rally. It performs best at those settings. I've experimented with both softer and stiffer setting and the third ring performs best for my weight and the type of surface (roads) that I ride on. I've also set the rear stiffer because the saddlebags, top case and contents has added additional weight.

[delkhouri]

I'm pretty much set up about the same as Cueman, 225 to 230lbs 3rd ring on my 2020 Rally. It performs best at those settings. I've experimented with both softer and stiffer setting and the third ring performs best for my weight and the type of surface (roads) that I ride on. I've also set the rear stiffer because the saddlebags, top case and contents has added additional weight.

How was the ride different at 4?

[RykerRick]

How was the ride different at 4?

It was a little rougher riding, I could feel more road imperfections during the ride. With the limited curves available here, I really couldnt tell a big difference in the curves between the two ring settings of 3 and 4. Ended up putting it back to 3, which is where it was at from the factory.

[delkhouri]

So I have had a Rally for about a year now.. I bought it pre-owned... i have adjusted the rear shock several times trying to get it tuned to me but I guess i never realized I can tune the fronts.... Upon looking at it, it it set to 4.... On back road it handles great but on the highway it always feels a bit twitchy and always makes me uncomfortable to cruise at highway speeds.. thinking that if i adjust it to 3 it might help with that. Going to have to try this week.

I also have the full baja ron sway bar.

[RykerRick]

So I have had a Rally for about a year now.. I bought it pre-owned... i have adjusted the rear shock several times trying to get it tuned to me but I guess i never realized I can tune the fronts.... Upon looking at it, it it set to 4.... On back road it handles great but on the highway it always feels a bit twitchy and always makes me uncomfortable to cruise at highway speeds.. thinking that if i adjust it to 3 it might help with that. Going to have to try this week.

I also have the full baja ron sway bar.

Just curious, did you also replace the end links? If so, the sway bar and end links should have done wonders with that twitchy feeling.

[delkhouri]

Just curious, did you also replace the end links? If so, the sway bar and end links should have done wonders with that twitchy feeling.

The original owner put the baja ron sway bar and end links on. It handles amazing but when cruising at like 70+ on the highway it just feels twitchy. Maybe jittery. Slightly unstable. Its hard to describe. What i dont know is if this is because its the way mine is set up or if its the nature of the ryker.

[Peter Aawen]

The original owner put the baja ron sway bar and end links on. It handles amazing but when cruising at like 70+ on the highway it just feels twitchy. Maybe jittery. Slightly unstable. Its hard to describe. What i dont know is if this is because its the way mine is set up or if its the nature of the ryker.

Sounds more like it's dodgy OE tires; an alignment issue; or worn front end/steering components - certainly not the (usual) nature of all the Rykers I've had dealings with!

And I don't think that any amount of adjusting your shocks will really make too much in the way of difference to this!!

[Mikey]

Could you be over steering it? May be hanging on to tight, or just getting bumped around by the wind? That bike is very sensitive to any steering change, point and shoot!! Good luck, hope I helped you!!!

[delkhouri]

- I don’t think its the tires or it would show up at other speeds.
- I also don’t think its worn steering components as I only have 2600 miles on it (1200 by me)
- It could be rider inexperience such as holding on too tight, everything I have read said to give it a few hundred miles and it would start feeling more natural but it just hasn’t yet.

I am going to try to adjust the front shocks this week as they are VERY FIRM.. when i try to push down on the font end it barely moves so I am really starting to think with the firm settings and sway bar with end links its just too firm and I am feeling every little imperfection in the road creating a “skipping sensation”

[RykerRick]

- I don’t think its the tires or it would show up at other speeds.
- I also don’t think its worn steering components as I only have 2600 miles on it (1200 by me)
- It could be rider inexperience such as holding on too tight, everything I have read said to give it a few hundred miles and it would start feeling more natural but it just hasn’t yet.

I am going to try to adjust the front shocks this week as they are VERY FIRM.. when i try to push down on the font end it barely moves so I am really starting to think with the firm settings and sway bar with end links its just too firm and I am feeling every little imperfection in the road creating a “skipping sensation”

Thats what I'm thinking. Coming from riding motorcycles most of my life, I quickly learned that a reverse trike is a totally different animal, and I had to throw out a lot of what applied to motorcycles. For instance, a much more relaxed grip on the handlebars. Motorcycles require steering input to counter an action. Where as the Ryker automatically corrects itself rather quickly when it does its twitchy thing at higher speeds or encounters road irregularities. I had to learn to relax the grip a little, trust the machine and allow it to correct itself instead of me trying to counter it with my steering input. The more I did this, the more I became relaxed and comfortable with the machine. Now, I'm really liking its character.

[jojoenglish85]

i am also brand new and my first ride was partly on the freeway and it shook/twitched like no other. On regular roads it was fine, but the more I ride it, the more feel how it reacts to different crappy and level roads and try to put the minimal amount of input to correct it. I sometimes i feel like my hands aren't doing anything and it feels awkward to just sit and ride. I just think its getting used to the machine, but when i go back to my 2 wheel, i feel right at home when maneuvering it. The trike is just different and requires you to relearn or get used to the way it reacts and behaves and make your adjustments. But I can tell you now that I don't like it on the freeway, too much stress on my part to correct its behavior and it makes me stressed, I feel like at anytime ill go flying into the barrier or worse.

[shakin_jake]

260 lb. solo rider. Haven’t changed front preload. Handles mixed road use well, tracks straight @ speed, no drifting, feels fine at all speeds. When I checked to see where the preload is set at, appeared to be the lowest setting. All that said, selling dealer did adjust the rear spring preload, for two up riding. Wifey rode on the pillion once on public roads, 4 miles maybe. I’ve left the setting in the rear as is since the trike feels set up right (seat of the pants)


Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.

[delkhouri]

Anyone have any suggestions on how to loosen the locking ring on the top of the shock. One video i saw said to use a flathead in the slot and use a hammer to knock it loose.

[delkhouri]

I was finally able to adjust my front shocks.. it took some wd40 on the top and bottom of the front shock and a bit of muscle... i adjusted it to 2 and will go for a ride later today. Will report back if it has made a difference.

[Grappler3561]

I was wondering if softening up the front helped with the twitchyness at all?

Thank you

[delkhouri]

Moving it to 2 has helped with highway feel/twitchiness for me….. it did feel a little sloppy in corners tho and have just moved it back to three today.. I am going to try that for a bit… They are so easy to move (now that i know how) that im just going to keep messing with it. I would absolutely recommend checking the tire pressures regularly as that can contribute to an uneven ride.

At the end of the day, I dont know if its the roads in central ohio, or if its the nature of the ryker, if i have a tire balance or alignment issue or ifs my own uneasiness but I still just dont love the ryker on the highway. 55mph on a backroad I can do all day but something changes, either for me or my ryker above 65/70mp.

I so much dont like the highway that in a few weeks i am going camping with some friends and planning to take the ryker.. It can either be a 3.5 hour highway ride or a 5 hour backroads ride.. If i take the ryker, i am doing the 5 hours on backroads

I am fully willing to admit that it just might be me, but I have had my ryker since february 2020 and have put on ~3k miles in that time and while thats not a ton, it surpasses the threshold for comfortability and time people keep saying to give it.

[RickD]

When I was using the stock Rally shocks I set them at about the 2.5 mark (I weigh 170 suited up). I have since replaced the front shocks with 400 mm shocks I purchased from Amazon. They gave me 1.5" more front end clearance and as SportsterDoc has indicated they provide much better cornering performance. I have left the 400 mm shocks at the (as received) setting.

Can you please put up a link to these shocks? Thanks!!

[RykerRick]

How about tire pressures, are you inflating them to the manual specs, or the max specs printed on the tire? If its the max pressure printed on the tire its too much psi, go by the manual. I run mine at about 3 psi above the manual specs.

[Tslepebull]

Can you please put up a link to these shocks? Thanks!!

These https://www.amazon.com/GZYF-Motorcyc...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

or these https://www.amazon.com/Wotefusi-Abso...9915941&sr=8-8

[Kilroy]

These https://www.amazon.com/GZYF-Motorcyc...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

or these https://www.amazon.com/Wotefusi-Abso...9915941&sr=8-8

$80! :-O did they make a big diff over the original Rally shocks?