RykerRick - Any tips for properly adjusting the Rally shocks? I thought there was just one adjustment and there is not really much in the CanAm manual about the proper settings.
I dont think no real tips, but I can tell you what I did. I made adjustments based on how much load I'm carrying, and the type of road surface (conditions) I'm mostly going to be riding on. I had to experiment around for a bit. For instance, I dont carry a passenger. I weigh 220 lbs, plus the weight of the side cases and brackets (the main bracket I made is pretty hefty) top case and how much I'm carrying in the luggage (I always carry a tool kit, portable compressor, tire plug kit with spare Co2 cartridges, portable power pack/jump starter and spare water, not to mention personal items. So most of the time I have the compression damping (red Knob) set at number 3 (first photo). I have experimented with settings #2 & #4, but #3 seems to work best for me and my road conditions.
The 2nd photo of the rear shock shows that I have the spring adjusted to almost 7/8" with only about a 1/4" of threads left for adjustment. It was originally set from the factory at about 1/2" and that definitely didnt work for me. So I originally adjusted it to 5/8" (one of the recommended settings for carrying a passenger), then re-adjusted it to almost 7/8". At that current setting, its been the best performing and smoothest ride for me and the road surfaces I run on.
Third photo (front shock) shows that I have them set at the 3rd ring. Funny thing happened after the dealer uncrated and assembled the bike, I picked it up and the ride home felt a little odd. I just figured that it was normal since other than the test ride, all I've ever ridden was two wheelers. Once home I was giving it the once over and noticed that the right front shock was set at the 2nd ring, and the left was at the 3rd ring. I adjusted them both to the 3rd ring and took it out and it felt fine. I then tried them at the 4th ring setting and it was a little harsh, so back to the 3rd ring setting and its been there ever since.
If you go to adjust the spring on your rear shock, I use this type of spanner wrench (4th photo). I dont use the little bar that comes with it, I use a ratchet wrench with it because it gives you more leverage. Because it ratchets, it also gives you more space to turn the rings. Also, its much easier to turn the rings on the rear shock if you jack up the rear so that the tire is off the ground, (it takes compression off the spring).
