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[Richard230]

I thought I would start a thread about adjusting the 2012 Zero suspension.  The owner's manual is detailed about adjusting the suspension, but it doesn't provide any stock settings, other to say that the rear shock preload is set up for a 180-pound rider.  My weight is 150 pounds. So I loosened the lock ring (I have lots of shock ring wrenches) and the tensioning ring, but after bouncing up and down on the suspension, I decided to return it to the original setting for now, until I can get someone to help me take measurements.  I did reduce the compression damping to setting no. 4 and set the rebound to setting no. 6. I like my suspension set soft, as long as it doesn't bounce around.

I then messed with the front suspension. You need a very stubby blade screwdriver to turn the rebound damping screw. Turning the screw makes a noticeable difference in the fork's feel. For now I have it set at position no. 6 from full soft.  I then popped off the rubber cover at the bottom of the forks, to get to the compression damping screw.  I discovered that the so-called lock nut doesn't turn, but the adjusting screw does, without needing to loosen the lock nut, as stated in the manual.  I don't know what that big 19mm nut does, but it doesn't lock the screw.  I think it might retain the parts in the fork. If your compression screw turns with a screwdriver, don't touch the nut.  I set the compression screw at position no. 6 from full soft.

I won't know how these settings are going to work until I get some experience riding.  If anyone else has any suspension setting recommendations, post away.   

[paul]

which model do you have?

[Richard230]

I have the ZF9 Zero S.  I rode the bike around a little yesterday and decided that it needed more compression damping at the rear shock, as the stroke seemed to be almost hitting the rubber bumper when going over a bump. So I upped it by another 4 turns and will try it out again today.  This weekend I plan to go to my daughter's home and get her husband to help me set up the rear shock's sag for my 150-pound weight.  This is going to be a work in progress. The front settings seem to be close at the moment, but I won't know for sure until I get the bike back up into the Santa Cruz Mountains and hit the back roads again.

[paul]

The following values are provided as a recommendation only.  Be careful when you change suspension settings as they can change the handling characteristics of the bike.

2012 ZF9 -S for 150lb rider:
Fork compression: 8 clicks out
Fork Rebound: 8 clicks out
Preloaded shock spring length: 141mm (spring free length is 145mm long)
Shock Compression: 1 click out
Shock Rebound: 14 clicks out
Note: 1 click out = all the way in to last click

Be gentle when adjusting the clickers.  If you hit the end of the adjustment range and try to force the knob to do one more click, you can damage the internal valving.  Translation: don't wail on the knobs with vise grips.

[Richard230]

Thanks Paul. That is very helpful.  I'll reset my clickers to those values and see how it works.  I did notice that the compression and rebound adjustments per click make more of a change than on my Yamaha FZ1.  You can feel the difference even bouncing the bike up and down in the garage.  While I am not familiar with the suspension brand, they seem to be quality components.   

[Richard230]

Paul, is it possible that you got the compression and rebound settings reversed for the rear shock?  It appears that the rebound knob, located at the bottom of the shock, only has 6 clicks of adjustment, while the compression adjuster, mounted to the top of the shock reservoir has 18 clicks (reference page 4-20 of the owner's manual).  So the rebound setting could not be 14 clicks out.

I think the rear shock settings should be compression 14 clicks out and rebound 1 click out.

[paul]

Yeah, I may have gotten those two switched.

[Richard230]

The suspension seems to be working fine with the settings Paul provided - with the rear shock set up reversed as I mentioned above.   

[ZeroSinMA]

I set the rebound on the fork and rear shocks on my 2012 Zero S for the least tooth-jarring ride I can get on the crap roads around here but I still don't understand why the Zero's ride is so much more harsh than my full suspension mountain bike with a shorter wheel base.

[Marshm]

I usually have to do more than just clickers on my motorcycles.  If it is too harsh with the adjustments, you might have to look at the springs and the internal damping.  When I bought an MX bike, I took so many shims out of the inside of the shock I could hardly believe it. 

[ZeroSinMA]

I usually have to do more than just clickers on my motorcycles.  If it is too harsh with the adjustments, you might have to look at the springs and the internal damping.  When I bought an MX bike, I took so many shims out of the inside of the shock I could hardly believe it. 

Good to know but I'm loathe to mess with the insides of the shocks. I haven't mucked with the spring compression adjusters yet to find the right trade-off in tension. I suppose that's next.

[Richard230]

My Zero's suspension works better and is less harsh than the stock suspension on my Triumph Bonneville T-100.  It is also better than several of the BMWs that I have owned in the past.  I just installed a set of RICOR front suspension valves and also installed one of their rear shocks on my F650GS. That made a huge difference in control and comfort.  Now that bike's suspension works almost as well as the one of my FZ1.  The Fast Ace components are a bit too harsh for my taste, but then I only weigh 150 pounds and they do seem to work better when I carry a load of stuff on the rear seat. Perhaps they are designed to function better when carrying the maximum rated load for the bike.

It would be great if there were after-market suspension options that fit the Zero, but I kind of doubt we will see any until sales of the Zero increase dramatically.

[CliC]

I've been wanting to play with this some as well, as apparently I'm not eating enough either and I find the ride a bit go-kart like. But not ever having owned or ridden any bikes whose suspensions I felt it necessary to adjust, I'm at a loss as to how what I feel in the saddle translates to what knob I should twiddle.  Aside from the starting settings given in this thread, does anyone have any guidance, or some good links to how to do this? I've looked around the 'Net but seen some diverging information.

As an aside, I brought it in this weekend to get all the outstanding issues fixed (fork seal, and both recalls, neither of which has affected my bike). I plan to ride to the Lone Star rally in Galveston next month and give the Harley-ista  a glimpse at the future of motorcycling - if I can find a place to charge

[trikester]

Anybody have any shock setting suggestions for a 230 lb rider (mostly rocky dirt) on a 2012 DS ZF6? I have no idea if I've got the best ride I could get under those conditions. 

[ZeroSinMA]

Anybody have any shock setting suggestions for a 230 lb rider (mostly rocky dirt) on a 2012 DS ZF6? I have no idea if I've got the best ride I could get under those conditions. 

I got my bike riding smoother by turning the rebound and compression adjusters on the fork and shock all the way counter-clockwise (faster) then backing off two clicks. The result is a less harsh ride but still strikes me as surprisingly rough.  The spring is set for a 180lb rider  so not much I can do there.

I created this suspension adjustment cheat sheet from the 2012 Zero D/DS Owner's Manual for your reading pleasure.