Motorcycle Suspension

If your bike is in need of added suspension, suspension repair, or suspension rebuild our Clawson Motorsports Service Department is able to customize or repair your suspension. Our technicians will make sure the suspension is perfect just for you. Here are some questions and explanations to some of our most frequently asked questions.

What is suspension?

The typical motorcycle has a pair of fork tubes for the front suspension, and a swingarm with one or two shock absorbers for the rear suspension.

What is a suspension sag?

Loaded sag is the name given to the amount of suspension travel used up when the bike settles with a rider on board. To alter the sag you need to adjust how much the springs in the forks and the spring in the rear shock are compressed (also called altering the springs' tension or altering the pre-load).

What is preload on a motorcycle?

Preload is simply the amount the springs are compressed while the suspension is fully extended. A typical pair of sports bike fork springs are about 8.5-9.5N/mm. Preload makes the bike sit higher, or lower. It does not make the spring stiffer.

Clawson Motorsports service technicians have years of experience in providing customers with the exact type of suspension that is relative to their size, experience, comfort and most importantly, safety.